Chapter 30

 

 

 

 

 

Gia

The restaurant Chloe picked is just the right mix of unhealthy food and delicious drinks. It’s the perfect spot for a snack with your girls. It’s early afternoon now, but this time of year, it’s practically dark. Picking up a piece of spicy chicken, I pop it into my mouth, chewing slowly while Chloe digests what I just told her.

“So is this George guy going to be there every time you see your mom now? I mean, coming for Thanksgiving is kinda a big deal,” Chloe says as she shoves a nacho into her mouth and sips on her margarita.

“I know,” I say thinking about Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. “My cousin said the same thing. George is a nice guy–don’t get me wrong–but it I didn’t realize he was already part of the family.”

Today is the Friday after Thanksgiving, universally known as Black Friday. Every year, Chloe, Monique and I brave the crowds and go do some selfish shopping. I realize the ‘holiday’ was enacted so that you could do your Christmas shopping while taking advantage of all the sales, but we don’t do that.

Instead we bought party dresses because Monique and Mike are having a Christmas party. Because they’re living together in domestic bliss. Because they’re in love.

I found a very pretty gold dress which looks fantastic against my skin color and it’s just shimmery enough to be festive. After all our hard work, we’re rewarding ourselves with snacks. And cocktails because–why not.

I’m working Christmas Eve day, but I’ll go to the party after work and I have Christmas day off, which will help with post-party recovery. Even though I’m going stag to the party, I’m still looking forward to it. Mason is flying out to see his parents who live outside Denver. He’s spending the week there and going skiing with them as part of their annual family vacation.

He didn’t invite me along, which was fine. I think that was more his parents doing than his. Mason told me he brought home a girl once and his parents became extremely attached to her and then when they broke up, his mother was devastated. So I didn’t get the invite. Not that I would have been able to go anyway. I would have never gotten the time off.

“I’m going home with Michael,” –Monique always calls Mike, Michael– “for Christmas day. His mother called and invited me.”

“Wow,” Chloe marvels through a mouthful of food. “I bet he proposes to you that day.”

Monique shakes her head, but her dark skin turns a little warmer. “No. I don’t think it will be on Christmas.” Yeah, she’s hoping it happens on Christmas. “We just moved in together.”

“So that means you can’t get engaged?” I challenge.

“It just means I don’t think it’s happening over Christmas.”

Chloe looks over at me, pointing a stern finger. “If you get engaged or move in with Mason, I might have to kick your ass.”

“I love how supportive you are. Such a caring, nurturing friend.” Monique snorts, but Chloe is undeterred. “Hey, no threatening me. I’m not moving in with Mason and we’re definitely not getting engaged.”

“Because she’s in love with Finn Banner,” Monique says with an impish grin. I think my eyes are, in fact, bugging out of my head and my jaw is on the floor.

“What nonsense are you spewing?”

Monique shrugs, but that grin remains. “Okay fine. You might not love him, but he absolutely loves you.”

Chloe laughs at my expression and I throw her an eye which is meant to shut her up, but of course, because it’s Chloe, only makes her laugh harder.

“Liar, liar, pants on fire,” I say indignantly, but Monique is just shaking her head as she crunches down on a chip.

“I saw the two of you talking when you came for dinner last week.”

I roll my eyes at that. “Well, since you saw us talking, that must clearly mean love is in the air.”

“Don’t be sarcastic, Gia. It causes wrinkles.” I flip Chloe off and she blows me a kiss. “I want details. What is this about dinner conversation?”

“If you had come, you would have seen it.”

“I was working. No need to get snippy with me.”

Monique laughs. “Well, Finn and Gia were on one end of the table. And they were both leaning into each other and talking. Finn was smiling the entire time and he was laughing at whatever they were talking about.”

“Yeah, I’m missing something here, aren’t I?” Chloe asks, looking back and forth between Monique and me. I shrug, trying to play it off like I’m just as clueless as she is.

