"Friends"

"Friends" Chapter 29

VALERIE'S POV

It seemed like it took Gio forever to come pick me up, but I was so relieved when I saw his white Jeep pull up in front of me. I stood up with my makeup kit and hopped into the car.
"Hi, baby..." He leaned over to me and gave me a sweet kiss. I set my hand on his cheek and felt the scruff of the beard he has been trying to grow out. "Are you okay?" He pulled away from me and rubbed my leg.
"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm so glad I'm done with that place..." I reached back and buckled my seatbelt.
"Yeah, I am too..." He began to drive away. "You were really never happy there... I was honestly surprised you didn't quit earlier, hun." He reached over to me and held my hand. "You deserve to be happy with your job and you never were... This will be good for you." He smiled at me and took his focus back onto the road.
"Yeah..." I rubbed his hand with my thumb. "I am just really scared about finding a new job... I don't know where to look and there is really nothing else out here... I want a challenge! I really miss doing makeup design for SNL..."
"Then why don't you call Tina Fey? Weren't you guys close friends? She could probably get you a job there again, right?" I looked over to him and shook my head.
"No, I haven't talked to her in forever and it would sound bad..."
"How would it sound bad?" He kept his eyes on the road but I could tell that I was the only thing on his mind.
"It would be like me saying, 'Hey! I haven't talked to you in years but I'm in need of a job, hook me up?' That sounds so bad."
"Sounds good to me..." He chuckled and squeezed my hand.
"I'm going to look around here a little more... Plus, if she got me a job, it would be in the city."
"So?"
"So what?" I gave him a confused look.
"What's wrong with working in the city?"
"Are you joking, Gio? I don't want to drive THREE hours every day to work and then come back home! That's ridiculous..." I gave him a soft slap on his hand.
"No, no... I mean, we could move to the city if you want to."
"What?" I couldn't believe what he was saying. "No!" His eyes shot over to me.
"Why the hell not?"
"Why the hell not?" I let go of his hand. "You have classes to teach! We have a house here! We can't just leave!"
"Baby, don't worry about all of that stuff..." He put his hand on the inside of my thigh and gently rubbed my skin. "I can be a teacher anywhere, we can sell the house, and if you find a job there that you really want, I would be okay with going there."
"You're crazy..." I shook my head in disbelief.
"I'm most definitely not crazy. What WOULD be crazy is if we didn't go out and celebrate after you quit your hellhole of a job, so! Where do you want to go?" He winked at me and continued to rub the inside of my leg.
"How about that Irish Pub by the lake?"
"Irish Pub by the lake it is!"

