WestFiction- "It Takes Two" by Kate

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It Takes Two> chapter 3

Joy walked into the bedroom and closed the door, sighing.

Bryan glanced at her and frowned: she looked very depressed, this Louise and Mark’s break up must have really upset her as well. She sighed once again, smiled weakly at Bry and lied on the bed next to him. Her head was leaning on his shoulder and he started caressing her long hair, as he always did when she needed comfort.

- How is she?- Bryan’s whisper interrupted the silence. Joy moved closer to him and put her arms around his waist.

- Miserable... - she had an absent expression on her face. - I never thought this could happen... not with them anyway...

Bryan pulled her even closer to him and kissed the top of her head.

- Yeah, I can’t believe this either... - he sighed. - What’s she doing right now?

Joy looked up at him.

- Sleeping... I guess that’s the best she could do. That way she won’t be thinking about all that at least for the next few hours.

From the emotions that were showing on his face Joy knew that Bryan really cared for both of his friends. And she loved him for that. And for the fact that he was never afraid or embarrassed to show off his feelings.

She lifted her hand and caressed his cheek. He looked at her and smiled.

- What?- he questioned, feeling all emotional all of a sudden.

- Nothing. Can’t I do that without a reason? - Joy smiled at him. - I’m your wife for two years now, I have the right to do that, you know..!

Their great mood disappeared as the telephone rang. Loudly and urgently.

- What’s with the telephone interrupting us today?!

Joy looked angry. She rolled to the other side of the bed, reached to the night table and grabbed the receiver.

- Hello!?- she yelled into it, ‘causing the person on the other end to lost their grip for a few seconds.

- He... hello..? Joy? It’s Mark...

Joy suddenly lost her balance and landed on the ground.

- Damn!

Mark was obviously a bit puzzled by her reaction to his call.

- I... I can call later if it ain’t the right time... - he whispered shyly, but Joy made him jump in his seat.

- In my opinion it’d be for the best if you wouldn’t EVER call again!

Bryan, who was at this point helping Joy get up, left her at the ground and took the phone off of her.

- Feehily?

- Yeah, hey Bryan. Can you tell me what’s happening?

Bryan dodged the pillow Joy threw at him and turned his back at her so she wouldn’t intervene when he was having a serious man talk with Mark.

- What’s happening is... Jesus, Joy!... Sorry mate, my wife’s having some kind of attacks lately when she hears your name...

- Very funny..- Mark mumbled, feeling somehow low. What did everyone want from him? Every couple fights, why they were making such a big deal out of it?

- Okay, listen up. Me and my crazy... ouch!... girl here are going to the mall today. With Louise.

Joy froze as she heard Bryan’s words. Instead of hitting him with a soft pillow again, she tore the phone off him and hit him in the head with the receiver.

- For God’s sake, Joy! Would you stop and listen to me! You want them together or not?!- Bryan lost his grin and took the phone again. Joy did nothing. She was too curious about Bryan’s plans.

- Sorry Mark, I swear she’s mad!- he continued and gave his wife an evil look.- Listen, I was thinking... You feel like shopping today, right?

Mark started to realize the opportunity that was coming his way. He wanted her back. Even if he didn’t feel that it should be so hard- at last what happened today wasn’t so serious. She was probably having some emotional problems and therefore taking things too hard. That’s right, that’s a good explanation.

- Whatever you say, Bry. Just get her down there, okay? - Mark said impatiently. - I need to know what got into her.

Bryan decided to ignore Mark’s last words.

- I’ll do my best. 7 p.m., same place as usual. Be there or I’ll get you with my own hands.

Mark laughed shortly.

- Dead funny, McFadden. I’ll be there. See ya. - he wanted to put down the receiver when he heard Bryan’s loud warning.

- Just don’t blew it this time!

- Yeah, whatever. - Mark mumbled more to himself then to Bryan and turned off the phone.

- I have a feeling it will work! You’re brilliant!- Joy exclaimed and threw herself on Bryan’s neck, biting him gently.

Bryan laughed loudly.

- I know. And I love when you’re doing this! - he wiggled his eyebrows at her and quickly pressed his lips against hers when she let go of his neck.

They were kissing intensively for a few minutes, with Bryan’s hand wandering all over Joy’s body.

- Now, when it’s all settled... do you want to finish this morning’s warm up? - he joked in between kisses and Joy moaned in reply.

- Always...

Bryan smiled widely and rolled on top of her. He then lifted himself on his hands and let his girl unbutton his shirt while he was busy kissing her.

