Post by Jen on Apr 26, 2009 21:43:42 GMT -5
“Wow, that was a nice way to end a stressful day,” Gus said as he ran his hands up Harley’s thighs as she straddled him on the couch.
She leaned down and kissed him again, “Yeah?”
“Uh huh,” he nodded.
“I could kiss you forever,” she said. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I like the other stuff…a lot. But if I had to choose, I’d definitely choose these lips,” she added as she ran her fingers over his kiss-swollen lips.
“They’re all yours,” Gus replied. “I’m afraid I’m going to need some sustenance before we move on to the other stuff though.”
“Pizza?” she asked.
“Yep,” he said and pulled her down for another long kiss.
“Okay, I’m going to have to get up to get the phone,” she laughed as she struggled free from his grasp. “What do you want on it?”
“Mushrooms, sausage,” he answered.
“Onions and peppers?” she asked.
“Not –“
“Not the green ones, I know,” she said as she picked up the phone and called in their order.
“Hey, Cubs are on, wanna watch?” Gus asked.
“Pizza, beer,” she said as she tossed a cold one at him, “and the Cubs? Sounds like the perfect night to me.”
“Don’t forget the wonderful company,” he winked as he reached for her hand and started pulling her back to the couch.
She had just settled into his lap when they heard a knock on her door. “Thirty seconds or it’s free apparently,” Gus teased and Harley got up to answer the door.
“I don’t think it’s the pizz—“ she said as she opened the door. “Not pizza,” she gasped.
“Hey Cooper. Miss me?”
Harley closed her eyes and shook her head before she opened them again, “Mallet?”
“I know, I have a lot of explaining to do, but…”
“You’re here? You’re really here?” she asked in amazement.
“I’m here. I’m back and we can get on with our life together,” he said.
“But, I…” she trailed off as she looked back towards Gus.
“Hey, is that the pizza?” Gus called from the living room. “Do you need money?”
“No…” she whispered.
“Who’s that?” Mallet asked as Gus came over to the door.
“Babe, who is it?” Gus asked as he appeared beside her.
“Harley?” Mallet questioned.
“Harley?” Gus echoed. “Harley?”
“Harley! Wake up,” Gus said as he rubbed her arm trying to wake her up.
She gasped as she sat straight up in bed and tried to catch her breath.
“Hey, hey, calm down,” Gus soothed, rubbing her back. “That must have been some dream, you were kicking the hell out of me,” he teased.
“Gus?” she asked, looking over at him.
“You expecting someone else?” he smiled and kissed her shoulder. “What was that?”
“I…I don’t remember…”
“You’re shaking,” he said. “Are you okay? Do you want some water or something?”
“No, I’m okay,” she replied shakily and laid back down. “Sorry, go back to sleep.”
He laid down on his side next to hear and pushed a stray hair out of her face, “You too,” he said and kissed her before he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.
Harley stared up at the ceiling, willing herself to go back to sleep, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw Mallet at her door and Gus standing beside her.
She sighed and lifted Gus’s arm off of her and slid out of the bed. She made sure he shifted and didn’t wake up then she went out into the hallway, closing the bedroom door quietly behind her.
“Hi, it’s me, I just called the restaurant, but they said you just left. I thought you’d be home by now, but maybe you had something else to do. Anyway, just wanted to see if you were okay. I don’t know how much sleep you got on that couch or what time you even moved out there…I have to head out for awhile, but call me later, okay?”
“Harley, give me a call when you get back from class, okay? I’ll be at work, should be at my desk. Haven’t heard from you in a few days and uh, that’s weird. I know you’re okay, because I talked to Shannon and she said you were, but I’d just like to hear you tell me that.”
“Who is this beautiful vision that I hardly recognize because I haven’t seen her in so long?” Gus asked dramatically as he came up behind Harley at the counter and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Hi,” she replied and turned around in his arms.
“I can’t stay too long,” he began and kissed her, “but I wanted to see if you were free tomorrow. I haven’t seen you in like a week and I was hoping we could spend the day together,” he shrugged.
“It’s Saturday. I have class,” she replied.
“In the morning, not all day. I was thinking we could go out on the river, it’s probably one of the last few weekends where it will be warm enough. I could fish a little, you could wear a little, and I put emphasis on the word ‘little’,” he teased. “Shannon, what do you say, can I steal my girlfriend for an afternoon? You’ve had her all week.”
