Page 56 of A Brother At My Back

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Zeb…

Tiffany was in my bathroom, soaking in the tub when Reaver rang me up. I was glad my phone’s ringer was off and it was buzzing across my kitchen bench when I grabbed it. I wanted her to relax some.

“Yeah, Bro. What’s good?” I asked in greeting.

“Nothing here,” he said and I frowned.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means she ain’t home. Her car is in the lot. I asked Data to look up her info. Nothing is out of place, but that makes it out of place, you know what I mean?”

“Ah, yeah. Are you in her apartment then?”

“Yup. Picked the lock. It was a little too easy. Everything looks normal, I guess. I mean shit ain’t knocked over or anything. No signs of a struggle. She’s kind of a messy person, though. Bras and panties everywhere. She even has a set hanging off a lamp.”

I laughed a bit and nodded, “Definitely fits what my Tiff has said about her.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

I shrugged even though he couldn’t see it and said, “That they couldn’t be more different. Opposites attract and all of that. My Tiff is a neat person, likes to keep things clean. Stands to reason her opposite friend would be a bit messy.”

“Yeah, more than a bit. I’m gonna bounce before I accidentally touch something and bring it home to Hayden.”

“Hey, now!” I said and he laughed.

“I didn’t mean it that way; I just mean I have no way of telling what’s growing in here in the dark.”

“Heh, I’m not there, so I can’t declare if that’s fair or not.”

“Wow, rhyme a little more there, buddy.”

“Fuck you.”

“That’s not a haiku.”

I laughed, “They don’t rhyme.”

“Meh, I’m a basic guy. Gimme a limerick over that fancy Japanese shit any day… wait, haikus are Japanese, right?”

“Yeah man, they’re Japanese.”

“Good, I got that right. Okay, then.”

“I’ll talk to her when she’s out of her bath.”

“Dude! Why aren’t you in there with her?”

“Nah, that’s her time for her – she doesn’t get a lot of it.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I’m just blessed with my Doll who doesn’t want a lot of it. Time for just her. She just about always wants me there.”

“She thought you were dead for almost a year, Bro.”

“Yeah, that probably has something to do with it,” and he didn’t sound too happy about the reminder.

“Go home, make it up to her some more.”