Dive bar and a sleepover

A knock came at the door, I sighed.
"What Bryce?"
"Why can't I come?" I opened the door, he was leaning on the wall.
"Bryson, please," I whined, his eyes scanned me for a moment.
"Wow." Our eyes reconnected, and his nearly sparkled. I so desperately wanted to kiss him. "You look amazing." My heart felt like it was beating so hard it might break my rib cage.
"You're still not going," I said flatly.
"No, I. I mean." He fumbled. "I didn't mean the compliment as a way to bribe, I truly meant it." Sometimes his honestly makes it all the worse.

Leaving my bedroom door open, Bryson took that as an invitation to join me as I finished getting ready.
"So why can't I come?"
"I told them I had plans with Joe and if I brought the guy I was faking marrying wouldn't that be a little suspicious?"
"No, because you love me." My heart squeezed.
"Loving someone has nothing to do with having a girls' night."
"But Joe is going." He pouted. Turning to face him before applying my lipstick, I sighed.
"Joe is gay, it doesn't count. Gay guys get free passes."
"I can pretend to be gay."
"First, I showed them your picture. Second, you couldn't pretend to be gay if you tried." He flopped back on my bed.
"Wait," he lifted his head. "You showed them a picture of me?"
"They asked if I was single and blah blah blah. No, I'm getting married. Oh my god. Blah blah blah. Oh my god. You know. They asked what you looked like and the only good photo I had of us was that party where you nearly died."
"Oh." I tried to play it off cool, but really they were strangers that knew my true feelings.

Bryson watched me in the mirror, finishing my makeup.
"Hey, Rene?"
"Yeah?" I turned to look at him. His eyes racked over my body before he spoke again.
"You know they could never really be your friends, right?"
"It doesn't change the fact that it felt nice for once to be somewhat normal," I admitted, guilt resting in my stomach.
"Rene, we are far from normal. That's why we're here. Why we are agents. I'll admit you're a hell of a lot better agent than me." He smiled.
"I know." My head dropped. When he grabbed my shoulders he said,
"So tonight, you can show them what they could really want." I looked at him. "I mean, like as a friend, not like want, want." He was flustered. I'd never seen him so ruffled, I laughed a little. "What?"
"I've never seen you so," I paused. "out of character. You're always so calm and collected. You've been kind of frazzled lately, it's becoming on you." He smiled a little with clouds in his eyes.
"Thanks."
"I got to go, I'm going to be late." I patted his arm and stepped around him. He followed me from my room to the living room.
"Hey, Rene?" He stopped me at the door. "Can I drive you guys? I'd feel better." Rolling my eyes, I nodded.

Jumping into the passenger seat I sent Joe a quick text letting him know Bryson was driving us. He replied with a winky face.
"Will you call if you need anything?" I couldn't help but laugh. He was acting like Mike when the twin and I would go out to the bar where you could throw axes too.
"Bryce, we are trained agents, we can handle ourselves." We stopped outside of Forestons.
"Yeah, well," he trailed off. I knew what he was worried about.
"Sebastian was a date, not a job. I survived didn't I?" I looked at him. Concerned eyes roamed my face. "I have my gun, but I'll text you often." He nodded. The door behind me opened and Joe slid in.
"Ready?" Whipping around, I looked at him.
"Let's blow this bitch up." Taking in his face, I smiled. "Are you wearing makeup? You look prettier than I do!" He beamed, tilting his face, showing me the glitter. "Okay, I'm jealous."

The bar Joe sent directions to was a hole-in-the-wall dive bar. Cheap disco lights hung in every corner with a duel-headed one stuck in the middle. Color and movement flooded the bar. I don't understand how people could drink in here, I was nauseous just walking in.
"This is the right place?" I yelled to Joe over the loud music.
"I don't know, do you see them?" My eyes scanned the room trying to focus on faces. A bright smile caught my attention, Cindy. Grabbing Joe's wrist, we made a bee-line for them.
"Oh my god!" Lydia screamed when she saw me, pushing two other girls out of the way to get to me. She threw her arms around my neck, I nearly fell to the floor under her weight. "What are the odds?" She yelled. Grabbing my wrist, she pulled both Joe and me into the circle. Hazel was wearing a mini white dress with a bride sash and Tierra. She smiled with a drink in each hand.
"Girls, this is Joe. Joe this is Marcia, Hazel, Cindy, Lydia, and Summer."

Immediately, we fell into line with each other. I was more comfortable with Joe at my side. He was throwing back shots with Hazel like it was a race. Cindy and Summer both clung to my side as I babysat my beer.
"Joe is cool." Summer said.
"Yeah, he's the best."
"Shame he's gay." She bumped me playfully. I laughed. Despite how close Joe and I were, even if he was straight, I don't think I could romantically see him.

