Like Walking Into a Dream

Jimmy was the first to arrive with Leana in tow, and by the time he got here, Brian and I had calmed down and things were closer to normal. Jimmy narrowed his eyes at Brian before grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him out of the dining room where the table was set and the food was.

“Jimmy's pretty peeved about the whole Michelle thing even though I’ve told him it’s not true. Michelle is a natural born liar and she probably got pregnant cheating on Bri and doesn’t want to look bad to the public eye,” Leana informed me. I nodded softly, and she relaxed more and faced me.

“Are you guys okay? I mean you two just started dating like a day before all this shit happened…”

“Yeah, we’re as good as we can be. Brian and I didn’t talk for a while and when we did he kept telling me it wasn’t true. I ended up calling Casey and she helped me. We talked it over and no matter what, we’re going to get through this drama together.”

“I’m so happy to hear that. You guys are cute and it’s about time Bri got himself a good girl to come home to,” Leana said. We talked some more and heard Jimmy and Brian fighting in the next room over. They came back in later with their clothes wrinkled and their hair messed up…

The rest of the guys showed up with their significant others except for Matt. Val didn’t want to come and I don’t blame her. I thought that maybe we could have been friends, but once the drama with Michelle started that idea went out the window.

“Brian, are these steaks? You actually learned to use that grill?” Zacky asked in disbelief.

“I was just thinking the same thing…” Johnny mumbled. Brian grumbled under his breath before replying.

“It’s not that hard to light a fire and put food over it…” The mood got lighter as everyone dug in and enjoyed the food Brian and I made.

“I don’t want to ruin the mood or anything but seriously Brian, are you going to get a paternity test?” Matt asked once everyone finished their food. We were sitting around the table sipping wine now, the girls were and the guys opted to having beers.

“I’m going to, but I need to look into it. I don’t know the first thing about that kind of stuff…” he mumbled and took another sip of his beer.

“Well, Pey’s a nurse. She must know something,” Zacky said looking at me. I nodded because at first I studied to be a maternity/prenatal nurse, but decided to become just an RN and work wherever I was needed.

“There are two kinds that you can have done while she’s pregnant, but people tend to wait until after the baby is born to get the test done,” I said swirling the wine around in my glass.

“Why?” Gena asked. I didn’t like Gena too much either, but then again I haven’t talked to her as much as I have with Leana and Lacey.

“Well, it’s always safer for the child if they are already born. There are higher chances of losing the baby during the pregnancy if the test is performed the wrong way,” I said.

The subject changed again and back to something happier. The live show at Yellow Palm was less than a week away now and the guys were pretty excited. So was I; I’ve never been back stage before.

“Let’s go out to eat when the show’s over,” Matt said. Everyone agreed and so now we are going to eat at a small diner after the show.

Around 9 everyone started leaving and by 9:20 it was just Brian and me again. We turned on the TV to a random channel and sat in each others’ arms in comfortable silence.

“I have to work tomorrow,” I mumbled after a while. Brian let out the most exaggerated groan I have ever heard.

“Quit! I can support both of us!” he demanded. I couldn’t help but smile at his childish ways and shake my head no.

“We’ve already been over this, babe. I can’t and I don’t want to. I love my job.” Brian said something that I couldn’t hear and pulled me closer to him. He kissed me sweetly on the lips and rested his forehead against mine.

“I don’t like it when you leave,” he whispered.

“Bri, you still have the guys—“

“That’s the guys… You and them are two completely different things,” he said cutting me off.

“Well then, I promise not to work too long and then when I get off we can be together. What do you want to do after my shift?” I asked resting my head on his shoulder. Brian began to run his fingers through my hair slowly; I found out that he likes my long hair.

“I don’t know yet, but when you come home, I’ll have something planned,” he smirked. I smiled up at him before kissing him again, but this time slower and longer.

“I love it when you do that,” he said against my lips when we pulled away.

“Me too.”

~*~

I was finally on my way to work and about to be late might I add. Brian begged me again not to go to work for almost ten minutes so I missed breakfast again… I pulled into my parking place and went into my section of the hospital. Casey was already there and sitting behind her computer.

“Hola Chica! How was last night?” I asked setting my purse behind the counter and turning on my computer. She shrugged her shoulders a little.

“It was awkward to say the least. For once Benji wasn’t talking anyone’s ear off. In fact it was quiet for most of the night,” she sounded upset.

“Case, I'm sorry. Maybe it was one of those awkward first dates that end up being better later on,” I said turning to face her. She shook her head.

“It wasn’t just that either. The whole way through dinner, I saw him checking out our waitress every time she walked by. I was right next to him for Heaven’s sake!” she huffed.

“Then don’t see him anymore. He obviously isn’t serious and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“That’s what I'm going to do. I actually want a serious boyfriend, Pey, but I always end up with the losers,” she said. I felt truly sorry for Casey because as her best friend, I want nothing more than her happiness.

“I’ll help you then! Matchmaker Peyton to the rescue,” I said and made Casey laugh. At least the mood is lightened.

“How is everything here?” I asked going to grab my clipboard and pen to make my rounds.

“Well, Eric is here today, but he’s in surgery right now. Oh and some more bad news, Megan and Amanda are working right now too, but I don’t know what section they’re in right now.” Great… Eric I can do, but the witches are here too.

I went around and made my rounds and made sure that all my patients were comfortable and fed before going back to see what Casey was doing. She was gone from the nurses’ station so I assumed she was making her rounds too. I sat down and began updating patients’ charts on the computer.

“Look what we have here,” I heard her nasally voice before I saw her face.

“It seems like the home wrecker has finally decided to show her face around here.” I heard Megan, Amanda’s sidekick and shadow reply. I wanted to throw my pen at them and tell them to leave, but I didn’t and simply turned around with my swivel chair to face them.

“Can I do something for you?” I asked not so nicely. Amanda of course looked like an orange with her makeup caked on and her spray tan. Why does she even need a spray tan when we live in California?!

“You can quit and leave the hospital. Everyone here wants you to,” she said confidently.

“Really? Because from what I hear, everyone is sick of your drama and have wanted you to resign months ago,” I replied speaking mostly the truth. A bunch of people here hate her and Megan too.

“That was such a good comeback!” Amanda said. I shrugged my shoulders and refused to give into her childish behavior. The last I need to do is lose my temper at work.

“What? Does the bitch have nothing else to say?” Megan asked. I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Looks like you finally grew at backbone,” I commented softly. Before, it was usually just Amanda talking and Megan agreeing but now it seems like she is getting cocky too.

“It’s true! Why would anyone want to hurt Eric like you did?! You're a heartless bitch for what you did!” Amanda said. I almost lost it right there. I stood up and glared hatefully at both of them.

“You have no fucking idea what happened because you weren’t there. In fact it was probably you guys who showed Eric that article in the first place and it wasn’t even true! It was hard for BOTH Eric and me to break things off, but it was for the better!” I know I shouldn’t have retorted, but they were bugging the crap out of me.

“We know exactly what happened! You cheated on poor Eric and then broke up with him for some lousy rockstar who won’t get far in life!”

“Brian and I haven’t even slept together and he’s already known around the fucking world!” I bit back. People are bound to notice us now.

“You can lie all you want, but we know the truth about how you’re just a two bit whore who feeds on men for their money!” Amanda yelled. I felt a lump in my throat; I never should have said anything to her.

“Take that back.” We all turned around and saw Eric standing behind us; he’s obviously out of surgery now.