The Loser in the End--The Sequel

One Word

Back at Brian's...

You were relaxing after a shower when you heard a key in the door.  But it wasn't Brian--it was his assistant, Julie.

It was really annoying how she never bothered to knock. She always just used her key, as if she lived there.  Was it really necessary for her to have her own key? You didn't think so.  It left you little privacy, as she was liable to come over whenever she pleased.

"Oh, you're here," she said rudely.

She'd never been very friendly to you. In fact, she rarely acknowledged your presence, and she completely ignored you whenever Brian was around.  It was as though she felt you weren't good enough for him.  Of course, she was very  attentive to him...more than she needed to be, and more than you liked, actually. In fact, you found her attentiveness toward him rather inappropriate.  But Brian thought she could do no wrong. The one time you did voice your opinion on the subject, he shut you down immediately the way only he could. He had made you feel petty and ridiculous, so you learned to keep your mouth shut about the situation.  But it bothered you that she seemed to know more about Brian's personal life than you did.  How much about your relationship had he told her?  You lived with him and slept with him, but she was the one who knew the inner workings of his world and his emotions. In other words, he was closer to her than he was to you.

Today, she was dropping off some of yours and Brian's laundry. You couldn't help but notice Brian's things were all neatly folded, while yours were just tossed carelessly into a laundry bag. You didn't exactly enjoy someone else doing your laundry--especially when that someone was handling your bras and panties. Those were personal items to you, and it just made you feel uncomfortable. But apparently Brian was used to it all, and it didn't seem to bother him in the least.

Funny thing was, all Brian's underwear were the exact same style. They were all briefs, and they were all either navy blue or black, no other colors, and no prints. And they all had to be folded in the exact same way, and placed in his drawer always in the same manner: One row of black, one row of blue, in such a way that each pair was clearly visible when he looked in the drawer.  It was all very fastidious and precise.

You thought you'd read somewhere that such behavior was a sign of some kind of personality or anxiety disorder.  But Brian was perfectly normal...wasn't he?  He just liked his things neat and organized, that's all.  Or so you told yourself...

As you began putting away your laundry, a pair of bright pink lace panties caught your eye. Those definitely weren't your  panties.  You knew you didn't have any bright pink ones.

You went out into the kitchen where Brian's assistant was now organizing the teas.

"Julie?" you said.

"Yes," she said, not bothering to look up.

"Uh, these aren't mine..." you said, holding up the panties.

She looked up and saw the panties in your hand.  A vague look of panic crossed her face, which she quickly concealed.

"Oh," she laughed nervously, "They must have been left in the dryer by someone else before me.  Just give them to me and I'll get rid of them."

It was a logical explanation, you reckoned.  But something about it just didn't feel right...

******************************************

Meanwhile, back at Freddie's...

"Who has the photos, Brian?"  Freddie demanded.

Brian didn't respond.  He just walked stiffly to the door and opened it, not saying a word.  He paused dramatically before slowly turning to face Freddie.  He was reveling in his power.

"You'll find out soon enough,"  he said.

"No, you son of a bitch, you tell me right now,"  Freddie said vehemently, grabbing Brian roughly by the collar.

Brian was obviously startled and intimidated, but he still had the upper hand.  He looked down at Freddie with a glint in his eye. And then he said one word...

It was a simple, two syllable word. A word that was perfectly innocent on its own.  But in this context,  it was a powerful enough word to tear Freddie's world apart, and Roger's too...

Just one word.

"Debbie."