Steamy Love

Part 11: More Than a Friend Should

Brian's POV

I wake up to my phone ringing. I answer it yawning. "Hello?"

"Q! Where are you?" It's Joe. I look at my clock and see that I was supposed to be on set an hour ago.

"Shit, I'm sorry!" Faith grunts in her sleep so I try to be really quiet. "I'll be there as soon as possible." I get up and start finding clothes.

"Dude even Sal got here before you. What's up?"

"Nothing."

"He told me what happened."

"And what did he say?" He's really starting to annoy me. Both of them are, actually.

"That you guys kissed while drunk."

"Yeah well he doesn't remember everything from that night. It... was nothing."

"It doesn't sound like nothing."

"Goodbye Joe." I hang up and finish getting ready.

Faith rolls over and grumbles. "Mmm where ya goin'?"

"I've gotta go to work. I'm really late. Do you think you can get home on your own?"

"I can call a cab." She slowly and painfully gets out of bed. "Ow..."

I feel really bad that she hurts and I don't have more time. I help her get dressed and wait for the cab to get there. When she's gone I start on my way and pick up a donut and hot chocolate at the gas station since I didn't have time to eat. Filming today is brutal. It's cold and the guys keep giving me weird looks.

Finally, when we're all eating lunch together at an Italian restaurant, I say something. "Okay, what's goin' on? You're all actin' really weird." Sal gets up and leaves. Of course.

"Whatever happened between you two is really upsetting him," Murr explains.

"Well no shit."

"Q, what happened?" Joe asks. "Please tell us. We're here to help." Murr nods in agreement.

"It was nothing."

"It was somethin'. Somethin' that's really eatin' at both of ya."

I sigh and blurt out "We almost had sex, alright?!" That blows both of them away. "We were drunk and almost made a huge fucking mistake. And he doesn't even remember it." I get up and storm out of the restaurant, only to find Sal right outside; staring at me as if his world was crumbling around him. "Oh my god, what now?!"

"I wouldn't call that a mistake." He walks away and then he's just... gone. I go to my jeep and start crying. I don't know who or what I am anymore. Or what I'm even doing. I'm not gay... Right? I like women. I like Faith. But... I also like Sal. And I'm not even sure if I'm right about having sex with him being a mistake. I could be wrong...

A couple weeks go by and I don't see much of Sal other than at work. If the guys decide to go see a movie or something after filming and I'm going, then Sal doesn't go. At lunch I see him sitting with Murr and Joe laughing his ass off, but as soon as I come around he's real quiet. I hate this, and I hate that Murr and Joe and the rest of the crew can tell that something's up and it just makes everything really awkward. We haven't recorded another episode of 'What Say You?'. What's worse is I can't see Faith as much either because she has work and school to take up her time. So basically the only company I get are my cats and I feel really lonely.

One day the four of us are sitting in Joe's living room, talking about the trip to London that's happening next week.

Joe starts us off. "So we'll be staying in the same hotel most of the time, and we can only get two rooms for the four of us."

Sal immediately responds with, "Dibs on rooming with Joe."

"Actually, Sal," Murr says, "Joe and I are rooming together."

"What." He's glaring at them. I don't feel like shit at all. Not one little bit. Awe, the beauty of sarcasm.

"You two need to get over whatever is goin' on. You're life-long friends for Christ's sake!" Joe looks at both of us pointedly.

"Oh I don't have a problem. I just wouldn't want to make a mistake."

That really pisses me off. "You know what, Sal?!" He seems surprised that I'm yelling. "Fuck you! You don't suddenly profess your love for your best friend and expect them to feel the same way! You don't fucking do that with anyone! And you sure as hell don't try to have sex with them and then get pissed because they don't want to! I'm trying to accept you for who you are, and now it's time for you to accept who I am!" I don't know when I stood up, but now Sal is standing with me and he gets right up in my face.

"I do accept you! Hell, I have a fucking crush on you! YOU'RE the one that's not accepting what's so fucking obvious to the rest of us!" I vaguely hear the other two trying to get us to stop yelling. I don't listen.

"What the FUCK are you talking about?" My fists are clenching and I'm panting, I'm so furious.

"I see the way you look at me! You look at me like I'm the most important person in the world! I notice how you get goosebumps when I touch you!" Joe's daughter Milana starts crying and he goes to care for her. "I see it! WE see it! And you know it, but you won't fucking embrace who you are! YOU LIKE ME, BRIAN! MORE THAN A FRIEND SHOULD!"

Murr gets in between us just then, and pushes us apart. "GUYS, STOP! Just stop it now!"

"Shut up, Murr!" I say as I continue to glare at Sal. I don't know what else to say, because... well, because he's right. So for some reason I say the dumbest thing I can. "More than a friend should." I don't wait for a response and storm out the door. Murray follows me and stops me at my car.

"Q, just wait! Stop! Sal's crying now you jackass!"

"I'm the jackass?!"

"Kinda. You basically just admitted that you like him but don't want to be with him."

"That's basically how I feel! Now leave me alone!" At that I slam the door and speed off.  

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