More Than Fine. (Complete)

11- MTF Shhhhipp has Sssailed

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*Warning: Midway through this chapter, it gets a bit crude.

     "Mmm. One thing I'll miss about New York after this year is the pizza," Gia mumbled with a mouthful.

     "Yeah. How great is it to have delicious pizza places practically on every corner."

     "And sushi, and seafood, and just all the food in general. I'll miss that."

     "You're talking like we're leaving soon, and we're only two months in."

     "True. I should just enjoy the time, instead of worrying it away." She tapped her chin and laid down her pizza. "I've got it! He could be my project!" Gia perked up as she made what she thought was a brilliant decision.

     "Project? What are you talking about?"

     "Mr. Bellanti. Instead of letting myself get sucked in by his good looks and broody temperament, I can think of him as my project. I can just focus on trying to help him, you know, work through his issues."

     "I don't know, Gia. Sounds risky."

     "No, it's perfect. You know this is the way my mind operates. I need things to keep me busy, and focused so I don't think about... well, you know. Anyway, I've got to do something, otherwise I might start getting my hopes up for more, and that's clearly not a good idea with his issues, whatever they may be, on top of mine. Not a good combo."

     "You're probably right. There are lots of other fish in the sea, you surely don't need a defective one."

     "Hey, if he's defective, then I am." Gia scowled, but hid a grin.

     "Bad choice of words, but you know what I'm getting at."

     "Yeah. It's just... sometimes when I look at him, I can tell he's been watching me, almost like he's studying me. He gets this far away look, but when it registers that I'm looking back, he'll smile before turning away. There are other times, when he's looking my direction, but it's like he's looking straight through me and doesn't even notice me looking back. It should be creepy, but instead, it draws me in, making me want to dig deeper and find out what it is that troubles him. What happened in his past that made him think so poorly of himself and lose hope in the future, his future?"

~~~

     Far away there was ringing, it seemed to be getting closer. "What's going on? What-". Gia sat up in her bed and reached for her phone, then rubbed her eyes. Surely she wasn't seeing it right. It was Robert calling at 12:37 am? "Robert? Are you okay?" She hadn't spoken to him in almost four months, and things had ended badly, but if he had an emergency she wouldn't leave him hanging. "Hello?"

     "Giii-aaa! I'm the maaan now!"

     "Robert? What's going on?" He sounded drunk, but as long as she had known him he never drank more than a glass of something. The background music and chatter was loud and sounded like he was at a party, or maybe a bar.

     "I'm gonna get lllaid!"

     "What?!" Surely he's talking out of his head.

     "I'm gonna have sex!"

     "Robert, where are you? You're not that guy. You're saving yourself for marriage."

     "That shhhhipp has sssailed."

     "What? Robert?" Gia had an awful feeling about his response.

     "Yep. Could've been you. Her name was Lannaaa. Don't remember it th-though, too much to drink that night."