Never Again Ch. 04

Gia walked barefoot from the bathroom to the patio doors and walked outside. The view was absolutely beautiful. The infinity pool's edge overflowed into a trough right at the border of the property, which overlooked the ocean; from where she stood, Gia could barely tell where the pool ended and the ocean began.

A large teak table with cushioned dining chairs and an umbrella flanked the glass doors and made the space seem perfect for outdoor parties. The pool was surrounded on one side with long, cushioned chaise lounge chairs. At the far end of the pool, a large, white, canvas day bed was covered with a dark brown rattan roof and surrounded by sheer white curtains. Overstuffed pillows littered the bed; a large square fire pit sat directly in front of it. As Gia eyes scanned the bed, she couldn't help but wonder if she was the first woman Scott had ever invited to the house, whether he'd used the seductive nature of the surroundings to full effect.

She eyed the bed, deep in thought; picturing the fire crackling in the Miami breeze, she could almost see Scott, his body rocking back and forth as he brought some anonymous beauty to orgasm. Gia's brows furrowed and she shook her head. Surely in the last ten years, Scott had been with many women, and in the clear daylight, Gia knew that the past wasn't nearly as important as the present.

The slate patio was warm beneath the soles of her feet, so Gia hurriedly walked to a lounge chair and set her bag next to it. She grabbed a hotel towel that she'd thrown into her bag that morning and dropped it at the edge of the pool. Without hesitation, she stood on her toes and dove straight into the water's glassy surface.

The water surrounded her and Gia felt immediately at peace. Her head became silent as she pulled the water with her hands, propelling her body from one end to the other. She never felt more serene than she did in the water. Her body relaxed, her mind cleared and she only focused on the movements of her legs and arms and the feeling of the water flowing past her as she swam.

Gia did one lap after the other; her muscles were beginning to ache. It was the kind of ache that she relished, just like when she ran, and it made her want to push harder. She lost track of time, and when she finally stopped and stood at the end of the pool Gia looked at her watch and realized that it was nearly 5:00. Scott was incredibly late, and Gia was beginning to wonder if he was having second thoughts about their spending time together.

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Scott gripped the knot in his tie and impatiently yanked it back and forth as he sped down the highway. After his meeting, he'd raced to the nearest grocery store and bought enough food to feed an army. He planned to grill skirt steak and make margaritas and he'd run through the store as though he was working his way through a marathon. He'd torn things off shelves and shoved them into his basket.

As he paid, he noticed an older woman struggling with her bags, and despite being insanely rushed, he stopped to help her. He walked with the woman to her car and loaded her groceries into her trunk. As he turned to walk back into the store to grab his own bags, the woman reached out and wrapped her arms around him, thanking him for his help. Scott stood, momentarily stunned, and hugged the woman back. She smiled warmly and told him how much she appreciated his help.

After getting everything in his car, Scott screeched from one street to another, unbuttoning his shirt and pulling his tie over his head. As he finally reached the roadway to Hibiscus Island he eased his grip on the wheel and relaxed as he drove down the small, house-lined streets. He swung into the driveway and was relieved to see that Gia's car was still in the driveway. In the back of his mind, he'd been worried that she might have left after waiting for him for so long. Scott waited for the garage door to open and pulled his car in. As he stood at the door to the house, he took a few deep breaths, readying himself to see her again.

Scott dropped the groceries onto the counter and swept through the kitchen into the living room. As he looked out the glass double-doors towards the pool, his breath caught in his chest. Gia was floating through the water; the sun was glinting over the surface and highlighting her long, lean frame. Her hair was floating behind her and created a dark halo around her head. He stood motionless, just watching her. She looked completely and utterly peaceful; she was devastatingly beautiful and he couldn't believe that she still made his chest ache and his heart pound.

Gia shifted in the water, turning over and flipping her head over her feet, so that she popped up from the water standing straight. She looked over towards the glass entrance and found Scott standing in the doorway, his suit rumpled and his hair standing on end. Gia smiled and plunged beneath the water, reaching the edge in less than a second. Bracing her hands along the slate tiles, she bent her knees and pushed herself from the water, using her arms to lift herself over the edge and exit the pool.

