The Crew | On Hold

Chapter 34

It is 6PM. End of the workday for most people. Everyone is going home from work, and the highway is full with cars. On a different day, I wouldn't mind getting stuck in traffic with Andrew, but this time I really need to pee, more than I need to breathe and blink. 

So, as a way of distracting myself from my overly full bladder that I didn't notice earlier, I decide to finally start asking questions. I was shocked, when we got our meal, walked away from Tokyo Bei, and got in the car. Now my shock is slowly fading, and my talk-ability is returning.

"How did you know?" I ask Andrew, as he brakes hard, making me wince. My bladder is already unhappy that I'm sitting in a jiggly car. If I don't get to pee soon, I'm gonna pee all over Andrew's neat car.

Andrew turns his head towards me. There is a hint of surprise in his features, but he quickly gets a hold of himself, and turns his gaze back to the road. "I saw it myself. And then, later, I talked to Bethany. She confessed that she was in love with John, who works with the lights." He snorts. "And I knew that Anna had hooked up with John, too." A smirk appears on his face, but there is also disgust in his eyes at the mention of Anna. "Unfortunate to see, trust me." 

My mouth seems to have dried out, so I swallow twice, trying to get some moisture back in it. "So, why didn't you say anything to Anna earlier? You could've helped Bethany to get her job back." I furrow my eyebrows, as I try to understand why Andrew wouldn't do it. He is a good person, so why would he keep silent, as Anna acted like a fucking diva?

"Because I saw you." Four words. That's all it takes for me to completely lose my breath and for my heart to start beating like a racing horse. Andrew looks at me, since we've stopped again, and I can't help myself. Forgetting my overly-full bladder, I lean over to him, and plant a kiss on his full lips. They are incredibly soft, and I wish I could kiss them all day long, but someone honks from behind us, and I quickly pull back, noticing that the green light has appeared on the traffic light. 

There is a wide small on Andrew's face, and I can't hide mine, too. I love him. I really, really, really love him, and there is nobody else, who can make my heart go crazy like this. Only Andrew. 

***

When I barge out of the bathroom, blissfully happy that my bladder didn't break or over-spill in Andrew's car, I notice that Andrew isn't in my room anymore. I left him sitting on the bed, but now the bed looks lonely and sad without Andrew's tall frame on it. 

I exit my room, and walk towards the kitchen. Of course, I find Andrew there, in my mom's claws. They are both laughing, when I come in, and Andrew's eyes light up, when he sees me, making my stomach tickle in a nice way. Like the myth of butterflies in the stomach actually exists. 

"Hi." Andrew flashes a brilliant smile, and walks over to me. Without even thinking, he wraps his arms around my waist, and pulls me closer to him. I obey immediately, but there is a weird feeling creeping in the back of my mind, reminding me that mom is in the same room as us, and she's not used to this type of affection, as am I. 

"Long time, no see." I grin as I murmur, unable to talk louder than a whisper, because Andrew is holding me tightly pressed to his chest. His smell fills my nostrils, and I inhale deeply, hoping I could bottle his scent and make it a mist that I could just spray on my pillow, when I go to sleep at night.

I hear my mom slide over to the counter, and pick up the tea pot. Andrew finally lets me go as she fills it with water and places on the stove. "Will you join me for tea before you go to Andrew's house, Emma?" Mom asks, not looking me in the eyes, probably feeling as weird as me, when it comes to dating and boyfriends. I mean, Marcus was my only boyfriend, and she hat...

Wait, what?

"To Andrew's?" I ask, feeling completely thrown off. When did Andrew even invite me to his house? I look at him, and he's staring at me with a wide smile. Andrew quickly winks at me, as to say: 'play along', and then takes out his phone, when it starts to buzz. "Oh, yeah, to Andrew's house. I, um... think I'm good. Thanks though."

Andrew leaves the room to take the call, and mom finally looks at me. "Oh, Emma, I can't express how happy I am that you have Andrew." She lowers her voice to a whisper, unable to contain her emotions. "I hope you have a good future with him, and, most importantly, that you both love each other." 

A big lump settles in my throat, and I walk over to hug her. Her familiar and comforting smell comforts me, as I hug her tightly. "I love you, mom." 

"And I love you, honey." She rubs my back, trying not to sob with tears of happiness. "Just promise you won't forget your ol' mom."

I laugh out loud, surprised that she could even think of something so silly. "Of course I'll never forget you, mom. I promise." I squeeze her once more, and our hug is interrupted by the tea pot boiling. I quickly let mom go, and push her hands away lightly, as she reaches for the tea pot. "I got it." I add a smile, so my words wouldn't sound rude, and turn the gas off. 

Mom pads to sit down in her usual spot by the window. You can't see anything through it, since it's already dark outside, and we've got light turned on, so she pulls the blue curtain, that doesn't fit with our kitchen aesthetic, but she has always liked the curtain so much, that I never dared to say anything against it. 

I make her a cup of peppermint tea, and decide not to drink tea tonight. My bladder still hurts a bit from being so full so long, so I don't want to upset it anymore. 

Andrew comes back in, and our eyes instantly meet. He smiles at me, and I can't resist. I smile back at him, and now we're just two weirdos, smiling at each other from across the room. 

"Do you want some tea, Andrew? Or, perhaps, coffee?" I offer, trying to stifle my smile. Even the way how he looks at me, when I'm speaking, makes me want to smile. He is so cute. There are a lot of smile wrinkles around his face, when he smiles, and they only make him look more attractive. Gosh, I hope I don't smile like a psycho at work tomorrow. That would be awkward and uncomfortable for those around us. 

Thinking about work makes my smile finally fade, and Andrew notices it. He walks over to me, and pulls me in a sideways-hug. "Nothing, thank you." Leaning to plant a soft kiss on my head, he offers. "I was thinking we could go now? I've got a surprise for you."

My eyes widen, as my mind clears out of work related drama and problems. A surprise. He's got me a surprise. I hope the surprise is him. Wrapped in a red ribbon, and gifted wearing that wide, handsome smile he has. 

Hello, my dear reader! Thank you for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it, that you'll vote for it, and, most importantly, that you'll continue reading the story. :)