"THIS TIME AROUND"
by: gb
Chapter 4
Ryan, Gillian, and Jake entered the Valley Inn dining room and waited for the maitre’d.
Upon checking the reservations book, the man frowned and said,
“The Martin reservations are for two.”
Jake set his face in a thin line as he cast Ryan a disapproving look and Gillian shifted uncomfortably. Through it all, Ryan had just grinned nonchalantly. Finally, he spoke up.
“Don’t worry about it, Jake,” he assured him. “Gillian and I can just share a chair- can’t we, Princess?”
He looked at her and continued smiling. Her eyes turned wide in surprise and she looked pleadingly at Jake.
Dr. Martin turned to the maitre’d and spoke in a tense voice, “Could we please get a table for three?”
He looked as if he was about to say something, but apparently decided against it after looking at the three of them. Instead, he led them to the far side of the large room and a large enough table.
Jake pulled Gillian’s chair out for her and seemed pleased with himself that he was seated next to her with Ryan on the other end until he saw when they were all seated, Ryan was the one facing Gillian instead of him and that was obviously just fine with Ryan…and Gillian.
As the threesome looked at their menus, Gillian couldn’t help but look over the top of hers at her two companions, but it was not Jake who was holding her interest, but her ex-husband.
Ryan’s blue eyes stared back at her and she could see the top of his head with its soft, brown hair. How many times had she touched that hair whether with him sleeping in her lap during the night or her dancing in his arms or sitting across from him during a conversation when she would absently reach out her hand and lightly touch his temples(sometimes not even realizing that she was doing it until she saw herself taking her hand away if one of them moved), and once during what had been, for both of them, the greatest tragedy of their lives…
The memory, which she had tried so hard to squash out of her heart and mind, jolted her back to the present and she forced herself to look away from him.
Soon after they had ordered, music had started playing and Ryan beat Jake in asking Gillian to dance.
As the two started moving way too slow, holding each other way too close, Ryan remarked, “You look too pretty tonight, Princess,” his voice was buttery soft. “Why are you all dressed up- just for me? I’m flattered.”
She stiffened instantly. “You flatter yourself.”
Mumbling something that he suspected was in her native Hungarian, she tried to move a little away from him, but he wasn’t loosening an inch. She was forced to give up her efforts.
“Princess, be careful,” he teased. “Before the good doctor and everyone in this room thinks you’re just trying to get even closer to me.”
“I’m not!” she insisted, whispering, her eyes flashing.
“Why are you trembling?” he raised an eyebrow.
To her horror, she realized her body was responding in excitement at being near him.
“It’s kind of cold in here,” she said, her face flushed in embarrassment.
“Actually, I’m kind of warm.”
Trying to hold onto her temper, she demanded, “Never mind that- what the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
He looked confused.
“Don’t play innocent,” she continued. “When we came in here tonight- what was that break?"
“Break?” he asked and then realization came over him and he laughed quietly, spinning her around. “You mean crack.”
Gillian was never going to get the hang of American terms or slang and somehow, he was glad.
"Gilli, don’t ever change,” he requested happily. “I love you too much like this.”
Seeing that she was waiting for an answer, he shrugged. “About the chair? I was just trying to be helpful.”
“Oh, yeah, right.” Gillian was sarcastic in her reply. “You just wanted to embarrass Jake and me.”
“Embarrass Jake Martin? Yeah, ok. I’ll go with that. But you?” He shook his head as he gazed into her eyes.
“Not in a million years, Baby.” That’s not exactly the goal I had in mind.”
"I want to go back to the table now,” she told him, all nervous and excited again. His words along with the touch of his body next to hers was just shaking her up all over the place!
“You’re way out of Jake’s league, Princess,” he stated leading her back to the table.
“He won’t be able to handle you for long. No passion for you, either. You’ll just have him tied up in knots with treadmarks over his backside in no time. Why don’t you just leave that poor man alone? You need someone who disturbs you as much as you disturb them.”
"Do I disturb you, Ryan?” she wanted to know.
“To my very soul, which you own,” he said matter-of-factly. “And I can put on the gloves, get in the ring, and go the ten rounds with you, too, instead of ending up face down on the canvas out of breath like you know who.”
He wasn’t sure if she understood him or not, and anyway, they were back at the table.
Jake, who had been scowling at them the entire time, rose to take his turn of the dance floor.
“Gee, I’m kind of tired, Jake,” Ryan grinned. “Why don’t you ask Gillian? She’d probably love to dance with you.”
“You’re a riot, Ryan.” He said in frustration as Gillian accepted his hand and the two went out to the floor.
Ryan sat back and watched them. Spaced properly apart, they seemed to enjoy an easy rapport with each other unlike the volatile one that He shared with Gilli. Given enough time, and a general lack of imagination, they could grow to love each other a lot and remain perfectly content for years together…and never once fall in love with each other, he knew. Princess would spend the rest of her life half asleep, her world devoid of passion and excitement and the kind of joyous and heated love like whenever she and Ryan were together! Once, he had believed Jake was exactly what was best for her and a quiet, stable life to go with him. Now, he knew different- Ryan, himself, was what Gillian needed and he was going to have to take matters in his own hand. He knew that ultimately, the choice must be hers and hers alone and knew that Jake’s record was, at first, better than his own, but he sure was going to bring his case to her.