“She’s all yours,” Shannon answered, holding her hands up in surrender.
“Okay, an afternoon on a boat sounds nice,” Harley agreed.
“Great. And, I got this,” he said and handed her an envelope which she opened and looked at the paper inside. “It’s a fundraiser gala thing. They have one every year, I usually just go for a drink, put in an appearance, you know. But I thought maybe this year, we could go. Dinner, open bar, dancing. What do you think?” he asked.
“It’s not until October,” she replied.
“Well, it’s only like five weeks away, so they need the response back next week. We don’t have to go if you don’t want to…”
“You want to go?” she asked.
“Only if you want to. If you don’t, I’ll just have to go put in some face-time,” he shrugged. “It’s white tie anyway, so…”
“Uh, no we…we can go. It’s black and white, huh? I’ll have to get a dress, but it sounds like fun,” Harley said, smiling for his benefit and handed him back the invitation.
“Really?” he asked and she nodded as he put it back in his jacket pocket. “Alright, I’ll send in the reservations. I have to run, I was supposed to be at a meeting five minutes ago. I’ll be at work all night, but call me when you get back from class tomorrow,” he said and kissed her before he turned to leave.
“Gus, coffee,” Shannon called out before he left and slid a to-go cup across the counter.
“My savior,” he smiled and took it with a wave to both of them.
“Let me know when you’re going to look for a dress, I’ll go with you,” Shannon said to Harley after Gus left.
“Huh?” Harley asked. “Oh yeah, okay,” she nodded distractedly.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing…it’s just…don’t you think it’s a little too soon to be planning for stuff that’s over a month away?” Harley asked, biting her bottom lip.
Shannon looked at her, dumbfounded. “Are you planning on dating someone else in a month?”
“No, but…”
“It’s an invitation, not a wedding ring, Harley. Chill out,” she said and went into the kitchen, leaving Harley at the counter.
“That doesn’t look like a bikini to me!” Gus whined when Harley met him outside of her apartment building the next day in shorts and a tank top.
“You think I’m going to get in a downtown cab in a bikini?” she asked and kissed him hello.
“Okay, so this is better until we get on the boat, I guess,” he said as a cab pulled up to the curb for them.
“So, how was class?” he asked once they were settled in the cab and on their way.
“Long,” she sighed, leaning her head back against the seat.
“Still going to finish by December?”
“That’s the plan,” she smiled.
“I’m proud of you,” he said, stroking her hair. “I can’t imagine it’s easy to go back to school, but you did it. That’s great.”
“Thanks,” she smiled shyly. “This was a good idea. Things have been so busy lately, a day with you in the sun is just what I needed.”
“Me too. Our schedules haven’t been in sync lately, I’ve missed you,” he replied.
“Things will get calmer now that we have those new hires settled in, I promise,” she said with a kiss.
“Did you find a dress yet?” Gus asked one night as he brushed his teeth and Harley slipped into the shower.
“Uh, no, I haven’t had a chance to go look yet,” she answered after a long bout of silence.
“Oh okay,” he replied, frowning at himself in the mirror. “You know, we don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
“No, it’s fine, I just haven’t had time to get a dress.”
“But it’s three weeks away, I mean, don’t girls usually have their outfits for these things picked out long before the actual event?”
“I have three weeks Gus, I’ll get a dress,” she replied, more sharply than either expected.
He didn’t respond as he put his toothbrush into the holder beside hers as she pulled back the shower curtain and reached for a towel. “Okay. I’m gonna go to bed,” he said and stepped over to kiss her before he headed out of the room.
“Oh hey, you forgot your toothbrush this morning,” she called out and he stepped back into view.
“Yeah, well, I figured I would leave one here, so I don’t always have to worry about remembering one,” he explained hesitantly when he saw the look on her face.
“Oh, okay,” she finally stammered out and he looked at her for a long moment before he turned and went back into the bedroom.
“Harley!” Gus shook her awake during the night and she sat up startled.
“Were you having another bad dream? I’m going to start getting a complex,” he teased. “This one must have been really bad. You’re crying,” he added, wiping her wet face with his thumbs. “Honey, are you okay?”
