The Pizza Place Romance

"What are you up to today?" Mallory can't stop the smile from spreading on her face as she reads Brandon's text early the following afternoon.

"Not much. Laundry and catching up on my shows. Exciting stuff. Lol What are you doing?"

"Working on a project for work. Needs done, but mostly I don't want to go golfing with my dad. It's too hot. And golf is boring."

She laughs, typing furiously back.

"Never been. But it seems like a snooze fest."

"It is. Trust me. So I have kind of an awkward request."

Mallory feels her smile fade, but tries to joke.

"As long as it doesn't involve golf."

"No lol I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I was thinking it might be best if we kind of keep things on the down low at work."

"Yah, sure." She hadn't really had time to even think about it. It amuses her that he had.

"Not that I'm like embarrassed to associate with you or something. I just don't think Jeff and Michelle would like it much if they found out something was going on between us."

Well, that pretty much settles it

, Mallory thinks.

So last night wasn't a one-night stand. Good to know.

"Probably not...though I don't know why it should matter."

"Me neither. But you know how they are more than anyone. Plus, I don't feel like listening to Lachland or Bill give me shit, if I'm being totally honest. I'm sure Erika would be even worse."

Oh, Lord. She never had to deal with her much since she was always leaving as Mallory was coming, but she knew Erika, the afternoon waitress, would tease her to no end if she found out she and Brandon were hooking up. She'd probably come right out wanting to know how big his dick is. Hell, that would probably be the first thing out of Erika's mouth.

"You have NO idea," Mallory replied. A few minutes went by. She wasn't sure what else to say, though plenty of things were crossing her mind.

"Thanks for understanding," he finally sent back. This conversation was starting to feel more and more awkward.

"Yah, no problem. Not sure what you were expecting, though. Did you really think I was going to march into work and yell, 'Hey, everyone! Brandon and I had sex this weekend! Twice!' XD" She can't resist razzing him.

"No. Lol Idk what I was thinking. Overthinking things, I guess."

"Like what?" Mallory can't resist. She'd been wanting to know what went on in that big brain of his for so long that the opportunity to finally pick it was too great.

"Lots of things," he replies vaguely. He's not taking the bait.

"Name one," she insists.

A few more minutes go by.

"Like, how I don't regret Saturday for a second. But I wish I would have been more, idk. Romantic? Eased into things?"

Mallory feels her cheeks reddening.

"Don't worry about it. Shit happens. It was the last thing I expected, but I'm glad it happened," she decides to be honest too.

"Also, does that mean there will be more things to ease into? Wow. Did NOT mean that in a perverted way. Lol"

"Lol I knew what you meant. And yah, I'd like to hang out more. If you do, of course."

Mallory can't wipe the stupid smile from her face. She knew she'd promised herself to just have fun the night before, which she had, very much, but deep down she had gotten her hopes up they would be seeing more of each other outside of work. Certainty at last. And she valued certainty more than most.

"I would like that a lot. :)"

"Sounds good. :) See you at work tomorrow."

"See you. Good luck avoiding your dad. Lol"

As they had promised each other, they tried not to act any differently around each other at work the next night. They talked a bit more than usual, but resisted the urge to flirt. No one seemed the wiser.

Brandon's text conversation put her in a good mood all day Sunday and into the next day. But that feeling was quickly dashed when Jeff pulled both of them aside after work that night. They follow him into the office, keeping a respectable distance apart to keep up the charade. They both have a feeling they're about to be caught, though. Why else would their boss just be calling the two of them back?

"There's something I want to show you," Jeff begins and turns toward the computer screen, messing with the mouse. A sinking feeling fills them when they see what's pulled up on the monitor.

"So this is interesting," Jeff clicks the play button, surveillance footage from the outside of the building Saturday night shows Mallory disappearing into Brandon's car. Their boss speeds through the rest of it until the end when she exited his car. He looks at them expectantly, waiting for one of them to defend themselves...or admit they were up to no good.

"Why is that interesting?" Brandon asks.

"What the hell were you doing for an hour in the parking lot?"

"Not what you think we were, evidently." Mallory notices the first hints of color rising in his cheeks. Not from embarrassment, but anger. She hopes to God her face isn't giving them away.