Scott watched Gia as she jumped from the water; her feet pressed against the warm slate tiles as she moved from a crouching position and stood upright. Scott involuntarily licked his lips as Gia stood; water dripped from her lithe body and each rivulet stroked over her curves. Her long hair rested over her shoulders, causing droplets to run between her breasts and over her tan torso. As a drop fell into her teardrop-shaped belly button, Scott shifted and swallowed hard. He fought the urge to charge towards her and peel the wet fabric from her body by shifting where he stood in order to hide his swelling erection.

Water ran from Gia's long legs; she strode towards him, smiling while her full breasts bounced in their wet confines. Instead of walking to him, Gia headed to the lounge chair and reached into her bag. She grabbed a towel and sheer sarong. Scott watched, his eyes never leaving her, as Gia dried herself and wrapped the thin fabric around her hips. Scott kept his eyes glued as she tied the sarong into a tight knot at her hip and walked to him.

As Gia approached, Scott shifted where he stood; Gia reached him and came to a halt about a foot from him. They stood, momentarily silent as they each tried to decide whether a hug was appropriate. Gia broke the silence by stepping towards and placing her hands on his shoulders, giving Scott a friendly hug. Scott's body relaxed as her hands touched him and he wrapped his arms around her frame.

"Wait, I don't want to get you wet." Scott ignored the fact that her hair and suit were getting his clothes wet and hugged her tight. Gia inhaled and closed her eyes. He smelled incredibly masculine and the scent made her swallow and step back.

The sun reflected off of the glass doors; Gia reached up to shield her eyes and got a good look at Scott. His shirt was completely rumpled and three buttons had been undone, his shirtsleeves were scrunched to his elbows and his hair stood straight up in the back. Her head tilted and her lips curved into a smile; she couldn't quite tell where the boy she remembered and the man that stood before her came together. He was so much the same and so different; like visiting a place from childhood only to find that its present reality is both exactly as remembered and completely different at the same time.

The stepped away from each other and smiled nervously.

"I'm so sorry that I'm late. I got stuck and then had to go to the store and-"

"Relax. I spent the entire time in the pool, so as far as I'm concerned, you can be late anytime, as long as I can wait here."

"Are you hungry?"

"Yea, absolutely." Gia followed Scott into the house and saw bags of groceries covering the counter. "Wow. Exactly what did you buy? Are we feeding the neighborhood?"

"How's lime marinated skirt steak sound?"

"Oooh, that sounds perfect. Let's see what else is in here."

Gia walked into the kitchen and over to the counter. Scott watched as she dug through bags and organized the groceries on the counter. She assessed the contents and began biting her bottom lip, and Scott watched her brow furrow as she looked around; he smiled as he watched her move and he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to have her there for dinner every night, to really be with her.

"So what else were you gonna make?"

"I don't know. I just grabbed and ran through the store. Any ideas?"

"Hmmm. Well, we could do chili roasted potatoes, and... ...okay, corn- if we grill it, I can do a salad. Ooo, you bought cheese, too. Yea, we can make a serious meal out of all of this."

Scott smiled at her, shaking his head.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing. I just remember that you used to hate cooking, and here you are pulling recipes out of thin air. I guess people do change."

"Yea, I guess. But make no mistake. It's not like I love to cook. As much as I tried to resist, I eventually absorbed those lectures my dad used to give about cooking. I just avoid doing it on a regular basis. You know, we could grill peaches for dessert. What do you think?"

"I'm impressed. Grilled peaches?"

"Yeah, they're incredible. We can use the goat cheese with them. Do you have honey?"

"Yeah, somewhere in the cabinet above the sink. Why?"

"You'll see. I swear, it'll be really good."

"Grilled peaches and you don't even really cook?"

"I just don't do it often because I hate cooking for one person. It's a lot of effort for one meal. Plus, I'm not home all that much. I'm all about cereal or leftovers these days."

"You work a lot, huh?"

"Probably too much, but I really love it."

"Do you still paint or draw or anything?"