Harley nodded weakly, “I’m fine. Sorry. What time is it?” she asked.
“Almost five.”
“I’m just going to get up and go to work. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep much longer,” she said as she slipped out of bed. “Go back to sleep,” she added before disappearing into the bathroom.
She shut the door to the bathroom and turned on the hot water in the shower, giving it time to warm up before she got in. Under the hot spray, she closed her eyes and her dream came back to her. She slid to the floor of the shower and hoped the sound of the water would drown out the sound of her tears.
“Harley? Got a few minutes?” Shannon asked her during a mid-morning lull towards the end of September.
“Yeah,” Harley replied and followed Shannon back to the office they shared. “What’s up?”
“I was going to ask you that. I mean, I know this isn’t a great time, with your anniversary in a few days, then…”
“I’m fine,” Harley insisted.
“Okay, but you don’t seem like it,” Shannon replied. “You’re exhausted, are you sleeping at all? You’re quiet. Gus said he hasn’t seen you much the past month and when he comes in here, you always have a reason not to be here. Are things okay between you?”
“He shouldn’t be bugging you.”
“He’s not. He’s worried about you, Harley. Does he know that your wedding anniversary is in two days? And that the anniversary of Mallet’s death is two days later?”
“No. He doesn’t know.”
“You should tell him, he would understand.”
“I know he would,” Harley nodded. “I just…I don’t know Shannon. I’m just not in the mood,” she added tiredly and laid down on the couch she was sitting on.
“Hey,” Shannon tried to get her attention again. “Something happen with Gus?”
“No,” she answered softly.
“You know, it’s okay for you to miss Mallet. And it’s okay for you to love Gus. You can do both at the same time. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. You do love him, right?”
“I really don’t want to talk about it, Shannon,” Harley mumbled into the pillow and Shannon sat there for a few more minutes in silence before she patted Harley’s leg and left the office, shutting the door behind her.
Later that week, Harley dragged herself up off the couch and answered her door to see Gus on the other side holding a white paper bag.
“Hey. Shannon said you weren’t feeling so good today when I came into the restaurant. I tried calling, but you never picked up. You okay?” he asked worriedly.
She motioned him in and shut the door behind him. “I’m fine,” she answered. “I was just tired and had some school work to do.”
“Oh, good. I thought maybe you were getting sick or something, so I brought some soup. Want it anyway?” he asked.
“Not really, thanks, though,” she answered and he put it in the refrigerator.
“So uh…I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Gus said, standing in the living awkwardly.
“Do you have to go? Or can you stay?” she asked and his posture immediately relaxed.
“I can stay,” he nodded and joined her on the couch. “What are you watching?”
“Infomercials,” she answered.
“Why?” Gus laughed.
“I have no idea. Somehow, I always get sucked into these things.”
“How many things have you bought from infomercials?” he asked.
“None!” Harley insisted a little too hard and Gus looked at her skeptically.
“Come on. You have a Wonder Mop somewhere in here don’t you?”
She hesitated for a second then shook her head. Gus smirked and turned his attention back to the television. “It’s at the restaurant,” she added a few minutes later and he laughed out loud before turning and pulling her into a kiss.
“You’re great,” he smiled and kissed her again deeply.
“Shut off the TV,” she said against his lips and pulled him to his feet while he fumbled for the remote.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and led her safely back to the bedroom.
They slowly stripped off each other’s clothes, marking the newly exposed skin with kisses, until they were both naked. Gus ran his hands up Harley’s arms and took her face in them, forcing her to look at him.
“Been a while,” he whispered and she nodded before he kissed her, their eyes open and gazes locked as he lowered her to the bed.
He took his time running his fingers and lips over her body, avoiding where she wanted to be touched most. She grabbed his shoulders and moaned his name until he looked up at her. He supported himself above her on his hands and kissed her as she ran her hands down his body and guided him into her.
Gus’s lips went to her neck and she arched her back against him, closing her eyes. Before the blackness could overtake her, she was back to the dream she had been having for weeks. She opened the door to her apartment and Mallet was standing there. “I’m back.” She opened her eyes and tried to shake the image from her head. Gus felt her movement and lifted his head to look at her.
“Okay?” he asked softly and she nodded, so he kissed her quickly and continued his movements as she closed her eyes again.
