The Stupid Side of Practical

Chapter 6

Josh nodded systemically as he went down the line of Costa faces, his eyes searching for the only one he had been opting to see since he got off the plane.

"Josh," Maria gleams, "What do we owe this surprise?"

Josh smiled as he gave her a warm endearing hug that he actually did mean. Seeing Maria after being away for so long really was a treat. "Please tell me I didn't miss dinner?"

"Of course not," she laughed as she pulled away from him. "Sheena, we need to set an extra seat honey."

"Sure thing Ma,"

In that moment of exchanges he spotted her brown curly locks as she stood by the back door besides Rachel. And damn was she a sight for sore eyes, everything that had been tense and coiled up tight within him released. For the first time ever, he eyed Gina with a new appreciation, an exciting feeling that he had come back to her. That, even though she tried not to show it, she was looking at him with a sense of relief. The kind that said, she had been waiting for him. And that felt good. Honestly, it felt really good.

It was bad enough that she had those big, dark eyes and that beautiful face. But did she have to have such mouthwatering curves, too? Even from several feet away he reacted, a warm flow of familiar desire washed over him and pulsed in his groin.

That was going to take some getting use too. He'd never really seen her that way before. Never really thought of her as a desirable woman. But she was.

In true fashion her black jeans were plastered to a generous pair of hips and an incredibly long pair of legs. They also disappeared into her high black boots. And if that wasn't enough her red V-necked shirt outlined her slim waist and positively clung to her generous breast.

"Dude you home for good or what?" Nick clapped his hand onto Josh's back forcing him to look away and let out a wince.

"Something like that," Josh said as he eyed a stranger in the corner. "Hey my name's Josh."

"Charles," the dark skinned man smiled, "Are you one of the brothers?"

"This guy?" Tony laughed as he walked past, "He wishes. This is Nick's old flame. Before Sheena."

"Don't worry honey," Nick teased, "I told everyone our break up was mutual," Nick picked up his chopping knife as he went back to prepping the salad for dinner.

"Ha, ha, ha," Josh muttered. "Everyone's got a joke."

Charles smiled as he looked around the kitchen, his eyes landing on Gina and giving her an appreciative once over, one that didn't go unnoticed by Josh. Especially since, he himself had just done the same thing moments before.

Who is this asshole?

"Josh is our neighbor, but he has been running around this house for so long he might as well be one of my boys." Maria smiled as she placed an endearing hand on Josh's left cheek.

"You don't know the half of it Maria," Josh mutter as he looked over at Gina.

Gina rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms and made her way over to Nick's side to monitor what he was doing. "Don't add so many olives," she whined.

"Who died and put you in charge?" Nick shrugged.

"So who are you?" Josh said turning his attention back to Charles. More importantly why are you ogling Gina.

"He works downstairs in the restaurant, we invited him to dinner so that he could get to know everyone," Maria explained.

"And by everyone she means Gigi," Tony snickered walking past them again with a bag of chips this time.