When Jake and Gillian returned to the table, she excused herself and went to the ladies’ room, leaving the two men at the table by themselves.
“I’m having a great time, Jake, thanks for asking,” Ryan said good-naturedly.
“Well, I could see that by the spectacle you were making of yourself out on the dance floor.” Jake told him. “In fact, I’m sure the whole room could see it.”
Ryan was nonchalant. “Gillian and I have always loved dancing together.”
“Is that what you call it? I think I’ve seen less body contact in wrestling. This is a public place.”
“We used to be married,” Ryan defended himself. “Our bodies used to be a lot more contacted than this. But that’s really none of your business.”
Jake shifted in anger at those last words and Ryan’s easy smile no longer reached his eyes.
He knew Jake was an alright guy and Gillian had no complaints and she wasn’t looking unhappy. But it was taking a lot of strength on his part not to knock his fist across the other man’s jaw. Too late, Ryan realized that while he had had the best of intentions, Jake now felt that he had a right to make and voice his own opinions where Gillian was concerned.
He really has become a part of her life, Ryan thought sadly. And I let it happen. I handed Gillian to him on a silver platter. He remembered how easily they connected and their shared times that Ryan had seen in misery at SOS. Had Jake been there for her during that nightmare time in their lives when Ryan had wanted to desperately but couldn’t? Had he helped her through it?
Jake interrupted his thoughts and said, “I think we both know you didn’t get an invitation here with us tonight by accident.”
“You can think whatever you like.”
“Look, Ryan, you’re the one who said you didn’t want to be married to Gillian anymore. So do her a favor and stay away. Stop confusing her.”
“And how am I doing that?”
“By hanging around, getting in the way, putting crazy, romantic ideas in her head. Not exactly the way divorced people should act.”
“I think Gillian can make her own choices without any influences from me or anyone else. And in case you didn’t know, Jake, we’re not your typical divorced couple. We share a very unique and special relationship. You can’t define it by a marriage license…or a divorce decree.”
“Who are you trying to kid, Lavery?” Jake sneered back. “You’re trying to sneak back into her life…and her heart and you’ll break it again.”
“I don’t have to sneak anywhere. Gilli and I understand each other perfectly. You sound worried.”
“Why should I be worried?” Jake wanted to know, but didn’t sound nearly as sure as he was saying.
“Because you know how Gillian and I feel about each other, don’t you?”
“What you had is in the past,” insisted Jake. “Whatever it was is obviously over. I’m secure in that knowledge.”
“Then you have nothing to worry about,” Ryan said calmly. He knew Jake wasn’t anywhere near the calm, cool person he was pretending to be he was very worried.
From the beginning, Jake had known that Ryan had Gillian’s heart and he had respected this without question, but after their divorce, Jake had made his feelings and intentions known and while Gillian welcomed him and his friendship, Ryan’s presence was always there preventing her from going beyond a certain point.
Ryan was glad, but he knew that despite this, he would have to fight hard to get her back- Jake was still a very strong contender and Gillian obviously thought the world of him.
“I think we understand each other,” Jake spoke up.
“Absolutely, we do,” Ryan replied.
Gillian joined them a few moments later. Sensing the tension in the air, she asked,
“What are you both talking about?”
Ryan responded first. “Oh, nothing, Princess, just waiting on you.”
Jake nodded silently in agreement and Ryan could swear he could hear the other man’s teeth grinding in frustration and he smiled to himself.
Dinner was pretty uneventful though solemn with nervous uneasy glances and inane conversation all around except for Ryan who seemed totally at ease talking about anything that came up which only succeeded in irritating Jake more and more.
When they were almost finished, Jake’s pager went off. Seeing it was from the hospital, he went to make a phone call and came back a few minutes later to say that there was an emergency with one of his patients and he had to leave right away and didn’t think he had time to take Gillian home.
“Oh, I’ll see Gillian back to the boardinghouse.” Ryan volunteered cheerfully.
“You don’t have your car and a storm’s coming.” Jake countered evenly.
“We’ll walk,” Ryan pressed. “Not far at all and we’ll hurry, right ,Gillian?”
She nodded, looking uncertainly at Jake.
“And I would hate to have Gillian leave before she finished her dessert.”
“I’ll bet you would.” Came the stiff reply.
“Really, Jake, you go on, they need you at the hospital. I’m in good hands.”
“The best hands.” Ryan finished for her.
Jake was livid, Ryan could tell, but he couldn’t show it and he had no choice but to leave Ryan and Gillian together a few minutes later.
The evening was working out perfectly- much better than Ryan even thought when it began a few hours ago…
End of part 4
(To be continued…)