”We can be together now.”
“But, I’m with Gus.”
“Who’s it going to be Harley? Him or me?”
Harley squeezed her eyes shut and felt herself pulling away from Gus. She forced her eyes opened and tried to focus on him, but it was a losing battle. Gus saw her biting her lip, her eyes filled with unshed tears before she shut them tightly and looked at her in concern. He pulled out of her and fell to her side.
“What’s wrong?” Harley asked at the loss of contact.
“I was going to ask you,” Gus sighed. “Could you have been less into that?” he asked pointedly.
Harley pursed her lips and closed her eyes for a moment before responding. “Sorry. It’s not you. I’m just distracted. The restaurant…”
“Is busy, I know,” he continued for her. “And you’re busy with class. And you have to watch Shannon’s dog. And any one of the other hundred excuses you’ve had lately for not returning my calls or avoiding the restaurant when you know I’ll be there. You have been avoiding me, haven’t you?” he asked and she avoided his gaze, answering his question. “What was this? You started this tonight and then all of a sudden, you could care less. You know, I don’t need you for this,” he said, motioning to the bed. “I need you for everything else. I need you when I come into the restaurant after a lousy morning and all I want is a cup of coffee and to see you. I need you in my arms at night. Maybe that scares you, and maybe that’s why you’ve been so distant. If that’s it, just tell me. If you want to end this, just tell me. But tell me something!” he finished, breathless, looking at her for a reaction.
Harley pulled her knees to her chest and took her head in her hands, trying to figure out what to say, but coming up empty. “I…I can’t,” she was finally able to stammer out and he took one last look at her before he grabbed his clothes and stormed out of her room.
When she heard the door slam a minute later, she fell back against the pillows and let the tears fall.
Early the next morning, Gus stood outside the restaurant trying to get a glimpse of Harley. He finally saw her come out of the kitchen and go behind the counter and he opened the door and went in. She was talking to Shannon with her back to the door, so he went up to the counter and cleared his throat.
“Hey,” he said softly and saw her take a deep breath before she turned towards him.
“What are you doing here?” she asked tiredly.
“Can we talk?” he asked. “I’m sorry about last night. Can we just go somewhere and talk?”
“I can’t,” she answered. “I have to go,” she added and picked up a duffel bag that was behind the counter.
“Go...go where?” he asked, confused and worried.
“Um, Miami. My flight leaves soon, so I have to go.”
“You’re going to Miami? What, spur of the moment?”
“Gus, I have to go. My cab is here,” she ignored his questions and headed towards the door.
“Well, I’ll go with you to the airport,” he offered and started to follow her.
“No. God, stop!” she spat out angrily but softened when she saw his face. “Look, I’ll call you when I get back, okay?”
“When will that be?” he asked.
“I don’t know yet,” she shrugged and he nodded slowly.
“Fine. Have a good flight,” he said half-heartedly and turned back towards the counter.
She gave Shannon a half-wave and looked once more at Gus’s back before heading outside to meet her cab.
“Coffee?” Shannon asked him, already filling a new mug in front of him.
“What the hell is going on with her?” he asked before dumping and handful of sugar packets into the black liquid.
Shannon took a deep breath and looked around to make sure things were handled before she leaned on the counter in front of him. “Look, this really isn’t my place to tell you this, but I think you should know…” she began and Gus looked up at her. “Yesterday was her wedding anniversary. Her and Mallet.”
“Oh,” he said, letting out the breath he was holding. “Why didn’t she just tell me that? I mean, I went over there looking like an idiot with chicken soup and then…” he trailed off.
“There’s more,” she said, trying to get his attention again. “Tomorrow is the anniversary of his death. Two years, tomorrow. That’s why she’s going to Miami. I can’t believe she didn’t tell you she was going though.”
“God,” Gus groaned, laying his forehead on the counter. “I don’t even know what to say to that. Was I supposed to know? She’s been distant, but she’s always had an excuse. And there are times when we’re together that everything is fine, you know? I don’t even know what this means. Are we done? I don’t want to be done,” he sighed.
“I don’t know,” Shannon shrugged. “I just know that she’s having a really hard time right now. And maybe she needs some space, but Gus,” she said, putting her hand on his arm. “She really cares about you. I don’t think she wants it to be done either. Just give her some time, okay? Don’t give up on her, she’s worth it,” she added before heading back into the kitchen.
