26 Jealousy

So far, the lunch was enlightening for Emily. She knew Justin spent most of his time on his computer but she had no idea that he had made a business out of it. No wonder he hardly left his apartment.

How much DID freelancers make? She wasn't about to ask though. You can't just ask people how much money they made.

She was surprised that Brandon asked such an insensitive question. He was normally pretty thoughtful.

Come to think of it, Brandon hadn't seemed like his usual self after their botched attempt at laser tag either. Did he have something against Justin and Samantha?

They certainly didn't seem like a match made in heaven given their personality differences but that wasn't a reason to dislike them. Even she had been surprised at how different they were.

Today was a great example of the disparity. Samantha looked like she was going to a formal dance. Justin looked like he could go skateboarding.

Once the appetizers arrived and Samantha cheerfully munched on her shrimp, commenting on how good they were, the tension emanating from Brandon seemed to grow.

Emily was concerned. Samantha hadn't done anything wrong as far as she could tell. She had a vivacious and bubbly personality, which wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but she couldn't understand why he was acting like Samantha had offended him.

Speaking of cups of tea…Justin didn't seem like it would be his either. How on earth had he fallen for his polar opposite?

She had seen the way Samantha picked on him but he took it in stride and even teased back a little so it looked like he didn't mind. The two of them seemed so secure and comfortable with each other. To be honest, she was a little jealous.

Emily enjoyed talking to Brandon but ever since they became official and spent more time together something had felt…off. Honestly, she had more of a rapport with RoboCat, who was a stranger on the internet, than she had with her own boyfriend.

And RoboCat hadn't been online lately, which contributed to her overall unease. They hadn't spoken since he cut off the conversation insisting that if she knew him in real life that she wouldn't want to be friends.

She wasn't going to give up on her first relationship for such a trivial reason though. Maybe it was because it was still pretty new.

After all, she had been talking to RoboCat for years. She had only known Brandon a few months. And Samantha and Justin had known each other their entire lives. These things probably took time.

"…is that really the best course of action?" Brandon asked. Emily didn't realize that she had been completely zoned out and had no idea what was going on.

Justin shrugged as he chewed on a shrimp. He swallowed before continuing.

"I recently learned that if you want something you have to go out and get it. No matter how hard you work, nothing is going to just come to you."

"But there's such a thing as being too proactive. It's unprofessional. You're supposed to approach employers on their terms."

Emily leaned over and whispered to Samantha, embarrassed. "What are they talking about?"

Samantha furrowed her brow. "I'm not really following it either. Something about the best way to get your footing in the business world."

"You freelance—you have clients but not an overall boss. You wouldn't understand corporate etiquette," Brandon argued. "I study business. I've had three internships. I know what I'm talking about."

"And I never would have been successful if I hadn't dared to ask my clients what you'd call difficult questions," Justin said patiently. "Being proactive fosters respect between employer and employee."

"Oh, what do you know," her boyfriend said dismissively.

She frowned. That was rude. "I think Justin has a point. How are you supposed to move forward if you never push the envelope at all?"

Brandon sighed in frustration. "Et tu, Emily?"

"Nice Shakespeare reference," Samantha chipped in.

Brandon did not seem amused. Just as he was about to open his mouth to continue arguing, the food arrived, effectively killing all conversation.

At the end of the meal they all exchanged pleasantries about how good it was to see each other and so on before Samantha gave a cute little wave and locked arms with her boyfriend on the way to the parking lot, chattering away as they walked out of sight.

As soon as they were out of earshot Emily rounded on her own boyfriend. "What is wrong with you today?"

"Me? There's something weird about the two of them!"

She put her hands on her hips. "How so?"

"There's no way a geek like him would end up with a Barbie doll like that, for starters. Something about them seems phony."

Emily was appalled. "How rude! Just because two people are different doesn't mean they can't love each other. And he's not a geek."

"He wore a robot shirt to a nice restaurant," Brandon said flatly. "That screams geek to me. And on top of that, he's a know-it-all."

Her eyes narrowed. "How is someone a know-it-all when you ask them for advice on something they have experience in? Didn't the conversation start with you asking about how he started his own business?"

"Maybe so, but that's another fishy thing. How could a freelancer afford to buy lobster, king crab, and an appetizer at a place like this? I know a few freelancers in other fields. They usually barely make it from paycheck to paycheck. It doesn't add up."

"I can't believe how critical you're being," Emily said while shaking her head. "They're my friends!"

"Friends?" he snorted. "You just met the girl last week."

She chose to ignore that. "I don't act like this around your friends."

"My friends are guys," he pointed out. "You'd be weirded out too if I had a close female friend."

That was what this was about?! He was jealous? Geez!

"Brandon, we're not that close. We met once, found out we went to the same school, and decided to carpool. We don't hang out outside of that."

"You shouldn't even be doing that much," he grumbled. "I have a car too. I could pick you up in the morning."

Emily's mouth dropped open. "You live on the other side of town. It's inconvenient for you."

"I'd rather be inconvenienced than worry about you being around someone shady!"

"For the last time, he's not shady! Justin is like the human equivalent of a puppy. Completely harmless. We hardly even talk when we're in the car together."

"I've seen the way he looks at you," Brandon mumbled. "I don't like it."

She was completely confused. The way Justin looked at her? He rarely even made eye contact! What look did he mean?

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Can we drop this now? I have a headache."

"Just let me pick you up for school next semester and I'll forget the whole thing," Brandon promised. "Come on, we can relax at my place and watch a movie until your head feels better."

With a sigh Emily agreed. This day certainly hadn't gone the way she had expected. Most girls would probably be flattered if their boyfriend got jealous but his behavior had crossed a line and she felt distinctly uncomfortable.

She really hoped that Samantha and Justin hadn't picked up on his hostile vibe. Samantha might since she seemed familiar with the way people's minds worked but Justin…he may as well be a block of wood when it comes to understanding human emotions.

From their limited interactions she had realized that much. Samantha wouldn't tell him, would she? That would make things really awkward when she saw him again.