1.03: Movin' On Up

Waking up the next morning was, like, great.

Until I realized work started in forty minutes. And that I reeked of total filth. Talk about ick.

But when I got home,  I saw my mysterious benefactor had made a small update to the house.

It wasn't much - but it did bring in a fridge and a sink, both desperately needed. Plus, I got to move my mirror away from the toilet. Always a bonus, I guess.

Not long after, Paolo called and invited me out to the pub. 

"Joaquin'll be there too, don't stress." I could hear his smirk over the phone. Smug bastard. Did he know something I didn't?

But whatever. Cheap drinks and foosball? I'm down.

So in hindsight, maybe two against wasn't totally fair. Paolo was holding his own, though.

"Lots of practice. Doesn't hurt Marcus used to have a table and taught me a few tricks." he joked.

Eventually, I got bored and grabbed a table. Jesminder joined me a moment later.

Granted, she totally, like, kicked my ass at Don't Wake the Llama, but it was fun catching up with her and hearing about the triplets' misadventures.

It was fun. Tiring, though - I was out the second my head hit the pillow when I got home.

Breakfast planted an idea in my head.

And I planted that idea in the ground. Gardening would be a good way to make some Simoleons, right?

I was mid-snack-grab when my phone went off.

"Hey." he spoke first.

"Joaquin. Hey! How you feeling?"

"Like shit. Head's pounding. But hey - it'll be fine soon, right? Just gotta make a run up to the store to go get some aspirin."

"I think I have some at my house. Closer than the mainland back."

"Sweet. I'll be over in ten. See you."

It was closer to fifteen minutes, actually, but who was counting?

And maybe I did hold onto that hug a second longer than was friendly. No regrets.

"Still want that aspirin?" I asked, just to make sure.

"Nah. I'm better now that I'm up and moving." Joaquin let out a small chuckle. "But it's the first time I've been to your house. Pretty nice, I gotta say."

"That reminds me..."

"Say 'cheese', dude."

"Queso!"

"Joaquin!"

"What? Didn't say what language I had to use."

"Shut up." I was laughing too hard for him to take me seriously, of course, but whatever. "Wanna see my new project?"

I hadn't planted the pears yet, but the bluebells and snapdragons were coming along nicely.

My stomach grumbled. Guess I got caught up and forgot to get that snack after all. Oops.

"Be right back."

I came back out, food in hand. Much better.

Joaquin was smiling to himself, like he knew something I didn't. 

While I was eating, he launched into a spiel about some prank his coworkers pulled on the lounge's manager. On second thought, maybe he should've waited - I almost choked a couple times from laughing so hard.

"...and after all that, he still hasn't found the last can of whipped cream. I mean, you'd think he could do better, right?"

"Yeah, duh, he works with a bunch of goofballs."

A sudden burst of who-knows-what caught me off guard, and a Very Bad Idea popped into my head. Naturally, I decided to roll with it. 

"So...speaking of, you wanna go out to a - "

I saw the look on his face before I even finished my sentence. Like, he could read my mind, but he's still gonna say no? I put my

yogurt bowl down.

"...never mind." I turned away and went back inside to give myself a pep talk.

Naturally, Joaquin had to walk in halfway through. Talk about rude. Can't a girl be embarrassed in peace?

We went back outside together and he turned to me.

"Nothing personal, Britt." Joaquin said. "I'm just...busy." I didn't know who he was trying to convince - me or himself.

I smiled once more after he left. Maybe there was hope after all.

After a quick dance break, I got a phone call from Joaquin inviting me out to the club.

We didn't say much to each other. Or anything, really, now that I think about it. Ah well.

He got to dance, I got to drink. Jesminder was there too.

The next day, I took a break from work to go to the library. I was bored, and I felt like doing something funny, so I wrote a few shit jokes.

As I got up to keep my legs from falling, like, dead asleep, I got a text from my boss saying I'd got my promotion. Score one for Brittany.

I ran into Paolo later that afternoon. We caught up a little - and he caught me off guard.

I didn't know he had a husband. Kind of a shame, since he's easy on the eyes - but hey, if he's happy, it's whatever.

 After Paolo went off to play Don't Wake the Llama, Joaquin made his way over.

He was more talkative than usual - if that were even possible. I suspected the slight smell of lime liquor may have had something to do with that.

He and I went to join Paolo - and I got my ass handed to me again. Not surprising, to be honest.

In other news, my garden was coming along nicely. That'd give a nice boost to my income.

My mysterious benefactor "borrowed" my promotion bonus to build onto my house. I had a real friggin' bedroom now. Hell yeah.

Okay, so there wasn't any light in it, and I still had no spare change for windows, but hey, it's a start.

 But after that? I was broke as hell. And I didn't work again until Monday. I went to the park to relieve a little stress.

And lost a game of chess to the gardener. Kind of embarrassing, but whatever. Luckily, I got a call from Paolo to meet up with a few other people at one of the clubs in town.

"Joaquin included." Again with the vocal smirk. How did he do that?

Paolo bought a couple rounds, and I partook in them. So, like, I guess tipsy me thought what followed was a good idea.

"Joaquin?"

"I'm listening."

"So I have a proposition..."

***

Author's note: And Joaquin officially joins the household. I gave him a makeover,  if the last picture didn't make that obvious - I wanted him without the ridiculous sunglasses and hammer pants but still recognizable, so the glasses were my compromise, as were a different pair of sweatpants.

I also gave Brittany a makeover, but that'll have to wait until next chapter. Which will be sooner than the wait for this one.