She leaned down and kissed him again, “Yeah?”
“Uh huh,” he nodded.
“I could kiss you forever,” she said. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I like the other stuff…a lot. But if I had to choose, I’d definitely choose these lips,” she added as she ran her fingers over his kiss-swollen lips.
“They’re all yours,” Gus replied. “I’m afraid I’m going to need some sustenance before we move on to the other stuff though.”
“Pizza?” she asked.
“Yep,” he said and pulled her down for another long kiss.
“Okay, I’m going to have to get up to get the phone,” she laughed as she struggled free from his grasp. “What do you want on it?”
“Mushrooms, sausage,” he answered.
“Onions and peppers?” she asked.
“Not –“
“Not the green ones, I know,” she said as she picked up the phone and called in their order.
“Hey, Cubs are on, wanna watch?” Gus asked.
“Pizza, beer,” she said as she tossed a cold one at him, “and the Cubs? Sounds like the perfect night to me.”
“Don’t forget the wonderful company,” he winked as he reached for her hand and started pulling her back to the couch.
She had just settled into his lap when they heard a knock on her door. “Thirty seconds or it’s free apparently,” Gus teased and Harley got up to answer the door.
“I don’t think it’s the pizz—“ she said as she opened the door. “Not pizza,” she gasped.
“Hey Cooper. Miss me?”
Harley closed her eyes and shook her head before she opened them again, “Mallet?”
“I know, I have a lot of explaining to do, but…”
“You’re here? You’re really here?” she asked in amazement.
“I’m here. I’m back and we can get on with our life together,” he said.
“But, I…” she trailed off as she looked back towards Gus.
“Hey, is that the pizza?” Gus called from the living room. “Do you need money?”
“No…” she whispered.
“Who’s that?” Mallet asked as Gus came over to the door.
“Babe, who is it?” Gus asked as he appeared beside her.
“Harley?” Mallet questioned.
“Harley?” Gus echoed. “Harley?”
“Harley! Wake up,” Gus said as he rubbed her arm trying to wake her up.
She gasped as she sat straight up in bed and tried to catch her breath.
“Hey, hey, calm down,” Gus soothed, rubbing her back. “That must have been some dream, you were kicking the hell out of me,” he teased.
“Gus?” she asked, looking over at him.
“You expecting someone else?” he smiled and kissed her shoulder. “What was that?”
“I…I don’t remember…”
“You’re shaking,” he said. “Are you okay? Do you want some water or something?”
“No, I’m okay,” she replied shakily and laid back down. “Sorry, go back to sleep.”
He laid down on his side next to hear and pushed a stray hair out of her face, “You too,” he said and kissed her before he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.
Harley stared up at the ceiling, willing herself to go back to sleep, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw Mallet at her door and Gus standing beside her.
She sighed and lifted Gus’s arm off of her and slid out of the bed. She made sure he shifted and didn’t wake up then she went out into the hallway, closing the bedroom door quietly behind her.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Hi, it’s me, I just called the restaurant, but they said you just left. I thought you’d be home by now, but maybe you had something else to do. Anyway, just wanted to see if you were okay. I don’t know how much sleep you got on that couch or what time you even moved out there…I have to head out for awhile, but call me later, okay?”
“Harley, give me a call when you get back from class, okay? I’ll be at work, should be at my desk. Haven’t heard from you in a few days and uh, that’s weird. I know you’re okay, because I talked to Shannon and she said you were, but I’d just like to hear you tell me that.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Who is this beautiful vision that I hardly recognize because I haven’t seen her in so long?” Gus asked dramatically as he came up behind Harley at the counter and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Hi,” she replied and turned around in his arms.
“I can’t stay too long,” he began and kissed her, “but I wanted to see if you were free tomorrow. I haven’t seen you in like a week and I was hoping we could spend the day together,” he shrugged.
“It’s Saturday. I have class,” she replied.
“In the morning, not all day. I was thinking we could go out on the river, it’s probably one of the last few weekends where it will be warm enough. I could fish a little, you could wear a little, and I put emphasis on the word ‘little’,” he teased. “Shannon, what do you say, can I steal my girlfriend for an afternoon? You’ve had her all week.”
