JUSTIN

Sitting at my desk, I'm starting to wonder about this ring thing. I mean, was it just to get our babies excited, or to irk me? The second is winning. I look at the work I finished and decide Starbucks needs another five from me. I handed the boards to Murph and left without the note. Really, if he expects me to pretend there's no ring, than pretend I will. I made sure to march past him and not to his bathroom like he expects. I was kind of pissed when he tells me to get him a nonfat latte. Whole milk it is.

Getting to Starbucks, I looked at the line of grumbling, non-caffeinated people, and have to wonder why they train newbies during a rush. Twenty minutes later and wondering if I should just do the crappuccino machine at the convenience store down the road. After seeing who's behind the counter, I was ready to go there, crap or not.

“What the hell did I do to deserve this shit?” Claire yells, not even seeing me yet. I'm still trying to figure out how she gets a job.

“Claire, I did you a favor by getting my boss to hire you, and really, with your job history,  it took me a lot to convince him.” The other woman who was working tells her.

“This is all Brian’s fault.” She complains, not you know, like maybe taking the guys order who looks a bit homicidal.

“Can I get you to maybe take my order, instead of bitching?” Potential road rage asks, sarcastically.

“I'm having a bad day, so shut up.” Claire tells him and the minute she notices me, I'm sure it just got worse. “What the fuck, are you here to fuck with my life some more?” She asks, ignoring Rage in front of me.

“Is there someone here that actually takes an order.” He asks anybody really.

“You can leave, because I'm not serving some little faggot.” She tells me, and really, has she not checked out what street she works on?

“So is being gay a problem for you?” Rage wasn’t asking.

Hey, maybe she isn’t as stupid as she acts, or it could be the whole store waiting for an answer that shut her up. She was so not taking my order, and maybe the guy who looks like a not very happy Brian thinks Claire and Starbucks might not be a great fit, doesn't think she's taking any orders.

“Claire can you come to my office.” He tells her. Everyone groans when there's only one chick left to do everything.

I debated, but Rage really needs the caffeine. Grabbing an apron and putting on my smile that seems to get Rage to crank it down a notch, I get started. Texting and working wasn't so hard, and Alexia showed up in ten minutes and got her coffee making skills going. It was like an hour later before we saw the end and really, why is she still sitting in her former place of employment?

Alexia was counting tips with glee, which why it excites her more than her dad's guilt unlimited credit card, is definitely a mystery. I really don't want to pretend I give a crap, but Claire's sitting there leaking. I made her a skinny latte, because Brian isn't getting one.

“Are you going to make me wish I spit in this?” I ask her.

“Go away.” She wailed.

“Hey, I'm just trying to be nicer than you were to poor Cleo, Judy, and Elroy.” I swear MM can’t seem to name anything without someone doing it for him.

“What's in it for you, my brother not buying you a Jag?” She tried to sneer, but I think defeat won. I refuse to feel sorry for her, but shit, it must suck that all the beauty genes got shuffled to Brian.

“He seems to think anything that doesn’t resemble a tank, I'd kill myself in.” I tell her, sitting down when she doesn't seem like she's going to go postal.

“Hey Justin, can you tell the guy I'm done for the day, I saw these adorable heels that I need.” Alexia tells me as she runs out.

“Joe, Alexia’s done for the day.” I tell the manager, who gets a job at Starbucks with that name? I ignore his confusion at his new employees. “Hey, can we get name tags?” I ask but he just goes back in his office, slamming the door.

“How am I going to tell my mother I lost another job?” Claire is really a bit of a cryer.

“It would help if you quit insulting everyone, that really only works for Brian. Which I think because you're too busy staring at the Adonis to remember he's bitching at you, and while we're on that, did like your mother cheat with say a gym stud, because it's either that or maybe like a mix up at the hospital.” I stopped when she stared like people do at my chatter.

“What?” She asks, but hey the crying stopped.

“I'm just trying to figure out how you're related to my not yet fiance. It's really mind boggling that he could be related to someone who seems to whine, but then possibly it explains MM, because maybe he missed the whining when he left home.” I tell her.

