Assisting Mr & Mrs Miranda

Chapter 39.

*Ding! Dong!*

I jumped at the sound of the doorbell. I put Brian's phone back on the counter and answered the front door. The smell of authentic Mexican wafted into my nostrils. Usually the smell made me drool, but I was feeling queasy. Brian is being blackmailed by Director Peters. I put the food down on the counter next to Brian's phone. The door to my bedroom opened soon after I took the food out of the bag.

"Mmm! Smells delicious!" Brian wrapped his arms around my waist when he reached me. I forced myself not to tense up.

"It does." I tried to giggle. "Let's eat." I put on a movie for us to watch to erase the fact that I needed to process what I had discovered. When Brian finished eating, I picked up the plates and beer bottles.

"I'm stuffed." Brian stretched on the couch.

"Perfect. You're ripe for cooking." I joked. "Do you want to start the shower and then I can join you?"

"Uh yeah, yeah that sounds good."

"Good. Get to it." I smiled and ruffled Brian's hair. Brian couldn't have moved faster to the bathroom. "I like it steamy...so shut the door!"

"Okay!" Brian responded and the door closed. I waited then grabbed his phone and took screenshots. As I was deleting things from his phone, another message popped up.

Unknown number: You've been quiet... Why?

Against my better judgement, I responded

Me: No, I haven't.

Unknown number: You have everything. If this is because I haven't fired her just know I'm not going to fire her

No... I clicked on the info tab for the number and looked at the number. Vanessa?! The door of the bathroom creaked open and I jumped to put down the phone. I walked around the counter and pretended to pick something up. When I stood up, Brian wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my neck. I felt his bare skin caressing my body while he kissed my neck.

"You're taking so long out here." 

"I'm just cleaning up so I don't have to think about anything else." I said trying to keep my voice measured.

"I'll clean up for you once you're asleep." I turned to look at Brian.

"No, you'll need to get rest for work tomorrow." Brian looked to the side for the quickest of seconds before answering.

"Don't worry about me. I just want to take care of you." He kissed me. I felt it. I felt that Brian really did want to take care of me, but to what lengths? How far was Brian willing to go in the name of  caring for me? I let him lead me out of the kitchen and to the bedroom. I let him undress me and take me into the shower. Get into it, girl! Don't be suspicious! Pretend...pretend it's Lin...or Vanessa... I stood up on my tip toes to kiss Brian. He brought my leg up to his waist.

"Whoa, be careful. I don't wanna be on that one show about sex landing me in the ER..." I joked. Brian laughed and reached for my wash cloth. He lathered it up and started scrubbing me down. Oh, Brian. Once upon a time I would've felt pure joy from a moment like this between us... I can't believe how much things can change in a few short moments. Brian stopped and picked up my chin.

"Why are you crying?" He asked with his eyes wide. 

"Huh?" I suddenly felt an uncomfortable heat under my eyes and a hot trail down my face. Had I been crying the whole time??

"What's wrong?" Brian rinsed me off and shut off the water.

"I'm sorry..." I laughed through my tears. My voice warbled as I tried to get through my sentences. "I'm just overwhelmed..." 

"If this is too much, tell me." Brian said gently. He helped me out of the shower. He wrapped me in a fluffy towel and placed a single kiss on my lips. "Get changed for bed. We can cuddle until you fall asleep." It was in these moments, I felt worse about Brian. It wasn't that he wasn't a kind person. He was absolutely the best, most thoughtful guy a person could ask for. He wasn't trying to only get his own pleasure, but also wanted his partner to be satisfied too. But he's blackmailing my boss... Does Vanessa know? I emerged in my pjs to Brian waiting on the bed for me. I climbed into bed with him and he wrapped his arms around me. 

"Brian?"

"Yes?"

"You care about me, right?"

"More than you know."

"Would you lie to me?"

"Never." I turned the answer over and over in my head.

"Do you think I should talk to Preston?"

"Absolutely."

"Why did you want me to sleep with Lin?" Brian bristled behind me. He hesitated as if he was contemplating being honest.

"I wanted you to get all that stuff out of your system..."

"Stuff?"

"I think things were different before... One day you were a little skittish about being with the Mirandas then the next you couldn't seem to separate yourself from them. I think they are great people to do projects with, but to fully work under? No. They're absorbing you. Sometimes..." Brian took a deep breath.

"What..."

"Sometimes it feels like you just want to exist to serve them... I felt like that before I found out about you and Vanessa..." I didn't say anything and I felt Brian hold me a little closer. "I care about you, Y/N..."

"Brian..."

"I really do. The Mirandas are taking advantage of you. They wouldn't have even given you a little break from them once Vanessa got back. Two weeks isn't enough. You need more." I sat up. "What?"

"Brian... I didn't tell you how many days off I got this time around..."