“She’s all yours,” Shannon answered, holding her hands up in surrender.
“Okay, an afternoon on a boat sounds nice,” Harley agreed.
“Great. And, I got this,” he said and handed her an envelope which she opened and looked at the paper inside. “It’s a fundraiser gala thing. They have one every year, I usually just go for a drink, put in an appearance, you know. But I thought maybe this year, we could go. Dinner, open bar, dancing. What do you think?” he asked.
“It’s not until October,” she replied.
“Well, it’s only like five weeks away, so they need the response back next week. We don’t have to go if you don’t want to…”
“You want to go?” she asked.
“Only if you want to. If you don’t, I’ll just have to go put in some face-time,” he shrugged. “It’s white tie anyway, so…”
“Uh, no we…we can go. It’s black and white, huh? I’ll have to get a dress, but it sounds like fun,” Harley said, smiling for his benefit and handed him back the invitation.
“Really?” he asked and she nodded as he put it back in his jacket pocket. “Alright, I’ll send in the reservations. I have to run, I was supposed to be at a meeting five minutes ago. I’ll be at work all night, but call me when you get back from class tomorrow,” he said and kissed her before he turned to leave.
“Gus, coffee,” Shannon called out before he left and slid a to-go cup across the counter.
“My savior,” he smiled and took it with a wave to both of them.
“Let me know when you’re going to look for a dress, I’ll go with you,” Shannon said to Harley after Gus left.
“Huh?” Harley asked. “Oh yeah, okay,” she nodded distractedly.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing…it’s just…don’t you think it’s a little too soon to be planning for stuff that’s over a month away?” Harley asked, biting her bottom lip.
Shannon looked at her, dumbfounded. “Are you planning on dating someone else in a month?”
“No, but…”
“It’s an invitation, not a wedding ring, Harley. Chill out,” she said and went into the kitchen, leaving Harley at the counter.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“That doesn’t look like a bikini to me!” Gus whined when Harley met him outside of her apartment building the next day in shorts and a tank top.
“You think I’m going to get in a downtown cab in a bikini?” she asked and kissed him hello.
“Okay, so this is better until we get on the boat, I guess,” he said as a cab pulled up to the curb for them.
“So, how was class?” he asked once they were settled in the cab and on their way.
“Long,” she sighed, leaning her head back against the seat.
“Still going to finish by December?”
“That’s the plan,” she smiled.
“I’m proud of you,” he said, stroking her hair. “I can’t imagine it’s easy to go back to school, but you did it. That’s great.”
“Thanks,” she smiled shyly. “This was a good idea. Things have been so busy lately, a day with you in the sun is just what I needed.”
“Me too. Our schedules haven’t been in sync lately, I’ve missed you,” he replied.
“Things will get calmer now that we have those new hires settled in, I promise,” she said with a kiss.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Did you find a dress yet?” Gus asked one night as he brushed his teeth and Harley slipped into the shower.
“Uh, no, I haven’t had a chance to go look yet,” she answered after a long bout of silence.
“Oh okay,” he replied, frowning at himself in the mirror. “You know, we don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
“No, it’s fine, I just haven’t had time to get a dress.”
“But it’s three weeks away, I mean, don’t girls usually have their outfits for these things picked out long before the actual event?”
“I have three weeks Gus, I’ll get a dress,” she replied, more sharply than either expected.
He didn’t respond as he put his toothbrush into the holder beside hers as she pulled back the shower curtain and reached for a towel. “Okay. I’m gonna go to bed,” he said and stepped over to kiss her before he headed out of the room.
“Oh hey, you forgot your toothbrush this morning,” she called out and he stepped back into view.
“Yeah, well, I figured I would leave one here, so I don’t always have to worry about remembering one,” he explained hesitantly when he saw the look on her face.
“Oh, okay,” she finally stammered out and he looked at her for a long moment before he turned and went back into the bedroom.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Harley!” Gus shook her awake during the night and she sat up startled.
“Were you having another bad dream? I’m going to start getting a complex,” he teased. “This one must have been really bad. You’re crying,” he added, wiping her wet face with his thumbs. “Honey, are you okay?”
Harley nodded weakly, “I’m fine. Sorry. What time is it?” she asked.
“Almost five.”