"Well, what am I supposed to think, Brandon?" their boss tries to keep his voice level, collected, but fails miserably. He just comes off sounding snarky and pissed off.

"That we were just talking. Because we were," he answers flatly.

"About what? I hardly ever see you guys talking during work."

"Yah. Because it's work." Brandon is struggling to keep his voice even now too.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I was making sure she was ok after those things you said at the end of the night. I didn't want her driving while she was upset."

That much is true, at least

, Mallory thinks. She's still surprised by how easily Brandon is lying to Jeff's face. He never struck her as a good liar.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess.

"Alright. Well, just watch yourselves. Might not look like that to other people," Jeff looks at both of them. He doesn't seem to like the conversation steering back to him. He waves his hand flippantly in dismissal, looking tired all of a sudden.

"See you guys tomorrow," he mumbles.

Typical bipolar Jeff

, Mallory thinks and rolls her eyes as she turns her back to him. She would have to thank Brandon later. Both for lying for them and not fucking the shit out of her in his car, making it blatantly obvious what they had done in there and confirming Jeff's suspicions. Well, she might leave the last part out. But she definitely needed to thank him, regardless. Mallory's still mortified neither of them had thought of the surveillance cameras at the time.

Lust can make you lose your damn mind

, she thinks.

"Hey, Brandon! Come back here for a sec," they both hear Jeff call as they're walking away. He gives Mallory an unreadable look before turning back toward the office.

Great

, she thinks, but heads to her car, all too ready to get home and take a hot bubble bath.

"Yah?" Brandon asks, not bothering to keep the irritation out of his voice.

"Listen, I'm not saying you did or didn't do anything with Mallory, but...she's married, man. Even if you were just talking, how do you think her husband would feel about that?" Jeff crosses his arms across his chest.

"Mallory's getting a divorce," he answers without missing a beat. The "where have you been?" is implied from his tone.

"Still," Jeff practically ignores the new information.

"You should be careful. Divorces can be messy. Besides, there are plenty of girls your age out there without...baggage."

Brandon can't contain his fury anymore.

"What's your problem with her?" It's a rhetorical question.

"She's never done anything to you. And she's not nearly as dumb as you seem to think she is. Everyone makes mistakes. She's going through a hard time and trying to stay afloat with 2 jobs just to keep a roof over her head. Why don't you cut her some slack and stop picking on her for no reason?"

Jeff's face is beat red. He's not used to anyone standing up or talking back to him. But Brandon leaves before he even has a chance to say anything. He's off the clock. He doesn't owe him anything.

Brandon only calms down marginally by the time he gets home. It's a short drive. And he can't get over the audacity of his boss. His phone pings as soon as he reaches his bedroom upstairs. He loves his parents, but is glad they're already in bed on this particular night.

"Do I even want to know what Jeff said after I left?" Mallory. Of course she wants to know. She deserves to know.

"Probably not. Just being his normal prick self. Trying to act like he cares. Let's just say I actually gave him a piece of my mind about how he treats you, so hopefully he'll leave you alone now."

Mallory is shocked. Brandon wasn't normally the type to speak out of place. He was usually a laid-back guy. It was one of the things about him she was drawn to. Mallory couldn't remember him so much as ever even arguing with anyone. She was almost more mortified knowing he had spoken up for her.

"You didn't have to do that," is all she can think to say. She can't help but worry that it will have the opposite effect on how Jeff treats her.

"I know. But there's no reason for it. Someone needs to knock him down a peg anyway. He may be the owner, but he needs to remember he's not in the fucking military anymore too."

Mallory stares at her phone wide-eyed. She could only recall Brandon using the "F" word once. And she had been just as surprised to hear it come out of his mouth then in person.

It takes her a minute to gather her thoughts and think about what to write back. As usual when she didn't know what to say, she opts for joking.

"I would say maybe we should start saying 'yes, sir' and 'no, sir' whenever we answer him, but he would probably like that. lol"

"Lol Yah, probably. Don't feed his ego even more. Lol"

She's happy to get a laugh out of him, get him to lighten up. It had been a weird evening and she assumes he's even more stressed out than she is.

"I gotta get some work done for the day job. Before I go, I meant to ask the other day, but you got me all flustered. :)...Can I take you on a proper date this weekend?"

