Class Reunion

She looked tired. Unhappy. Resigned.

"Okay," Roxanne said. "Listen. How about this. You leave the kids here for a few days, and go back to Vegas yourself. Get a nice hotel room, go to a spa, gamble, whatever, I don't care. I'll hang around with the kids and see that they don't get in trouble, show them the ropes as far as I can, while Brandon works. And I'll keep him from using your absence against you. Does that work for you? I think there's room in our trailer for them, and Tiffany can sort out anything else they might need, special food or whatever."

She looked at Shirley and couldn't keep from joking. "I guess you could fit as well, if you wanna sleep in between me and Brandon. There's no extra trailers, and in ours there's two sofa beds for the kids, but the master bed is wide enough for the three of us. Assuming you don't kick much in your sleep. If you do, we can put Brandon in the middle."

Shirley stared at her, unbelieving, and before she could restrain herself she broke into a grin.

"Wouldn't that be sweet," she said. "Like one big, happy family."

Roxie just smiled back. Shirley hesitated, it was plain this had gone nothing like she'd expected it to, and now she didn't know how to give in without losing her self respect. Roxanne didn't push it, it wasn't her call after all.

Tiffany came back with the kids. She knocked on the door and popped her head in, and the look on her face told Roxanne she was here to count the dead.

"Oh yes, Tiffany," Shirley said. It was clear she had experience dealing with underlings, she assumed a sort of condescending attitude when talking to Tiffany. "Roxanne here suggested the kids could stay for a couple of days. Do you think that could be arranged? She suggested they could stay in Brandon's...her and Brandon's trailer. I could come pick them up again Sunday morning."

Tiffany swallowed a few times. She looked from one to the other and tried to adjust her attitude. The kids stood on either side of her and mirrored her expressions.

"I...yes," Tiffany said. "I can see to it that the beds are made for them there."

"Splendid," Shirley said. "Sandra, Leo? Say hi to your dad from me. And be nice, and listen to Tiffany, okay?"

She looked at her children and then Roxanne and added, "And listen to Roxanne as well."

"Great," Roxanne said and smiled at the kids. "I'll walk you to the car."

She escorted Shirley to her car and helped lift the kids' bags out. Then she turned towards Shirley.

"Listen, Shirley," she said. "I appreciate you trusting your kids with me, I really do. They're so important to Brandon and I want to get to know everyone who's that important to him."

Shirley nodded. She looked like she wanted to say something, but eventually she just sat into her rental car and drove away. Roxie stood watching at the diminishing dust cloud.

She turned back towards the door and started to pick up the bags. Then she stopped again, reached for her phone and texted Brandon.

"Call me when you've got a minute. I've got a surprise for you."

—#—#—#—#—#—

Brandon stood waving with Roxanne. When the car was still near enough for them to be seen from the rear view mirror Roxie pulled him into a kiss. He sighed deeply and hugged her hard.

"Thank you," he said. "Really."

"You're welcome, really."

They turned back towards a golf cart and started towards their trailer.

"It was a fun few days," she offered.

"Yeah, and it's thanks to you," he said.

Roxanne had gotten along quite well with Brandon's kids after the initial stiffness. She had taken them around the shooting location to introduce them to people, show them the costumerie and makeup wagon, props and lightning, much as Brandon had done to her when she first joined him on one of his locations. She had made sure they ate at the appropriate times and drank more than just soda, and went to bed at somewhat appropriate time even if Brandon had nighttime shoots. She had had water fights with them and some of the supporting staff and taken them to sit quietly and follow Brandon's work. She had urged Brandon to take Leo along one afternoon to give them some father-son-time. Counterfeit to Shirley's intentions it had turned out to be an excellent holiday all around.

"Do you have a scene tonight?" Roxie asked when they got into their trailer.

The kids' beds had already been transformed back into sofas, the supporting crew was efficient that way. It was pleasantly cool and shady inside the trailer as opposed to the glaringly bright desert outside, and Roxie took her sunglasses off and rubbed her eyes.

"I do, starting at nine," Brandon said and reached for a cold bottle of water from the trailer's fridge. They ate at the headquarters, but there were never enough drinks or too close.

"So what do you have until then?" Roxie asked and smiled.

"I thought I'd take a nap, with you," he said and returned the smile.

