Human Tornado
1504 Words
"I swear she's trying to kill me," Brendan complains while he collapses on the closest couch the moment he enters the den. The soft surface of the couch feels like bliss when he comes in contact with it. He sighs in contentment as he finally doesn't have to hold all his body weight on his feet.
Its been a long day and he is tired to the bone. He didn't realise manual labour could actually reduce him to a mindless walking zombie, which he was as he dragged himself all the way here. Just the walk from his car and into Nate's house felt like he was climbing mount Everest. Only the comfort in their luxurious hideaway kept him putting one foot in front of the other. He tries to work the kinks in his neck and muscles but it's no use.
"Any masseuse around here?" He opens his eyes that were partly shut and finds two familiar faces with deep frowns lining their faces.
"What?" He eyes them quizzically but they both just fold their arms in unison while their frowns turn to pointed looks.
"Are you going to help me or you'll just let me die first?"
"Oh please. Carrying a few books never killed anyone." Cooper scoffs.
"Don't be such a sissy, it doesn't suit you." Nate adds.
Brendan just pushes himself into the soft couch groaning. Clearly these two won't lift a finger to help him. If anything, they are more amused than concerned about his being dead tired.
"In any case tell us. How is she?"
Nate and Cooper both crash on either of his sides eager to hear what he has to say.
"She's totally different from you know who." Brendan says with a smile. For a moment he forgets about his woes as he pictures that very innocent face that he surprisingly can't get enough of.
"No surprise there." Cooper retorts.
"She's worse than a dictator." Brendan says with a pout.
"Well I could tell that much." Nate retorts.
"And you still picked her anyway?" Brendan eyes Nate with wide eyes.
"What? She was perfect for the role." Nate exclaims.
"Besides how was I supposed to know that old B was going to like her? Your dad never liked any of them, so I'm guessing she must be that different."
Nate's words remind him of his father's weird decision. Even now he can't get what his father is playing at. It's one thing for the older version of him to bail him out of trouble to save face but making that offer to Natalie is totally out of his character. And not just his dad character but even as a businessman. Hell even he has to fight for that slot like everybody else and yet he is the heir. And now that only one of the two slots remains, the competition just became more stiff.
At first Brendan had no intentions of doing his internship at his father's company. He instead planned on sticking it to the old man by opting to join his closest rival, but with Natalie in the picture he is reconsidering his plan of action..
"Sneaky old man." Brendan's eyes widen when he realizes what his father just did.
"Always a step ahead. However did you know that I would…"
"You kissed her!" A voice he would prefer not hearing right about now disturbs his thoughts.
"Oh God." Brendan sighs as he leans further in his seat.
"Not her please." He runs his hands through his hair as he feels like he is about to have a headache.
"Nate!" He growls.
"Oops! I forgot about that one." Nate replies as he steers away from the incoming human tornado.
"You kissed her?" Valerie screams as usual.
"Yeah so?" Brendan answers nonchalantly. He's not feeling particularly friendly right about now. Valerie could not have picked a worse time to show up with her latest tantrum.
"Brendan! Am your girlfriend!" She exclaims.
"No you're not." Brendan replies calmly.
"What?!" Valerie looks at him shocked but he just rolls his eyes. He doesn't get how she chooses to be clueless when it suits her. And she really does need to be awarded an Emmy for her perfect acting skills. All those crocodile tears that are already falling effortlessly makes him take a deep breath before dragging his tired self up and standing in front of her.
"Oh Valerie, you know how this works. There is no point in you throwing this tantrum really." Brendan probably sounds like he is talking to a child but he needs to make her understand...again.
"I thought we were different, I thought I was different." She moves closer to him.
"There she goes again."
"You are definitely different Val." He mentally slaps himself for slipping up with her pet name.
"Old habits!"
"But that's so last year's news." He moves away from her avoiding her open arms that are itching to embrace him. He has already broken enough of his rules this year.
"And you are replacing me with that old hag?!" The speed with which she switches from a sad and broken looking damsel to the vicious drama queen that she is, leaves him stunned. Sometimes he swears she is like two different people in one body.
"That is none of your business." He sneers. He is surprised by his sudden desire to defend Natalie and how much he hates her being referred to as an old hag. He never really felt this kind of need to defend any of the girls Valerie put down when they were together, but with Natalie he can feel a part of him wanting to protect her.
"How the hell is it none of my business when my boyfriend is going round kissing everyone else except me?" She stomps her feet in frustration.
"Brendan what's she got that I don't?
"Don't even go there." Brendan replies with gritted teeth. This is not a conversation he wants to be having and Valerie is really pushing it. If anything, he prefers peace and quiet to rest his mind and body.
"Brendan!" She screams like it's the only way she knows to get heard.
"We are not doing this now." He turns away and gets back to his seat.
"You can see yourself out."
"What, are you chasing me now?"
"B...But baby.."
"We are done." He pushes her away when she tries to get close again. He can feel her misplaced persistence get on his nerves.
"Nate, Cooper…" she turns to the other people in the room that have been watching the drama unfold with amusement. The soft voice coming out of her mouth makes Brendan roll his eyes. She's probably back in her damsel mode but her pleas are met with silence.
The guys simply refuse to butt in their argument and Valerie just storms out leaving them relieved.
"So are we going to talk about the big elephant in the room or we'll just keep pretending it doesn't exist?" Cooper is the first to speak. His eyes shift between Brendan and Nate looking for an answer.
"I'm game, I don't know about loverboy here." Nate nods in Brendan's direction.
"I really don't want to talk about Valerie." Brendan replies with eyes closed.
"Oh please, not that." Cooper exclaims.
"She can hang for all I care. I meant this."
Brendan opens his eyes lazily and finds Cooper's phone right in his face.
A pic of him and Natalie in a lip lock on the screen.
"I'm not talking about that either." Brendan huffs before shutting his eyes.
"Is that right? Maybe I should just ask Slate what he thinks."
"Don't you dare!" Brendan is off the couch in a flash. His tired self long forgotten.
"Spill." Cooper smirks at him and Brendan just sighs.
"I don't know what I was thinking okay. Maybe I was not thinking at all." He slumps back on the couch.
"She's….messing up my head." He hates to admit it, but its true. Especially after Cooper's suggestion of a second kiss, he finds himself more worked up than usual. He is dying with anticipation already. Even his heart's been skipping beats every time he thinks of her lips on his again.
"Hell my head would be messed up too. She's on fire dude. Just check out how she's holding on to you." Cooper exclaims and Brendan grabs his phone.
"Give me that!" He suddenly doesn't appreciate his boys' sentiments towards Natalie. And he also wants to see if really Natalie held on to him.
"Well….didn't see that before" A smirk crosses his lips. For someone who simply insists on not acknowledging him, she did more than that in that one single kiss. And now that he's looking at the pic this close, he realizes just how much of an open book she can be If he just tries a little harder.
"Let's just see how you are going to ignore me this time Natalie Brown."
- Writer
