End of Part X
We both crawled into bed after using the bathroom and as per usual now Belle snuggled up beside me practically using my body as a pillow. As I wrapped an arm around her, she leaned over and kissed me saying, "I love you, Robbie."
"I love you too Belle, sweet dreams my little minx." I replied as I shut my eyes. As I started to doze, I wondered how long this good life between Belle and I could last, hoping that it wouldn't end.
Part XI
The next few weeks seemed to pass in a bit of a quick fury as summer slowly started to change into fall. With Belle starting at the Institute and my workload increasing due to staffing issues and an increase in crime in the Capital, plus having to deal all the lawyers surrounding Belle's case it seemed like we had very little time for each other. I was often working 10-11 hours a day on field visits and therefore having to spend more time at night and on the weekends updating the crime database at home.
While I was used to such work coming and going and was able to stifle my fatigue and loneliness due to my years of military training and discipline, I failed to see the effect it had on Belle. That is until one evening where after getting home late and bolting down a quick dinner I was back at my desk in the lab. I, as per usual at this point, was ignoring the fatigue in my body as I worked to get the crime databases up to date. Belle suddenly appeared in the doorway with her hands on her hips.
"Are you going to be in here all night again?" She asked with a tone of frustration in her voice.
Still not picking up on the whole situation I said simply, "Unfortunately yes. I've still got a lot to get put into the crime database."
"All you do when you get home is spend your time in here working on that stupid database." she said in a sad yet also frustrated voice.
Normally I would have been able to react to her complaint with a calm, logical response but I guess the fatigue that I was trying my best to suppress combined with my own frustrations over the situation pushed its way to the surface and made me respond in a less than congenial way.
I took the file I was holding in my hand and slapped it down on the desk none to gently as I looked up at her fully for the first time since she appeared. "This is my job." I said with irritation. "I don't have an 8-5 job where you can leave it behind until the next day especially when we're two analysts short right now."
Far from being assuaged by my argument she quickly replied, "I get that you have a hard job, but in case you've forgotten you have a girlfriend now."
Now I was really getting irritated when I shot back, "How could I forget when I had to spend 3 flippin hours being grilled by that slimeball lawyer representing your ex-boyfriend and 3 hours before that being grilled by Wells?! All that time didn't help me with all this damn work either."
I continued, "And if that wasn't enough of a reminder then there's the latest bill from Wells for his services." I reached into an inbox on the far corner of the desk and pulled out the bill Wells had sent and held it up. "It's the job that you don't like that's paying Wells and for this house." I added pointedly.
"Oh, so it's my fault we can't spend any time together!" she shot back angrily. "Well, I'm sorry for being such a pain!" she added before quickly turning and walking out of the lab. A few seconds later I heard the front door open and close. I walked to the window and peered through the blinds and saw Belle at the end of the driveway turn left and walk down the sidewalk. I briefly thought of going after her but then figured it was best if we both cooled off before trying to talk to each other again.
I picked up the file I was working on and went back to work and as I did, I felt the anger that she had boiled up in me quickly beginning to subside. With a calmer mind I realized that she did have a point that about 90 percent of my free time was being spent in the lab.
About an hour later I was still working and finally feeling like I was making some headway when I heard the front door open and close again. A few seconds later Belle appeared in the doorway this time with a pensive somber look on her face.
"Robbie." she said shyly.
"Hi Love." I said gently as I laid the file down, this time much more gently, that I was working on.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you." she said. I could tell she was holding back tears, so I got up and wrapped my arms around her.
"I'm sorry too." I said as I held her. "I shouldn't have taken my frustrations out on you."
We moved over and sat down on the sofa as Belle said, "It's just been so lonely lately. All we do is work and come home and you're in here until you get in bed."
"One of the reasons I'm so good at my job is that I'm practically a workaholic." I told her. "It's never really been a problem until now for obvious reasons. Military training and discipline have taught me to push fatigue and frustration to the back of my mind. I promise I didn't neglect you on purpose and if you start to feel like this again, I want you to tell me sooner." She nodded gently as I finished talking.
"I think I'm done working for tonight." I said as I stood up. "I think our favorite old show is on tonight. How about you cut the tv on and I'll scrounge us up some desert."
Belle grinned widely at me as she said, "Ok."
We had just enough ice cream left for me to make a couple of banana splits as Belle confirmed that our favorite 70's sci-fi monster of the week show was indeed on. Her eyes widened in surprise and glee as I appeared at her side holding the bowl of ice cream out for her.
"There's the Robbie I remember." she said. "Always spoiling me."
"And there's the Belle I remember." I shot back.
We ate our ice cream and spent the next couple of hours laughing our butts off at the super cheap looking monsters and weak plots of one of our favorite shows. After the second episode we were both yawning and knew it was time to get in bed. As we crawled into bed and Belle did her normal thing of snuggling up to me I said,
"Thank you for reminding me there's a world outside of the SBI. I haven't felt this relaxed for a couple of weeks now."
***
While I felt better that night it didn't help the next day when I had to take a three-hour trip to the other side of Goldsboro for several field visits there. I had already determined to forego working on the database that particular night, but that decision didn't help me from being particularly sore after being in the car so long. By the time I got home I was practically stiff as a board and openly showing my symptoms as I went inside.
Belle had been able to work from home that day since she had a hearing in Dover that she had to be at, so she was already home when I got there well after 6. Being ever the perceptive one she immediately could tell I wasn't feeling that good.
"Robbie what's wrong? You're acting like you're hurting." she said giving me a concerned look.
"I am." I said not even denying it. I was slowly learning that it was actually better just to tell her if I was feeling off than it was dealing with whatever issue it was because usually, she was quite good at helping me through it. "I've been in the car too much and its left me stiff as a board." I said as I tried to stretch and move my arm with only limited success.
"Come on." she said as she grabbed my hand and gently guided me to the bedroom. Once in there she said, "Now strip to your undies and lie down on the bed face down." I gave her a curious look and she said, "Go on strip and lay down. Trust me."
I slowly stripped down to my underwear and laid down face down on the center of the bed. Once I was laid out as she said I felt her small delicate hands start to rub at the top of my shoulders. As she gently rubbed, I could feel the pain start to slowly go down. From my shoulders she slowly moved down to my upper back with the same effect. It was amazing, it was as if she knew just the right amount of pressure to apply to help my muscles relax without being painful. I melted into the mattress as she gently massaged me.
"God damn this is nice." I said moaning as she continued to work.
"I may not have taken lessons from an Asian massage parlor, but I do know how to use google and YouTube." she said cheerily.
Maybe it was just me, but when she got down to the bottom of my back it seemed like she took longer than usual massaging my bottom before moving to my legs. By this point I was quite naturally worked up on the other side and while I was enjoying her massage skills immensely, I was glad when she urged me to turn over.
Once I was turned over, she spent some more time massaging the tops of my legs and my upper body. While she worked on me, she had a determined yet thoughtful look on her face that I realized I found quite endearing, almost more so than the smile she always gave me.
Once she got done, she looked down at me and smiled before saying, "How do you feel now?"
"So much better than I did when I walked in the door, you're a lifesaver." I said enthusiastically borrowing one of her lines.