before."
When Gia didn't answer right away, Kelly kept prodding.
"Come on Gia, just spit it out. You obviously need to talk to someone, and
I'm not leaving here until I find out what's going on. Don't make me keep
guessing."
"All right! Damn, Kell you can be really pushy
sometimes, you know that?"
"Yes, yes, I know... Now stop deflecting."
On a sigh Gia finally decided to just spit it all out and
let the chips fall where they may. She figured she was about to lose her
friends over this, but Kelly was like a dog with a bone... she was not going to
let this go.
"Josh... kissed me." On another deep sigh, she
blurted out, "And I kissed him back."
"Last night? At the bar?"
"No, at my shop.... when he got his tattoo."
Gia watched as Kelly did some mental math. "So, like
almost two months ago?"
Gia nodded, waiting for the look of judgment, the disgust
she was sure was forthcoming. Instead Kelly just looked like she'd solved a riddle
of some sort.
"Well, that explains a lot."
"It does?"
"Yes, it definitely does. I even told Shannon there was
something... different with you two at the lake that day, and at the Tavern.
When I saw the tattoo, I just chocked it up to that, like some little secret
you guys shared or something, but this makes a lot more sense."
"And you don't hate me... or think I'm the worst person
in the world?"
Kelly laughed, "No... why would I hate y.... Ahhh,
because of Deb. You think I'll hate you because of Deb."
Gia started to nod, then ended on a shrug. "Yeah,
maybe. Or because, there was more than a kiss."
"Damn it Gia, just spill it... all of it. I promise I'm
not going to judge you, or hate you, or anything else. We're friends. So, you
have had sex with him?"
"No... well, yes... no. Aahh, hell. No, not sex. But,
we've messed around, kind of. Once. But it was before he and Deb broke up.
Maybe that's why they broke up. I ruined a perfectly good relationship because
I couldn't keep my damn shirt on, or stop my body's reaction to his
amazing..."
She looked up into Kelly's face, and she still saw no anger,
only... humor? Was that a little smirk she saw?
"His amazing... what? Ass, shoulders, abs, kisses, or
did we just go straight to the package?"
"Kell!"
Now Kelly did laugh, long and loud. "Come on Gia, I've
known the guy for the better part of a decade, same as you. It hasn't escaped
my notice that he is well put together. I'm just trying to figure out how I
didn't see this before."
"See what before?"
"You and Josh... it actually makes sense, really.
Almost more sense than he and Deb."
"Huh... bullshit. It makes no sense whatsoever. That's
why I kept it to myself all these years," Gia mumbled under her breath.
"Years, huh? How many years, exactly?"
"Shit, if I'm confessing my sins, I guess I may as well
confess all of them... probably about eight years."
"So, since you met him?" At Gia's nod, she
continued, "He and Deb have only been together for like four or so years,
why didn't you say anything before that?"
Gia cocked her head to one side and raised her eyebrow.
"Don't give me that look... answer the question."
"Same reason that nothing else is going to happen now.
It won't work, it can't work. Not then, not now, not ever."
"Okay... so then what's with the 'dancing'?"
Gia sighed again, "That would be my body betraying my
mind. I'm blaming it on vodka."
They talked for awhile longer, until Gia was actually
convinced that Kelly didn't hate her. After awhile they moved on to different
topics, including some things happening at Kelly's work. Specifically a cute
guy that had recently been hired. When Gia looked at the clock and realized she
needed to shower and get ready for work herself, Kelly headed for the door.
"Kell, let's not mention anything to anyone else please?
About my... rather indiscreet behavior. It's over... it won't happen again. I
promise."
Kelly nodded. "Sure thing. But Gia, just so we're
clear, if it did happen again, or if you wanted a relationship with him
When Gia didn't answer right away, Kelly kept prodding.
"Come on Gia, just spit it out. You obviously need to talk to someone, and
I'm not leaving here until I find out what's going on. Don't make me keep
guessing."
"All right! Damn, Kell you can be really pushy
sometimes, you know that?"
"Yes, yes, I know... Now stop deflecting."
On a sigh Gia finally decided to just spit it all out and
let the chips fall where they may. She figured she was about to lose her
friends over this, but Kelly was like a dog with a bone... she was not going to
let this go.
"Josh... kissed me." On another deep sigh, she
blurted out, "And I kissed him back."
"Last night? At the bar?"
"No, at my shop.... when he got his tattoo."
Gia watched as Kelly did some mental math. "So, like
almost two months ago?"
Gia nodded, waiting for the look of judgment, the disgust
she was sure was forthcoming. Instead Kelly just looked like she'd solved a riddle
of some sort.
"Well, that explains a lot."
"It does?"
"Yes, it definitely does. I even told Shannon there was
something... different with you two at the lake that day, and at the Tavern.
When I saw the tattoo, I just chocked it up to that, like some little secret
you guys shared or something, but this makes a lot more sense."
"And you don't hate me... or think I'm the worst person
in the world?"
Kelly laughed, "No... why would I hate y.... Ahhh,
because of Deb. You think I'll hate you because of Deb."
Gia started to nod, then ended on a shrug. "Yeah,
maybe. Or because, there was more than a kiss."
"Damn it Gia, just spill it... all of it. I promise I'm
not going to judge you, or hate you, or anything else. We're friends. So, you
have had sex with him?"
"No... well, yes... no. Aahh, hell. No, not sex. But,
we've messed around, kind of. Once. But it was before he and Deb broke up.
Maybe that's why they broke up. I ruined a perfectly good relationship because
I couldn't keep my damn shirt on, or stop my body's reaction to his
amazing..."
She looked up into Kelly's face, and she still saw no anger,
only... humor? Was that a little smirk she saw?
"His amazing... what? Ass, shoulders, abs, kisses, or
did we just go straight to the package?"
"Kell!"
Now Kelly did laugh, long and loud. "Come on Gia, I've
known the guy for the better part of a decade, same as you. It hasn't escaped
my notice that he is well put together. I'm just trying to figure out how I
didn't see this before."
"See what before?"
"You and Josh... it actually makes sense, really.
Almost more sense than he and Deb."
"Huh... bullshit. It makes no sense whatsoever. That's
why I kept it to myself all these years," Gia mumbled under her breath.
"Years, huh? How many years, exactly?"
"Shit, if I'm confessing my sins, I guess I may as well
confess all of them... probably about eight years."
"So, since you met him?" At Gia's nod, she
continued, "He and Deb have only been together for like four or so years,
why didn't you say anything before that?"
Gia cocked her head to one side and raised her eyebrow.
"Don't give me that look... answer the question."
"Same reason that nothing else is going to happen now.
It won't work, it can't work. Not then, not now, not ever."
"Okay... so then what's with the 'dancing'?"
Gia sighed again, "That would be my body betraying my
mind. I'm blaming it on vodka."
They talked for awhile longer, until Gia was actually
convinced that Kelly didn't hate her. After awhile they moved on to different
topics, including some things happening at Kelly's work. Specifically a cute
guy that had recently been hired. When Gia looked at the clock and realized she
needed to shower and get ready for work herself, Kelly headed for the door.
"Kell, let's not mention anything to anyone else please?
About my... rather indiscreet behavior. It's over... it won't happen again. I
promise."
Kelly nodded. "Sure thing. But Gia, just so we're
clear, if it did happen again, or if you wanted a relationship with him
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