Best Friends with the Boss

4

Damien and I sat in a less than comfortable silence, he was fuming mad and I didn’t want him to snap while he was driving. I gently placed my hand on his arm and squeezed the tense muscle that was there. He jerked his arm smoothly out of my grasp and I frowned at him. Remember no snapping while driving, no snapping while driving no-

“Deena, answer me this.” I gave an affirmative hmm and he gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Why were you letting him touch you? I thought you hated him?” He said in a calm voice that I knew he was faking, and I was very glad to see us pulling into his driveway because we were going to argue, and he would be hit.

I got out of his car slamming the door behind me, he took his sweet time getting out of the car and opening his door. He grabbed my arm in a tight grip, but not tight enough to hurt, and closed the door none to gently behind us.

I let out a dry chuckle and yanked my arm out of his grip, “You’re a piece of work you know that right. Who are you to tell me who should or should not be able to touch me. Nate wasn’t doing anything wrong!” I rolled my eyes at his face, it was getting redder by the second, “I was letting him touch me because I don’t care if he does or not! It’s not like he’s a stranger. You touch me all the time!”

He let a little of his anger fade to be replaced by embarrassment, he growled, “Not like that I have never touched you like that.”

I threw my hands up in exasperation, “What touched my knee? Seriously Damien? It’s not that big of a deal! How do you ever expect me to find someone when I can’t even let someone as not interesting as Nate touch me?”

“You’re not. You’re gonna be my best friend forever and I’m never gonna have to share you,” He pouted lightly dragging me into his arms, but a hug from him just wouldn’t do today.

“No Damien, let me go!” I pushed at his chest and he reluctantly let me go, “I am still highly pissed at  you, just because your anger has dissipated doesn’t mean that mine will!” I felt the familiar tingle of tears and wiped furiously at my eyes. I always cried when Damien and I argued, we didn’t do it very often, but when we did I felt my heart break. “You have absolutely no right telling me that I can’t date, and get married, and have kids and be happy!”

“I never said that!”

”You friggin implied it Damien!”

He reached for me again and pulled me onto his chest, I didn’t fight him this time and wrapped my arms around his waist letting a sob out. “I’m sorry, I was overreacting, I guess I still see you as a kid, and I’m selfish, I want it all.”

I nodded my head against his chest and fell into the routine of our arguments. After I got my cry out we would be back to normal, and even if our argument was unresolved, it wouldn’t matter anymore. Well until the next time one of us felt the need to argue over something stupid.

When I hadn’t stopped sniffing in five minutes Damien gently pulled me away from him and gave me a crooked smile, “I’ll go and buy you ice cream, just please stop crying.”

I sniffled again and let a few more tears slide down my face, “And caramel brownies.”

“Anything.”

I sent him a big grin, “Chop, chop pet. My delicious confections await.”

He frowned at me but gave me on last squeeze to his chest before patting his pants pockets to check for his keys and walking out the door. I threw myself on his comfortable leather couch and settled into the pillows I bought for my favorite place in his house.