“Michael says Finn doesn’t smile and he definitely doesn’t laugh. At least he didn’t used to. But he does both of those things with Gia. And he completely ignored a very pretty and interested pediatric surgery fellow. And,” she says, pointing her finger in the air like she just remembered something, “he couldn’t take his eyes off Gia.”

I sigh. I don’t want to hear any of this. I really don’t. I’ve got a good thing going with Mason and Finn makes it known he’s interested but will never act on that interest and I’m just…annoyed with it. And frustrated. And tired. Really freaking tired. I believe that’s exactly what I told the man.

Trying to navigate the mind-fuck that is Finn, is exhausting.

Especially since he has taken to texting me in addition to our frequent meetings. And the majority of those texts are in French, so most of the time so I have to translate them. But I look forward to those damn texts. I covet them.

I’m spending all this time with Mason. We’re getting so much closer. So much stronger as a couple and yet I have this platonic and not-so-platonic relationship going on with Finn. Something has to give and I know it needs to be my ‘friendship’ with him, but I can’t make the cut. I can’t sever the ties.

But where does that leave Mason and me?

How can I move forward with a man when I’m stuck in limbo with another?

“Can we just not do this? Talking about Finn is draining.”

“Can we talk about the conjoined twins who Dr. Levine delivered the other night? Because that was fucking awesome.” Monique and I both beam at Chloe with eager, inquisitive smiles.

“Conjoined where?”

“On their hip, which is super lucky for them because the separation surgery isn’t supposed to be as bad there.” Chloe goes on about the conjoined twins and we eat the rest of our snack and drink the rest of our cocktails and we don’t talk about men again for the rest of the afternoon.

And I don’t think about them either until I’m nearly at my building and I get a text from Finn asking me to meet him at Ophelia’s bar. Standing in the middle of the sidewalk, I stare down at the text. I read it over and over again.

Then I call Mason.

“Hey,” Mason answers on the first ring with a very audible smile in his voice. “How was shopping with the girls?”

Moving over to the side of the building, I lean against the brick, attempting to shield myself from the cold air. “It was fun. I got a dress.”

“That’s great. You’ll have to try it on for me since I’ll miss the big reveal.” I laugh at the way he says reveal. Mason makes me laugh a lot. I love that about him. I wouldn’t say I love him necessarily, but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time. “You on your way back home?”

“I don’t know. I was thinking about stopping in at Ophelia’s bar. But if you’re around, we could do something.”

“Oh,” he says and then pauses. “I’m going to meet up with a few of the guys to shoot some hoops and then I think we’re getting dinner. You around tomorrow?”

I shake my head, unable to determine if I’m relieved or not. “No. I’m working until seven. I can do a late dinner though.”

“Sounds perfect. I’ll cook you something if you don’t mind making the trip downtown.”

“You’ve got a deal. Have fun with the boys.”

“Say hi to the tattooed queen for me.” I laugh, disconnecting the call. I didn’t tell Mason that Finn was the one who invited me to the bar and I can’t help the resulting twinge of guilt which accompanies that thought. But Mason knows I hang out with Finn. I typically tell him when I do and even though it’s not Mason’s favorite thing, he understands and accepts it.

So why didn’t you tell him about it now?

Yeah, I don’t have an answer for that. Maybe it’s what Monique said to me at the restaurant? I don’t know, but it’s too late to call Mason back now and tell him, so instead I text Finn letting him know that I’m on my way and I start in that direction.

Twelve minutes later, I’m opening the door and waltzing inside. It’s decently packed in here, but it doesn’t take me long to spot Finn who is sitting at the bar, talking to Ophelia. Sliding into the vacant seat next to him, I tap him on the shoulder.

And when he turns to face me, his eyes light up. And he smiles, showing off all of his perfect white teeth.

Dammit.

“Hey,” he says. “Glad you could make it.”
“It was good timing,” I explain. “I just finished up with Monique and Chloe.”

“How was your holiday?” Ophelia asks.

