the wrong kind of love #6

Chapter 6

Mandy managed to calm down by 5 o’clock. She walked into the care where she had arranged to meet up with Brian and waited. He appeared 5 minutes later.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to keep ya waiting!” he panted, “The boss needed a word!”
“Nothing serious I hope” she asked, raising a brow.
Brian laughed and shook his head, “Nah, not really!”
Mandy smiled and nodded, “Don’t worry. I have not been here that long anyway!”
Brian stared at her “Are you ok?”
Mandy just shrugged, “just slightly fed up, annoyed and basically worn out!”
Brian stared at her for a while before he got up, “Hang on! Let me get the coffees ok?”
Mandy smiled and nodded. He returned shortly after with 2 coffees. He placed Mandy’s in front of her and then sat down, putting his mug on front of him.
“Ok, you can rant now. Tell me everything that is on your mind!” he smiled, shaking his sugar sachet and ripping it open, pouring it into his mug.
Mandy just shook her head as she stirred her coffee.
“You cannot keep everything bottled in forever, you know? You’ll feel much better once you talk about it. I am not trying to be nosy or anything, I am just being a friend. Pretend I am your bestest girlfriend ever, someone you always pour your heart out to. Go on, I’ll even let you give me an ear bashing about men and how useless they are!” he joked.
Mandy chuckled slightly, “You sure about that?”
“Positive. Now go on!” he laughed.
“It’s Nicky and I. We had a huge argument this morning!” she sighed. She then went on to tell him everything.
“You chucked his dinner in the bin?” he shrieked.
Mandy slowly nodded and bit her lip. “Well, I had enough!” she justified herself, “I went to a lot of trouble making that dinner, slaving in front of the cooker for ages, I was. I bought all this nice stuff to put on the table and all for nothing. I just felt so unappreciated. Well, anyway, I went to his office earlier on, coz I felt really guilty about chucking his food away and all he could say was, we’ll talk about it later. I mean, like hello? Later when? I swear, I need an appointment to see my own husband!” she ranted. Letting out all these feelings made her feel slightly better. She sighed and rested her head on her hands. Brian just let her rant.
“Then his secretary came in and he made it so obvious that he didn’t want me around. Urgh, I am so angry!” she growled.
Brian still stared at her knowing she wanted to say more. He nodded when she spoke.
“I’m sorry Brian. I don’t mean to moan at you!” she sighed.
“It’s ok!” he smiled, “You need to let it all out!”
Mandy nodded, “You work in that building. Do you know a woman called…oh god, what was she called again, Charlotte? Charmaine? Chantal?” she tried to recall.
Brian stared at her blankly and shrugged.
“Char…Char…Charlene? Charlene. That’s it, Charlene. Know her?” she shouted.
“Hmm rings a bell!” he mumbled, deep in thought.
“Very pretty, she is. Blond. Busty. Your average bimbo!” she hissed.
Brian looked at her and laughed, “Miaaaow!”
Mandy just smirked.
“She does sound familiar but I cannot picture her!” he sighed.
“Yeah come on. I bet she’s a huge hit in the building. She has long blond curly hair, blue eyes, big lips…” she continued describing.
Brian banged his head on the table, “You mean cheap and shameless Charlene? Yeah I know her. She used to work in my department a while back. She really is a man-eating slut! She tried it on with me a few times. I told her immediately where to go!” he chuckled.
“Yeah, sure you did!” laughed Mandy.
“Serious!” he answered with wide eyes, “I don’t go for those types. Damaged goods they are! She does absolutely nothing for me! Everyone else seems to be really into her though. I really cannot see why!” he shrugged.
“Brian, come on. This is me you are talking to. A girl you dumped for someone with bigger boobs and easy to get into bed!” she laughed, “Drop the charade!”
Brian laughed, “I am not kidding Mandz! I really do not like that woman! I told you, I have changed a lot. My womanising days are over completely. I fail to see the attraction!”
“Oh come on, Brian! Her eyes are bluer than the ocean! She has legs that reach the sky and lips that would even make Angelina Jolie jealous…and you fail to see the attraction?” she laughed.
“She’s too easy!” he grinned with a shrug, “I like a bit of a challenge!”
“Wow, you really have changed!” she laughed.
Brian sipped his coffee and nodded.