"Oh did you now," Roxie asked when they crawled into their pleasantly wide bed and snuggled together.

"I can't thank you enough for turning this around," Brandon said. "I think Shirley will consider before messing with you again."

"Poor girl," Roxanne said. "She doesn't stand a chance against me, after all. She's so nice."

"You're nice as well," he claimed and kissed her neck. "So sweet. But salty."

He licked her sweat and she giggled when he hit the tickly part of her neck.

"Yeah but no," she said. "I'm an asshole most of the time. I've always been more shit headed than you. But yes, she won't pull that stunt again, that's for sure. And you know, I really liked your kids."

He kissed her slowly. "I'm glad you did," he said. "I'm glad you finally got to meet them. I'm glad you're here with me."

"So that's how your nap goes," Roxie said amusedly when his hand crept under her shirt.

"Mmh-hmh," he said and kissed her neck.

"A few days without and we're like teenagers again, huh?" she said. "I really love you, you know."

"Please do," he said and pulled her shirt up to kiss her stomach.

They stared off nice and sweet, like they so often did. They rocked together, and he knew they'd climb together and he'd push her to a nice, maybe a bit drawn out orgasm, or if he could take it, maybe two before he let himself do the same.

Roxie had other ideas. She smiled mischievously up at him and urged him to go faster, deeper, faster still. He could feel the fire roaring inside him, and he tried to hang on to his self control, but when Roxie bit his lip hard enough to draw blood he just snapped.

He growled and got to it. He grabbed Roxie by the hair and pounded into her. He stared into her eyes, and still she urged him on, pushing him, taunting him. She sank her fingernails into his ass and hissed, "Is that all you got?"

He felt annoyance flickering inside him. He fucked her so fast he rubbed his cock to a state of numbness which felt like he wouldn't cum any time soon. He stared at her and she stared back, and he knew that look. She was daring him, and she never ever backed down from a dare, she was so fucking stubborn like that.

"Fuck, Roxie," he panted and now there was equal parts of anger and love in him. She laughed - laughed! - and bit his lip again. He let go, he didn't hold back anymore, he fucked her hard and she held him hard. They were like animals in heat, fucking and biting each other, and the noises he made matched the feeling.

She was also making a noise now, deep growling noise, and then, seemingly suddenly she came. Her pussy grabbed him so tight it almost slowed him down, and he could feel her nails break the skin on his back. And he still pounded her as hard as he possibly could, and it seemed like her orgasm didn't end at all.

He thought he fucked her so hard the whole trailer ought to be shaking. He wondered if he could shake it hard enough to push it off its brakes, and then he didn't think of anything at all. He was all red hot feeling, rage and lust and love and rage, and it swelled up inside him until he couldn't take it anymore.

He shouted when he came and gripped her hair all the harder. His whole body was shaking, he collapsed on her and felt her cum again, or maybe it was just aftershocks. He gasped for air and was sure his heart would stop its frantic race and just give up any second now.

He was sweaty and spent. He laid on top of her and didn't know if she could breathe under his weight and for a while he didn't care. His mind blanked out, a strange calm feeling spread from his inside out like cold yogurt poured over a burnt skin.

"What the fuck, Roxie," he said with a hoarse voice and turned his face towards her neck. He tried to disentangle his hand from her hair. He was appalled to realize he'd pulled some of it off, her long dark hairs stuck to his sweaty palm and not her head anymore. He tried to rub them off on the bed.

"Aggression," she said. "Anger. Shirley makes you angry. I thought I'd like a piece of that."

He thought about her words. "I'm not sure I appreciate you playing me like that."

"Of course you don't," she said. "You're afraid to lose control. You're used to turning all the negativity inwards and channeling it into your work. I know."

She pushed him a little and he moved aside, laying on his stomach. She surveyed the marks she'd scratched on his back and kissed each of them softly. They stung but her kisses soothed the pain.

"Remember when we were kids?" she said. "I got to all these shouting matches and even fistfights with bullies, until they learned I was crazier than all of them and left me alone. But you, you never responded or pushed back, even when it made you even angrier than me. You just let it simmer and then you turned it into art."

"If you say so," he said. "I still don't know about this. I don't like it when you hurt me. And did I hurt you, pulling your hair like that? Or fucking you like that? It makes me uneasy."

