How We Operate

Violet untangled herself from Evgeni and kissed his temple, telling him to sleep. She followed Matthew out into the living room and turned on one of the lamps. Mathew sat on the couch and grabbed a pillow, punching it several times before screaming into it.

"I hate women! I hate them!"

"Gee thanks, Matt."

"You know what I meant, Violet," Matthew groaned and rubbed his face. "There is a reason that I don't like getting close to girls and it's this."

"What did she do?"

"Fucking slept with Connor McKeon, that's who."

"Who is that?"

"Remember Megan McKeon? She took that boy your roommate Paula had been hooking up with right out from under her?"

"I hate that girl!" Violet hissed. "Let me guess, it's her brother?"

"Her twin brother. They're like evil incarnate. But yeah. Apparently Julie is friends with Megan and she went out with them and ended up sleeping with Connor. And now she doesn't know how she feels about me. She said she really liked me but something has changed." Matt sighed and pounded his fist into the pillow.

"Wait, when did she call?"

"Fifteen minutes ago. She couldn't sleep and decided to tell me so that maybe she would feel better. Fuck her." Instead of agreeing with Matt Violet slipped into the the kitchen and returned with a bottle of vodka, two glasses, and cranberry juice.

She filled up the glasses with juice and put about a shot and a half of vodka in each and handed one to Matt. They drank. Matt chugged his and looked at his empty glass. "Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. This stuff is mad strong."

"Mmhmm. It's Russian. I had some with Evgeni the other night so I picked some up on my way home."

"Jesus, I feel drunk already." Matthew stared at his empty glass an then back and Violet. He wordlessly held his glass up and Violet refilled it. "This might be a bad idea but I don't have to work tomorrow." Violet nodded and the two clinked their glasses together.

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Matt woke up to giggles emanating from the kitchen. His head hurt, but not as bad as he thought it would. He mouth felt like it was filled with cotton but again, not as bad as it had been in the past. He got up off the couch and walked into the kitchen to see Violet sitting on the counter with Evgeni between her legs, fully clothed, pressing kisses to her nose.

"Morning." Violet said, hoping down off the counter. She walked over and gave Matthew a big hug. "Head ache?" Matt nodded against her neck. "Geno can fix it." Violet stood back and watched as Geno put down two pickles and a bowl of Kasha in front of Matt.

"Pickles and mush?" Instead of arguing Evgeni nodded.

"Eat or feel like Ovechkin hit." Evgeni walked up to Violet and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. The couple watched Matt in silence as he ate the pickles and a bite of Kasha.

"Wait. Was every thing here Kosher?" He looked up at Violet who smiled and nodded.

"That's my boy." She walked up to him and hugged his shoulders from behind. "Eat. It's really good."

"It rusky. Old family." Geno nodded and sat down next to Matthew.

"This Julie, yes?" Matt nodded. "She no good. She sleep someone else she no worth for you." Matthew nodded and thanked him. "We find good Russian girl for you. Better. Pretty." Evgeni waggled his eye brows at Matt and received a chuckle in response. Satisfied that he had made Matthew laugh Geno looked up at Violet and saw her smiling at him.

After he was finished Matt left to take a shower and Violet walked over to Geno, biting her lip. "It means a lot to me that you helped me help my best friend. Matt is the one person in this world I know I can put my full trust in all the time. He's the one person who truly knows me and he is my best friend. For you to understand that and not be jealous and want to help him makes you so different from so many guys out there. You have no idea what this means to me." Geno stood and took Violet in his arms.

"I just want see you happy. If Matt not happy, you not." Geno kissed her sweetly on the lips. "I have go. Practice before game in hour. See you tonight?" Violet nodded and kissed him deeply on the lips before he said good bye and left.

Violet went and changed into work out clothes to get a good run in. As she was leaving her room Matthew came out of the bathroom.

"Hey, Vi?"

Violet looked up at him. He smiled softly and walked over to her.

"Thanks." She smiled and hugged him.

"Anything for you, Matthew. You're my best friend. It's how-"

"How we operate, yeah, I know. I just want you to know that without you well I'm left hollow. So, can we decide to try a little joy tomorrow? Or today? I want to forget about Julie."

"Yup. We'll turn a new page and tear the old one out. We share the little consequences, man. You and me."

Matt nodded and walked toward his room and Violet went to leave the apartment.

"And Violet?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm going to try to see things your way. I may not like it, but I'm always going to love you anyway. I'm going to try."