Unexpected Encounters [B.H.M.]

12

I had to admit I was a little shocked, I didn't understand why he was making such a big deal of this. It was just a show... "What is up with you?!" I asked him, sounding maybe a little more annoyed than I had intended to. I changed the channel and looked at him, shaking my head. "What's wrong with you? It's just a TV show, Brian. Yes, maybe it's not for everyone but there's no reason to throw a fit just because I'm watching that. You were asleep, and I do enjoy the show, apart from that this is still my flat and my TV." Who did he think he was? "Fair enough if you don't like the show, but what happened to being polite? It's not like I'm forcing you to watch it but you were asleep," I repeated, emphasising that last bit to try to bring my annoyance across.

He was shaking his head, leaning back on the couch. "You wouldn't understand.."

"Oh I wouldn't understand, right, I'm just some boring teacher who has no clue about life, thank you very much." I crossed my legs and flicked through the channels again.

Brian sighed a little. "That's not what I meant, Frida, please. I'm sorry if that came across wrong but it's simply something... very personal... and ..." He shook his head a little and took a deep breath. "Please just don't put that on if I'm around."

He really was very strange. Really. But fair enough. Everyone had their thing, didn't they? "Fine," I told him. "I won't, but you could have just said that in a reasonable way."

"I know," He immediately replied. "I'm sorry, I should have. But... I'm not so good with my emotions.."

"It's okay," I told him, because what else should I have said? "Did you manage to sleep? Or were you not really asleep?"

Brian shrugged a little. "I'm pretty sure I was sleeping. I'm sorry, that's very rude of me, I know."

"It's okay, don't worry. You looked really tired when you got here, I'm glad you got some rest, even just for an hour. Let me know if you want to go home, I'm not keeping you here."

He smiled a little. "No, I'm fine, I'm awake again now. If you don't want me to leave then I wouldn't mind staying for a bit. It's... it's honestly nice, I enjoy your company," he admitted.

And that made me smile. He could be a little weird, but he was nice company too. "Thanks, right back at you. Do you want dinner? I was just going to order pizza today, so you could have a look and get something too."

He thought over my words for a moment before he nodded. "Yes, okay, that sounds good actually. I'd just be alone at home so this will be nice. Even when I have the kids, unless they sleep at mine Chrissy picks them up for dinner anyway."

"Really? Are you not a good cook or how come it's like that?" It hadn't happened often that he had shared private information, so I always tried to tread carefully when it did happen, I wanted him to feel comfortable and not get the impression that I might try to interrogate him and get sensitive information out of him.

"I don't think I'm a terrible cook but she's definitely better at cooking. The kids probably prefer that actually, I don't blame them." He shrugged a little.

He didn't seem to be opposed to talking about them. "How much time to you get to spend with them?"

Brian sighed and shook his head. "Not enough... really not. I miss them. But Jimmy and Louisa are in school, so they're very busy with homework and friends and I'm becoming a little uncool sometimes, and Emily is just 20 months old, so she's spending most of her time with Chrissy, which is fair enough because I do get to see her, and I have her more often than the other two, but... it's not the same as living as a family..."

He was looking at his hands, seeming so much smaller than he was. I felt really sorry for him. "I'm sorry, that can't be easy.." It wasn't really my place to say anything, but I always felt like I had to at least suggest advice. I had no idea why that was the case. "Have you sat down with her to work out a proper schedule yet? Or are you just organising it as you go along?"