"That's alright," she said. "I love you for being so gentle. I love it that you're so worried you'll cross the line. That tells me you won't, even if I push you out of your comfort zone."

He turned on his side to face her. He studied her face and wondered once again if he could match her, if he had what it took to make her happy.

"But why, then," he said. "Why do you push me like this? Why don't you let me keep it inside and let it simmer like I've always done. Is it really so boring to make love with me you need me to get angry and fuck you like a beast?"

"Because I think too much is too much," she said. "I think it does you good to let it out. Doesn't it? How do you feel now?"

He thought about it, scouting his feelings. He had been really livid with Shirley, turning up unannounced like that, trying to fuck up his concentration. And even when Roxie had turned it around and made it work the anger had remained, because it had rekindled all the anger and resentment he still had over their divorce.

But now? Now he had trouble recalling how it had felt. He knew it had been there but it was like he couldn't even empathize with himself enough to remember the feeling. It felt like it had happened to some other person and he just heard about it.

"I feel...calm," he said. "Peaceful."

"That's good," Roxie said and reached to kiss him. "Right? And I suppose you'll still be able to do your job, I don't think you need to be angry for it to work now. Right?"

He shrugged. "Maybe so. Or fuck, yes so, you know you're always right. I don't know why you bother to ask."

"Because I love you," she said gently. "Your well-being is precious to me."

He nuzzled closer and sighed.

"But did I hurt you?" he asked.

"Don't worry about it," she answered and stroked his hair. "I can take what you have. Always. I'm the more aggressive of the two of us. Besides I had some pent up frustration as well."

"With me?"

"With Fred I think. And well, you, ever since you talked me into letting him pick the school for Tracy."

Brandon felt the smile spreading on his face. "Yeah? Should've guessed I hadn't heard the last of that."

She smiled as well. "But you were right. Tracy's gonna do well wherever she goes. And it was right to let Fred have his way. It would've made things difficult with him forever onwards if I'd kept my head on this one. But you know how difficult it is for me to give in."

"Yeah I know," he said tenderly. "You stubborn old goat."

"I am," she admitted quietly and pressed into his arms. "So do you forgive me for pushing you?"

"Yeah I do," he said and held her close. "It scares me but I trust you. If you say we can handle it I take your word for it. And I really do feel better now."

"Good," she muttered in a voice that told him she was about to doze off. She had a tendency to relax to the point of getting sleepy when she came hard enough. He didn't talk anymore, he just held her.

He stayed still for a long time, holding the woman he loved more than life itself, in a trailer in the middle of the desert. For once in his life he was completely at ease with the world and his place in it.

—#—#—#—#—#—

Four months later

July 2008, California

Brandon jerked awake from deep sleep. He groggily fumbled for his phone, which was ringing with a happy tingling tone that sounded really loud in the still of the night.

"Roxie?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah," she said. Her voice was faint. "Did I wake you?"

"Yeah, it's, wait," he checked the clock from his phone, squinting his eyes at the brightness of the screen, "It's three in the morning."

"I know," she whispered. "It's six here."

"Are you okay?" he asked. He rolled over on his other side and puffed his pillow better. "Is Tracy okay?"

"She's fine," Roxie said. Brandon could hear her moving, some shuffling, liquid being poured.

"What is it?" he asked softly. "Baby."

She sighed. He could hear her gulping.

"Talk to me Roxie."

He knew she was drinking. He knew she had known she would wake him up. He knew she wouldn't have called unless she really needed to. He had trouble staying awake.

"Roxie," he whispered. "Roxanne. What is it?"

She drew a breath. "I was at a party," she said. Again the sound of gulping. Ice cubes tingled against the glass.

"One of those shark parties?" he asked when she went quiet again.

"No, a smaller one," she said. "More private."

"Uh huh."

"I met some friends there. Haven't seen them in a long time."

"Uh huh."

"There was Ann and Jo and Morris."

"Morris as in..."

"Morris as in my old fuck buddy."

"Uh huh?"

Silence again. Liquid being poured again. Door opening, probably freezer's. Maybe she was getting more ice. He waited, rubbing his eyes in the dark. The block out curtains were drawn and except the light from his cell phone it was pitch black.

"Are you there at the party now?" he asked despite it being way too quiet to be a party.

