West Coast
five.
Scout cursed to herself as soon as she stepped outside the house. She had completely forgotten that Brian picked her up from her apartment earlier in the day. She pulled her cell phone out of her jacket pocket and began dialing the number for a taxi service. The brunette could hear the front door open and close which caused Blue to take off in the direction of whoever had joined her outside.
There was a slight chill in the California breeze as Brian stepped outside. Scout was standing at the end of his driveway with her phone up to her ear. “If you’re going to leave, at least let me give you a ride home.” He called out after her.
Scout had just finished giving the driver on the other end of the call Brian’s address before handing up and sliding the phone back into her pocket. She knew Brain was talking to her, but chose to ignore him just as he did moments ago. The guitarist was soon standing right behind her, Blue sitting beside him. “Did you hear me?” He asked, reaching out to touch her shoulder, “At least let me give you a ride home so we can talk.”
“You didn’t even defend me, Brian. What is there for you to say?” She yelled, her face heating up. Scout had flinched at Brian’s touch, taking a step away from him. Brian merely shrugged, unsure of what to say. He opened his mouth to say something as he saw the cab turn down his street. Scout laughed herself and she bent down to attach Blue’s leash to her collar, still avoiding Brian’s gaze. She ushered the dog into the cab as soon as it pulled up to the house and stepped in close behind. As she went to close the door, Scout finally looked at Brian. His face was blank, emotionless. “Maybe you should have listened to the part of you that said this was wrong.”
Brian watched helplessly as the taxi pulled away from the curb and took off down the road. He knew where she lived and his car keys were in his pocket… He could have gone after her. Instead, Brian hung his head low and went back inside. The guitarist dropped down onto the couch in his previous spot and sighed, running a hand through his hair. Could he really even be mad at his friends? They had a point.
“Listen man, I didn’t think she heard all that shit I said.” Zack said, picking at the label off the beer bottle in his hands, “I’ll talk to her when we get back in the office next week.”
Brian felt the eyes of his friends following him as he walked through the living room and into the kitchen. Beer wasn’t going to cut it anymore. He returned to the living with a bottle of Jack Daniels and sat back down in his seat from earlier. No one spoke as Brian unscrewed the cap and took a swig, not bothering to pour himself a glass. Johnny thought for a moment before speaking despite his better judgment to just keep his mouth shut.
“Maybe it was for the best man.” Brian shot Johnny a look to which the bassist raised his hands in defense and continued, “She was awfully young. It does make you look questionable, especially considering the fact that she works for Zee.”
Brian laughed with malice, “Yeah, because you’re such a fucking saint Christ. How old was that girl you brought back to the bus when we were in Houston?”
Johnny’s face turned tomato red before digging into his pocket for a cigarette, “Fuck you man. I was just looking to get laid, not date her.”
“You’re hurting your own argument.” Matt mumbled under his breath causing Brian to chuckle.
The bassist shook his head, popping the cigarette between his lips and walking through the kitchen to the back deck. Brian took another drink from the bottle in his hand as he kicked his feet onto the coffee table. Zack excused himself to the bathroom while Matt helped himself to the last slice of pizza.
“I think it’s just a lot of people to process, you know?” Matt said, breaking the silence. “I mean, She’s a cool girl, and we all get along for the most part. The age difference is just a big deal man; she’s fourteen years younger than you.”
Brian scowled, “It’s not like she’s seventeen and we’re doing something illegal.”
Matt nodded, “True, but she’s still pretty young. Listen, I like her and she obviously makes you happy which makes me happy because you’re my brother, man. Maybe just cool things off a bit, take it slow. Let people ease into the idea.”
“I brought her to my parents house this morning.” Brian stated, directed toward no one in particular.
Zack, who had just returned from the bathroom, coughed on the beer he had grabbed from the kitchen, “You what?” he asked, returning to his spot on the couch.
Brian shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, taking another sip of Jack Daniels. “Yeah, I mean, I knew she was just going to be at home by herself so I figured I’d bring her with me. We’ve been seeing each other for a few months now, I didn’t think it’d be such a big deal.”
Matt winced, knowing Suzy was probably more than skeptical. “I remember when I brought Val to my house for dinner one night, right before we had started dating.” He said, trying to make his friend feel better about the whole situation, “Amy must’ve overheard me talking on the phone with Zack when I was saying that I wanted Val to be my girlfriend. So all night, my parents thought we were dating and at the very end, my mom hugged Val and said some shit about her being such a great girlfriend for me. Fucking mortified…”
“That’s basically what happened today.” Brian muttered, “I was telling Brent one night about her and I used the word girlfriend. So today, we get to my dad’s and McKenna bombards her saying how great it is to finally meet one of my girlfriends. The entire meal, Suzy just kept asking questions.”
Zack let out a howling laugh, “Shit man, I’m sorry… but that fucking sucks.”
