The Show Goes On

Bumblebees

Monday morning. Brandi's head throbbed incessantly as she pulled into the parking lot in front of her building. She nearly doubled over as she stepped out of the car. She hadn't put on makeup that morning and her hair was still a little wet. She wasn't wearing heels either. Today was definitely not her day, not after the night before. She wore a tank top under a blazer and sweatpants that she yanked up as she slid into her rolling chair at the front desk, slamming her head on the desk and letting out a faint groan.
"Sounds like someone's a little hungover," chirped a familiar voice.
"How are you so chipper even this early in the morning?"
"It's my job. What kind of boss would I be if I didn't help out my slacker employees."
"Takes one to know one, and how may I help you on this fine morning, sir?"
Brandi looked up at him with her bare face and tucked her hands underneath her chin.
"I just came to see if those expense reports were... you know what?"
"What?"
"You could use a coffee, girl. Let's move."
Jordan yanked out the rolling chair from behind the desk and pulled Brandi out of the chair. Minutes later they were at the counter of a little coffee shop next door.

"I feel like shit," Brandi said to her coffee as she took a large, burning sip she felt land at the bottom of her stomach.
"Drink up. My immunity to hangovers comes from a lifetime of alcohol poisoning. Consider yourself lucky to still feel young."
"How are you not dead yet? I don't mean from just last night either," she said, rubbing her temple.
"It's a life skill. Drink."
Jordan watched her pensively as she finished the scorching coffee. Her sharp Cupid's bow was a shade of beige-pink, naked from lack of lipstick. Her fingernails were painted white, and the pinkie had a triangle shaped bare spot from a fallen chip. Soft, young skin, still clear and smooth. Wide, tired eyes and long black lashes. Straight white teeth. Lips. Lips. Soft, wet.

Lips.

"I don't feel like work today. Let's go to the park," she said and looked at him, setting her empty mug down and raising the corners of her mouth into a smile.
On Jordan's desk lay:
•18 sets of checks to be signed
•5 packages to be opened
•3 "special" packages to be opened
•13 grams of weed in a locked wooden box
•150 IPO statements to be looked over
•29 bank statements to be verified
•2 threats from the New York Police Department marked "URGENT" in red ink
•1 plastic Tupperware container of spaghetti and marinara sauce his mother had dropped off at his work on her way to the store

"What do you think?"
"Let's go to the park."

"You know what, Jordan?" Brandi sighed as she walked next to him on the path around Central Park.
"What?"
"I feel good. I mean, I'm hungover but everything else feels good. Know what else? Even the hangover feels good."
He laughed and looked at her.
"That's good, Brandi." He smiled at her. And meant it. It warmed him to see her happy.
She slid out of her blazer and let the sun touch her shoulders. Brandi dropped it on the grass and kept walking forward.
"I feel young. Like how I did when I started college. I feel like you're young. I think a lot, about when I first started working here. It's probably..." Her voice trailed off.
"Probably?" He said, looking at her raising his chin slightly
Brandi smiled and shook her head. "Probably the best thing to ever happen to me. You are the best thing to ever happen to me, Jordan Belfort."
She was beaming, exposing all of her freshly whitened teeth to the world.
He wasn't sure if he had heard her correctly.
"You mean-"
"WOW, I could seriously go for some food right about now. Look, hot dogs. I'll get you one, okay? And an orange soda. You better like orange soda."
Jordan smiled and shook his head, sitting down on a bench. He loved orange soda.
He watched a whole park move with curious eyes.
A pack of kids huddled around a frog pond, taking notes as a teacher held up a leaf and told them about it. One kid wandered away with his friend to a pretzel cart. The skinny white guy working it was doing push ups on the sidewalk next to the cart. Douchebag. Kid 1 snatched the tip jar and dumped it into his pants. They both snickered and ran back to their class as the teacher moved to the next stop. It made him think of being young and having his first girlfriend at 14. He smiled just as big to hold her hand. It didn't last long, but it felt like forever. It seemed like that gleeful young feeling had almost left him.
Brandi made it come back.
There were dogs running and playing frisbee with their owners on the grass. A girl taking pictures of flowers with an instant camera. A pack of women in bright, neon exercise clothes stretched and did yoga on little mats on the floor. Everything was beaming with life.

"Here. I didn't know if you liked mustard or ketchup, so I just got you both. And your soda." She handed him a fat hot dog and a misty cold can, sitting down next to him. Brandi kicked her shoes off and stretched her socked feet, cracking open her soda can.
"Thanks, Brandi." The food was warm and familiar, a daily scent that lingered on the street.
They sat in silence for a few moments, eating and looking at the lively park move about before Brandi broke the silence.
"You know, it's spring, almost. Look at the grass. It's wet. And the sun is out, it's warm. I missed the warm."
"There's bees," he said.
"Bumblebees. They're cute."
She popped the rest of the bun in her mouth and talked with her mouth full.
"And look, flowers are growing. Pink ones," she pointed.
Watching her in her childlike wonder, pointing at nature, marveling at everything in front of her made Jordan's chest explode with warmth for her. It's like every new thing she did only made him feel more for her.
Every smile, every laugh, everything she pointed at

made him love her more.
He wish he could just tell her.

"Jordan, look at that plane, it's drawing something in the sky. It looks like a dog..."

Wished he could just spill everything. That he'd loved her from the start. From their very first conversation, the very first time he heard her singing along to the tape player in her car.

"Oooh and look at that! Bennington's has new dresses on display. That red one is so gorgeous. I love it."

From the first time he saw her putting on lipstick, the first time he saw her laughing so hard her face turned purple. From even before he'd met Naomi he'd loved her first.

"Or that skirt. It's like blue and gold, and a little purple. I wanna get that, too. But that dress..."

Wished he could tell her right now.

I love you.

"You should come with me, I think I'm going to get it."

I love you.

"Unless I left my bag on my desk before we left..."

I love you.

"Nope, it's right here. Won't you come with me? Come on Jordan. Come with me. Let's go."

I love you, Brandi Marciano.

"Jordan?"

"Brandi, I love you."

As if time froze them and only them, Brandi went quiet. Jordan was quiet. The park was still alive with sounds, with bumblebees and dogs barking and cars honking and babies crying in carriages. But her tongue went dead.
He waited for it. For her to get up and leave, for the pain of cold rejection. For a half-added explanation about how it might be the wrong time for her, how they might be better off as friends, how she wasn't ready for another guy to wreck her life again.

Jordan breathed and closed his eyes. The inside of his eyelids glowed red from the sun as he sat and seconds passed and the silence grew.
He felt the breeze blow against his face and rustle through the trees.

And the next thing he felt as he began to open his eyes was Brandi's warm, soft mouth on his, her hand on the back of his neck and a flutter of soft black curl against his cheek. And the uncertainty all disappeared before he could even begin to fathom it.

***********

Squee tysm at everyone who's still reading :,)) I'm super sorry about how late my updates are but hope u guys are enjoying it so far!! Promise to update quicker, nd I appreciate all the love 💕💕 love u all !!!! - me 🌸💜