When Duty Calls

No sooner than she had crossed the hall and stepped back into her bedroom after her shower, she heard a door open and excited chatter fill the house. She smiled as she heard Brian’s voice respond to Connor’s questions and tales of his night at Michelle’s parents’ house with Ella.

Knowing that it was only a matter of time before he would want to talk to her, Andrea made quick work of drying her body, quickly getting dressed and running a comb through her wet hair, placing it in a messy bun.

She walked down the stairs, into the living room where she was greeted but Connor as he slipped off the sofa from where he was sat next to Brian and ran over to her.

“Andie!” he cried joyfully as she held her arms out for him. He jumped up and she shifted him so that he was resting on her hip.

“Hey little dude, did you have a good time at Grandma’s and Gramps’?” she asked with a warm smile.

“Yeah, Ella was sleeping but Gramps and me watched a baseball game and he told me that he will take me to see the Angels play.” He explained excitedly.

“Don’t tell your Uncle Zacky that, not when you told him you didn’t want to go.” She said with a smile.

“He could come too! And Alicia.” He said after he took a brief moment to think about it.

“Yeah, that’s a brilliant idea.” She replied as she walked over to the sofa and sat down with him on her lap.

“We could make a day out of it if you want.” Brian suggested with a smile. Andie smiled as she watched Connor’s face light up, his eyes widening with excitement.

“Could we dad?” he asked.

“Yeah, I don’t see why not.” He replied with a chuckle.

“Would you come too? You like baseball right?” he asked turning his gaze on Andie.

“Yeah, it’s ok I guess.” She replied with a shrug.

“When can we go dad?” Connor said again turning his focus to Brian.

“Um, we’ll try and organise something for their next home game if you want.” He replied watching as Connor beamed with excitement. As Connor enquired about when that would be exactly, Andie pulled her phone that had just vibrated out of the pocket of her hoodie. It was a message from Rhian asking if she fancied a coffee. She replied and gently lifted Connor off her lap and placed him back onto the sofa next to his father.

“Sorry little dude but Rhian wants me to go round her place for a coffee.” She explained.

“Ooh!” he whined. “But I wanted to start reading Danny the Champion of the world today.”
Andie sighed. “Ok, listen, if I go now, then as soon as I come back we’ll sit right here and read for the rest of the afternoon.” She said crouching down so that she was level with him.

“Promise.” He asked with a small pout, his big brown eyes bearing into hers.

“Promise.” She replied with a smile, watching as his pout turned into a smile that made his eyes sparkle with happiness.

“Right, now be good.” She said placing a soft kiss in his forehead before standing up and turning to leave.

“Does that go for me too?” Brian asked with a smirk as she walked away.

“Yes it does Haner.” Michelle replied as she passed Andie on her way into the living room. “Now, I do believe you said something about starting to clear up while I was getting the kids?” she said passing a black bin liner to him.

“Yeah, I got distracted.” He replied causing Andrea to blush as she walked quicker to the front door, not waiting to hear what he said he was distracted by.

“Hi, come on in, the coffee machine’s on.” Rhian greeted joyfully as she opened the door to Andie.

“Well, someone’s in a cheerful mood this morning. No hangover?” she asked closing the door behind her and following her friend through to the kitchen where she proceeded to make them both a mug of freshly brewed coffee, the smile on her face not faltering once.

“Strangely enough, no, I woke up this morning full of the joys of spring. I don’t know what’s so different about this morning? I put away a fair bit of alcohol last night…not quite as much as you but still.” She replied placing a mug of steaming hot coffee in front of Andie, before grabbing a plate of cookies off the counter.

“Come on I want to curl up on the sofa.” She replied as Andrea followed her with a shake of her head with a soft chuckle.

“So this good mood has nothing to do with a certain talk lanky drummer you spent all night talking to has it?” Andie asked watching Rhian’s smile widen as they settled on opposite ends of the sofa.

“It might do.” She replied with a blush.

“So, come on, tell me everything, I know you, that’s exactly why you’ve asked me over here today.” Rhian returned her gaze to her, her smile wide.

“You know me so well.” She replied. “Ok, so as you know we spent most of the night talking to each other.”

“All the night Rhi, you two were joined at the hip.” Andie cut in.

“Ok, all night, anyway, we talked about loads of stuff, just random stuff really, you know the stuff that doesn’t really matter.” She began.

“We just seemed to click you know, like we’d known each other our whole lives. Talking to him was easy, just like how I talk to you.” she continued.

“So what happened when he walked you home?” Andie asked feeling the excitement radiating off her best friend.

“Well, we walked slowly home, holding hands, and when we got to the doorstep he told me that he wanted to do something that he’d wanted to do all night. He asked if he could kiss Me.” she said, almost squealing.

“And?!” Andie probed.

“I said no.” Rhian replied flatly, her smile fading. Andrea stared at her totally confused.

“What? Really?” she asked bewildered.

“No, of course not! How long have I wanted to kiss that man? I wasn’t going to waste that opportunity.” She replied rolling her eyes.

“Bitch.” Andie muttered quietly.

“Anyway, he kissed me, and I don’t mean just a peck on the lips. Well, that’s how it started anyway.” She replied with a glint in her eyes.

Rhian moaned quietly as Jimmy’s tongue slipped through her parted lips, toying with her own as his hands gripped her hips lightly, pulling her ever closer to his body. He pulled away undesirably, earning a small whimper from Rhian as her eyes opened to look up into his clear blue ones.

