After Hours

5- Who's Brayden

He looked at her, and shook his head. "No..."

"No? What do you mean no?" she asked, yelling, and slamming her hands down on the table.

"Exactly what I meant... I'm also on the lease, and I'm not moving out." He stood up, shoved the chair against the table, and stormed into the other room, slamming the door behind him.

The next day, Victoria was in no mood to talk to anyone, including Tiara, and tried her hardest to ignore everyone around her. She kept to herself, and whenever anyone was to ask her a question, she snapped at them. During lunch hour, Victoria's phone rang, she looked at who was calling, answered the phone, and yelled "Don't you ever fucking call this number again!" She hung up, and threw her phone behind her, landing across the room.

Tiara looked at her, looked over at Victoria's phone laying on the ground, and looked back over to her. "Ah Victoria? What's going on with you today?" she nervously asked, afraid she was going to be snapped at. She noticed how her face was red, and saw how her eyes were swollen like she had been up all night crying. "I don't mean to say it, and I'm afraid of what you'll say to me with what I'm about to say... but you look like shit, girl... you need to talk to me, and tell me what's going on."

"Not now Tiara... I feel I'm ready to lose it, and I refuse to lose it here."

Tiara rolled her eyes, and shook her head. "Let me guess... Brayden?"

"Who else would it be?" She lowered her head onto the desk, and covered her head with her hands. "I tried telling him last night it wasn't working, that he needed to move out, and how he had all weekend to remove his things since I wouldn't be home. He had the nerve to tell me no, that he wasn't moving out since his name is on the lease."

"Maybe go to the rental office, explain the situation, and see what you can do."

"It's fine, I can always move out." she groaned. "Nothing is holding me there anyway, it's not that nice of an apartment."

"Or... you can force him out by bringing men home with you." she giggled, giving her an idea that she hoped she would do. "Besides, he's only doing this, thinking you'll take him back."

"I know... it's exactly what he's doing... and it isn't going to work. I'm also not going to bring men home, all it would do is, egg him on, and make him want to fight them."

Later, after the clinic closed, Doctor Jones gathered everyone together and walked them through each area of the clinic, explaining what he wanted done, and the color scheme for each area. He handed them all masks, the supplies, and had them choose where they wanted to start.

Earlier in the day, he noticed Victoria looking gloomy, angry, how her attitude was toward the employees, and how swollen her eyes were. When she started walking toward the back of the clinic, he wanted to see what was going on with her, and followed her to her office, shutting the door behind him, and locking it. "Victoria, we need to talk." He says, walking up behind her. "All day long you've ignored me, and I saw how you've been snapping at everyone. I also noticed how swollen, and puffy your eyes are... was it because of me, something I did, or said?"

"No, it wasn't because of you. And before you ask... I don't want to talk about it."

"Turn around, and look at me." he said quietly. When she wouldn't, he begged "Please?"

She turned around, and looked the other way, refusing to look at him "I'm not having a very good day, and I wish you would just leave me alone."

"I'll let you be, but first, you have to let me do this." He slid his hand around, cupping the side of her neck, and leaned over, kissing her on the lips. Enjoying the way he was kissing her, she slowly turned toward him, cupped the back of his head, and kissed him back. He pulled back, and looked into her eyes, while caressing her bottom lip with his thumb. "I'm here if you need to talk, I'm not that asshole you may think I am."