"No, not in a long time. I just sort of stopped. I got busy with work and I don't have that much free time, and one day, I realized that it had been a year since I'd drawn a thing. I'm gonna start again. I just need to set aside some time."

"So, you work all the time, what else?"

"I work out, take care of my apartment, see friends. Same as everyone else. What about you?"

"Not much to tell. I've got a basketball team I coach twice a week and I play at my health club on Saturdays. Nothing super exciting. I like coaching, though."

"How old are the kids on your team?"

"They range from six to eight. All boys. It's really fun. I have to remind them to run to the other end of the court every time there's a turnover. It's hilarious."

"Wow, that's an amazing thing to do with your time. I keep thinking that I should set aside some time and do some volunteer work again. There's an art center that has classes for special ed students on Sunday's near my apartment, and I want to volunteer, but I end up working through the weekends and haven't managed to find the time."

"It sounds like you work crazy hours.

"I do, but I don't mind. I should cut back, actually have a social life. But I just don't make it enough of a priority, you know?"

Scott took a deep breath, "so, I take it you're not dating anyone?"

"No. I'm not. Juggling work and dating is not my strong suit. I haven't quite figured out how to fit the two together."

"Yeah, well, if you had, you'd probably be married by now..." Scott's voice trailed off as he imagined a different scenario in which she was settled in the suburbs with kids. It was an image that didn't sit well with him, and he knew that he was lucky that she was single.

"So, what's the plan here?"

"Okay, let's get started. I'm going to make a marinade for the steak. Are you good over there? Ready?"

"Yup. I'm going to start with the potatoes. Can you hand me a paring knife?"

As Scott handed Gia the knife, she smiled at him. She couldn't help but imagine what her life would be like if she were settled down, married. Or what it would be like if she were married to Scott. Would they cook together every night? Would their lives together be happy? The wondering was making Gia feel like a little girl dreaming of happily ever after; she shook her head and began working on the meal.

Scott and Gia stood in the kitchen cooking for over an hour. He moved back and forth between the kitchen and the grill, watching her every time she was in his line of sight.

She worked efficiently, there was no wrong move or confusion, she easily shifted between tasks and was totally focused on what she was doing. It gave Scott a chance to watch her; she still wore a sarong and bikini top and let his eyes trail down her back. He could see her muscles move beneath her skin and when his eyes fell on the curve of her lower back, he found himself staring at her and thinking about how something so delicate could also be so sexy.

That was just it; she was such a combination of juxtapositions; tough but gentle, sexy but sweet, funny but brilliant, complicated but easygoing. Gia was a lot more than just a beautiful woman. Scott stood thinking about all of the ways that other women couldn't compare to her, and as she leaned over to grab something from the back of the stove, he let his eyes rest on her ass. In that position, Scott's mind traveled to a darker place, one that had him pummeling her from behind, their naked bodies sticking to the cool countertops while he yanked her hair back so that he could force her to look at him.

"Hey. Hey! Where'd you go?" Gia's voice snapped Scott from his fantasy. "Are we ready?"

"Yeah, I think so. Did you do whatever it is you needed to with the peaches?"

"Yep, we're good. Where are we going to eat?"

"How about outside?"

"Sure. I'll grab the food."

They gathered utensils, plates, glasses and a bottle of wine and sat down for dinner. They were initially quiet as they began eating. The food was delicious, and Scott couldn't help but be impressed by Gia's cooking.

"This salad is really good. The goat cheese was genius."

Gia thanked Scott, and looking right at him, she giggled.

"What's funny?"

"You still do the thing where you cut your food with your right hand and then switch your fork over to the right hand to eat. You always used to do that."

"Yeah, and you still tap your feet under the table. Did you think that I didn't notice at dinner last night? You used to do that every time we sat down. Good to know some things don't change."

The conversation began to flow easily; the talked about their families, life since college and the things they missed about living in Chicago. Eventually, the talk shifted to people back home. Scott told Gia that he didn't see many guys from high school anymore, but there were two friends he'd kept. Gia mentioned a few girlfriends, most of whom were married and living in their hometown. Scott noticed her hesitancy when she spoke of her married friends, as though it was something she wasn't sure of. She didn't sound jealous or disdainful, but there was a definite change in her tone when she spoke of people starting families and being settled. Scott didn't question her change in tone, but he definitely noticed it.