“I’m just going to get up and go to work. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep much longer,” she said as she slipped out of bed. “Go back to sleep,” she added before disappearing into the bathroom.
She shut the door to the bathroom and turned on the hot water in the shower, giving it time to warm up before she got in. Under the hot spray, she closed her eyes and her dream came back to her. She slid to the floor of the shower and hoped the sound of the water would drown out the sound of her tears.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Harley? Got a few minutes?” Shannon asked her during a mid-morning lull towards the end of September.
“Yeah,” Harley replied and followed Shannon back to the office they shared. “What’s up?”
“I was going to ask you that. I mean, I know this isn’t a great time, with your anniversary in a few days, then…”
“I’m fine,” Harley insisted.
“Okay, but you don’t seem like it,” Shannon replied. “You’re exhausted, are you sleeping at all? You’re quiet. Gus said he hasn’t seen you much the past month and when he comes in here, you always have a reason not to be here. Are things okay between you?”
“He shouldn’t be bugging you.”
“He’s not. He’s worried about you, Harley. Does he know that your wedding anniversary is in two days? And that the anniversary of Mallet’s death is two days later?”
“No. He doesn’t know.”
“You should tell him, he would understand.”
“I know he would,” Harley nodded. “I just…I don’t know Shannon. I’m just not in the mood,” she added tiredly and laid down on the couch she was sitting on.
“Hey,” Shannon tried to get her attention again. “Something happen with Gus?”
“No,” she answered softly.
“You know, it’s okay for you to miss Mallet. And it’s okay for you to love Gus. You can do both at the same time. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. You do love him, right?”
“I really don’t want to talk about it, Shannon,” Harley mumbled into the pillow and Shannon sat there for a few more minutes in silence before she patted Harley’s leg and left the office, shutting the door behind her.
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Later that week, Harley dragged herself up off the couch and answered her door to see Gus on the other side holding a white paper bag.
“Hey. Shannon said you weren’t feeling so good today when I came into the restaurant. I tried calling, but you never picked up. You okay?” he asked worriedly.
She motioned him in and shut the door behind him. “I’m fine,” she answered. “I was just tired and had some school work to do.”
“Oh, good. I thought maybe you were getting sick or something, so I brought some soup. Want it anyway?” he asked.
“Not really, thanks, though,” she answered and he put it in the refrigerator.
“So uh…I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Gus said, standing in the living awkwardly.
“Do you have to go? Or can you stay?” she asked and his posture immediately relaxed.
“I can stay,” he nodded and joined her on the couch. “What are you watching?”
“Infomercials,” she answered.
“Why?” Gus laughed.
“I have no idea. Somehow, I always get sucked into these things.”
“How many things have you bought from infomercials?” he asked.
“None!” Harley insisted a little too hard and Gus looked at her skeptically.
“Come on. You have a Wonder Mop somewhere in here don’t you?”
She hesitated for a second then shook her head. Gus smirked and turned his attention back to the television. “It’s at the restaurant,” she added a few minutes later and he laughed out loud before turning and pulling her into a kiss.
“You’re great,” he smiled and kissed her again deeply.
“Shut off the TV,” she said against his lips and pulled him to his feet while he fumbled for the remote.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and led her safely back to the bedroom.
They slowly stripped off each other’s clothes, marking the newly exposed skin with kisses, until they were both naked. Gus ran his hands up Harley’s arms and took her face in them, forcing her to look at him.
“Been a while,” he whispered and she nodded before he kissed her, their eyes open and gazes locked as he lowered her to the bed.
He took his time running his fingers and lips over her body, avoiding where she wanted to be touched most. She grabbed his shoulders and moaned his name until he looked up at her. He supported himself above her on his hands and kissed her as she ran her hands down his body and guided him into her.
Gus’s lips went to her neck and she arched her back against him, closing her eyes. Before the blackness could overtake her, she was back to the dream she had been having for weeks. She opened the door to her apartment and Mallet was standing there. “I’m back.” She opened her eyes and tried to shake the image from her head. Gus felt her movement and lifted his head to look at her.
“Okay?” he asked softly and she nodded, so he kissed her quickly and continued his movements as she closed her eyes again.
”We can be together now.”
“But, I’m with Gus.”
“Who’s it going to be Harley? Him or me?”
