Chapter 21: This is for Joe, because he makes me keep writing so that he has something to read when he's bored -__-
“So?? How was your date?” Mark asked excitedly as soon as Gema came back to the gallery later that day. She scowled at him as she took off her cardigan.
“It wasn’t a date, we just had lunch.”
“Exactly, you had lunch, alone, just the two of you. It was a date, Gema, don’t play these games with me.” Mark demanded, swiveling in his chair to answer the now ringing phone.
“Oh how was your date?!” Katie asked from a ladder as she took down the display art in the window to rotate in a new piece. Gema steadied the ladder for her, looking out the window as she thought.
“It wasn’t a date.” Gema said again, but Jamie’s words at the table kept playing in her head. He liked her, he said. He insisted over and over, that he really liked her. What was to like about her?
“What’s not to like?” Katie said, and Gema didn’t realize she’d spoken outloud. “You’re intelligent, cultured, you have a body to kill for, and you’re not a shallow bitch.” Katie shrugged. “Sounds like a perfect girl to me.”
“Katie, there’s really only room for one queer in this office, and I just couldn’t handle it if you started hitting on Gema.” Mark said from the desk.
“Oh shut up Mark!” Gema and Katie yelled in unison, and were answered by Mark’s roaring laughter.
“Seriously though Gem.” Katie said as she climbed off the ladder and looked at Gema. “You’re not going to be 25 forever, okay? Sooner of later you’re going to have to get off of this dating hiatus, and start looking for a proper father figure for Kai, and a good man for yourself.” Katie bumped her hip into Gema’s gently as she walked passed.
“What she really means,” Mark said as Gema leaned her elbows on the front desk and looked at him. “Is that you need to get laid.”
“Mark! That is not what I meant!” Katie exclaimed from the loft, but he just rolled his eyes.
“Come on, Gema, we all know you haven’t been dating anyone since before we met you, which means you haven’t been getting it from anywhere but the top shelf of your dresser drawer.” Gema blushed crimson, but Mark carried on, paying her no mind. “You seriously need to get some, and Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Bangable seems like the perfect candidate.”
“Really, Mark, just because your world revolves around sex, doesn’t mean everyone else’s has to-”
“My world?! Don’t even start with me, Katie, you’re the one listening to fertility music-”
“I am TRYING to get INSPIRED-!”
“Yeah, inspired to get LAID-!”
Gema rolled her eyes and ignored them as they yelled at each other across the gallery, glancing at her watch and deciding to head out early and pick up Kai. Maybe they were both right, she mused as she collected her things and threw her cardigan over her shoulders. She hadn’t dated anyone since Vistos, having sworn all guys off, but maybe it was time to raise that ban. If not for her sake, at least for Kai’s. He really needed a stable male figure in his life, and let’s face it, Mark is hardly stable, and barely male. Perhaps she’d give Jamie a chance. He was a really nice guy, and God was he cute.
Two days later, Jamie showed up at the gallery again during lunch time, and again Gema let him take her out to lunch. They talked and laughed about anything and everything, which had Gema soon realizing he wasn’t as ignorant to art as he would have her believe.
“There’s no way you own an adertising and design firm and you don’t know anything about art! You’re just lying to me!”
Jamie laughed. “Would you believe me if I told you I was only the brains of the operation?” He flashed that dazzling smile at her as they walked back to the art gallery and Gema nearly tripped, she was so mesmerized by it.
“No I wouldn’t! I bet you’re crap with numbers!”
Jamie laughed again, throwing his head back, and Gema laughed with him. They arrived at the gallery and he leaned against the door frame as he smiled down at her. “So are you gonna let me take you out on a proper date?”
Gema bit her lip, hesitating, then she nodded shyly.
“Yeah? Can I pick you up tomorrow at 8?”
Gema nodded again and he grinned. “Are you gonna talk at all on the date?” She smiled up at him then.
“Yeah, I’ll talk some.”
“Awesome. I’ll see you tomorrow night then.”
“Okay.” Gema watched him walk away, then she went into the gallery and smiled politely at the few customers who were looking around before going upstairs and sitting down at her computer. Mark soon joined her, and he sat down eagerly on the corner of her desk.
“Okay, details, is he a good kisser?”
“What?! Mark! Why did you ask me that?!” Gema asked, shocked, and Mark shrugged.
“Because you have a smile on your face the size of Texas! Now I’m assuming its cause he kisses like a pro, so gimme the details!”
“We didn’t kiss! He just….is taking me out tomorrow night on a date.”
Mark didn’t say anything, just looked at her expectantly. “What?!” Gema asked, exasperated.
“I’m waiting for you to tell me more, because you guys have already been on two dates.”
“What? No we havent-”
“Yes, you have, Gema. You may not have thought of them as dates, but he certainly has. And seeing as how this will be the third date, I suggest you wear your sexy underwear, if you still have any. And if you don’t, well then you need to go buy some, because everyone knows on the third date, it is customary to say good morning instead of good night.” Mark said pointedly before walking away and leaving Gema confused, and worried.
“You look great,” Nikki, Kai’s nanny, insisted as Gema looked in the mirror at her third outfit change for the night. She was wearing a dark blue skirt with a cream colored, tight fitting tank top, and a dark blue cardigan, topped off with woven wedges.
“What about my hair? Should I do something different?” Her hair was down and slightly wavy, and Nikki shook her head as she texted on her phone.
“No, don’t touch it.”