I swear, if people just listened they wouldn't be so confused, but I figured I'd keep trying to solve the mystery of DNA. She gulped the latte like I did cosmos (well until you got to the cosmo lite portion of the evening) I smiled when she didn’t spit it at me.

“So, is there some reason you think Brian has anything to do with your inability to commit? He tends to think that I have commitment issues, but it’s really just that I like to be asked things. Mr Caveman thinks throwing my ass over his shoulder get’s the job done better. I mean, he bought this ring (I show her the not yet engagement ring, and she shrugs, yeah she gets it) and nothing, no proposal, just telling me he’ll ask when he feels like it, and then, like seven days and nothing. It’s really messing with my head, I thought by now he’d ask so I could say no, but nope, dinner after dinner, a couple of way too wild nights and not a question in site. Is it like something your family does, tease, then not follow through?” I ask, and yeah the nose grabbing thing must be genetic.

“My brother’s dating you?” She asks in a way that I think sarcasm runs in the genes too.

“No, because like I said, he’s not asking for anything, he just tells me. I mean I finally managed to say relationship and boyfriend without running for the hills, but I would have been okay if he asked me, not told me. Are you getting a headache, because I don’t have like any aspirin, or anything, I’m allergic. Hey my friend is getting a skunk because it doesn’t break him out in hives, and well, because no one gets to lead the PJ Queens without a pet. I have like pictures if you want to see Lightning, who is the coolest. Even if Brian doesn’t think so.” I tell her, and really, she could have said goodbye as she gets up to leave.

Brian walked in, looking like he wasn’t happy with my new job. I wonder if Joe could like tell Brian how good I was today. I look at the closed office door and figure probably not. Claire like hugs Brian, who stood there looking at her like she was crazy. I wonder why she’s wishing him luck? I got up and decided to make the coffee he wanted a few hours ago, but Joe kind of came out and pointed me to a chair. Then the asshole makes a nonfat for Brian, really, kissing his ass is so not getting you anywhere. Joe better stop looking like he has a chance, because that latte is hot and I plan to make him remember who the star employee’s boyfriend is.

Brian grabbed the drink right as I was going to accidently knock it on my ex-boss and drags me out. I stuck my tongue out at old Joe because well, the staring was not making my day. I look and see my SUV, opening my door, it’s new car smell was really a great thing. Claire was sitting at the bus stop and I gave Brian the ‘are we really going to make her sit there look’, the ‘are you kidding look’ didn’t work because I got in the driver’s seat before he tried to take over and stopped in front of her.

“Hey, want a ride?” I ask, ignoring Brian’s glare.

“Brian, you need to tell your whoever he is, that mom isn’t going to like this.” She tells him, but gets in.

“Please, all old people like me.” I tell them, but have to wonder when they both start laughing at me.

I guess you could say Joanie was not a fan. I’m still trying to figure out how she like thought we were burning in hell, but yet hadn’t seemed to read the whole gluttony portion. I tried to point out that you know, drinking like the bottle might get snatched away was most likely not the way to heaven, but she just gulped down more as I talked.

“You know, I think the bible was meant as a guide, not like a way to bludgeon everyone to death. Like the way my English book has rules, but with exceptions. I mean I doubt you’ll be kept out of Heaven for competing in the ‘how to get alcohol poisoning’, because you know, God probably created AA to help you.” I tell her, and maybe she didn’t understand because she kept drinking.

Brian rolled his eyes as the cute brother giggled, the sneering one seem to lose the sneer when Brian glared at him. I gave up when Joanie kept pretending I wasn’t there and decided to see if I could get Brian to come with me to Lorie’s. I got a big ‘NO’ when he picked me up and put me in the passenger side of MY CAR. Whatever, I can get the PJ’s to go with me tomorrow. Maybe Lorie will let us Lightning sit, I have a feeling Brian might change his mind if he meets Lightning. Then again, another kitten isn’t a bad thing.

I wave at the cute kid as we drive off, because John seems to think that sneer is all that. Claire waves as if accepting the prison that the old Warden lives in is her lot in life.

“Claire needs like a job and makeover.” I tell him, but you know, he doesn’t see the potential, but the squad has worked with worse.

“I do not want them anywhere near you.” He commanded, like that ever stopped me.