happy that even without the smile, she
glowed.
“ I’m so sorry about what
happened the other day, Bree. I never should have started drinking,
I knew we had to work, but one drink led to another and the next
thing I knew, that asshole started looking pretty good. I should
have listened when you came over and tried to get me to leave with
you. I feel so bad about the way he treated you, and the way he
treated Pete.” She got a dreamy look on her face. “God, Pete. Can
you believe the way he stood up for me? I mean, I always knew that
he was a great guy and that he was crushing on me, but I’ve never
had anyone do that for me before.”
“ What happened after I
left, Kara?” Briana asked, taking a seat as she spoke, baffled by
the look on Kara’s face.
“ Well, Pete took me back
home. I was sorry that he’d gotten hit, but I was pretty pissed
that he’d butted in. At least, at the time I was. I yelled at him
and told him to mind his own business, that I wasn’t his problem.
He just watched me with that calm way he has, and let me rant. When
I was done, he told me that I was a wonderful person, and that I
deserved better than some drunken asshole pawing all over me at a
party. That set me off again and I started yelling at him. When I
was done he told me that he loved me, that he’s loved me for the
past year, and that he wants to spend the rest of his life proving
to me how amazing I am.” Her eyes began to fill as she spoke, and
Briana started to get choked up.
“ Then what
happened?”
“ I stopped yelling and
started talking. I told him about my father leaving when I was a
baby, and my mom blaming me for it. I told him how she’d lock me in
a closet so she could go out and hook up with guys. I told him how
she told me every day that I was worthless. I laid it all out for
him and then explained that I wasn’t good enough for him. He’s a
great guy and he deserves better than me.” Kara smiled through her
tears. “He got mad and told me that if he ever heard me talk about
myself like that again, he’d bend me over his knee. Ha. Then he
said that I was exactly who he wanted and needed and that if he
needed to, he would remind of that every day. Can you believe
it?”
Briana smiled back at her, through tears of
her own. “Yes, I believe it. You’re wonderful and Pete is the most
amazing guy alive. You both deserve each other and you deserve to
be happy.”
They hugged each other and cried softly in
each other’s arms. When they pulled back Briana looked at the clock
and said, “We’d better get cleaned up and get to work.”
She passed Pam’s office as she walked
towards the kitchen, and noticed Pam talking to Nicole.
“ Bree,” Pam called out to
her.
Briana poked her head into the office. “Hi,
Pam. What’s up?”
“ Nicole is going to start
serving next week. I was wondering if you knew anyone who might be
good for the hostess position, before I post it in the
paper.”
Briana looked at Nicole and smiled.
“Congrats.” Then she turned back to Pam. “I might. I think I saw
her in the dining room when I walked in, let me go check and see if
she’s still here.”
Walking into the dining room, Briana spotted
Roni sitting at the bar eating a salad and headed over to her.
“ Hey, Roni, how’s it
going?”
Roni looked up from her salad, but when she
noticed it was Briana calling her, her face closed up.
“ Hi.”
Briana grabbed the stool next to her and
said, “Look, I know things between me and Kent are weird right now,
but honestly, all we have ever been is friends. I know he’s upset
now, but I also know that we’ll work it out, and I don’t want
things to be strained between you and me in the meantime. I know we
just met and all, but I’d like to think that we’re becoming
friends.”
Roni considered this as she looked down at
her salad, then looked Briana in the eyes.
“ Yeah, he told me that you
guys had an understanding and that you were never his girlfriend.
But
glowed.
“ I’m so sorry about what
happened the other day, Bree. I never should have started drinking,
I knew we had to work, but one drink led to another and the next
thing I knew, that asshole started looking pretty good. I should
have listened when you came over and tried to get me to leave with
you. I feel so bad about the way he treated you, and the way he
treated Pete.” She got a dreamy look on her face. “God, Pete. Can
you believe the way he stood up for me? I mean, I always knew that
he was a great guy and that he was crushing on me, but I’ve never
had anyone do that for me before.”
“ What happened after I
left, Kara?” Briana asked, taking a seat as she spoke, baffled by
the look on Kara’s face.
“ Well, Pete took me back
home. I was sorry that he’d gotten hit, but I was pretty pissed
that he’d butted in. At least, at the time I was. I yelled at him
and told him to mind his own business, that I wasn’t his problem.
He just watched me with that calm way he has, and let me rant. When
I was done, he told me that I was a wonderful person, and that I
deserved better than some drunken asshole pawing all over me at a
party. That set me off again and I started yelling at him. When I
was done he told me that he loved me, that he’s loved me for the
past year, and that he wants to spend the rest of his life proving
to me how amazing I am.” Her eyes began to fill as she spoke, and
Briana started to get choked up.
“ Then what
happened?”
“ I stopped yelling and
started talking. I told him about my father leaving when I was a
baby, and my mom blaming me for it. I told him how she’d lock me in
a closet so she could go out and hook up with guys. I told him how
she told me every day that I was worthless. I laid it all out for
him and then explained that I wasn’t good enough for him. He’s a
great guy and he deserves better than me.” Kara smiled through her
tears. “He got mad and told me that if he ever heard me talk about
myself like that again, he’d bend me over his knee. Ha. Then he
said that I was exactly who he wanted and needed and that if he
needed to, he would remind of that every day. Can you believe
it?”
Briana smiled back at her, through tears of
her own. “Yes, I believe it. You’re wonderful and Pete is the most
amazing guy alive. You both deserve each other and you deserve to
be happy.”
They hugged each other and cried softly in
each other’s arms. When they pulled back Briana looked at the clock
and said, “We’d better get cleaned up and get to work.”
She passed Pam’s office as she walked
towards the kitchen, and noticed Pam talking to Nicole.
“ Bree,” Pam called out to
her.
Briana poked her head into the office. “Hi,
Pam. What’s up?”
“ Nicole is going to start
serving next week. I was wondering if you knew anyone who might be
good for the hostess position, before I post it in the
paper.”
Briana looked at Nicole and smiled.
“Congrats.” Then she turned back to Pam. “I might. I think I saw
her in the dining room when I walked in, let me go check and see if
she’s still here.”
Walking into the dining room, Briana spotted
Roni sitting at the bar eating a salad and headed over to her.
“ Hey, Roni, how’s it
going?”
Roni looked up from her salad, but when she
noticed it was Briana calling her, her face closed up.
“ Hi.”
Briana grabbed the stool next to her and
said, “Look, I know things between me and Kent are weird right now,
but honestly, all we have ever been is friends. I know he’s upset
now, but I also know that we’ll work it out, and I don’t want
things to be strained between you and me in the meantime. I know we
just met and all, but I’d like to think that we’re becoming
friends.”
Roni considered this as she looked down at
her salad, then looked Briana in the eyes.
“ Yeah, he told me that you
guys had an understanding and that you were never his girlfriend.
But
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