They Can't Protect Me From Loving You

Eloise was up early the following morning excited and yet nervous about her impending job interview at Hot Topic. She’d barely been able to keep her breakfast inside her and, after showering, had spent almost an hour deciding what to wear.

“Are you sure this looks ok for an interview?” she mumbled as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror in the bedroom.

“Babe, I keep telling you, you look great.” Brian replied from where he was led on the bed with Pinkly.

“But do I look ok for an interview? Is it too casual?” she replied frowning.

“Babe, the interview is with Hot Topic. You don’t want to look all formal.” He said subconsciously scratching behind Pinkly’s ear.

“But would you hire me?” she said turning to face him, a fresh smirk on his face.

“Wait, Nevermind, forget it, I’m going to be late.” She said rolling her eyes at Brian and turning back to pick up her purse.

“Babe.” Brian said. Eloise turned when she heard the sound of his weight shifting on the bed. He stood up, with Pinkly in his arms and took a hold of her hand.

“You look effortlessly beautiful, you’ll do brilliant.” He said placing a kiss on her cheek and then her lip.

“Thank you.” she whispered through a wide smile before briefly pecking his lips again.

“Hopefully I won’t be too long.” She said as they parted.

“Good Luck.” Brian called as she walked out of the bedroom.

Eloise took a deep breath before she stepped into the store. As she walked through the doorway she spotted Billie stood behind the counter talking to a girl. She wasn’t the same girl who’d been there the day before. She was the same height as him, maybe even a little bit taller with long brown hair that had been swept up in a messy ponytail and had a few tattoos covering her arms. Eloise was half way across the store before Billie looked up and smiled as she approached.

“Hey, I’m glad you could make it.” He said his emerald eyes dazzling as he smiled.

“Kat, this is….sorry I didn’t get your name yesterday” he said turning to face Eloise again.

“Eloise.” She said holding out her hand politely.

“Eloise. This is Kat, currently my second in command.” Billie said as Kat shook her extended hand.

“Hey.” Kat smiled warmly.

“Current?” Eloise questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, Kat’s going to be leaving us soon, she’s going to be dropping in a week or two.” He said indicating to Kat’s stomach. At a second glance Eloise noticed that she had a very prominent pregnancy bump underneath her baggy top.

“Aww, how long have you got left?” Eloise asked.

Kat placed her hands on her bump, rubbing it gently. “Two weeks left in work and I hope he’ll be out within the next four.” She said.

“Right, if you’d like to follow me through to the office, we can get the formal stuff out of the way.” Billie said with a smile, before turning to lead the way to the office.

Eloise took a deep breath as she followed Billie into the office. He walked around the desk and took his seat in a large office chair, indicating for Eloise to sit down in the chair opposite.

“Now then, Eloise, did you bring your application form and resume?” Billie asked. Eloise passed the papers over the desk to Billie and sat silently as she watched him read over the forms.

“Well, you certainly have the experience to do the job.” He said with a broad smile, placing the papers on his desk.

“Can I ask one thing though?” Eloise nodded as his curious eyes sparkled with his smile.

“What made you leave Sacramento?” Eloise sighed quietly and smiled.

“To be with my boyfriend.” She said quietly, feeling herself blush. Billie smiled and nodded.

“So it wasn’t anything to do with your last job?” he asked and Eloise immediately shook her head.

“No, I loved that job, I got to work with my best friends, I just couldn’t live up there while Brian was here. I needed to be close to him.” She explained.

“Well, as I said, you’ve definitely got the skills and experience to do this job, selling clothes doesn’t differ that much from CDs, so I’d like to offer you the job.” He said, relaxing back in his chair, watching Eloise’s reaction with a smile.

“Really?” Eloise almost shrieked, the word sticking in her throat.

“If you want it.” Billie replied, still smiling.

“Wow, thanks, yeah I want it. When do I start?” she said, almost bouncing in her chair.

“Well, how about I show you a few of the basics now and then you can start bright and early tomorrow? I’ve only got two weeks to teach you everything before Kat leaves.” He said, getting up and walking back around the desk.

“Shall we?” he said opening the office door. Eloise nodded, still smiling broadly and stood up and followed Billie back out to the front of the shop.

Billie gave Eloise the tour of the shop and gave her a run through of what her responsibilities would be once Kat had started her maternity leave. She then had to fill in some paper work for personnel before Billie told her to be back in the store for nine sharp the following morning.

