New Beginnings

“So who’s the guy who wrote the book?” Payton asked Nate quietly as the afternoon seemed to wind down. It was still as crazy as it had been in the morning, the fans talking and yelling excitedly, songs being sung loudly, reporters trying to make their questions heard from the other side of the store. They seemed to have learned their lesson when Payton had the other reporter kicked out, and barely strayed from the place she had sent them.

“Oh, that’s Keith; he’s been on the team for a while and signed another contract for about thirteen years I think. Don’t quote me on that,” Nate laughed, her arm wrapped around Sarah’s waist. It was strange seeing the two together, Nate was a tomboyish woman who was loud and out there, while Sarah was as quiet as a mouse, preppy and a pianist. However, it worked, and worked exceedingly well.

“Thirteen years?” Payton asked, “That’s a long contract with a team, isn’t it? Don’t they usually go for about three to five?”

“Hey,” the girl shrugged, “I told you not to quote me, and I’m not sure. But I think he got someone else to write this for him,” she laughed, flicking through the pages. Payton gave her a wry look and turned her attention back to the store. She couldn’t believe how many times she had to take money out of the till to put in the safe. The day had gone exceptionally well according to her finances, however, her stress levels and aching muscles told a completely different story.

Jonathan’s gaze caught her eye and she found herself swept into a staring contest. He had left the room shortly after telling her he was pleased that she was wearing his number, and gone back out to the signing, the shake half empty. Blushing as his intense look grew warmer; Payton ducked her head and looked at her beat up converse.

“So is Keith his first or last name?” she asked Nate eventually.

“Last,” she replied, picking up a sheet of paper, “I wonder if I can get Sharpie to sign this before he goes,” Nate said to herself, leaving Payton to stand at the counter and watch after her, bemused.

**

Paper lay everywhere with random pieces of plastic and a hell of a lot of food wrappings. Payton shook her head as she began to sweep between the isles. The only food that was allowed in the store was up at the café and she was sure as anything that no one ate down stairs, well, that she took note of anyway.

She had sent Nate and Lucy home after all their hired furniture was returned and told them to take the next day off. As far as Payton was concerned, the profit turnover of the day was more than enough to cover the next day. It was unfair to ask them to come back the next day after all the effort they had put in for the signing.

A sharp tap sounded at the window to her left, startling her. Bryce grinned at her from the outside before holding up a bag of take out. Shaking her head and smiling, Payton opened the door and let him in with a hug. He set the bags down onto the counter and leaned against it, taking in her frizzy hair, the dust and dirt on her black shirt and the broom in hand.

“How was the day with the wolves?” he asked wryly, rubbing a bit of dirt off of her nose. Wrinkling it at him, she propped up the broom and peeked into a bag.

“Oh, nice,” she hummed, taking in the Chinese noodle boxes. “Stressful,” she replied, turning her attention back to him. “I bet your friend Patrick had some stories to tell you after you left this morning.”

He laughed, “Yeah and Kaner said you were feisty.”

“He kind of reminded me of a cherub,” she said dryly, smiling as her brother broke into cackles.

“Nice,” he said, holding his stomach as he wiped his eyes. “I should let Burish know, he’d never let Kane forget it.”

“Burish?” she asked, pushing him out of the way so that she could get the bags and they walked into the staff room.

“Adam Burish, Sharpie’s best friend. A lot of guys give him shit about being a Canadian, despite being born here.” He sat down at the table as Payton moved around, grabbing plates and cutlery. “Apparently you made Tazer impressed today as well. Still can’t believe you got up on the front counter and ordered everyone around like troops though.”

She blushed and gave him his plate. “Yeah, well, I can’t believe it either; I’ve never been so loud in my life. Want anything to drink?”

“Just a coke thanks,” he replied as she opened the small bar fridge on the counter. “Jonny wants me to bring you to a practice one time, but I’m apparently not allowed to tell you it was his suggestion.”

“Well, doesn’t that make you a swell friend?” she replied, opened her can and sitting down. “Pass the Singapore noodles?” Bryce handed the box over and broke into the fried rice.

“Blood’s thicker than water,” he came back with.

“But not thick enough to take me with you when you left home,” she said without thinking. Her hand slapped against her mouth as her words registered in her mind. “God! I’m so sorry! Just ignore it,” she said in a rush. Bryce sat in front of her in shock, his normally smiling face harsh and drawn.

“You wouldn’t have liked it, Pay, it was no place for you,” he replied with a sigh, ignoring her words. “I hated leaving you there to deal with mom and dad with their whole “you must be hippies as we were” attitude. But I was living in a dorm, with a bunch of other guys. I wanted to stay at home, you know that. I could hardly support myself let alone the both of us. Dad was the one who kicked me out, I didn’t leave because I wanted to.” Payton was in shock, this was another side of the story she had never heard before.

He gave her a sad look before eating. “Dad also wanted you to have a decent education as well. He didn’t want you to have the added stress of our conflict influencing your grades. So he asked me to stop talking to you about the whole thing before screening your mail.”

“They shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around her stomach and looked away, blinking fast. “And look where my good education got me, managing their shop and going to school at night so that I can get a business degree so that I can manage the shop better.” Her tone was sharp and bitter. “I love you Bryce, I do, but sometimes I resent that you got to go away and live your dream, and when that failed, you managed to do something that related to what you wanted most.”

“Its hell, Pay,” he replied seriously in return. “I can’t do what these guys can every day; I watch them every day playing and living the dream that I would have done anything for. I stay with it because it’s the only thing I know how to do, and the only place I’ll stay to punish myself for leaving you at home. I stay because I can’t leave it alone, and because I don’t want to leave it alone.”

She stared at him, her throat thick and blocked by tears that wouldn’t leave her, that wouldn’t be swallowed down. He had suffered as much as she did, more than she did. The bitter strings wrapped around her brother’s image in her mind fell away then, her shame at taking it out on him washing it all away. They continued their meal in silence, and the final cleaning in the same state. How was she supposed to break it?

“Do you want to hang out tomorrow?” he asked, breaking the gloom in one fell swoop. “Now that we’ve got all of this out of the way, we could chill out and relax, watch a few movies at my new place?”

Biting her lip, she shifted her weight around. “I wish I could, Bryce, but I promised a friend that I would go out with her. What about Saturday?”

“Can’t, got a lot of stuff to do,” he shrugged. “The store’s closed on a Sunday right?” she nodded. “Wear pants and be ready to leave at seven. We’re hanging out,” he said firmly. “No arguments.”