Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for June 29, 2011

I think in the coming days, TJ will convince Brad to go along with his idea. He usually, if not always, does.

A little whine with dinner?

If Brad tells Toni the truth, she’s likely to be completely understanding and supportive. If he fudges, she’ll feel betrayed and lied to. You watch.

Today it is Brad who channels commentators on this forum. And he’s not whining, just stating the fact.

That’s what I was thinking—he was defending himself from TJ’s smart-alec response. I’ve been thinking lately that so many people are way too quick to label something whining. I thought that was just me!

I can understand where Brad’s coming from, empathising that he didn’t do anything wrong. We have to reassure ourselves, because deep inside, we all worry that perhaps we DID do something wrong, and were just let down easy.

Toni knows they work in the same area. If she love’s him she will stay. I see no games playing here. Brad moves in with Toni. Tj moves in Luann’s .

Muskratdottir: What?

No Toni will stay $ 1.00

Brad should thank the Union. First in First out is a union rule. No need to look at competence.

Brad has the ability to see that tj’s plan will not work. But for some reason, he always reaches for that almost non-existant possibility that it will work. And that is when he blows it – big time.

@Baslim:The news of the layoff in the Department will spread like…wild fire? Or is the rumor all…smoke and mirrors?

News will spread fast, but it is still day 1. We can only presume that Brad fobbed Toni off with some delaying tactic for the happy evening they had planned.

Hopefully Brad will stick to his guns here; I hope he doesn’t listen to TJ. Defaulting to dishonesty any time things get tough would be a huge red flag in any relationship. As others have stated, Toni will see through it very quickly.

Seriously? Come on, Toni already knows; it’s just that these two haven’t connected yet.

TJ is so annoying!

I predict that brad will tell Toni the truth, she’ll be supportive, he’ll get a new job, and this will be the impetus he needs to ask her to marry him…

No. That wouldn’t be his style. Whatever else one might say about him, he’s authentic. WYSIWYG. An onion by any other name…

@coasterI said last week, as soon as Brad got the news, that it would be a good bet that Toni could get laid off as well. I am still waiting for that to play out.

Time Out! TJ, let ME explain MY concept of “Help”:

HELP – Is YOU paying Brad’s part of the rent until he gets a job.

HELP- Is YOU having a WEALTHY secret Uncle who hires Brad for a job that pays him THREE TIMES what he once made as a Fireman.

That STUFF You’re doin’ Now TJ?

ITS NOT HELPING!!!

for sure

OK, so he’s moved from denial to anger…what are all the steps?

Brad isn’t the first person and won’t be the last to get laid off from budget cuts, so he had better tell her before she hears it thru the “grapevine” If he doesn’t, their relationship is over.

Any change in status rocks the boat for those around us. Thus the selfish reactions. No wonder Brad fears Toni’s response. I bet she rises above.

The tension is getting high. So the story line may get put on hold and the strip will take another direction. leaving us hanging till we come back to this story line. Another “to be continued”. To be played out at a later time.

Brand and Toni may be on different shifts. She may now be sleeping.

She may be laid off or narrowly miss.

She will know.

TJ’s job is in Neverland.?We could use Jonah back in this arc. In what role, I’m not sure.

Toni: Brad, we have to talk. I just found out you’ve been laid off. That makes you a loser, so we have to break up.

See how stupid that sounds?

toni really has to know layoffs are afoot at the fire dep’t., including herself most likely. the word spreads really fast once the pink slips start. no organization lays off just one person do they? this is all a pretty awkward and lame way to build suspense around toni’s reaction and the toni-brad relationship.

Us commenters is very demanding, aren’t we. The poor author just wanted some kind of hook to lead into a situation that we haven’t seen yet, and we’re all taking it seriously. Why not just LET IT BE, and see where it goes already. This is getting too long-drawn-out for me.

Hugh So True!

TJ uses words he knows will work on Brad – ie: Loser; Whiner. What Brad will be if he listens to TJ – Liar. Toni tld Brad early on not to lie to her. Probably because he does it so poorly that she finds it offensive that she would even try it on her. I thought the only way for Brad to lose Toni was to roll over and play dead because he lost his job. TJ is trying to fast track that result. Toni is so much smarter that bRad and TJ combined that it’s amazing that they think thgat they can fool her with something so lame. News of the cut fire fighters will be through every fire station in a week.

According to TJ this won’t end well.

So many comments- Brad will do the right thing. TJ needs to go.

TJ has a point.