We didn't have much of a discussion all night due to the loud music. It was mostly yelling "what?" to anyone who looked at me and opened their mouth. As promised, I texted Bryson often. I was more than ready to go home when midnight rolled around.

The bar called for final call. The girls paid the tab, we were added on with no cost to us. Joe took an extra shot with Hazel before we walked outside. The fresh night air encased me and started to cool me down. Cindy, who was the least drunk in the group had called an Uber for all of them. An SUV type of vehicle pulled up. Leaning Joe against a wall, I helped pack the car with rowdy, drunk girls.
"You need a ride?" Cindy called out the open door. We had already packed the backseat with 4 people, there was absolutely no room for us if we wanted to go.
"No, thank you. Bryce is coming to get us." The girls ooed and made hearts and kissing noises at me. My cheeks felt warm as I pressed my back against the cold, brick wall.
"You guys don't even know the love for that boy she has." Joe spilled for me. My hand flew to his mouth.
"Goodnight girls. It was fun today." I smiled, holding Joe up as well.

The girls were long gone in their Uber when Bryson pulled up. He helps me pour Joe into the back seat. Joe slept until we got back to Forestons. I took the liberty of getting Joe back to his room. I left him a note to read in the morning. Crawling back into the passenger seat, I buckled up and burst out in laughter.
"What?"
"What the hell are we doing? Partying for a case? That is the drunkest I have ever seen him! He was as hilarious." I leaned on the center console moving his arm over. "I had fun tonight." I leaned on his shoulder.
"I'm glad."

On the way back to the apartment, I nodded off. Between the sun, the alcohol, and the long day, I was exhausted.
"Rene." Bryson brushed my hair back from my face. "Come on, inside." Grunting I stood up. Hobbling my way to the apartment with Bryson holding one arm, we made it. Flopping on my bed, I looked up at the ceiling. The top of Bryson's head was still in my peripheral view.
"Hey, Bryce?" He sat beside me.
"Yeah?"
"Want to have a sleepover?"
"A sleepover?" His brows knit together.
"Yeah, we watch a scary movie then go to bed." I paused. "Obviously there would be popcorn or pizza and pajamas." Chuckling he glanced at his Apple Watch.
"I'll order pizza, you change, try not to die, and pick out the movie, we will pull out the couch in the living room." He stood up.
"That's a pull-out couch?" I sat up too quickly, my head began to swim.
"Yeah. Don't make yourself pass out." He chuckled again as he steadied me.
"Shut up." Playfully, I swatted him away.

Laying on the couch in my sweat shorts and tank top, I flipped through different movies on Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.
"Up." Bryson command. Doing as told, I stood and moved over. Bryson took off the cushions and pulled the metal bar in the back, making the couch into a bed.
"Why have we never done this before?"
"Because normally you just come into my bed halfway through the night?" He didn't even look at me as he assembled the bed. My cheeks flushed, normally I did just crawl into bed with him. Oddly, it became our norm.
"Fair enough. What movie do you want to watch?" The bed creaked as he sat down.
"You pick." Rolling my eyes, I flop back. The metal bars slammed again the slim mattress making the bars punch my back. "That was painful wasn't it?" I chuckled.

A few minutes into the movie, the doorbell rang. Bryson pushed the blankets off and answered the door. The perfume of pizza instantly filled the room. Climbing off the couch, I nearly tripped. Holding the pizza with one hand Bryson grabbed me with the other.
"You are such a hazard tonight." He teased me. "Can you grab my wallet in my room?" Nodding, I went into his room. I hadn't noticed he even left his phone on his bed. Grabbing both, I came back out. The pizza delivery boy's eyes were wide as he stared at me. A shiver tan down my spine.
"Am I paying?" I managed to say, forcing my attention off the guy at our door to Bryson.
"Yeah, I have a ten and twenty in there, use those." His wallet had more cash in than mine did, in my defense I hated paper money so everything was a card.
"Here you go." I handed the driver two bills.
"Is he your boyfriend?" The guy asked in a low voice. My skin crawled.
"Yes, why?"
"Shame, you're beautiful." His eyes started to trail down me. Before his gaze could find my knees I swung the door closed.
"That guy was creepy." Shivering, I mumbled. Bryson glanced at my hands, holding both his wallet and phone.
"You can put those back in my room."
"You don't want your phone?"
"No." He sat on the bed, the movie still paused.
"What if someone needs to get ahold of you?"
"Rene, it is nearly two am, we are lucky the pizza was even delivered. No one is awake right now but us." Staring at his black screen, then back at him.
"Alarm?"
"Tomorrow is Sunday." Nodding I put his stuff back in his room where I found them and left.

After finishing the pizza between us, more him than me; we got under the covers to finish the movie. I'd seen the previews for this movie dozens of times but never had the balls to watch it alone. Closer than I should be to him, my eyes started to close. Exhaustion pulled at each eyelash. Before I knew it, I was asleep.