Harley squeezed her eyes shut and felt herself pulling away from Gus. She forced her eyes opened and tried to focus on him, but it was a losing battle. Gus saw her biting her lip, her eyes filled with unshed tears before she shut them tightly and looked at her in concern. He pulled out of her and fell to her side.
“What’s wrong?” Harley asked at the loss of contact.
“I was going to ask you,” Gus sighed. “Could you have been less into that?” he asked pointedly.
Harley pursed her lips and closed her eyes for a moment before responding. “Sorry. It’s not you. I’m just distracted. The restaurant…”
“Is busy, I know,” he continued for her. “And you’re busy with class. And you have to watch Shannon’s dog. And any one of the other hundred excuses you’ve had lately for not returning my calls or avoiding the restaurant when you know I’ll be there. You have been avoiding me, haven’t you?” he asked and she avoided his gaze, answering his question. “What was this? You started this tonight and then all of a sudden, you could care less. You know, I don’t need you for this,” he said, motioning to the bed. “I need you for everything else. I need you when I come into the restaurant after a lousy morning and all I want is a cup of coffee and to see you. I need you in my arms at night. Maybe that scares you, and maybe that’s why you’ve been so distant. If that’s it, just tell me. If you want to end this, just tell me. But tell me something!” he finished, breathless, looking at her for a reaction.
Harley pulled her knees to her chest and took her head in her hands, trying to figure out what to say, but coming up empty. “I…I can’t,” she was finally able to stammer out and he took one last look at her before he grabbed his clothes and stormed out of her room.
When she heard the door slam a minute later, she fell back against the pillows and let the tears fall.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Early the next morning, Gus stood outside the restaurant trying to get a glimpse of Harley. He finally saw her come out of the kitchen and go behind the counter and he opened the door and went in. She was talking to Shannon with her back to the door, so he went up to the counter and cleared his throat.
“Hey,” he said softly and saw her take a deep breath before she turned towards him.
“What are you doing here?” she asked tiredly.
“Can we talk?” he asked. “I’m sorry about last night. Can we just go somewhere and talk?”
“I can’t,” she answered. “I have to go,” she added and picked up a duffel bag that was behind the counter.
“Go...go where?” he asked, confused and worried.
“Um, Miami. My flight leaves soon, so I have to go.”
“You’re going to Miami? What, spur of the moment?”
“Gus, I have to go. My cab is here,” she ignored his questions and headed towards the door.
“Well, I’ll go with you to the airport,” he offered and started to follow her.
“No. God, stop!” she spat out angrily but softened when she saw his face. “Look, I’ll call you when I get back, okay?”
“When will that be?” he asked.
“I don’t know yet,” she shrugged and he nodded slowly.
“Fine. Have a good flight,” he said half-heartedly and turned back towards the counter.
She gave Shannon a half-wave and looked once more at Gus’s back before heading outside to meet her cab.
“Coffee?” Shannon asked him, already filling a new mug in front of him.
“What the hell is going on with her?” he asked before dumping and handful of sugar packets into the black liquid.
Shannon took a deep breath and looked around to make sure things were handled before she leaned on the counter in front of him. “Look, this really isn’t my place to tell you this, but I think you should know…” she began and Gus looked up at her. “Yesterday was her wedding anniversary. Her and Mallet.”
“Oh,” he said, letting out the breath he was holding. “Why didn’t she just tell me that? I mean, I went over there looking like an idiot with chicken soup and then…” he trailed off.
“There’s more,” she said, trying to get his attention again. “Tomorrow is the anniversary of his death. Two years, tomorrow. That’s why she’s going to Miami. I can’t believe she didn’t tell you she was going though.”
“God,” Gus groaned, laying his forehead on the counter. “I don’t even know what to say to that. Was I supposed to know? She’s been distant, but she’s always had an excuse. And there are times when we’re together that everything is fine, you know? I don’t even know what this means. Are we done? I don’t want to be done,” he sighed.
“I don’t know,” Shannon shrugged. “I just know that she’s having a really hard time right now. And maybe she needs some space, but Gus,” she said, putting her hand on his arm. “She really cares about you. I don’t think she wants it to be done either. Just give her some time, okay? Don’t give up on her, she’s worth it,” she added before heading back into the kitchen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~