“I’m going to have to stop there before we end up doing something you may regret in the morning.” He whispered, dipping his head to rest his forehead against hers. Rhian nodded silently against him, knowing that although she’d dreamt of being with Jimmy for a long time, she’d never had a good relationship that had started after they’d had sex. Maybe this time she really should take things slow and have a relationship with him first.

“But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to. I am incredibly turned on by you and I’d like to take you out sometime.” He replied.

“Well, why don’t I give you my number and you can give me a call sometime?” she replied with a smirk, her hand slipping from his waist to her jeans pocket to retrieve her cell. As she passed it to him, he gave her his and they both typed in their numbers into each others phones.

“I’ll call you tomorrow if that’s ok?” he asked quietly with a smile on his lips.

“I’ll look forward to it.” She replied as she gazed up into his eyes as he again lowered his head to hers and placed his lips gently against hers.

“Bye Rhian.” He whispered before taking a step back towards the sidewalk.

“Bye.” She replied watching him with a smile as he began to walk away, glancing back at her as she remained on her doorstep. Once he was lost in the darkness of the silent street Rhian turned and opened her front door.

“So has he called yet?” Andie asked eagerly once Rhian had finished re-telling her story.

“Yeah, just before I text you. He wants to take me out tomorrow night, for a meal somewhere and a few drinks or whatever I want to do.” She replied her smile so wide that if it stretched any further across her face it would surly split her face in two.

“Oh Rhi I’m so pleased for you. I know how long you’ve wanted to be with Jimmy.” Andie replied happily.

“Yeah I know, so come on, you’ve got to help me pick something to wear.” She replied, placing her coffee mug down on the coffee table as she stood up from the sofa. Andie followed suit and followed her up to her bedroom.

“I was thinking one of these tops.” She said turning from her open closet with two tops in her hands. She’d obviously started looking through her clothes before Andrea had arrived as there were a selection of jeans, skirts and black dress pants on her bed.

“I prefer the blue one.” Andie informed after eyeing up the two tops.

“Good, that’s what I was hoping you were going to say. Now, pants? I don’t know where we’re going so I don’t know how smart to dress.” She replied turning to the selection of clothes she’d picked out and lay on the bed.

“Well, go half way, here, how about these?” she said picking up a pair of jeans from the pile.

“Now, there’s one of the many reasons why we’re best friends Andrea Jennings. You’re brilliant eye for fashion and the right outfit for the right occasion.” She replied.

“Always happy to help.” Andie replied with a smile as she bent down to pick up the black pair of pumps that Rhian had obviously pulled out of the closet in her search for what to wear.

“Yeah I was thinking heals so that I didn’t get a stiff neck by the end of the night.” Rhian said as she began to rummage through her jewellery box on her dresser. “How about these earrings?”

“Perfect, and I’ll bring over the necklace you got me a few Christmas’ back, it’ll go well with the outfit too.” she replied.

“Andie, I love you, now for a bracelet or something.” She said setting the earrings to one side and returning to filter through her jewellery. “So anyway, did anything exciting happen after we left or can’t you remember? You were near enough passed out on the bench when we left.” She added with a bemused smile.

“Well….” Andie began slowly biting her lip as she watched Rhian’s head snap up to look at her, dropping the green bangle she had picked up.

“Oh my God! What happened? Tell me.” she demanding, turning on the stool to face her.

“Well, as you said I was near enough passed out on the bench so Brian carried me up to my room and…well…I kind of kissed him.” she began trying to avoid eye contact.

“What did he do?”

“Nothing. He said that even though he wanted to he wasn’t going to do something that he thought I’d regret in the morning when I was sober.” She explained quietly feeling herself blush.

“And did you regret it?” Rhian asked quietly.

Slowly Andie shook her head, still diverting her gaze to anywhere but her friend.

“Does he know that?”

This time Andie nodded her head in reply, finally looking up to look at her best friend. “I told him this morning, when Michelle had gone to pick the kids up, and well…”

“You guys fucked again!” Rhian exclaimed loudly interrupting Andie’s explanation. Andie nodded.

“Fuck girl! So what? The affair’s back on again?” she asked and again Andie just nodded in reply.

“And it’s what you want?” she asked. Andie took a deep breath before answering.

“Yeah, I guess it is. You were right the other week Rhi, I want him; you know that, I’ve wanted him ever since that first night we saw them in Showcase Theatre; and I don’t feel one ounce of guilt towards Michelle. It was only the thought of what would happen with the kids that made me stop it before, and don’t get me wrong I still care about what would happen to them if Michelle found out but…well I guess my need to be with Brian is greater.” Andie explained in a long ramble.

“Andie, it’s ok, you don’t have to explain yourself to me. as long as you know what you’re doing, and you know that when it all blows up, which lets face it, these things always do, I’ll be here for you, you’ve known this from the start.” Rhian replied standing up.

“Thanks Rhi, I don’t know what I’d do with out you.” Andie replied with a faint smile.

“Hey, how many times have we told each other, it’s what best friends are for.” She replied stepping forward to pull Andie into a comforting hug.

“Now, if I recall correctly, you also have a bracelet that should go perfectly with this outfit as well. That really nice one with sapphires that you’re dad got you when you graduated.”

“I’ll bring it round with the necklace in the morning.” Andie replied with a knowing smile.

“Now, unless you need me for anything else, I have to get back, I promised Connor that I’d spend some of the afternoon reading a new book with him.” she added with a smile.

“No, I think that’s it thanks.” Rhian said with a matching smile as she followed Andrea out of the room.

“Ok, I’ll see you in the morning then.” Andie said as she headed for the front door.