"No, I'm home," she said. "Alone."

"And upset."

She didn't deny it. He didn't know where this was going and didn't want to push her too hard. She didn't sound so fresh and he didn't want to upset her more when there was a width of a continent between them and he couldn't get to her.

He didn't know where this could go. Roxanne had never promised him exclusivity, but so far she hadn't been with anyone else in the two years they'd been together, at least to his knowledge.

Wait. Not together. They weren't together like that. They had an undefined relationship, undeniably a relationship but with no rules and no labels.

"So, you and Morris?" he asked. "He flirted with you?"

"Yes."

"You flirted with him?"

"Yes."

"Honey, it's a bit of a drag to try to pull the story out of you. Can you help me here."

She sighed. Again the ice clinking in the glass.

"Okay. So we flirted. He's been out of the country for three years so we haven't seen each other. Many of the others have stepped down now that I've been with you, but he didn't, because he didn't know. Or maybe he did, it's public after all, but he hasn't seen us together. So we just picked up where we left off."

That was the longest she'd talked in the entirety of the call so far. Brandon wasn't sleepy anymore. He sat up, clutching the phone to his ear. He didn't know what to ask or what he wanted to hear. Roxie took a pause but continued without being prompted.

"And I thought, why the hell not. We agreed not to have a relationship and we're living like an old couple anyway. So I went with him to his place, because with him it's always his place."

Brandon thought he might need a drink as well. He got up and padded to the living room. The corridor and living room weren't quite as dark as the bedroom but he moved slowly not to bump into furniture. He didn't keep much booze in the house, but there was always a bottle of whiskey. If he could just remember where he'd left it.

"So you fucked him?" he asked into Roxie's long silence. He didn't like how his voice sounded, but he couldn't control his emotions anymore. He was already hurting. He wondered, a little bitterly, why she had to wake him up to tell him she'd cheated on him. Or would've, if they had been together.

"I didn't."

"You didn't fuck him."

She sighed. "I couldn't, Brandon. I was fine flirting with him, I always liked him a lot you know, but then it started to feel wrong when we got closer to his place. I tried to brush it off but it felt more and more wrong and I just couldn't. So I just left and got home and started drinking."

"Oh," he said.

He sank down to sit on the sofa, whiskey forgotten. They listened to each other breathing for a minute.

"Okay," he said finally, trying to gather his thoughts. "I have to say, I'm glad you didn't. But why does it make you so upset?"

"I don't know. Look, I feel stupid now that I woke you up."

"Don't. Honey, I want you to call me any time if there's something bothering you."

"But I could've waited until morning."

"Or then not. You want to talk about it?"

"I don't know."

They were quiet again. Brandon let his gaze drift over his bookshelf and spotted the whiskey. He didn't feel like drinking it anymore but went to get it anyway.

"I'll find out how fast I can get there in the morning, okay?" he said softly.

"But I thought you were leaving for that location in the Midwest," she said.

"I was. But maybe I can swing by there first."

"Nah. Don't. I'm feeling even more stupid now."

"Could you come to see me? I'd feel better if I could talk to you in person."

She made an exasperated noise. "I don't know, Brandon. This whole thing got blown out of all proportion. I'm sorry I called you at all."

"I'm not," he said quietly. "I love you, Roxie. Can I sing to you when you go to sleep or something?"

"Aww, honey," she said, and he could hear her smiling. "That'd be lovely."

So he listened to her wash up and fumble out of her clothes and into bed, and then he sang her a few soft songs as nicely as he could. They said good night and ended the call.

He didn't go back to bed in hours. He sat in the dark, thinking, and had a few shots of whiskey. He knew Roxie well enough to know this was not just a phone call. This called for a battle plan.

—#—#—#—#—#—

At first Roxanne was reluctant to alter her schedules, and then made a full turn and agreed to join him in the shooting location in three days. That told him all he needed to know and confirmed his suspicions. He upped his preparations and prepped Tiffany on what was going to happen.

Tiffany was clearly unbelieving. She was an excellent assistant, and so she didn't argue but did as he wanted and when Roxanne arrived she informed him straight away. He left the scene, telling the stunned crew to take a break for an hour or maybe three. There were objections and references to shooting schedules, but he just walked away without looking back, only raising his hand to signal he'd heard them.