Taking advantage of the bright, sunny day, Olivia took Gina out for a cup of coffee. The young brunette was glowing. Her relationship with James had been going very well and she was all smiles, hours after they met at her friend’s house. As a matter of fact, she was so much more cheerful than usual that she teased Gina relentlessly. When they arrived at “Mani’s”, a fancy café in lower Manhattan, she gave her another reason to be mad at her. Olivia merely told her to get a table and wait for her, because she wanted to pay a visit to the massive shopping mall down the street. Gina didn’t even get the chance to voice her objection; Olivia brushed past her and rushed towards the mall.

More than thirty minutes later, she rejoined her friend in the packed café, with two bags in her hands and a huge smile on her glorious face.

“Wait till you see what I got,” Olivia said, her voice reeking of thick enthusiasm, as she sat across from her friend. “Ooh, they look sexy!”

“Lingerie;” Gina inferred, bringing her red coffee mug to her lips. “Don’t ditch me again.”

“I’m sorry, honey.” Olivia tilted her head. “I just want tonight to be special. I was going to the mall. It was just a matter of ‘when’.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you happier,” Gina remarked, a small smile on her face. “Is he really that good?”

“You need to stop asking the same questions over and over.” A wave of amusement washed over her. “He’s been kind, romantic, generous, amazing in bed…”

“And honest with you, right from the start:” Gina’s statement wiped the smile off Olivia’s face; “Unlike you.”

“Oh, my God…” Olivia whispered, putting her hands to her temples. “I was wondering when you were going to say that.”

“Well, one of us had to.” Gina pointed out. “Look, Liv. We’ve known each other for a long time. You’re the best friend I ever had: a little too wacky sometimes, but otherwise just great. Hiding things from him can only lead to disaster. You don’t want that, do you?”

“Thanks; of course not;” Olivia replied, letting her hands slide down her face. “I’m scared, Gina. I really want to tell him, but I don’t know what that going to do to our relationship.”

“If he’s the man you think he is, he’ll appreciate your honesty.” Gina voiced her opinion. “Who knows? Maybe he’ll buy you something even better this time.”

“Like what?” Olivia asked.

“I don’t know; two guitars?” Gina’s quick response and her squeaky voice brought a short burst of laughter. “Jokes aside, he does sound like a wonderful man. Um…” She paused and threw a few furtive glances around her, before leaning forward. “Remember when you told me about you two having sex by the pool?”

“Yeah?”

“Well…” Gina drew in a sharp breath, as her pale cheeks flushed. “Let’s just say my dildo worked overtime. God, I’m getting excited just thinking about it.”

Olivia bit her lower lip for a second, but she was unable to stop the fit of laughter. She leaned back in her chair and her loud laughter turned quite a few heads.

“Liv!” Gina whispered. “It’s not funny!”

“I know.” Olivia chuckled, clutching her stomach. “It’s just the way you said it.”

“I’m so jealous of you.” Gina sighed, a hint of sadness in her voice. “I wish I found someone like him.”

“He is a dream.” Olivia nodded. “He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Which is exactly why you should tell him everything about your past,” Gina used an emphatic tone, and continued on in that same tone. “And I mean absolutely everything. Come on, you…”

“Okay, okay!” Olivia interrupted, frustrated by her friend’s persistence. “I’ll tell him tonight. But only after I…” She paused. “Fuck him.” She silently mouthed to her friend.

“You’re hopeless.” Gina complained.

“No.” Her friend rejected that notion. “I’m just too in love with him. I know we haven’t been going out that long, but how can I not be in love with such an amazing guy?”

“I don’t think I would be. I’m just not as sentimental as you, I guess,” Gina maintained, the cynicism in her voice, evoking Olivia to speak.

“I don’t blame you, Gina.” She said firmly as she looked deep into her friend’s dark-brown eyes. “He hasn’t taken you in his arms, he hasn’t whispered things in your ear, he hasn’t touched you… You have no idea how he makes me feel.”

“I beg to differ.” Gina smiled. “All I’ve been hearing these days is ‘James this’ and ‘James that’. I’d just be a little more…”

“Restrained?” Olivia finished her sentence for her; “unsentimental; cynical? Trust me, girl. You’d let your guard down the moment he kissed you. If he hadn’t shown up at ‘Jodie’s that night, I’d have probably gone looking for him.”

“I’m not going to argue with you again, Liv.” Gina lowered her tone. “My only wish is that you two work out. Just do as I say and you’ll be fine. Poets are noble creatures, full of understanding… I think.”

“I said I’d talk to him.” Olivia assumed her usual, mellow voice. “Now, let’s go home. I need your opinion on that lingerie.”