Chapter 10
Brian's Apartment
Brian awoke before Bridget did. He was in such a good mood and didn't want reality to set in too soon, but he knew he needed to find a job but wasn't ready to rush into anything today. He started the coffee maker, and then hopped in the shower.
Bridget by this time had awoke, "Good morning honey " She said as she entered the bathroom, "I think we should conserve water "
He looked at her kind of funny he wasn't awake enough yet to understand what she was hinting at. Bridget proceeded to disrobe and got in the shower. After a looooooooong shower they got out and eventually got dressed.
She asked him "So what's your plan for the day, I have a few more interviews but I can always reschedule if you need me to."
"No you go do what you need to I will be fine" he said, "I had a message from Jay Morton the building owner to call him today so I have to see what he wants, then I am going to see about getting a job more suited to my talents. Real estate was ok but you know I only did it because once Zap Monkey (a company that had designed and had produced video games that he had co-founded with Dave Greco) went under I needed a job ASAP, besides My last name is Davis, so with the Davis Realty scandal how many Realty companies are going to want to hire me now."
She kissed him and said, "Well I am sorry to say you could be right Bri."
With that she finished getting ready then she left for her interviews. Brian dialed the # for Jay Morton. When Jay said hello.
Brian said, "Hey Jay it's me Brian Davis, you left me a message to call you today?"
Jay replied, "Oh thanks for calling me back…listen, I have a proposition for you it's only for a few weeks but I know about you job situation so this could work for both of us. I had to let the building manager/ Superintendent go, so I was wondering if you would take over at least until I get someone else?"
"Oh that would be great." Brian answered. "That would at least get me through then next few weeks."
Jay gave him job description and a list of things that needed to be done around the place. The down stairs apartment was vacant and didn't need too much work. The new tenants were supposed to arrive today so he wanted to make sure Brian had it ready. He ate a bowl of cereal and got dressed. Jay dropped of the 3 sets of keys to the downstairs apartment. The downstairs out side lights needed electrical work so Brian got to work on it. As he was working Adam Hillman stopped by to see how he was and at the same time his brother Matt showed up.
"Hey guys how are you doing?" Brian asked
"I am still a bit hung over." Adam answered, "But I will live."
Brian quickly changed the subject. "Adam you remember my brother Matt from last night."
Matt held out his hand, "Nice to see you again Adam."
Then he asked "Hey Brian what are you doing?" Brian explained the proposition Jay had temporarily offered him"
"So we can call you Schneider now" Adam teased.
"Schneider? Who is Schneider?" Matt asked? "Adam is referring to that show One Day at a Time, you know Schneider, the building superintendent, the goofy guy." Brian told him.
Matt laughed, "Oh him, I remember seeing reruns of that show, that's pretty funny."
As they were hanging out talking with Brian a car pulled up with 2 incredibly hot looking women. Adam saw them first, and said in a long slow voice "HEY JIMMIE" And then said "Please be coming here"
Brian turned around to see them pull in and Matt said in a questioning voice to Brian, "Hey Jimmie?"
then Brian explained "Oh yeah that is something me and the guys say it's kind of a code for whenever we see hot chick, we use it so our girlfriends or wives don't know what we are talking about."
Matt laughed, "I like that."
The blonde women got out of the car,
Brian asked. "Can I help you with something?"
"Hi, I am Stephanie, the blonde one said, and then pointing to the brunette and that is my friend Laura, Do you know where we can find the building superintendent?"
Adam leaned on Brian and whispered, "Oh man this is your lucky day."
Brian pushed him off and said, "that would me, what can I do for you."
"Oh Jay said to talk to you." Laura said. "He told us you would have the keys; we are the new downstairs tenants. Do you all live here?"
Adam mouthed "Oh I wish"
"No, only I do." Said Brian. "Me and my girlfriend live in the upstairs apartment."
Then Stephanie asked, "Would you guys help us unload our car, the moving van will be here later but for now this is all we have?"
"Hey no problem." Adam responded almost too enthusiastically.
After they were done Brian said, "Ok I know why you can be here Matt you got here a week earlier than planned and have some time to kill , but Adam how come your not at work, I mean you look the part but ah its 10:30?"
" Oh I had a little time to kill I have a deposition to take at 11:30 not too far from here so I told the partners I would do the paperwork and then just go there straight from home. Besides I needed to get rid of this hangover before I did anything."