Gema sighed and looked at her watch anxiously. Jamie was going to be here any minute! She ran to check her face in the mirror again, and Nikki called to her from the bedroom. “So I’m going to get going now.”
“What?! You can’t leave!” Gema came out, shocked. “You cant cancel on me right now!”
“Nooo, I was going to bring Kai with me to my place,” Nikki said as she put down her phone. She was a college kid, went to the local university, and worked in the art gallery on the weekends just helping out. “You know, so your apartment would be empty when you got home? It is your third date.” Nikki said as if it were obvious.
“It is?” Gema asked, unsure now.
“Well duh, two lunches, and now dinner? It’s about time you got to the good stuff.” Nikki grinned at her. “And if what Mark says is true, this guy is a total hunk. I hope you’re wearing sexy underwear too.” Nikki added, and Gema looked down at herself, then fled into her closet to change.
“Stupid, stupid! I hate dating.” Gema muttered as she searched through her drawer for cute underwear. She had pretty much outgrown all the sexy underwear she used to own when she had Kai, and she’d never gotten around to replacing it. But this wasn’t how she worked anyway! The third date, and that was it? Hit the sheets already? She was living with Vistos for three weeks before anything happened between them! And even then, it was always understood what would happen. Jesus, she’d never been with another man but Vistos! Oh God, just the thought was making her feel sick. Just then the doorbell rang, and Nikki called that she would get it. No time for second thoughts now, Gema thought as she grabbed her clutch and hoped she was dressed appropriate to wherever they were going. Stopping in to kiss Kai’s already sleeping form goodnight, Gema then made her way down the stairs to where Nikki and Jamie were waiting in the foyer. Jamie looked as devastatingly handsome as ever in a light blue polo and dark dress pants, his feet clad in his ever present Sperry’s. He smiled when he saw her, and Gema couldn’t help but smile back.
“You look…..dazzling.” Jamie complimented her, and Gema blushed slightly, looking down.
“Thank you, so do you.”
He chuckled. “I doubt I’m dazzling, but I’ll take it nonetheless. These are for the little man.” Jamie held out a toy mechanical airplane in a box and Gema took it, surprised and delighted.
“Thank you! This was so thoughtful.”
Jamie rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and shrugged. “Just, a little something, no big deal. Um, shall we?”
“Of course.” Gema handed the gift to Nikki. “If Kai wakes up, just read to him until he goes to bed, and don’t let him have any cookies because he already had two at dinner. Oh, and if anyone calls, don’t tell them where I am or-”
“-or give out any information about you and Kai, yes, yes, Ms. Dodge, I know the drill. Have fun!” Nikki said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at Gema behind closing the door behind them.
“So, where are we going?” Gema asked once they were seated and strapped into Jamie’s BMW.
“Well, I hope you like musicals, because I got us tickets to see The Lion King, the Musical.”
“Really? Oh wow, I’ve always wanted to see the play!“ Gema said excitedly, and Jamie flashed her a smile.
“Yeah? You’re not just saying that?”
“No, really,” Gema insisted. “Kai loves the movie, he’s made me watch it at least 30 times.”
Jamie laughed at that. “Well good, cause I’m really just a big kid, and I really wanted to see it.”
During the play, somehow, Jamie’s hand ended up resting on hers on the arm rest, and Gema nearly hyperventilated. Okay, just play it cool, she coached herself, no big deal, it’s just a hand, no big deal. His hand was warm and large, his fingers slender and his nails cut short. Gema found herself focusing less on the play and more on the fact that this was supposedly their “third date”. Would he expect her to invite him inside? Sleep with him? Why were men always expecting her to sleep with them? Gema thought with a scowl, and Jamie leaned towards her, startling her as his breath brushed her ear.
“Everything okay?” He asked, his eyes wandering from her eyes to her lips and back.
“F-fine,” Gema stuttered, trying to smile convincingly, and Jamie smiled faintly before settling back against his chair. Gema took a deep breath and prayed her hands wouldn’t get sweaty.
After an amazing play performance, they bought hot dogs off of a street vendor and ate them as they walked slowly back to the car. The nightlife of London was out and about, music spilling though dimly lit doorways, couples holding hands, some even making out against walls, and Gema found herself people watching as they walked.
“I love this city.” Jamie said with a small sigh, and Gema smiled faintly.
“So do I. You’re originally from….Italy?”
Jamie grinned at her. “Close. I was actually born in Greece, but my family moved to Turin, which is a city pretty much right on the France and Italy border. I spent about, my entire childhood in Italy, and then went to university in France, so when I had the opportunity to work for a company that wasn’t in either place, well.” He shrugged. “I couldn’t pass that up.”
“Parle vu francais?” Gema asked excitedly, and Jamie grinned just as bright as he answered.
“Oui, je parle!” Gema laughed and Jamie joined her, casually linking their hands as they walked back to his gleaming BMW. Jamie walked her to the passenger side, but paused before opening it, looking down at Gema with those clear green eyes of his, and Gema barely heard what he was saying at first.
“…..out that many times, and I really barely know you but….I feel so connected to you.”
He was close, Gema realized too late, way closer than he had been. Jamie’s hands came up to frame her face, his face descending towards her as her eyelids fluttered closed on their own accord, raising to her toes to meet his lips with hers.
“Gema?”
She stilled at the sound of that voice. The voice that had called out to her in a million dreams, a thousand nightmares, but was never there when she opened her eyes.
“Vistos.”