"So, do you ever see Lori?" As soon as Scott asked, he wished he hadn't. They had been talking about best friends from school and it just slipped out.

"No, not in years." Gia's eyes were cast down, though she didn't say more.

"I'm sorry Gia, I never should have hurt you and I never wanted you to lose your best friend."

"Scott, you don't have to do this. It was so long ago, it doesn't matter."

"Yeah, it does. My mistake changed a lot for you, and I would do anything to take it back."

"Look Scott, my not being friends with Lori wasn't just about you. I mean, we stayed friends through college, but in the end, it was just too hard and she was a shit friend."

"You stayed friends with her after everything?"

"I mean, she was my best friend. I couldn't just drop her, as much as I wanted to. We were friends from the time we were ten. I spent almost every weekend with her for eight years before... ...well you and her...and then the summer after our third year in college she...did some things...in the end, I wished her a good life but told her that I couldn't be a part of it. After I said that I never called her again and she never called me. Just like that, my best friend of a dozen years was out of my life."

Scott looked directly a Gia's face, but his expression was unreadable. She waited as an awkward silence fell over them. He was still staring at her face, and the silence made Gia look away.

"What?" she asked. "Scott, what?"

"Nothing, I'm just thinking about everything that happened. I guess I assumed that when you cut me out of your life you cut her out too. I'm just surprised that you stayed friends with her but dropped me."

"C'mon, Scott. Things with you and I had just started, everything was new. I had such a long history with Lori, it was different. I didn't talk to her for months after college started, but she called me after Thanksgiving and we just kind of moved on. I was still adjusting to life in college and I missed my friend. I didn't intentionally forgive her and not you; and truthfully, in the end, I never could let go of what she did and that was part of why we're not friends anymore."

"Yeah, Gia, but you gave Lori another chance. And I tried for months to get in touch with you. I showed up at your house, called your cell, tried talking to your brothers. I even tried emailing you. I spent first semester of my freshman your racking my brain trying to figure out a way to get back into your life. And all that time you just gave Lori a pass? She was the one who knew how you felt about me. When I screwed her, I didn't think that you and I would ever get together; she was an easy screw and I regretted it immediately, but I never wanted to hurt you. On the other hand, Lori came at me just to hurt you, you knew it then and you still know it now. And she's the one that you forgave. I just don't get it." Scott was pissed and wasn't trying to hide it; he was fuming. The more he thought about all of the time that had passed, time they could have spent together, and all of the mistakes that had been made because they weren't, the angrier he became.

Gia felt herself becoming defensive as Scott became more frustrated. "Do you know how much you hurt me? I was used to taking crap from Lori, she was always a bitch. But before everything, I thought that you were the kind of person that would never hurt me; even when we were friends, you always looked out for me and made me feel special.

Even though I knew that you could be a dick to the girls you screwed, you never treated me like that. Do you know that you used to hold doors for me? Do you remember when we would walk to the car after working at the shelter? Every time, you put your coat over my shoulders because you didn't want me to be cold. You used to wait until I got into my house every time you dropped me off at home just to make sure I got in. No one had ever treated me that way.

All that time I told myself that you treated me differently because I wasn't one of the girls that you were trying to get into bed. Then, I found out that I wasn't crazy, that you loved me too, and in the blink of an eye, it all got taken away. Everything that I thought about you felt wrong, and it just broke me. I know that I handled it badly. If I could do it over, I would.

The reason that I forgave Lori is because I never cared enough about her to let her hurt me that way; you, on the other hand, I couldn't believe that I had loved someone that could make me feel so bad. Don't you see, Scott?"

Her eyes pleaded, but all that Scott could think of was her stubbornness and the missed opportunities it had caused. Lori had seduced him, he had barely been coherent, and he was the one that was punished. And it pissed him off and left a bitter taste in his mouth.