Then Brian suggested, "I have coffee upstairs, that may help so I will get back to fixing this later, come on up"
So then Adam and Matt followed him upstairs to get coffee. He saw there was a message on the answering machine for his house phone. Brian listened to it.
It was Dave Greco," Hey Brian, its Dave listen, I may have a job prospect for you, I may be able to get you in at KC gaming. There is a big takeover here and the new management is getting rid of a lot of the old timers and looking for new as she puts it new meat" so I will call you later but it looks good buddy."
"Hey Brian" Matt said, "that would be great, but weren't you into real estate before…, well, I won't go any further I know that's a sore subject?"
"No that's ok," replied Brian, "I got my real estate license the summer I got out of high school because my father pushed me to do it, but I had never really did anything with it. Then when Zap monkey went under (He explained about that company to Matt) my father offered me a job and because I desperately needed the cash, I begrudgingly took the job. I hope I can get into KC Gaming. It would be such a great job for me; they had a hiring freeze when I applied before, Dave was the last one they hired before the freeze went into effect. I hope Dave is right and they are hiring again, I am going to have to keep my fingers crossed."
Adam then looked at his watch and said. "Well I think it is about that time. Thanks for the coffee Bri but now I have to drag my hung over ass to work."
Brian cringed as he said that, and of course Matt noticed that too. As soon as Adam left,
Matt said to Brian, "I think we need to talk. I think you need to relax a bit you are really uptight, Maybe I pick up on your body language pretty well because I am so used to being the big brother and I have been doing it for so I can really tell with you. It's pretty scary you are exactly like Simon in this aspect."
Brian stiffened up," I am not sure what you mean"
"Oh come on Brian, I have been watching your reactions starting when you called Bridget before we started playing basketball yesterday. Just because I am a PK doesn't mean I am going to sit here in judgment over everything you do and mom and dad are not like that either."
" It's that obvious huh?" Brian said with a sigh, "and what's a PK?"
"Oh Sorry PK is short for preachers kid." Matt laughed. "I mean Dad is yeah a minister and there are certain values he and mom have and when we were kids it was pretty strict, and yes the whole sex before marriage was a big NO NO, they made it very clear on that point as you heard already. We just recently all heard the real reason why that is, but let me tell you as Camden kids just because we are PKs doesn't mean we didn't royally screw up ALL THE TIME. I know I would take me days to go down the laundry list of the things we did as kids. I won't get into his issues but Simon well let's just say he and my parents don't see eye to eye on a lot of issues."
"Was he the one who had the pregnancy scare with the girl at college?" Brian asked?
"Oh you heard." Matt replied "And then there is Mary that's a story too long to go into I love her but sometimes I do not know where her head is at sometimes she did get into trouble in high school. and got arrested for vandalizing the high school gym. Then she seemed to do OK she had other issues after she got married but thankfully all of her marital issues seem to be resolved and she and Carlos and the kids are good but for a while…..anyway I don't want to go there. So you see mom and dad don't expect perfect they just expect you to do your best and when you're wrong admit it and apologize. When you screw up sometimes you take heat but Mom and Dad don't disown you or anything so don't worry about it"
"Well I guess that makes me feel a little better,' Brian said in a very relieved voice. "So let me ask you Matt how are they going to react to me living with Bridget right now? For me this is the biggest commitment I have ever made. As a matter of fact any time I have had a relationship and if it gets to the point that I start to find fault with whomever I had been dating my friends start to joke and say oh has it been six weeks already, and usually it is about six weeks when I unconsciously do that to sabotage the relationship, that's always been the pattern with me. Bridget and I have been together for five months now so it is a big deal for me I really want this to work."
"Well "said Matt, "I am no expert on dating the girls I dated before Sarah were usually the ones who broke up with me. Then I met Sarah, but as far as Sarah and I are concerned we never made it to six weeks of dating….Well you will find out sooner or later we eloped on our first date, however we were not brave enough to tell our parents right away so we just told them we were engaged and went through the charade of the big wedding and everything. And a few years later it slipped that about our actual wedding date. And my parents didn't kill me. Sarah and I have been married for eight years."
"YOU GOT MARRIED ON YOUR 1st DATE, You're not serious?" Exclaimed Brian. "Wow I can't wait to find out what else I don't know. This family is getting more and more interesting the more I find out."
"Yeah we Camdens are an interesting family" Matt said jokingly
"Hey now that you've had your coffee want to play Schneider with me and help me with the to do list I have, or don't Doctors do that sort of menial work." Brian teased Matt.
