"THIS TIME AROUND"
By: gb
Chapter 25
The commotion in the restaurant was cleared up as quickly as was possible and Scott and Ryan spent the next several minutes trying somewhat unsuccessfully to clean up the food that was plastered to them.
Gillian and Mateo waited patiently for them in the vestibule of the dining room and the two came there to join them a few minutes later.
Ryan had carefully avoided Gillian's eyes until now and after looking at her, he scowled at Mateo who wore a unreadable expression on his face.
Gillian stared at Ryan and shook her head in disbelief. "You've just really flipped out, you know that, Ryan? What's the matter with you?"
"I'll tell you what's the matter, Princess," Ryan stated looking at Mateo. "He is! He was all over you and don't you deny it!"
"I'm not denying it! We planned it that way. We wanted to show you what you so obviously thought you were going to see. You have no right to be jealous here."
"Oh, I don't-" Ryan began angrily.
"No." insisted Gillian frankly. "You don't. Mateo has been a great friend and an absolute gentleman and I'm ashamed that you would think otherwise. You've embarrassed yourself, me, Scott-even Mateo. Do you really think that I would just forget everything that we've been working on and start up with Mateo?"
She put her hand on Matt's shoulders and continued. "He's been very good to me and our meetings have helped us both. How could you, Ryan?"
Ryan was feeling more foolish by the minute and he knew that every word she spoke was true.
"Ok," he admitted. "I was a jerk and I made Scott one too, but I had every reason- you were so into Mateo and being around him. I guess I went a little crazy."
"A little?" Gillian asked. "Well, Ryan. I'm going to finish my evening with my friend and I think you should go home and get rid of "Buffy" for good! And Scott, I'm not even going to tell you how stupid it was to go along with Ryan on this- and to drag poor Becca into it,too!"
The two men watched Gillian and Mateo return to their table.
Ryan was so humilliated and tired and just plain angry at himself that he made no objections when Scott quietly suggested they go home.
Ryan was in his room at Wildwind waiting for Gillian. He figured she would still be so mad at him that she would be sleeping by herself tonight.
Ryan had cleaned up and showered was in his pajamas when he heard the door open and Gillian entered the room.
He looked up and saw that she was not in her night shirt or boxer shorts set,but in a short sleeveless filmy white gown. He thought she looked like an angel standing there.
Ryan immediately started the conversation. "I know you hate my guts, Princess, but please let me explain."
"I was mad," she admitted still standing in front of the now closed door. "But because I guess you don't trust me, huh? Because I had an affair on you once- I'll wear that mark forever."
"No!" Ryan exclaimed standing up. "I know you're not that way now. But Mateo. I know he's a good guy and he seems to help you more than I ever did. I guess I was always afraid that you'd see he was so much better than me and something might happen. After all, I was the one who started something with his wife after I said we were friends."
Ryan finished now waiting for her to speak which she did.
"Mateo isn't trying to get back at you, Ryan. We really are friends. And I'm not going to stop seeing him or going to meetings. I want to do this so that I can still be with you. I want this for us. Please understand." Gillian spoke quietly but with purpose.
"I guess I'll just try to deal with it." Ryan said. He looked guilty as he said, "I bet I looked really stupid tonight. Did you know the whole time?"
She shook her head. "Not until we made eye contact the other night. I corner Becca after that and she sang like an duck!"
Ryan grinned at her flub. "Canary." he supplied for her.
"What?"
"Never mind. I really made a fool out of myself and Scott,too. I hope he won't hate me for this."
"Actually," Gillian said, grinning. "I have my camera in here somewhere. I was hoping for a picture with Buffy. Someday, we can share it with our grandkids. They'll never beieve it!"
"No." Ryan stated. "Not on your life, Princess. Buffy is gone for good!!"
They stood staring at each other for a few moments, the silence suddenly filling the room.
"Hey," he asked lazily. "What are you still doing all the way over there?"
Gillian made her way over slowly, letting the material of her gown brush against her thighs silently as she came up to him.
He reached for her hands and carefully pulled her to him.
"Still mad at me?" he brushed his lips seductively across her cheek.
She shook her head and she closed her eyes in sheer pleasure.
"Stay here,tonight?" he asked, his lips now on her neck.
Gillian could never think straight when he did these things-it had been like that even before they married. Now, it was impossible. Her anger was long gone like it had never existed. She just nodded her head for him.
Ryan pulled back and he looked at her again.
"What?" he asked, still holding hands with her.
"Well, I was thinking," she said carefully. "We sleep in the same bed again-except that time I was mad at you- and I just thought..."
She led him over to the bed now and she sat down as he looked down at her and she continued.
"I've been thinking, Ryan...maybe we should just start moving on with us, you know..."
"What are you saying?" he asked and then she began to caress his lower abdomen slowly and placed a small kiss on his bellybutton and he understood.
"Oh," he smiled. "Baby, are you sure- you're ready?"
"Mmmm." she told him and stopped kissing him long enough to say, "I think we're both ready and maybe we should talk about baby Lavery, too. Edmund was right. We need to get on with this if we're ever going to and I want to so much. Do you?"
For his answer, Ryan leaned down and kissed her lingeringly and was about to pull her up, when she stopped him.
"Wait, Ryan. Not tonight. Tomorrow, because there's something I have to take care of first in the morning and it can't wait." She told him remembering.
"Another decision?" he asked.
"Yes, absolutely. This one's been a long time in coming. But, I have to do it, ok?" she finished,thinking he might get upset.
Ryan agreed. "Ok, I think I can wait one more night. How about we make an evening of it,then? We can have dinner up here and then..."
He pulled her carefully up now and helped her put her arms around him and he joined his around her and continued. "then, just let things happen...like they always do..."
"It's been awhile for us," she reminded him.
"I think we'll remember..." he leaned down and kissed her hair and breathed in its scent as thoughts of their few passionate times together flooded his mind...and hers.....
(end of part 25)
Next time: Gillian gives her decision to Jake but he's not ready to give up and she prepares for her much anticipated night with Ryan at Wildwind...