The tapping of a leather boot on his face abruptly woke Brian. A twinge of light beaming over the rooftop bedroom compound, and Raul towering over the reclined Brian, lying on the plush carpet. The look on her face was that of seething stone. If she had a mood ring there would be not the slightest hue of a warm color to be found.
“What happened?” Brian eeked out as his first morning voice words of the day.
“Get up, time for you to go” She coldly instructed.
Brian put some effort into making his body get up a little faster than it wanted to.
“To the elevator,” She stated. She wasn’t seething now, but she was obviously making certain to show Brian no favor or affection.
Brian smiled slightly.
“Everyday’s a new day, huh?” Brian quipped as he turned toward the elevator and began walking. It had just occured to him EXACTLY what had happened. Their relationship the night before had rapidly outgrown Raul’s comfort. She was reacting now to having trusted someone in a way she hadn’t, since ancient days and titans past. This territory in Raul’s relational life was cobweb ridden, dark, and had been very decidedly closed off. Brian was out of bounds. Now it was time to retreat. Perhaps she will recover her footing, and perhaps the border of this uncomfortable territory will bounce back to a few feet inside its previous location.
Brian made his way into the elevator, closed the cage, and pulled the antique down lever.
The weapons container door was open wide as Brian strolled up.
Mo’s radio chirped twice inside
“Mo here” He answered,
A few moments of indistinguishable sounds coming out of the radio into his ear. It was the voice of Raul, that much Brian could make out.
“Got it”. Mo replied, then popped his head out of the container doorway. He already knew Brian was there, and already had a stupid grin on his face.
“Guess what buddy?” Mo said through his smile. “You got head duty! You gonna love this! I’ll take you over to the main bathrooms so you can get started.”
“Bathroom duty, huh?” Brian replied.
“Yeah, let’s go. I don’t know what’s right, but you musta done anotha variety of wrong. She ain’t neva made any uh the otha guys do that kind oh work.”
His phone chirped again, and Mo stepped a few feet away to answer it again.
“Okay, sha, I got it, ok, yeah, you got it.” Mo put the phone back onto his belt.
“It sounds like she’s got a whole day of it planned for you brotha.” Mo smiled at him again.
“Well, I don’t know what it mean, but she definately still treatin you different!” Mo said, smiling almost ear to ear while the two of them kept walking.
“Somethin is definately different for her about you boy!”
Hours passed, Brian scrubbed, but still felt an unexplainable positivity. When the sun went down Brian gravitated back to Raul's container, as though it was his home at the end of a long work day.
She was wearing skin-tight black workout pants and a tight, black workout tank top, resting her elbows on the bar with her butt sticking out into the room. It was as though the Jedi force was pulling Brian’s hand to her buttocks. Finally there was contact.
SLAP! Before another thought had entered Brian’s mind her open hand had contacted his face. She was standing erect in front of him with an indignant look.
His slow smile returned to his face. “Now… why does that make me like your more?” He slurred, looking too cute for her to cope with.
Their three foot standoff continued for a slew of seconds. Her stern face melted to a coy smile as she bridged the gap and grabbed the middle of his shirt. She pulled his lips to hers in a strong, soft kiss. His arms wrapped her up like a big fluffy bathrobe.
