‹ Prequel: Masterpiece Theater
Status: Sequel to Masterpiece Theater. Go back and read it if you haven't or you will be lost.

Sound Effects and Overdramatics

Something to Say

I paced the foyer, wearing a spot on the hardwood. Brian had never been late before in picking me up. It was ten past and I hadn't even gotten an apology text.

"You need to relax." Ali called from the living room. I poked my head around the archway.

"Did your husband not inform you of what happened today? How am I supposed to relax?"

"He probably just hit traffic. Call him."

I rolled my eyes and went back to pacing. I'd already called him twice and got his voicemail both times.

Finally, at twenty past eight, the doorbell rang. I yanked it open in relief and smiled at him.

"Don't shoot me, okay?"

I sighed. Of course something had come up. Just when we were getting to a good place.

"Jason is coming too, with a date."

"Ian?" I asked, although it was a poor attempt at hope. Ian, like me, didn't have much of a track record for sticking with my brother.

Brian shook his head. "Just a girl he met."

"Girl? The last girl my brother dated was Janine and that didn't end well at all. Did he say where he met her?"

I grabbed my black satin clutch and slipped my phone inside it with my cigarettes. He put his arm around my waist and led me out of the house.

"Nope. He needed some help picking out some clothes and then told me he would meet us at the restaurant."

"Great." I mumbled. "Matt and Val meeting us, too?"

"Yeah."

When we got to the Jeep, I turned to him before he could open my door. I put my mouth to his, leaving a sticky residue from my lipgloss and tugged on his bottom lip with my teeth. The growl came from low in his throat. He leaned into it for a couple seconds, before pulling away and popping the handle.

"We're already late." He said after I got in with a pout, but I smirked when I realized he'd noticed just how far my dress had ridden up.

It wasn't anything fancy, black halter, sparkly, wide silver sash, and it stopped a couple inches above my knees, but climbing into the Jeep pushed it to above mid-thigh.

He visibly swallowed before giving his head a small shake and starting the car, but he kept his hand in my leg the whole way to the restaurant.

We pulled up to Basilicos and Brian opened my door for me, offering his arm as he helped me out. I didn't need the help, but he'd always been a gentleman. Matt and Val had already arrived, so we met them at the table. As Brian held my seat out for me, Val gave me a look over, unimpressed with the woman who took Brian from her sister.

"You wanna wait for Jason?" Brian asked, placing an arm around the back of my chair. The server came by and filled our water glasses. I looked at Matt to gauge his reaction about Jason joining us.

"Uh, yeah. Let's give him a few minutes." I muttered. The bread basket had already been set out, so I grabbed a piece and dipped it in the olive oil and herbs that had been poured into a dish.

"So is it Beth or Laurel? Just to be clear." Val asked.

"Well, I legally changed it to Elizabeth a couple years ago, so I prefer Beth, but-"

"Laurel! Oh my God! There's my baby girl!" A woman screeched, approaching our table. Jason stood behind her, trying to hide.

My jaw hit the floor. I stammered a few times before I could get any sound out. "M-Monica? What a-are you doing he-here?" I couldn't help but stutter.

"Jason didn't tell you?" She turned to my brother. "Jason, why didn't you tell your sister I was joining you for dinner?"

He shrugged and plopped into a seat. I knew exactly why he didn't tell me.

I wouldn't have come.

"I'm sorry. We've not been introduced. I'm Brian." Brian stood and offered his hand. Monica took it with a flirtatious smile.

"I'm Monica, Laurel and Jason's mother."

Everyone looked at me, wondering what I would say. I stared hard at Jason, and he only shrugged. I wasn't stupid enough to get into an argument with him here, but he knew I wasn't happy.

Brian pulled out a chair for her and she sat, smoothing her skirt under her and smiling at him.

I couldn't do it. There was no way I could sit across this woman for an hour and not fight with her. I excused myself and walked out of the building, lighting a cigarette as soon as I hit open air.

Jason either didn't remember the way I did, or didn't care to remember at all. Even before our parents had split, Monica had never been around. She favored Jason over me, but she still wasn't there. We had our dad, and when he was at work, we had each other. Monica, when she was home, ignored us, giving just enough to keep us occupied, and disappeared into the bedroom with her many, many boyfriends.

When our dad had finally had enough and they divorced, Jason refused to leave with us, and his mental state got fucked up beyond repair. I knew he'd been trying to find her, but he didn't tell me that he was in contact with her.

For good reason. I wanted nothing to do with the woman. Jason had other ideas.

Brian came out and sat next to me on the bench. He didn't say anything but put his arm around me and kissed my temple. I took one last long drag off my cigarette and flicked it into the parking lot, sighing as I exhaled.

"You wanna leave?"

I shook my head. "Might as well get it over with."

Hand in hand, we walked back inside. Once again, he pulled my chair out for me. I took the wine he offered me and drank graciously from the glass, staring at Monica, who didn't seem to have aged in the fifteen years since I'd last seen her.

"You haven't changed, Laurel."

"It's Beth."

She raised an eyebrow. "Dramatic as ever, I see."

I huffed and stabbed my salad aggressively. Matt cleared his throat.

"So, what brings you back to California? Jason said you did a lot of traveling?"

Both Brian and I snapped our heads up to stare at him. I couldn't say who was more surprised. When I looked at my brother, he looked very much like he wanted to melt into his chair.

Secrets, indeed.

Monica didn't catch it. "My husband-"

"Fourth or fifth?" I couldn't help but ask.

She ignored me. "He finally decided it was time to settle down. We're both from here, so it was only logical."

"And what does he do?" Val asked.

"International banking, mostly. And trades."

I didn't think she actually knew with the vague answer she gave. As long as it came with a six figure bank account, she didn't care.

I was more concerned with the way Matt was trying to avoid Brian's questioning looks.

Once again, I felt like I was suffocating. The room was too small and I was too close to too many people. I needed to get out of there, for real this time. I moved my chair back and Brian grabbed my hand.

"Can we go?"

He nodded, as uncomfortable as I was. The car ride back to his place was completely silent. We were both trying to work through what had been said.

Without having to say anything, I sat on the couch and he went downstairs to get a bottle and some glasses. He set them down on the coffee table as he sat down next to me and poured generous amounts of whiskey into each one. He gave me a chance to drink before pulling me to him and giving me a kiss.

I had no idea what to say, and neither did he. I kissed him back and he pulled me into his lap. The position didn't last long as I worked to remove his shirt and he laid down on the couch, his hands sliding up my sides and my dress going with it.

We were doing what we did best. There'd be plenty of time to sort through things later. Right now, I needed him, and he would do whatever it took to take care of me.