“Well, I really and honestly thought I would never hear those words escape Brian McFaddens lips…that he likes a challenge!” she laughed.
“Told ya…changed man!” he winked, “Anyway, what is it about Cheap and shameless Charlene?”
“She is my Nicky’s secretary!” she sighed, bowing her head down.
“And you think they are having it off?” he questioned.
“Well, I dunno!” she mumbled, “I haven’t exactly got any proof!”
Brian shrugged and took another sip of his coffee, “Well, in all honestly, Mandy, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least, knowing her track record. She doesn’t care if the guy she goes for is married or not, and she ALWAYS goes for newbies.” He noticed her worried look and continued, “But I do not know your husband and I don’t know what he’s like, so I am not in the position to judge him. Do you trust him?”
“I thought I could!” she sighed, “But I am not so sure anymore. He is acting so strange!”
“Maybe it is just the change of scenery changing him. You know, new place, new start and all that!” he shrugged.
Mandy shrugged and nodded, “Maybe!” she sighed, wrapping her hands around her warm mug, “Why oh why did he have to get promoted? Why did we ever come here? Why couldn’t he have stayed as just an assistant and not change? Things were so much easier then!” she whined.
Brian looked at her, “I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason! It’s fate!”
“So this is all happening because God wants me to be miserable? Is that it?” she shrieked.
Brian shook his head, “God has nothing to do with this. I don’t know why it’s happening. Maybe you have to go through hurt to finally gain true happiness. I dunno. All I know is that all this is happening for a reason and one day you will see what reason that is and smile!”
Mandy shrugged, “and get hurt in the process!”
“You don’t know that!” he sighed.
“Yes I do. I am hurting now, Brian!” she moaned, “I just wish things were a lot easier!”
“Who said life was easy?” he smiled. Mandy just nodded.
Brian stared at her and smiled, “Do you know what you need?”
Mandy looked at him expectantly.
“A good night out with lots of booze and lots of laughs,” he smiled, “What do you say? How about it?”
“Oh I dunno Brian!” she sighed, “I already went out last night!”
“So? Do you have a limit on the times you go out?” he laughed, “Nothing is stopping you, Mandz. Your husband will be at work”
Mandy looked at him and sighed, shaking her head, “Nah, I am not too sure!”
“Oh come on. A night out with do you good. I’ll be with you. We’ll have fun. You can rate guys arses out of ten and I can do the same with women’s boobies! We’ll have a laugh.” He laughed. Mandy burst out laughing at his suggestion.
“What are you gonna do instead? Stay at home and watch a load of crap on telly?” he encouraged.
Mandy thought about this. She really didn’t fancy being stuck at home alone, again. And a night out did seem appealing. She smiled and looked at Brian.
“Very well, Macca! You’re on!” she grinned.
“Macca? Wow, I ain’t heard you calling me that in ages!” he laughed.
“Would you rather I call you Bryster?” she giggled, raising a brow.
His eyes widened at hearing that nickname, “Don’t you even dare! Oh how I hated being called that!”
Mandy laughed and tapped her hand on the table, “Yeah I remember. I remember the day you dumped me…well, you didn’t exactly get to dump me…you just snogged some other tart in front of me...anyway, I remember that day I wrote Bryster the Bastard everywhere I could! In the girls loos, the school walls, bus stops!” she chuckled.
“Yeah, I did see them and I have to say, I was not impressed!” he tried to give her an angry stare but he soon remembered how he retaliated and laughed, “I soon got you back by referring to you as a member from the Adams family. Remember the tune?”
Mandy furrowed her brows at him, “Do not remind me. I had the whole class singing that to me. And anyway I am not Adams anymore so you cannot call me that!” she smiled, poking her tongue out.
“What are you now?” he grinned.
“Byrne!” she smiled.
“Ooh can I sing burn baby burn at you now?” he grinned.
Mandy shot him a look, “Don’t even think about it! Or I shall start calling you Bryster the bastard again!” she threatened.
“OK, no more name calling. But we should be getting a move on if we want to go out tonight!” he smiled, getting up.
Mandy nodded and got up too. Brian paid for the coffees, they walked out of the café and stood outside.
“Want a ride home?” he offered.
Mandy accepted his offer. He took her home and left her to get ready.