Intimate Exhibition

Bryer-Ann threw her phone down in disgust; her loud grunt speaking an entire anthology of inventive swear words. Fuck Tanya, fuck her all the way off. Their tempestuous relationship had been finished for over a month by this point; a mutually hostile decision from both of their sides. Despite the agreement to never speak to each other again Tanya seemed to be able to find a new reason to make sure Bry-Ann's morning coffee was regularly accompanied by an enormous portion of negative energy that practically radiated from her mobile, shooting directly into her chakras via texted toxicity, insults, insinuations and numerous wild accusations.

This mornings breakfast side dish for the soul focused on a missing earring which Tanya had decided to blame Bry-Ann for; claiming she last had it at Bry-Ann's Cornish cottage, and was now escalating her assertion by double-downing on her accusation that Bry-Ann had, for some reason, gifted the sole earring to another woman. Even with Bry-Ann's terribly lacking ability to manoeuvre herself through even the most basic of romantic overtures surely the gift of one ornate used earring from a set of two to a potential lover was ridiculous. She would have laughed at the absurdity if Tanya wasn't just so spiteful and consistently boring.

Bry-Ann tied her soft linen shirt around her waist and snatched up her keys from the shelf by the door. The door to the cottage slammed shut behind her, remaining unlocked, as was it's usual state over the past three years she had lived there. She'd never had any issue with theft and only her closest friends knew she left it unlocked; called on as they were to pop in and water her plants, or more often, bring ketchup-heavy crispy bacon sandwiches to her hungover sweat sofa on a Sunday morning.

She wasn't particularly well known for looking after herself, although recently even those that erred on the acquaintance side of friends had begun to notice the change in her approach to daily life. Bry-Ann had made a noticeably conscious decision to curb her party head. Ever since her rude, and mostly nude, awaking on the beach two months prior she had calmed her drinking even more. While allowing herself the occasional single skinner, and that was solely to help lull her to sleep when her dreams woke her up in the middle of the night of course, Bry-Ann stayed far away from anything more stimulating. Nightmares and heart pounding anxiety often betrayed her plans for early nights following hot baths and wind down yoga sessions. Images of busy parties and deserted beaches both looming with malevolence and confusion fired across her semi-conscious mind, creating a dreamscape that played like a powerpoint of anger, fear and reproach in an unorganised and mostly frantic pattern.

As she walked to the studio that morning she sucked in deep breaths and let the crisp sea air vacuum seal over her tongue, the tang of salt spiking her tastebuds and invigorating her mouth. She slowed her steps where Maxwell usually stopped for a good long sniff. 'Shit!' she expelled so loudly as she whipped around, earning herself a cautionary glare from an elderly couple walking behind her with a yappy jack russell.

Her mood did not improve as she stalked back to the little cottage to collect her golden retriever. 'Fuck Tanya', she growled to herself, 'she even made me forget Max'. Kicking a large pebble and adding a new scuff to the front of her working Vans, Bry-Ann mused 'bet she did it on purpose. She always hated Max.' Needless to say red mist was fogging up Bry-Ann's viewpoint on the matter entirely this morning.

Max greeted her with a wagging tale and unwaveringly loving eyes, smiling with his whole face in the way only a golden retriever really can. His tongue lolled out the side of his mouth as he pitty patted his front paws in excitement to see her. Bry-Ann reached down and stroked his soft blonde head, giving him a quick massage behind his left ear as she bent down to him.

As her fingers ran over his smooth hair and his meaty breathe floated directly into her nose she sighed and crouched back, her mood slowly evaporating. Max's presence and undeniable devotion to her, even when she stupidly forgot to take him with her in her angry state, was just the tonic she needed to settle her temper. She ruffled both his ears gently as she stood up. 'Coffee?' she suggested. She took his head tilt and ear perk as affirmative and lead the way back into the kitchen to make herself another strong round of caffeine before attempting the start of the day again. She was smart enough to turn her phone onto airplane mode this time, so no texts or calls would interrupt her quality coffee and puppy time.