Mallory feels her cheeks flush. He was good at that. She couldn't remember blushing so much in her life.

It had been so long since she had been asked on a date. Or gone on one, for that matter. Tim always went out alone, drinking himself stupid. Nonetheless, she likes the prospect of going on an actual date with Brandon.

"I would like that. :) How are we going to work around work, though?" Between both of them having two jobs each, neither of them has much free time.

"Leave that to me. ;) See you tomorrow."

Mallory tries not to feel like a giddy schoolgirl as she soaks in the bath. Not even the thought of having to face her boss the next day and the ensuing awkwardness could put her in a bad mood.

"So where are we going?" Mallory asks in the car after Brandon picks her up. They both agreed they'd feel a lot better if they could shower and change before their date.

"Nowhere fancy, I'm afraid," he glances at her regretfully.

"Thought we could get some food and a drink or two at Jason's," he pauses, waiting for her response.

"That sounds good," she smiles reassuringly at him.

"I promise I'll take you somewhere nicer one of these days," he lays a hand on her thigh.

Mallory smiles to herself at the thought of going on more dates with him.

The sports bar is surprisingly uncrowded for a Saturday night. Everyone is probably out partying on the lake. Or asleep. It was one extreme or the other in their town. Young tourists or old retirees. Regardless of the reason, Mallory was glad they could still talk and enjoy their dinner without having to yell over the roar. Plus, not that even their awful boss Jeff could dampen her spirits, but he had, surprisingly, left her alone all week. He definitely wasn't nice, but the avoidance was good enough for her.

"Are you sure you don't want a drink?" she asks after taking another shot at the pool table. Mallory is feeling mildly self-conscious that she's the only one drinking, though she plans on sticking to her "one and done" rule after she finishes off her rum and Coke.

"What? So I can play even worse?" Brandon asks, laughing. She is royally kicking his ass. She only has two balls left, including the eight ball. He has seven.

"Maybe it will help loosen you up," she teases, watching him line up his shot.

"I really don't mind," he insists, striking one of his balls, at last, but not getting the angle just right to make it in.

"Besides," he walks around the table to her. "I'm more of a 'pot person'," he whispers in her ear. Mallory immediately bursts into laughter.

"What?" he asks with a confused, but amused grin.

She holds her hand up, trying to regain her composure.

"You say it like it's some big secret. Brandon, everybody and their brother knows you smoke pot," she speaks low enough that only he can hear.

"I could ask some stranger on the street if they know Brandon O'Flannery smokes pot and they would say 'yes'," Mallory falls into a fit of giggles again.

Brandon tries to look upset with his arms crossed in front of his chest, but can't get rid of the smile on his face her infectious laughter causes.

"So you don't have a problem with it?" he asks seriously once she calms down.

"What?! Hell no! It's better than alcohol. I never did understand why alcohol is legal everywhere when there are tons of alcohol-related deaths. But God forbid we legalize something that actually helps a lot of people. The worst side effect you get from pot is the munchies," Mallory shrugs.

Brandon is both relieved and impressed with her feelings about the whole thing. He knows it's silly, but it makes him like her even more. He doesn't consider himself a pothead, but he smokes a little more nights than not. Just to unwind, help turn his brain off.

He can't help his next question. It's standard once you find out anyone is ok with weed.

"So, do you smoke?"

Mallory shrugs again.

"Occasionally. Sometimes if I'm hanging out with my friends for the night. If I'm extra stressed I usually just have a glass of wine or a spiked lemonade," she giggles.

"I don't really like drinking much anymore though. Not that I was ever a heavy drinker. But since Tim...Let's just say I understand the word 'moderation'."

Brandon doesn't want to pick at a scab, but it seems like she feels like opening up.

"Drinking problem?" he asks tentatively.

Mallory huffs.

"More than a problem. He was a straight-up alcoholic."

His mind was reeling. She'd never said much about her husband. He couldn't imagine her with someone like that. Or, at least, getting together with him knowing he was a heavy drinker. He was morbidly curious about the whole thing, but didn't want to push his luck. It wasn't any of his business. Though he still couldn't help but think that surely something must have gone wrong along the way. Mallory was too smart to get together with someone like that. Or maybe Tim had other redeeming qualities and she thought she could help him. He obviously still didn't know her well, but that seemed like a Mallory thing to do. Whatever the reasoning things fell to shit for her, he didn't feel sorry for her in a pitiful way. It did make his chest ache to think someone had ever treated this woman wrong, though.

