Permanent [H.S. || A.U.] - Book 2 - ON HOLD

Chapter 4

Everybody's working for the weekend
Everybody wants a new romance

"He's aliveeeee!" I hear Brandon shout from behind me, instantly startling me and having me drop the wire and strippers in my hands.

"Bloody hell, mate." I huff as I try and calm my now racing heartbeat. "You can't be doing that when I'm at the workbench. How many times have I told you that?" I add as I turn to face him.

"Sorry, mate." He quips with a horrendous mock of my accent. He then walks into my office, clumsily plopping himself down to sit on my desk chair and kick his feet up onto my desk. My whole body shudders in panic as I watch his feet land inches away from my new microprocessor pins. "Been ages since I got to fuck with you. Gotta make up for all the lost time."

I put down the materials and tool in my hands, laying them carefully on my workbench. I then take off my bifocal prescription safety glasses and carefully set them in their case. "You act like I went off to war." I retort, taking off my labcoat now and folding it over the back of my barstool that accompanies my workbench. "I just went on holiday, Brandon." I add, putting back on my regular glasses as I turn to look at him.

"That holiday felt like an eternity." He says. "I didn't have anyone to check the grammar on my reports, to play video games with, to go to the comic book store with, to friendly bully..." Brandon trails off.

I lean my side against my workbench and cross my arms over my chest. "What about Janet?"

"That's different." He groans, tossing his head back and running his hands over his face before straightening back up to look at me. "She's the one that bullies me."

I can't help but snort out a laugh. "Janet bullies everyone. But she never means anything by it, just like you, it's all harmless jokes. It's how you guys show you care."

"Yeah, whatever." He rolls his eyes. "She's been busy anyway. I haven't gotten to see much of her while you were gone."

"How so?" I ask, furrowing my brows.

"She's Grayson's assistant." He shrugs. The mere mention of my girl's name has my whole body heating, my heart thumping twice as fast, and has me trying so hard not to smile during this serious conversation right now. "She was doing as much of Grayson's job as she could while you guys were away. She wanted to make sure that Grayson didn't have any distractions and that you were the only thing on her mind."

Great. Now I feel bad. There goes my guilt complex flaring up. "She didn't have to do that. I would never want her to overwork herself for something as silly as my love life."

"She overworked herself because you're our best friend, Harry." Brandon replies simply. His tone is soft and shows so much honestly that it really makes my heart swell. I've had trouble making friends since moving to the states. And the fact that he, and Janet, so openly admit to me being their best friend still means so much to me. "Also, Janet is so invested in your love life that there is no way I would've been able to talk her out of all the work she was doing. She's like you and Grayson's number one cheerleader."