Ring. Again.
I glance up at Caley as she angrily looks at the screaming phone beside her. "I'll get it," I say, reaching for my ringing phone.
"Don't it's fine. I got it." She says, taking a deep breath and answering "Jefferson Law 'where yesterday's pain is today's gain', this is Caley how can I assist you today?" She asks. She makes her fingers into a gun shape and holds it to her temple before pretending to blow her brains out.
I laugh, looking back at my double monitors to enter in the last of the schedule for this week. I hear Caley sigh as she slams the phone down. "Scam." She says.
"The same ones as last week?" I ask, my eyes remaining on my monitor.
"Yeah, except they were asking questions about a Charlotte." She says.
My blood stops in my veins when she says that. "Caley?" I ask. She 'hmm's in response. "Charlotte Xiana?" I ask.
Caley looks up to meet my eyes. "Yeah is she a client?" She asks. I gulp the dry spit in my mouth. "The bathroom, Cal," I say she cocks her head at me, looking at our bathroom. "No, no," I say. "The bathroom," I say.
Caley gives me the smile that if anyone else gave it to me I'd slap them. The pity look. She gets up and walks over to my desk. Sliding her hand over on top of mine. "It's probably another Charlotte Xiana, hun." She says.
I smile before pulling my hand away shyly. "You're probably right," I say. She gives me a quick side hug before walking away.
Then my phone rings beside me and I pick it up and answer in my monotone voice. Jefferson Law 'Yesterday's pain is apparently today's gain', this is Tess how can I help you today?" I ask.
"Tessieeeee." Thomas' voice fills the phone.
"Hey, what's up?" I ask. Before I can say anything else our boss walks in. "No personal calls remember?" He says, pointing at the phone. Thomas asks me something but I don't hear it.
"Sorry Mr. Jefferson, this is someone of our generation on the phone. Trying to relate." I say. "Better communication," I say, shrugging. Caley pops her head up, her on hold with someone on her phone. "Yeah! It's best to communicate with one another how we normally do to avoid so much confusion. Lawyer terminology is hard to understand sometimes." She says, smiling. She's always been the favorite and is always the favorite wherever she goes.
"Thank you Ms. Rogers for your insight, but I do prefer the usual method of client communication. Thank you." He says before walking back into his glass office down the way. I smile at Caley and mouth a 'thank you.'
I turn back to the phone and try and curl up into the wall the best I can. "Hey, sorry boss caught me."
"Told you she got hung up on that asshat." Kyler says in the background. I laugh trying to remain quiet.
"I am kind of at work right now boys," I say.
"Yeah, we know. But Kyler got his hand stuck in the washing machine tube, you know for fabric softener-"
"She knows what the tube is, Thomas." I hear Kyler bellow in the background. I sigh and look at Caley, who is now off the phone. "Need me to come?" I ask, loud enough for Caley to hear. She does and immediately looks my way.
"Yeah, if you wouldn't mind. I can probably get him unstuck but I need an extra set of hands." He says. I reach under my desk and grab my bag and start shutting my computer off.
"I'll be there in 45 minutes with some butter and a lot of questions," I say before hanging the phone up. I look at Caley as she raises an eyebrow at me.
"Kyler got his hand stuck in the tube of the washing machine," I say. Caley gasps. "What? How?" She asks. I shrug as I stand up, gathering myself. "I'll be back after 12. You good to hold down the fort?" I ask.
"Yeah, of course! Go I got this. If Jefferson asks you had a bad plate of eggs today. That way you can stay clocked in." She says.
I walk over to her and give her a big hug. "Thanks, Caley. See you in a bit." I say, running quickly out of the office before Jefferson sees.
~
After an hour of driving in the usual busy Seattle traffic, I keep forgetting about - I finally pull up into the driveway of the house the boys share. Years ago I never even thought they would live together still, let alone by choice. Why they chose so I may never know.
I grab ahold of my keys and fight for the key that I have for their place. When I finally find the small little golden key I stick it in the keyhole and start unlocking it. That's before I realize it's already unlocked. I grumble and push the door open, wiping my shoes on the mat as I enter.
"Kyler! Tommy! I'm here!" I say, looking up at the freshly painted cream walls. Some plastic still remains on the floor, moving as the open window floods in the wind.
"Boys! I don't remember the layout you gotta tell me where the goddamn laundry room is!" I say.
Still no answer. But then I hear some banging upstairs.
I walk up the tall wooden steps, following the noise down a long narrow carpeted hallway. I make it to a room with a light on and turn to walk in. I immediately shield my eyes as I see both boys in a compromising position with Kyler leaning over the washer and Tommy in front of him, both hands on Kyler's sides. "Oh my god!" I shout, backing away.
"No! Tess that was a bad angle it's not what it looks like!" Kyler yells.
"Are you two fucking right now?!" I yell, followed by the sounds of the rattling of belts. I always thought those two were gay, but never for each other. Tommy is so nice and sweet. Kyler is an asshole. But Kyler I knew he was bi because he told me in middle school and threatened to throw me off the roof we were sitting on if I ever told a soul.
"Tess I am just helping him try and get out I swear!" Tommy yells.
"That's the beginning of every single porn film, you know that right?" I ask. Tommy rushes out, out of breath and holding onto the door frame. "It wasn't that." He says.