"I'm guessing that's a big reason why you're getting divorced?"

"It's definitely the main one, yes. You know what's really stupid, though? I almost feel bad for leaving him. It was like leaving a child, ya know? Just...helpless," Mallory shakes her head.

"It's not stupid," Brandon takes her hand in his.

"I'm sure you did what you could. At some point, you have to cut your losses and do what's best for you. Before they drag you down with them any further." Their eyes meet, staring at each other for a long, intense moment. A look of knowing, a look of understanding. Mallory squeezes his hand.

"Enough about my sob story, though. Let me finish kicking your ass," she smiles big, the sparkle returning to her eyes as she grabs her pool stick.

Mallory didn't mind sharing a little bit about her troubles with Tim. But she's glad it didn't seem to make things weird or put a damper on the night. Besides, she was still waiting for the divorce to finalize. Tim was bound to come up at some point, right?

Brandon walks her up to her third-floor apartment like a gentleman at the end of the night.

"Do you want to come in for a while?" she asks. The look on his face says it all. She hadn't gone into the night expecting more sexy time, but she'd be lying if a part of her wasn't holding out hope.

"Yes," he answers deeper than normal and she quickly ushers them in the door. Brandon's warm lips are on hers as soon as the lock clicks in place.

His hands are braced against the door on either side of her head, the firmness of his body holding her in place. Not that she has any intentions of getting away from him. Mallory kisses him back just as hungrily. The banging on the other side of the door makes them both jump, stopping abruptly.

Mallory looks through the peephole, though in her heart, she already knows who it is. Her entire body fills with dread.

"Open up, whore! I know you've got someone in there with you. I seen you in the parking lot. Been waiting for you to let me in, slut."

It was 11:30 at night, but the neighbors were the least of her concerns.

This is not happening.

Brandon's face is already turning red.

"Tim?" he asks through gritted teeth.

Mallory nods.

"Charming."

She really doesn't want him to be here for this. It's embarrassing enough when the neighbors hear.

"You know you're not supposed to be here, Tim," she says tiredly through the door.

"You're still my wife. You think a piece of paper is going to keep me away?" Tim slurs.

"And you really think I won't call the cops?" Mallory quips, completely serious. She's almost forgotten Brandon is there.

"You ain't gonna do shit, bitch."

"Try me," she gets her phone out and calls the cops, who she already has on speed dial. Quickly, she explains the situation to the dispatcher, not bothering to walk away from the door. She wants Tim to know she's serious. He should know better by now anyway. It's not the first time she's called the cops on him.

"Have fun waiting out there making an ass of yourself till the cops come," Mallory yells through the door after hanging up. Maybe, subconsciously, she wanted to pretend Brandon wasn't there because the whole thing was embarrassing. But he had been so quiet the whole time that it startled her when he finally spoke up.

"You're lucky I don't come out there and punch your lights out."

Out of all the things he could have said, that had to be it?

Tim's guffaw is heard clearly through the door.

"Why don't you come out here and try it?" he taunts.

Mallory doesn't want Brandon instigating, but thinks maybe it will keep Tim around long enough for the cops to get there.

"I'm good. I don't feel like going to jail with you tonight."

"Pussy." It's barely loud enough for them to hear, but they do hear it. Brandon reaches for the doorknob, raging.

"Don't!" Mallory places a hand firmly in the middle of his chest. She feels his heart hammering beneath.

"It's not worth it and it's not your problem. You're right. You'll just end up going to jail too if you get physical with him," she rubs his chest. Brandon slowly starts to regain his composure. She'd never seen him so furious. Mallory was starting to feel like she brought the worst out in him. Brandon never lost his cool. And he had because of her, in way one or another, twice in a week now.

Much to her relief, the cops show up a few minutes later. Neither of them has heard Tim anymore since his "pussy" comment. The officer that shows up lets them know that they caught Tim getting ready to leave right as they pulled up. He's being held in the back of the squad car. His partner's keeping an eye on him before they head down to the station.