Chapter 31
"Earth to short guy," Paul said.
Brian snapped out of his thoughts. "Huhhh?"
"What the hell is wrong with you? Ever since you came back from the john, you've been in la-la land. Did you have a bad jacking off session or something?"
"Not the time to be funny, Paul. No, it's…something else on my mind."
"You were okay a little while ago."
"Yeah. Listen, if I tell you, can you promise to keep your mouth shut and not blab this stuff to anyone? And I mean anyone."
"Jesus, this must be some serious shit. Sure, okay. What's going on?"
Brian relayed what he'd seen Briana doing in the bathroom earlier.
"Damn, are you trying to say…." Paul began.
"I don't think Bree wants kids. Why else would she be taking a pill out of a little case? There's only one kind of those that come that way."
"Maybe she just doesn't want to get knocked up right away. Come on, man, you just got married. What's the rush?"
"She was married the first time for twelve years and didn't have kids then either."
"Dude, come on. Maybe her first old man was cut because he didn't want any, ever think of that? And one would think if she didn't want kids down the road, I don't think Bree would waste time on bullshit pills; she'd be getting 'fixed' herself, to say the least."
"Most women don't get 'fixed', as you eloquently put it," Brian answered. "It's too expensive to get done and there's no guarantees if they want it reversed. Still, I don't believe this shit. Why didn't she say something? I thought she liked kids."
"Of course Bree does. It doesn't mean she has to get a bun in the oven once you had a ring on her finger. Jesus."
Brian shot him a look. "Neither of us are getting any younger."
"You're barely thirty. Most guys don't have kids these days until they're about forty or so. It isn't an unpardonable sin to wait."
"Easy for you to say. You're still single. Then again, who would put up with your goofy ass for more than two minutes?"
"You," Paul grinned.
"Sometimes I don't have a choice. Did you call that orthopedist Kurt told me about to refer you to about your back?"
"You expect me to go clear to fucking Pittsburgh to see some jackass on the word of some TNA yahoo when there's plenty of doctors here?"
"That 'jackass' you're putting down is supposed to be one of the best in the country. Look what he did for a lot of guys, and that 'TNA yahoo' is an Olympic gold medalist and a former champion that worked for my company at one time, for God's sake. Honestly, Paul, Bree's right; you really need to get that shit checked out."
"How about I see my doctor first and then look into this guy? Will it shut you two up?"
"It's not about shutting us up, PL. It's about your health and getting back into the ring and doing what you love."
"Tell you what," Paul said at last, "I'll make a deal with you. You talk to Bree about your concerns about that whole thing about having kids and I'll look into that doctor. Okay?"
Brian nodded. "Deal. I think we'll both feel better afterward. Better yet, I'll go with you just to make sure your lazy ass does show up there."