"Sure" Matt said laughing; "let's see what I can go break. Hey wait; I didn't answer your original question. I honestly don't know if Mom and Dad will say anything to you about your living situation you are an adult if it were one of us meaning those of us raised by them they would probably give you their opinion that it might not be a good idea, but given this relationship they have with you is new they may not say anything so it could go either way. However if they do anything you should know it comes from the heart, they would not be judging you or coming down on you. So don't sweat it."
The Camden's
Annie and Sarah were sitting in the kitchen. Eric went to work at the church Sam and David were at school, Noah and Jacob were playing in the living room quietly for the moment, and Sarah had told Annie that Matt went over to Brian's this morning to check on him.
"I am glad Matt went over to check on Brian seems to go well yesterday but it felt like there was something just under the surface with Brian I can't put my finger on just what it is." Annie said.
"I know what you mean mom, Matt pulled me aside last night to discuss just that, I think Brian is a bit paranoid to do or say the wrong thing. Look how he described his upbringing and what kind of people raised him. His father doesn't seem to be the most moral character in the world to say the least I think he may feel that because Eric is a minister that may think that he would get judged harshly if he does or says anything wrong. He did mention that Bridget will be staying with him. I know you and dad didn't mean to make Brian uncomfortable but you may have, you guys did go on a bit about the whole abstinence thing; I know you were not directing it to him but he probably felt to say the least uncomfortable. I mean look at his father's lifestyle."
"Oh my God Sarah, Eric and I were not even thinking about that"
Sarah went on to REALLY tell her of the conversation she and Matt had the night before.
"Oh Sarah thank you for telling me all that. Poor Brian I knew he was on edge. I just wish I knew the best way to convey to him we are not going to judge him."
"Mom I think over time he will just have to learn how we all are, and that he will always be will just take time. You know I wonder how Matt is doing with him this morning"
"Well, why don't you call him and see what they are up to use the excuse that you wanted to see what they are doing for lunch" Said Annie.
"Good idea let me call his cell now." Sarah dialed Matt's cell after a couple of rings
Matt answered "Schneider here how can I help you?"
Sarah answered back in a very puzzled sounding voice "Matt is that you?"
Matt laughed and proceeded to tell her the joke and that he was helping Brian with his temporary job.
Sarah laughed and said "Yeah that's pretty funny. Listen I know you can't really talk because he is probably right there so, tell him we are just checking to see what you guys are doing for lunch or something. Anyway your Mom and I were just talking and we are concerned, well about what you and I talked about last night and…."
Matt cut her off." Its ok Sarah, Brian and I had a very lengthy talk about a lot of stuff I think I was able to make him feel a lot better about things plus I filled him in on some of the things we Camden kids screwed up on and that Mom and Dad didn't kick us to the curb to speak so I think he is much better." Matt said this while looking at Brian who nodded yes in agreement.
"Hey Brian they want to know what we are doing for lunch and I saw the barren wasteland of the inside of your fridge so my guess is unless we want beer and left over I think week old Chinese food we are not eating here."
"Oh you're hilarious." said Brian slightly sarcastically. "I skip meals half the time and Bridget doesn't really cook, so whatever you feel like is fine by me."
"No wonder you are so skinny" Said Matt." And as a Doctor I am going to come down on you. Now you can't always be skipping meals it's not healthy."
"Whatever you say Dr. Matt," Brian laughed, "I guess when we are done here we can head back over there."
Just then Bridget pulled up. "Guess what" she said. "I got a job" and then looked at Brian kind of funny and said "Just what are you and Matt doing?" Brian explained the temporary job Jay had asked him to do, and that since Matt was here he was just helping, but then told her about the message Dave had left him.
"Oh that would be so great." she said. Then Matt let her know, "My wife called, Brian and I were going back to my parents for lunch so since you are here you're coming with us right?"
"That will be wonderful. I would love to go, I hope we are going soon because I am getting hungry"
Brian then said "let me get washed up a bit because I am kind of gross again from doing all this stuff ."
He ran upstairs and quickly got took another shower and changed and was done in ten minutes Matt and Bridget had since gone upstairs and Matt brought the tools up and set them in the kitchen.
"You want to hop in the shower before we head out Matt? You don't want to go back to Sarah all stinky." Brian teased.
"This time you can put on something of mine." Matt showered too and put on some clothes Brian left out for him they were headed out soon afterwards.