Kelly laughed a little, but still said nothing. When the silence stretched on too long, the discomfort drove Gia to spill the truth. "I don't belong there, Kelly. You know it. I know it. And if I go to this damn thing, then Josh will know it too."
"Okay. So, now we have at least found the root of the problem. You still think that Josh is going to drop you at any given second."
Gia twisted uncomfortably under Kelly's even gaze, eventually flopping down into the chair. "Yeah. I guess I do."
"He won't. I know that hearing the words from me won't really help, but he's not going anywhere, Gia."
She smirked a little, the corner of her mouth shooting up into a wry grin. "So says you. But, reality is a little different. We don't fit together. Not really. He's going to figure it out sooner or later. If I go to this dance, surrounded by a group of people that will spend the majority of the evening staring at me, it will just prove to him just how wrong we are. I'm not in a hurry to end things any sooner than they will on their own."
"I don't think you're giving either Josh or yourself enough credit. You may be more unique than some of the cookie cutter socialites that typically grace the country club, but you are also so much more amazing. And Josh is not only smart enough to see that, but smart enough to want you for who you are."
"Thank you... but what if you're wrong?"
"I'm not. But on the off chance that I am, then what do you really have to lose? Let's say you show up to this thing, and people stare, and Josh runs away as fast as his feet will carry him. If he does, and that's not going to happen, but if he does then he's not the man I think he is and he is definitely not the man you deserve."
Getting up from the sofa, Kelly grabbed her purse before placing her hand out in front of Gia. "So, let's go shopping. We are not only going to find you a dress, but we are going to find you an amazing dress. One that suits you, and to hell with what anyone else thinks. Including Josh. You are going to the ball, Gia, and you're coming as my date."
Grabbing Kelly's hand, Gia let her pull her to her feet. Maybe she was right. Maybe she should just suck it up and get this over with. If Josh couldn't handle what his friends and family thought of her, it was better to know now.
It might actually be the perfect opportunity to show Josh just how different they really were. A chance to prove to him, once and for all, that this was nothing more than a fling. An aberration before he settled down with the woman he would eventually marry. Someone more like Deb than Gia.
The thought of him with another woman brought a stabbing pain to her chest. Maybe this would be a good chance to convince herself they didn't belong together as well. It seemed her traitorous heart had other ideas.
The afternoon shopping spree had been not only productive, but kind of fun in a totally girly kind of way. Gia wasn't normally too much of a shopper, preferring to limit her options to her favorite haunts, so shopping for a formal evening dress was a little outside her normal spectrum.
They had even managed to squeeze in some time for a mani/pedi and a little waxing. Most importantly though, they had found a dress.
Not just a dress, but the dress. It was not only perfect for the ball, but utterly perfect for Gia. Can we say Pinup, anyone? It was an off the shoulder, completely fitted, stopping mid calf. Black satin, with a thin, high-waisted red patent leather belt that buckled just below her boobs. It was appropriate for the black and white ball, yet somehow managed to still be something that suited her personality. Besides, a little splash of red never hurt anyone. Neither would the four inch red patent leather peep toe stilettos she intended to wear with the dress.
If she were being realistic, she could show up wearing anything she wanted and it wouldn't draw any more attention in that crowd than her tattoos were going to. So, she may as well own it.
With the dress hanging, pressed and ready for wear in her closet, she was actually, possibly, just the teeniest bit excited about this party on Saturday night.
* * * *
Gia was being weird. Even by Gia standards. And not weird in the fun, quirky slightly off the norm way he loved. Weird as in not acting like herself.
She had seemed a little distant after the lake trip, almost like she was pulling away from him. Josh had assumed it was simply because she was angry with him for deliberately outing them as a couple. She hadn't really done or said anything specific, it was just a feeling he'd had.
After a few days, everything had seemed fine again. Until this week. She hadn't stayed at his house, nor had she invited him to stay at her house since Sunday. It was now Friday.
That's not to say they hadn't had sex. They had. Multiple times. However, each time they were done, she would cuddle for a while then mumble some bullshit excuse and head back to her own home. And the excuses were bullshit. Some were so bad it was almost like she was deliberately trying to make them awful.
One excuse was that she slept better in her own bed and she had a busy day tomorrow. One was that she had an early morning client and didn't want to be in his way while showering and getting ready. Those he might almost have believed. However, she had also mumbled something about sleeping better alone one night, and the next told him she was an insomniac and didn't want to keep him up all night. Apparently she'd had too much caffeine.
He had no idea what had happened, but something was clearly up with her. He just didn't have a clue what it might be.
If this had happened right after they'd told everyone, he could understand it. Hell, he'd almost expected it. But the timing seemed off. So, he was at a loss.
And he didn't like it at all.
Josh had met up with Blake for a beer after work, so he decided to just leave his car at The Tavern and walk down to Gia's shop. The weather was finally starting to change into true Fall, at least by California standards. The weather here was considerably milder than most parts of the country.