“Not bad. Yours?”

“Really good,” she gleams. “My little sister just had a baby so I got to spend a lot of time with them.”

“Awesome,” I smile, looking over to Finn who is no longer smiling. “What did she have?”

“A girl. So freaking cute. Her name is Olivia.”

“Love that. Congrats auntie.”
Ophelia grins at me. “What can I get you this time or is it bartender’s choice?”

“The latter, please. Just nothing too strong. I already had a half a margarita.”

“Coming up.”

Ophelia winks at me and then goes off to make my drink. Spinning on my stool so I’m facing Finn, my legs dangle between us. “What about you? How was Thanksgiving with your mom?”

Finn glances over at me, setting his beer down as he does. His expression is…lukewarm at best. I wonder if being home yesterday was difficult for him. “We ate at the club. The food was the same as always, decent, but unimaginative. The rest was…boring. I see you got a dress,” Finn bounces his head at the garment bag I draped over the back of my stool.

I nod. “Yup. I’ll be pretty in gold. Are you coming to the party?”

“No,” he says with an edge. “I won’t be.”

“Oh, are you working on Christmas Eve night?”

He shakes his head. “New Year’s.”

“Me too. Are you going away for the holiday?”

“No, Gia. I’m not.” His tone is curt and that is so unlike him now, it takes me a second to readjust.

He doesn’t want me to ask why he’s not going to the party. It’s written all over his stiff posture and tight expression. So, I don’t. Finn has his limits. Sometimes he’s more open than others. Like that day at the football game.

But today is undoubtedly not one of those days.

“Okay then,” I shrug, turning back to the bar and grabbing my…I have no idea. “What is this?” I stare at it, scrunching my eyebrows.

Ophelia grins like the Cheshire cat. “It’s a slow comfortable screw up against a wall.”

I burst out laughing. “Is there such a thing?”

She shrugs. “Not in my experience, but I’ve always wanted to make one and no one ever orders them.”

I take a sip and wince at the strength of it. “Holy hell, I can see why. I thought I told you not too strong.”

“Did you miss the part where I said I’ve always wanted to make one?”

“Fine. I’ll drink half of it. Go.” I nod my head in the direction of the waiting line of people. “Do your one great. You’re pissing off the customers.”

Ophelia blows me a kiss and tosses Finn a wink and then leaves us.

“Where’s your boyfriend right now, Gia?”

I can’t help but scowl at that. Why did he invite me out if he’s just going to be difficult? “Out with his friends. Would you like me to leave you alone to your shit mood?”

“I am in a shit mood.” He runs his hand through his hair. “Honestly, I don’t know why I came out. Why I asked you to meet me.”

“Finn?” I reach out and touch his shoulder. He turns back to me and it looks like he’s drowning. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He shakes his head no.

“Do you want to go ice-skating?”

A smile quirks up the corner of his lips. “Ice-skating?”

“Sure,” I beam.

“I don’t know how to ice-skate.”

“Neither do I. We can fall on our asses together. It’ll be fun.”

“And break something and end up in the ED. No thanks.”

“Wow,” I shake my head at him. “You really are being a bear. Okay, no ice-skating and drinking beer doesn’t seem to be doing it for you either. What about Netflix and Thanksgiving leftovers?”

“I don’t have any leftovers.”

“But I do. Some better than decent ones. Imaginative ones. Come on,” I urge, tugging on his large muscular arm. Goddamn, Finn has some serious guns. When this man has time to hit the gym, I do not know. “I’ll even let you pick what we watch.”

Finn stands up after a couple more tugs and tosses forty dollars down on the bar even though I doubt these drinks cost more than fifteen combined. I love that about him. He can be so generous sometimes and I doubt he even thinks about it. It comes naturally when he allows it to. “Fine, but I’m warning you now, I’m not picking anything sweet or romantic or funny.”

“Okay, we’ll only watch things which are violent and serious. Possibly scary.”

“Deal.”