Then Kyler chimes in, but it's muffled. "And you watch gay porn often?" I choose to ignore the comment.
"I am positive I saw Kyler's hairy asscrack but nice try," I say. I peek a little into the door and see a red-faced Kyler. "Are you decent?" I ask.
"Yes," he mutters. I walk past Tommy who lets me in with no problem. I look down at Kyler's hand, which is turning purple might I add, stuck in the tube. "Get butter," I tell Thomas who rushes out immediately.
"How did this even happen?" I ask.
"Oh you know, beginning of a porn." He mocks. I wack him on the back of the neck. Tommy arrives with the butter just in time before I get a chance to beat Kyler's ass.
Thomas grabs ahold of Kyler's arm as I apply the butter. Thomas is a big guy compared to Kyler. Kyler is basically all stick and Thomas has the body of a football player. If he didn't love his Cheetos so much he probably would have been one.
"How do you know so much about porn?" Tommy asks, looking at me. I immediately stop applying the butter with the small ass knife he got me. "I'm single and sad and I get lonely. Can we move on please?" I ask, going back to the butter application process.
"Oh, so 'step sister stuck in the washer' porn? Kyler asks.
"Shut up!" Tommy and I both yell. Kyler throws a hand-up on defense.
"To be honest I don't want to hear about how Tess gets off. She's like our mother sometimes." Kyler says. He's got a point. It's not just the fact I am a year older than them both, but, it's been me taking care of them. And I'd protect them no matter what.
"Just remember I am the one with the knife," I say. Both boys start laughing at me. "Please, you couldn't hurt a fly," Kyler says. I narrow my eyes at him as his hand quickly becomes loose. He looks at his hand, Tommy carefully standing behind him eyeing him.
"So, how long has this been going on for?" I ask them, pointing the butter knife back and forth between them. Kyler takes it from me and leaves the laundry room, Tommy and I following. "Nothing is going on," Kyler argues. I grab ahold of his arm and stop Thomas in his tracks behind me. "That's bullshit. I can read you two like a book." I say.
"Must be a book written in gibberish because you can't read shit," Kyler says.
"Ky, please," Tommy shouts, looking at him with such intensity. I glance between them both before rolling my eyes. "Fine, both of you have fun "not" dating each other. I have to go back to work." I say.
I give Thomas a kiss on each cheek and a hug. Kyler goes in for a side hug as I head down the stairs, ruffling my hair up with his palm. "We miss you, dude." We walk out into the porch and down the red brick steps, now dusted in white snow. "Sorry, I live so far away now. The city isn't half bad if you guys wanted to join." I say in a sing-songy tone, moving my shoulders in an up-and-down rhythm.
"Can't, Kyler turns into a, to put it bluntly, a bitch in a city setting," Tommy says, looking over at Kyler who just rolls his eyes.
"Awe, you two are an adorable married couple," I say, popping open the door to my car.
"Besides are you rooming with Caley still?" Kyler asks. I smile and nod, excited to get back to said apartment and sleep. "I am but maybe not for long. She thinks Jason is going to propose. And she said if he does she is going to say yes and actually marry him this time." I say. And then I'll be alone in a city by myself.
It's almost like the boys read my mind. "You know we have a spare bedroom in the basement if you wanna move here if that happens. You're only an hour out from the city but if I get that job I can drive you. We can take turns." Kyler offers.
"See! We agree on something." Tommy says, throwing an arm around Kyler. I smile and quickly run over and embrace them both. "I appreciate the offer. But maybe I should ride solo for a while." I say, stepping out. "I don't know, maybe I'll cause some mayhem and trouble."
"Unlikely," Kyler states.
I smile at my best friends as they meet each other's eyes for a moment. The last several years have changed them. They both won't admit it but I know they want to. But I think a part of them likes the secrecy.
"Caley invited me out tonight with Jason for dinner," I say.
"Wow, dinner with your ex and his girlfriend. Must suck." Kyler says. Tommy elbows him in the side immediately after that comment.
"I'm not going to go. I said I would but... I don't know." I say, crossing my arms.
"You should go! Get out and enjoy the town!" Tommy says, smiling. I shake my head, determined to be as stubborn as a bull. "The day I go out to dinner with my ex would be the day you two finally kiss," I say, laughing.
Then they look at each other and shrug. "Fuck it," Kyler says, grabbing Thomas's face and kissing him. My jaw hangs up watching my two best friends finally kiss. "Really?!" I cry, my arms at my sides now.
Kyler and Tommy look at me smiling. "Guess you gotta go. Now." He says. I smile and sigh at the same time. "Okay, I'll go. And I have to go back to work but this-" I gesture with my open palm at them. "We will talk about that later," I say.
I take one more look at them before I get into my car - well, the car Caley and I share. They walk up and Tommy closes my door for me. I roll the window down and stick my elbow out. "I miss you guys, I'm serious," I say, patting Kyler's hand that rests on my open window.
"Miss you too. Now get." Kyler says, slapping the side of my car. I laugh, turning the ignition on. "Damn at least buy the car a drink first there buddy," I say. Tommy laughs at that and Kyler cracks a smile.
Then I pull out of their driveway and back onto the road to head towards the Emerald City.