He swung into the coffee shop and picked up a cup of decaf for himself, as well as a decaf mocha for Gia. He knew she loved her coffee, but she wouldn't drink caffeine this late at night. He was hoping that maybe, just maybe, she would see this as a peace offering and hopefully tell him what the hell was going on with her. Or with them. Or... anything.
When he showed up, Aaron was at the front desk. They had managed to come to an unspoken truce between them. He seemed to accept a potential friendship with Josh, and Josh understood the implied threat should he happen to do anything to hurt Gia. It worked for them.
So, when Josh entered, he merely nodded his head in greeting before nodding to the back of the shop, indicating that Gia was in her office.
Perfect.
Josh headed back, stepping in and closing the door behind him, set the coffee on Gia's desk and propped himself against the wall, all before she managed to get out the words.
"What are you doing here?"
Biting his tongue at her brusque tone, he forced a smile. "I came to see you and bring you a decaf mocha. I just wanted to say hello."
"Oh, hey. Sorry, I was just a little surprised. We hadn't really made any plans for tonight."
"I didn't know we needed to 'make plans'. I was under the impression that it was implied. My mistake."
Gia must have heard the sarcasm he was trying but failing to hide since she immediately started back pedaling.
"No... that's not... I know we don't need to 'make plans', just Fridays are usually late nights, and I had just figured I would go home when I got off. And tomorrow we open early for us, and you have that thing, so I just thought I'd see you Sunday."
Silence.
Josh waited, counting his breaths, in and out, while he tried to get control of his temper. On the fifth breath, he realized he was actually getting progressively angrier. He also realized that if he stayed here, they were going to have a fight. Probably a very nasty fight.
Some inner sense was telling him that if they fought right now, it was over. In the battle between fight or flight, self preservation finally won out.
&nb
sp; Josh gritted his teeth. There was no way that Gia could possibly miss his anger, but that simply couldn't be helped. "I see. So, then... I guess I'll see you Sunday."
Josh gripped the door handle, throwing over his shoulder, "Have a good weekend, Gia."
He heard her scramble in her chair, and follow him out into the shop calling his name. He wanted to turn around and scream at her to tell him what was wrong. He wanted to grab her and throw her against the wall and kiss her until she started to act like herself. He wanted to spank her again, to see her ass flushed pink and hear her begging him to take her.
What he did was stare straight ahead and walk out to his car without ever looking backward.
Chapter 35
Saturday afternoon Gia left the shop early, around three, and headed home to get ready for the party.
She had managed to get through last night and today without tears. Also, without caving in and calling Josh. She knew he'd been angry last night, but there was really nothing she could do about it. If anything, it would actually make things easier for him tonight. Just further proof that they didn't belong together.
Shuddering out a long sigh, Gia stepped into the absurdly hot shower hoping she could steam out all her worries. She was terrified of going to this party tonight. Kind of foolish for someone who prided themselves on not giving a flying fuck what anyone thought, but tonight was just... different.
Tonight she was going to step into Josh's world. His club. His friends. His family.
She knew she didn't belong there. Never had, never would. She almost understood the nerves. She felt a little like she was dressing up just to head into a pit of vipers. In four inch heels, there was no way she could even run.
The fear... that was another matter all together. She knew that tonight was going to be the end. She had been trying to prepare herself for this all week. She had slowly pulled back from him. She hadn't even spent the night with him since Sunday evening. She needed to get used to sleeping without him. They had gotten too close, too fast. She had hoped that by easing away from him, it would make things less painful for both of them tonight.
Somehow, she didn't think it was going to work.
She took her time, shaving her legs, scrubbing every inch of her body. By the time she stepped out of the shower, the water ran cold. She should have been loose as a wet noodle.
No such luck. If anything, her muscles felt even more tense than when she'd gotten in.
With a deep sigh, Gia just accepted the fact that the only way she was going to calm down tonight was alcohol. Luckily, Kelly was driving. And she would be here in just over an hour, so Gia had better step up the pace.
She blew out her hair, making sure every piece was dry before she threw some hot rollers in it. Her hair was naturally a little crazy, not really wavy but not really straight either. She had a kind of weird wave to it. Tonight, rather than straightening it out or tying it back in a braid, she wanted to enhance the curl. Pulling out some twisty rollers, she let them heat up while she tackled her makeup.
An hour later, she was as ready as she was going to get. Her hair was done in some crazy spiral curls that had the shots of color corkscrewing through the black. Her makeup, while still maintaining her personal sense of style, definitely held the look of a pinup from the forties. Perfect to complement her dress.
She had just slipped on her shoes when she heard the doorbell ring. Grabbing her mask she opened the door to Kelly who, as usual, looked stunning and perfect. Except for the rather stunned expression on her face.
"Damn! If I were into women, I would definitely date you!" Kelly said.
The comment startled a laugh out of Gia and did wonders to settle her nerves.
"Back at ya, baby."
Gia locked up and followed Kelly down to the car. Time to go prove to Josh just how different they really were.
* * * *
Josh had been standing around talking to Blake. Despite the masks that covered half your face, a stylized version of Phantom of the Opera, it was still fairly easy to identify your friends. At least, those you knew well.