After driving for a while, we finally pulled up to the semi-crowded pub and he held my hand as we walked in. I could smell the beer in the air and I just craved the taste on my tongue. Gio led us over to the bar and we sat down on some bar stools.
"What do you want?" He turned to me and waited for a response.
"Uhhh... Whatever you're having..."
He leaned over the counter and started talking to the bar tender.
I looked around. Most of the people in here were by themselves. There were multiple older men that were just sitting by themselves looking at their drink. I felt bad for them. I know exactly what that feeling feels like, being alone.
I looked back over at Gio and he handed me a beer.
"Okay, gorgeous. NOW! EVERYBODY LISTEN UP!" Gio stood up and got everybody's attention.
"Oh my gosh, babe stop..." I tried to get him to shush but he wouldn't budge.
"I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAKE A TOAST TO MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE RIGHT HERE." He pointed his glass at me and I could feel all the blood rush to my cheeks. "SO, TO LIFE! AND TO TAKING RISKS!" He looked so ridiculous, standing there trying to make a motivational speech out of it, but he made me smile.
Everybody in the bar cheered and he took a big swig of his beer. He sat down and leaned closer to me. I could smell the alcohol on his breath.
"You didn't have to do that..."
"Yeah, but I wanted too..." He gave me a lazy smile and took off his glasses. It has always amazed me how he's worn the exact same pair of glasses the entire time I've ever known him... He's such a dork.
He rubbed his forehead and set his glasses down on the counter. "Hey," He reached over to my hand. "I want you to know that I'm serious about that New York City thing... If its what you want, I'm all up for it, Hell! I'll go home and pack right now, if that's what you want... I just want you to be happy." He continued to rub my hands.
"What about you? Don't you love your job? Won't you be sad? I want you to be happy too..."
"Hey, as long as I'm with you, I'm happy." His eyes sparkled and I got butterflies in my stomach.
Wow, it still amazes me how I STILL get that feeling sometimes just from something he says, or a look he gives me.
"I love you, babe." I leaned into him and kissed his nose.
"Love you more, beautiful." He kissed my cheek and smiled at me. "So, you ARE going to call, Tina, right?" I pulled away from him and rolled my eyes.
"No, but I will look for a job."
"Okay good... Just don't settle for anything... I want you to find a job that you'll truly love. Don't worry about having to get one immediately. If I need to, I'll work extra classes to help with some money things. I don't want you to worry about that, okay? Just focus on finding something that will make you happy." He held my chin in his hand and his eyes lingered on my alcohol-flavored lips.
"Baby you da best..." I giggled and he leaned in and kissed me so softly.
"Was that a Lana Del Rey reference?" He whispered into my lips.
"Indeed it was..." I traced my tongue along his bottom lip and I could taste the alcohol.
"That was so three years ago..." He deepened the kiss and I set my beer down and wrapped my hand around his neck. I heard him moan as I gave his hair a little tug.
We have so many friends that have been married for a shorter time period than us, and they always talk about how they never really show affection for each other anymore. They always say that Gio and I have been in the 'honeymoon faze' for too long. I love him and I just want to show him how much. Is there anything wrong with that?
After we had been kissing for a while, his hand began to move further and further up my knee. I brought my hand down from his neck and stopped his hand from going any further up.
"Hey," I whispered breathlessly. "Can we please do this at home? And not in a sweaty bar?" I looked into his dark brown eyes.
"Hell yes..."
Before we could even get into our bedroom, I was all over him. Maybe it was the alcohol or everything that had happened today, but all I knew was that I wanted him so bad.
He pushed me up against the wall of our living room and the picture frames almost fell off. His lips met mine and his hands ran up and down the sides of my body. I was pulling at his collar and began to unbutton his dress shirt, one button at a time. He put his hands underneath my knees and pulled me up to where I was straddling him. I pulled away from his lips to look down to his shirt. I finally got the bottom button and pulled the shirt off of him. He smiled at me and began to carry me into the bedroom.
"Hey, hey." I brought his eyes up to mine and he gave me a weird look. "I was thinking maybe the kitchen..?" The weird look quickly changed and he turned around.
We got into the kitchen and he set me down on the counter next to the stove. His arms were still wrapped around my waist as he kissed my neck and I ran my hands all over his bareback. I could feel him tug on my skirt so I just pulled it off along with my underwear. He looked down at me.
"God, you're perfect..." He bit my neck and I let my head fall back. "And you're all mine..."
I slowly began to take his belt off and before we knew it, his pants were off too. He scooted me closer to the end of the counter and lifted me up onto him. I desperately held onto his muscular back as he began to grind into me.
"Baby... Fuck..." His breathing got heavier and he turned me around and pushed me up against the cold fridge. I dug my nails into his back and got goose bumps from the cold metal. He quickened his pace and I could hear things in the kitchen rocking from us.
"V, I'm so close... God you feel so good..." He held onto me tighter and I tried to bite my lip and not make too much noise.
"Gio..." I heard him grunt and he pushed into me a few more times. He stopped moving and I could feel him trying to catch his breath.
"Holy shit, baby... That was hot." He leaned back and held me up. He kissed my lips and I could taste the sweat on his top lip. I had no energy and it was hard to hold myself up after all that we just did. "Come on, cutie. Lets go to sleep..." He carried me into the room and set me down onto the bed. He pulled a blanket over me and my heavy eyelids began to close.
"Just go to sleep baby, It's been a long day." He whispered into my ear and kissed my cheek.

I woke up a few hours later and everything in the room was dark, except for the light peering out of the television. I rolled over and saw that Gio was sound asleep. I sat up in bed and tried to find the remote to the TV. I patted around me and tried to feel it. I looked over at Gio. He was holding the remote in his hand. I gently pulled it away from him and I looked at the TV.
Before I could turn it off, I looked at the news anchor for a moment. We were watching the channel that I worked for. Amy Brighman talked and smiled away as I watched her. I was so sleepy that I couldn't even comprehend what she was saying. I held the remote up when I saw his face staring back at me.
I squinted my eyes to make sure that it was him, it definitely was. I turned up the volume and I got a knot in my stomach.

"Breaking News, Tonight Show Host, Jimmy Fallon was found early this morning, passed out, inside of his Grammercy apartment. Confusion arose when the funnyman never showed up for the taping of his show and no one could get ahold of him. Friends went over to his apartment and paramedics were immediately called to the scene. Fallon's alcohol levels were four times the amount that a regular person should have and there were signs of substance abuse. They immediately rushed him to the hospital an the is in a stable condition right now..."

I couldn't even focus... Jimmy?
The Jimmy that I was best friends with?
The Jimmy that I loved?

I looked at the picture that they had of him and looked into his eyes. Those were the eyes that I had looked into thousands of times.
I could feel tears in my eyes and I couldn't hear anything else she was saying. I suddenly felt Gio roll over and touch my hand.
"Hey, you alright?" He sat up when he saw that I had tears streaming down my face. "Val, Honey what's wrong?"
I looked over to him and shook my head. "Umm.. Nothing.." My voice cracked. "Nothing... I'm fine." I clicked the button on the remote and Jimmy's face disappeared from the screen.
"Okay, Come here..." He pulled me down and wrapped his arms around me. I rested my head on the pillow and tried to relax.