-Hmmm... - Joy took off his shirt finally and pretended to admire her husband’s bare chest. - You’ve been working out lately, or what?

Bryan smiled cheekily at her words. - Yeah, I’ve been lifting weights last night...

Joy laughed and hit his shoulder playfully. - I’ll show you weights..!

It was her turn to roll on top of him and sit with triumph oh his chest.

- I sure do like what I see... - Bry mumbled before taking off Joy’s top.

- Oh, you do..? - Joy asked with a cheeky grin and started unzipping Bryan’s jeans. - I want to see something interesting too..!

- Girl... you’re driving me crazy...- Bryan moaned and unhooked her bra, throwing it across the room.

*** *** ***

- Joy, let me breathe for a while!- Bryan exclaimed laughing when they both were laying on the bed, tired after making love. Well, at least Bryan was tired...

- C’mon Bry, once again...- Joy didn’t give up and started kissing Bryan’s chest, looking up at him from time to time to see if he was convinced yet.

- No way, sweetheart! – Bryan laughed shortly and quickly got out of the bed, before Joy’s hands had the chance to grab his butt.

He put on his jeans and laughed again, seeing his wife’s disappointed expression.

- Come on, stop whining and let’s see how Louise’s doing! I think you’ve got something to tell her as well..!- he winked at her and clapped his hands to make Joy move. He didn’t have to wait long, she really wanted to tell her friend about the “shopping” today.

As Bryan was throwing her clothes at her to put them back on, Joy couldn’t stop smiling. She was constantly thinking about how they’ll arrange Louise and Mark’s meeting, how the both of them are going to throw themselves in each other’s arms and how finally this painful experience is going to turn into just one big misunderstanding.

- I’m going in first, or you are?- Joy whispered to Bryan standing right behind her, as if they were spies on some secret mission. They were standing in front of the door to the room Louise was sleeping in and none of them had the guts to just walk in.

When the door opened from the inside, it caused them almost a heart attack.

- Hey you guys…- Louise smiled at them weakly and opened the door wider. – Won’t you just come in, instead of standing here and wondering if I’m not gonna bite you for interrupting my miserable contemplation.

- Yeah…erm… that was what we wanted to do…- Bryan said blushing and pushed Joy in front of him. They walked in and placed themselves on the chairs in front of the couch Louise sat on. The couch was placed in the corner of the room, just beside the window with a view of Sligo’s beautiful landscape. Bryan and Joy moved here a couple of months ago, as the girls wanted to live near each other every now and then and Bryan didn’t mind leaving Dublin as much, as Mark would probably mind moving out of his home town.

- So I…um… brought you some tea…- Joy interrupted the silence and placed a steaming mug on the table between them.

Louise took her gaze away from the landscape behind the window and her face lit up immediately.

- Tea..? Oh, how sweet of you, Joy!- she exclaimed and took the mug from the table. That moment of excitement wasn’t followed by any type of conversation, though.

Joy cleared her throat and looked at her best friend intensively.

- Are you feeling better now? – she asked with hope filling her voice, but didn’t get the answer she expected.

- No.- Louise stated and took a sip of her tea. She was still staring absently out of the window, as if she didn’t care for anything else but the green hills spread all over the horizon, miles away.

Bryan wanted to cut in, but Joy stopped him by placing her hand on his arm. She knew how he’d react: he’d start saying “It’s gonna be okay”, “Stop worrying” and so on. But it wasn’t what Louise needed right now. Anything but to remind her of today’s events.

- So… how about we’ll kidnap you and take you to our favourite shopping mall today?- Joy tried to sound cheerful, so the mood would flow on Louise, but that obviously didn’t work out.

Louise glanced at her friend to see if she was serious, and when she understood that Joy really wanted to go shopping today, she just sighed.

- No, thanks. I’d rather look out the window all day and sigh from time to time. Oh, and maybe cry some more. Isn’t it what all broken- hearted people do?- she tried to smile, but instead tears shined in her eyes and her voice broke a bit.

Silence fell again over them, but not for long…

- Oh come on, put yourself together!- Bryan exclaimed suddenly and both girls looked at him with their eyes wide open. Even Louise forgot that she was meant to cry at that very moment.

- Jesus, Bryan…- Joy whispered and shook her head with disbelief. But she was even more amazed when she glanced at Louise. Her friend was smiling.

- I hate you for that, McFadden…- Louise pointed with her finger at Bry- but you’re right.

She wiped away her tears and smiled widely.

– Let’s go shopping.

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