They had been doing just that, watching everyone and trying to identify people they knew by build, eye color and smile.
Josh had just located Dev and turned to point him out to Blake when he heard him mumble, "Holy hell," under his breath.
He followed Blake's line of vision to see a woman who could only be Gia step into the ballroom.
Gia... who had been acting strange all week long.
Gia... who had completely blown him off last night.
Gia... who had told him there was no way she was coming tonight.
Yet, there she was. There was no possible way that the absolutely stunning creature standing in the doorway could be anyone else. It had to be her. Shiny, beautiful black hair shot through with bright red streaks. Her luscious lips, with a matching red lipstick shining in the light. Her black satin dress hugged every curve, stopping high enough to show her gorgeous calves, leading into shiny red heels. To top it off, she had deliberately picked a dress that would show off all the gorgeous artwork that covered her skin.
As if there was any way he could have possibly mistaken that body for anyone else's. With or without the ink.
"I thought you said she wasn't coming."
Blake's voice snapped Josh out of his little reverie, dragging him back to the present. "Yeah... that's because she said she wasn't."
"She looks..." Blake stopped, letting his eyes speak for him.
It was enough. Josh understood. "Yes, she does."
"So, you gonna go over there and ask what's up?"
Josh tilted back the glass of champagne some waiter had handed him, trying to get a little more control over his temper before he answered Blake. "No. I don't think I am."
Blake's head swung around to look at Josh, rather than continue gaping at Georgia. "Really?" At Josh's nod, Blake continued, "If I were you, I would get over there and at least make it known that you guys are together. She is someone unknown to the men in this room. She's also different. Throw in the fact that she is a total knockout, and I figure you have about five minutes before every single male in this room is vying for her attention. You need to let them know that she isn't available."
"No."
"What?"
"No. Things are not going so well with us right now. She blew me off yesterday and told me she wouldn't be here tonight. If she wants to talk to me, she can damn well come find me."
Blake nodded, his lips quirking up into a smirk that should have served to warn Josh, yet somehow he completely missed it. So he was shocked when Blake said, "So, you're totally fine if I head over there and see if I can't at least score a dance?"
Gritting his teeth, Josh forcibly released the grip he had on the empty champagne glass. It was either that or it would shatter. Sucking air through his teeth, he glared at Blake. "Sure, Blake. Go right ahead." He managed to force out the right words, although he knew Blake wasn't anywhere close to fooled.
Turning on his heel, Josh stomped off to find his parents. He knew they were here already and he hadn't yet greeted them. Maybe, if he focused on something else, he would somehow be able to ignore Gia dancing with other men.
Chapter 36
An hour later and Josh knew he was going to lose his mind. Gia had danced with every male in there that wasn't married or over sixty. And he wasn't a hundred percent sure some of them weren't married.
She was the belle of the goddamn ball.
Josh, on the other hand, was completely miserable. He wanted to go and ask her to dance, but he was still pissed that she was here at all. No, that wasn't right. He was pissed that she wasn't here with him.
It hadn't taken him long to figure out that it was Kelly she had arrived with. He had even had a chance for one dance with Kell. He was proud to say he had managed to be polite, charming, and he hadn't grilled her on why Gia had come with her and not with him.
After grabbing a scotch from the bar, he wander
ed around a little more until he finally located his parents. It wasn't that they were all that hard to identify, even with the masks, merely that the ballroom was particularly crowded this year. By the time he found his father, the man had disposed of the mask and was well on his way to cheerful inebriation.
Wishing he could drink enough to join his father in his merriment, Josh finished his first and only scotch of the evening. He still had to drive home, and since Gia hadn't come with him he hadn't bothered getting a limo.
So, he was done with alcohol tonight.
Fuck it, he was done with this party.
He slapped his father on the shoulder, kissed his mother's cheek and turned to head toward the exit, tossing his own mask on a table as he went. He made the mistake of looking at the dance floor as he walked by.
Gia was dancing again. Or maybe still dancing was a more appropriate description. This time she was dancing with a guy Josh knew was a few years younger than him. His name was Stephan, and he was a dickhead. Charming at first, he was a sexist pig, a cheating bastard and always out for the easy score. Since he was actively flirting with Gia, he must think she was going home with him tonight.
Josh froze in place, fighting down the raging fury. He tried to remind himself that Gia was more than smart enough to see through his smarmy little persona. She could take care of herself.
The second Stephan's hand slid down to Gia's ass, going so far as to cup and squeeze that tight flesh, all rational thought fled. Josh was operating on instinct, and instinct alone.
Josh stomped across the room, reaching the dance floor and pushing people out of his way. In the red haze that was clouding his vision, he somehow missed Gia removing Stephan's hand and shoving him none too gently away from her. By the time he reached them the only thing he could see was that Stephan's face was wide open to receive the closed fist of Josh's right hand.
Stephan went sprawling back, blood spraying from his nose as the mask he still wore went sliding across the dance floor.
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