Julie discovered that the brothers' mattresses were really the best place to do any reading in the whole apartment. They had enough light to see, but not so much that it would cause a glare. She doubted the men appreciated it that much, but she did. She was lounging on Connor's mattress, reading her romance novel, when she heard Murphy laugh.
"Still readin' that shite, are ye," he asked.
Julie looked up and saw him standing near the end of the mattress, beer in hand as he handed another to his brother. Connor was looking at her over the back of the couch, smiling as he opened his can of beer.
"It keeps me entertained," she smiled back, looking down at the page again.
"Well, if ye still want to scream in uncontrolled completion," Murphy remarked casually, making her look up again. "Then I'm always happy to oblige."
"Aw, Murph," she cooed, trying to hide the blushing she was doing. "If you want to join me in bed, there's plenty of room. You might have to snuggle in close, but you'll fit."
Murphy smirked, taking a step toward the mattress. Connor reached up and grabbed the back of his brother's shirt, pulling him backwards over the couch. It was all Murphy could do to keep his beer from spilling as he was hauled upside down into the seat beside Connor. Julie couldn't keep from laugh.
"She was just teasin' ye, fuckwit," Connor said while shaking his head.
Murphy let his feet dangle over the back of the couch. "Aye. She's an evil woman."
"Besides," Connor continued, looking back to give Julie a wink. "If any one'll be havin' Julie on me bed, it'll be me."
Julie covered her mouth, trying to stifle the giggle in her throat. She couldn't hold it back, especially hearing Murphy start to protest the remark as he twisted on the couch to sit up properly. Doubling over on the bed, she rolled a little, ending up on her back with her head fallen off the side of the mattress. She opened her eyes once she had finished laughing, seeing the world upside down with the boys grinning at her.
"Are we entertainin' ye now, then," Murphy asked.
"Indeed," she smiled, still not changing positions.
Connor's smile faded a bit and he shook his head. "Yer just too damned sexy sometimes, Julie girl."
"What," she asked confused, rolling on to her stomach finally.
"Didn't anyone ever tell ye just how pretty a girl ye are, Julie," Murphy remarked, all seriousness.
"No," Julie answered softly, feeling very self-conscious as she brought her knees up to her chest to hide herself. "I was always told I was ugly."
"Aye, well they're a right bunch a liars," Connor replied. "Yer a damned fine-lookin' woman. Surprised ye ain't got a whole line a men outside our door."
She laughed nervously. "You guys are nuts."
"Ah, come off it," Connor scoffed. "Ye know ye'd make a great catch. Yer pretty, sweet, funny, and ye can cook. What more could a man want?"
"We'd snatch ye up ourselves," Murphy added with a smirk. "But it wouldn't be fair to ole Connor 'ere all the time ye'd be spendin' with me in bed."
"Why do I have ta keep tellin' ye that I seen 'er first, which means I get 'er first," Connor reprimanded playfully. "Besides, I'm the oldest so I get first dibs."
"The fuck yer the oldest," Murphy retorted, shoving his brother. "I know I came out first because yer face looks so much like me arse."
Connor practically tackled Murphy backwards onto the couch, both rolling down to the floor, punching at each other and grunting in frustration as they fought. Julie stood and came around the side of the couch to see what was going on. Worried that they might actually hurt each other, she reached down to separate them. She grabbed hold of Murphy's shirt, but the boys rolled, sending her off balance. With a yelp, she hit the floor on her rear beside the tustling men.
"Are ye alright, Julie," Connor asked, quickly letting go of his brother to kneel beside her. Murphy joined them, giving Julie a quick once over.
Julie started laughing hard, pushing each brother backwards onto the floor. "I'm not a china-doll boys. I can take a tumble and survive."
The men both laughed, setting themselves straight beside her. She leaned in and gave each a kiss on the cheek. Connor stroked her hair back from her face as Murphy laced his fingers with hers. There were a few smiling moments before the phone rang, making each of them jump a little. Murphy raised an eyebrow at his brother. Connor leaned back and picked up the receiver.
"'Ello," he asked cautiously. There was a pause, then Connor smiled. "Da! How've ye been?"
"Give it 'ere, Connor," Murphy said, nearly crawling over Julie to grab the phone. He pressed his head against his brother's so both could hear their father. Julie had the feeling that they had done it many times before. She sat there silently, watching as they both tried to grab the phone to their ear.
"We've 'ad a few jobs," Murphy answered an unheard question cautiously. Another pause, then Connor looked up at her. "Oh, she's fine Da."
Both boys sat up and Connor held the phone out to Julie. "Da wants ta speak with ye."
A little surprised, she reached out and took the receiver. "Hello?"
"Hello, Julie dear," the older Irishman's voice said over the phone. "How've me boys been treatin' ye?"
"They've been nothing but sweet and kind, sir," Julie smiled, looking over at the brothers."
"Ah, don't go "sir"-in' me now," he chuckled. "Ye can call me Da like everyone else."
Julie smiled at the receiver. "Are all Irish people so nice?"
"Well, we try," Da replied. "Now, ye say the boys've been behavin' themselves with ye?"
"Yes," she answered, nodding even though he couldn't see her.
"And they haven't taken ye out and gotten ye drunk yet," he asked suspiciously.
"Well," she began, starting to blush.
"Ah, I knew it," he tsked. "Sullyin' a pretty young girl like yerself. Those boys'll be due for a hide-tannin' when I get back."
"Do you know when you'll be coming back," she asked sweetly, trying to change the subject.
"It'll be a while yet," he replied. "The missus and I are havin' a grand time gettin' reacquainted."
Julie laughed. "Alright then. Give Ma my best."
The brothers crowded around her, pulling the phone from her hand as she laughed.
"Da, tell Ma we said we love 'er," Connor said into the receiver.
"Aye," Murphy added. "And tell the rest of the family that they best be keepin' themselves out a trouble."
They said their good-byes, smiling before they hung up. Julie was still giggling at them when they looked up at her.
"Your father says that he's going to tan your hides for taking me out drinking," she laughed.
"Oh, and did ye tell 'im what ye did when ye were drunk," Murphy smirked, crawling over to kiss her forehead and plop down on the floor beside her.
"That's really none of his concern, now is it," she replied as Connor came up on her other side.
"Aye, nothin' ta concern 'im," Connor grinned. "Just a wanton woman throwin' herself at us is all."
"I am not wanton," Julie scoffed, slapping his leg before standing.
Both men laughed and she rolled her eyes, standing up. "I'm gonna order some pizza."
"Uh-oh, Connor," Murphy laughed. "Sounds like the beginnin's of a porno to me."
Julie grabbed a couch cushion and threw it at the brothers, hitting them both. But they just laughed and watched as she picked up the phone and started dialing.