Brian opened his mouth to speak, but upon the sound of Johnny walking back into the house, reached for the remote and turned up the volume of the game.
There was a slight chill in the California breeze as Brian stepped outside. Scout was standing at the end of his driveway with her phone up to her ear. “If you’re going to leave, at least let me give you a ride home.” He called out after her.
Scout had just finished giving the driver on the other end of the call Brian’s address before handing up and sliding the phone back into her pocket. She knew Brain was talking to her, but chose to ignore him just as he did moments ago. The guitarist was soon standing right behind her, Blue sitting beside him. “Did you hear me?” He asked, reaching out to touch her shoulder, “At least let me give you a ride home so we can talk.”
“You didn’t even defend me, Brian. What is there for you to say?” She yelled, her face heating up. Scout had flinched at Brian’s touch, taking a step away from him. Brian merely shrugged, unsure of what to say. He opened his mouth to say something as he saw the cab turn down his street. Scout laughed herself and she bent down to attach Blue’s leash to her collar, still avoiding Brian’s gaze. She ushered the dog into the cab as soon as it pulled up to the house and stepped in close behind. As she went to close the door, Scout finally looked at Brian. His face was blank, emotionless. “Maybe you should have listened to the part of you that said this was wrong.”
Brian watched helplessly as the taxi pulled away from the curb and took off down the road. He knew where she lived and his car keys were in his pocket… He could have gone after her. Instead, Brian hung his head low and went back inside. The guitarist dropped down onto the couch in his previous spot and sighed, running a hand through his hair. Could he really even be mad at his friends? They had a point.
“Listen man, I didn’t think she heard all that shit I said.” Zack said, picking at the label off the beer bottle in his hands, “I’ll talk to her when we get back in the office next week.”
Brian felt the eyes of his friends following him as he walked through the living room and into the kitchen. Beer wasn’t going to cut it anymore. He returned to the living with a bottle of Jack Daniels and sat back down in his seat from earlier. No one spoke as Brian unscrewed the cap and took a swig, not bothering to pour himself a glass. Johnny thought for a moment before speaking despite his better judgment to just keep his mouth shut.
“Maybe it was for the best man.” Brian shot Johnny a look to which the bassist raised his hands in defense and continued, “She was awfully young. It does make you look questionable, especially considering the fact that she works for Zee.”
Brian laughed with malice, “Yeah, because you’re such a fucking saint Christ. How old was that girl you brought back to the bus when we were in Houston?”
Johnny’s face turned tomato red before digging into his pocket for a cigarette, “Fuck you man. I was just looking to get laid, not date her.”
“You’re hurting your own argument.” Matt mumbled under his breath causing Brian to chuckle.
The bassist shook his head, popping the cigarette between his lips and walking through the kitchen to the back deck. Brian took another drink from the bottle in his hand as he kicked his feet onto the coffee table. Zack excused himself to the bathroom while Matt helped himself to the last slice of pizza.
“I think it’s just a lot of people to process, you know?” Matt said, breaking the silence. “I mean, She’s a cool girl, and we all get along for the most part. The age difference is just a big deal man; she’s fourteen years younger than you.”
Brian scowled, “It’s not like she’s seventeen and we’re doing something illegal.”
Matt nodded, “True, but she’s still pretty young. Listen, I like her and she obviously makes you happy which makes me happy because you’re my brother, man. Maybe just cool things off a bit, take it slow. Let people ease into the idea.”
“I brought her to my parents house this morning.” Brian stated, directed toward no one in particular.
Zack, who had just returned from the bathroom, coughed on the beer he had grabbed from the kitchen, “You what?” he asked, returning to his spot on the couch.
Brian shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, taking another sip of Jack Daniels. “Yeah, I mean, I knew she was just going to be at home by herself so I figured I’d bring her with me. We’ve been seeing each other for a few months now, I didn’t think it’d be such a big deal.”
Matt winced, knowing Suzy was probably more than skeptical. “I remember when I brought Val to my house for dinner one night, right before we had started dating.” He said, trying to make his friend feel better about the whole situation, “Amy must’ve overheard me talking on the phone with Zack when I was saying that I wanted Val to be my girlfriend. So all night, my parents thought we were dating and at the very end, my mom hugged Val and said some shit about her being such a great girlfriend for me. Fucking mortified…”
“That’s basically what happened today.” Brian muttered, “I was telling Brent one night about her and I used the word girlfriend. So today, we get to my dad’s and McKenna bombards her saying how great it is to finally meet one of my girlfriends. The entire meal, Suzy just kept asking questions.”
Zack let out a howling laugh, “Shit man, I’m sorry… but that fucking sucks.”
Brian opened his mouth to speak, but upon the sound of Johnny walking back into the house, reached for the remote and turned up the volume of the game.