As soon as Eloise was outside the store she quickly took out her cell phone and dialled Brian’s number.

“Hey babe, how did it go?” Brian asked.

“I start tomorrow morning at nine.” Eloise replied cheerfully.

“Wow, that’s fast work, well done babe, I told you, yeah she got the job.” He said, obviously telling someone else the last part. She heard cheering coming from the other end and guessed that either the guys had called over or Brian was at one of their houses.

“The guys all say well done, listen, I’m over Zack’s, come on over, we can celebrate.” He said as more cheers echoed through the phone.

“Ok, I’ll be about ten minutes.” She replied, about to hang up.

“Babe?” Brian called causing her to bring her phone back to her ear.

“Can you pick up some beer, and maybe something for lunch? We’re starving.”

“Yeah sure, make that half an hour.”

“Love you babe.” He replied.

“Yeah, love you too.” she replied hanging up.

“Food!” Zack yelled as he opened the door for Eloise, trying to get the bag of Burger King out of her hand.

“Back off Fat Boy!” she yelled trying to push past him. “This bag rips and I drop my food then it’s your ass that will be marching right through that door to get us some more.” She added with a faint growl. He backed off immediately and allowed her to walk through to the kitchen.

“Food!” Johnny yelled as she placed the bag down on the counter, quickly jumping to empty the contents out.

“Hey babe.” Brian said from the stool he was sat on, holding out his arm for her.

“Hey.” Eloise replied simply with a smile reaching for his hand so he could pull her closer to him. They exchanged a brief kiss before he turned her so she was leaning against him, in between his legs.

“How was the interview?” he asked resting his chin on her shoulder.

“Simple really. I would even call it an interview. Billie just took a look at my resume and asked me why I left Sacramento and then offered me the job.” Eloise replied taking the chicken Royale Jimmy was handing her.

“Billie?” Brian questioned, lifting his chin off her shoulder.

“Yeah the manager.” Eloise turned to look at Brian and saw the look of jealousy on his face.

“Babe?”

“Did you tell this Billie that you have a boyfriend?” he asked in an accusing tone.

“Babe I didn’t need to because I was wearing my I heart Brian t-shit.” Eloise said, glaring at him for a moment before turning back to her food. Both Matt and Jimmy burst into fits of laughter as Zack and Johnny ignored everyone in favour of their burgers.

Eloise knew that Brian must have been glaring at Jimmy and Matt as they abruptly stopped their laughter and continued with their food. Brian gently pushed Eloise forward and got off the chair, sulking out of the kitchen.

Eloise sighed and rolled her eyes, glancing around at the other guys, again only Matt and Jimmy noticed. She gently threw down her burger and silently followed Brian. She found him sat quietly on one of the arm chairs, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his face in his hands. She quietly walked over to him and knelt down in front of him.

“Babe?” she whispered reaching up to take hold of his hands.

“I’m sorry.” She added as she moved her head so that she could look into his eyes.

“No, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have got jealous.” He replied, pulling her up into his lap and kissing her.

“Babe, you know you have nothing to worry about right?” Eloise asked in a whisper as she brushed her lips slowly up his jaw line. Brian could only reply in a low groan before her lips met his again. The kiss intensified with Brian pulling her closer to him so she was straddling him.

“Get out! You are not fucking in my house!” Zack’s voice yelled, breaking their kiss. Brian lifted Eloise off his lap and stood up.

“In that case we’ll be heading off.” He said taking hold of her hand and running towards the front door. As they stepped out of the front door they remembered that they each had driven. Brian turned to face Eloise with a smirk.

“Race ya.” He said quickly dropping her hand and racing towards his BMW.

“Shit, my purse.” Eloise yelled as she turned to get her bag, hearing Brian laugh loudly behind her.

Eloise couldn’t help but laugh as she returned from getting her purse to find Brian still sat on the drive way, the Escalade blocking his exit. She ran to the car, giving him a sarcastic wave as she started the engine and quickly took off down the street.

She turned quickly into the driveway, knowing that Brian wasn’t too far behind. As she placed her key in the door she heard Brian pull up, the car screeching to a halt. She had barely set foot through the door before she was in Brian’s arms, his lips forcefully on hers with her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her quickly and skilfully up the stairs.