Chapter 6

The next few weeks into Briana's new job had been quite an adjustment period, and though it appeared to the average outsider that she was doing well, she was actually a mess inside.

For one, compared to so many other, glamorous people around her, Briana felt she had fallen on the short end of the stick and wondered what anyone saw in her to even offer her this position. Perhaps she shouldn't have let Tina talk her into this. She had been happy at her old job, right?

This particular day had been one of a Smackdown taping and Brian had been in a snit all day about something, bitching and complaining about everything.

It was all Briana could do to both hold her tongue and not yank his hair out by the roots as she worked on him.

"Ow! Bree, Jesus, what are you trying to do, scalp me?" he cried at one point as she pulled another section into a ponytail.

"Try sitting still and keeping your mouth closed and I wouldn't have to yank so hard," she snapped.

"Whoa. Mooooo-dy. Time of the month?"

Briana glared at him. "Why is it when you're going around with a rod up your ass, it's perfectly fine, but when women are in a mood, it's assumed they're on their period? God, you're a piece of work." She then threw down her supplies. "Fine. Do your own damn hair."

With that, she went into an empty room and slammed the door.

He turned around and stared at the closed door for a few minutes, wondering what the hell was wrong. Ever since three days after Briana had come to work with him, she had either been snappish or quiet.

He racked his brain, wondering what he had done wrong to piss Briana off and make her do such an about face in the last few weeks.

When Brian had tried to talk to her about it, Briana had blown him off, insisting everything was fine; she was tired, or busy, or whatever.

Well, it was time to try again, he thought.

"Bree," he knocked on the door. "Come out here. Let's talk. Something's up."

"No," she sniffed.

"Come on, sweetheart. If it was something I said or did, I'm sorry. Am I putting too much on you or something?"

"No…."

"Then what is it?"

"Nothing."

"Bullshit. You've been a wreck for the last few weeks. I don't think that is over 'nothing.' You can talk about it, you know. I won't bite."

"It's stupid," Briana sniffed again.

"It's not stupid if it's upsetting you. So what is it? Open the door."

"You'll just laugh at me."

Well, at least the door was open, he thought. Some progress was made.

"Why would I laugh?" he asked as he approached her, noticing she'd been crying.

"Because it's really stupid."

"Try me," Brian encouraged before something came to him. "Wait a minute. I may have an idea, though."

Briana looked at him oddly. "Oh yeah? Share your theory, oh genius one."

"You wouldn't by chance be suffering from a bit of homesickness, would you?"

She looked at the floor. "Maybe."

He had to smile. "You know, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes I get that way too."

"But how? You've traveled around for years. This is all new to me. I never really been outside my own town until now, except on one run with my husband a few years ago."

"Well, yes, going to new places can be fun, but there's nothing better than coming back to familiar stomping grounds. Of course, I haven't been the best guy in the last few weeks to help you getting used to stuff. Plus stupid shit has been going on all day today and I know I've been like a bear with a sore ass. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

She brightened a little. "It's fine. I haven't exactly been Miss Cheerful and Perky either."

"It gets better after awhile."

"What?" she asked, a little confused.

"The whole homesick thing."

"Oh. Well, thanks for letting me know that."

"And don't be holding stuff in from now on. I'm good for letting people vent, in case you didn't know that either."

She smiled. "I promise."

"Good. Now stay here a second; I have a surprise for you."

Briana began to laugh, the first time she had felt like doing so in the last few weeks. "What are you up to?"

"Just stay there. You're going to love this."

He then returned, plopping down a box and grinning as if he'd accomplished something. "Open it."

"You didn't have to get me anything. It isn't my birthday or any holiday," Briana protested.

"I know, but open it."

She sighed. "All right, if you insist."

Briana then opened the box, delighted and surprised with the contents inside. "Bri! These are my supplies from home! But these are from Tina's–"

Brian stopped her, nodding. "I know. Tina insisted on packing them up and had in mind that you should use equipment your hands were familiar with instead of the shit around here. Something about 'transitional objects' helping to alleviate homesickness a bit. And I tend to agree."

"Well, thank you. That was very sweet of both of you."

"Want to give them a spin?"

She hugged the box, nodding eagerly. "I'd love it!"

"Fantastic. These ponytails aren't going to do themselves, sweetheart. Let's go have some fun with your goodies there."

She laughed again and followed him back out to the next room, with a new optimism that things were going to get better from there.