Post by Jen on Apr 26, 2009 21:38:09 GMT -5
“Morning Harley. I need coffee, want some?” Shannon asked when she came into the office Sunday morning a little before opening.
“I’m dating Gus,” Harley blurted out.
“Harley! I said I need coffee first!” Shannon exclaimed and ran to get coffee. “Okay, now, you’re doing what with who?” she asked when she came back with two cups.
“Dating Gus. You know, Gus. The one who eats here a couple times a week? You hit on him last month?” Harley explained when she noticed Shannon’s confused expression.
“Oh him. You’re dating him?”
“Well, we had one date. Last night, so I guess technically I’m dating him, but it’s not like there’s been a second date, so maybe I only dated him, I don’t know,” Harley rambled while Shannon gulped her coffee.
“Will there be a second date?” she asked.
“I think so,” Harley nodded and Shannon stared at her in shock.
“I can’t believe you’re dating!” Shannon finally exclaimed as she tackled Harley in a hug. “That’s so great! I’m a little annoyed that you’re dating the guy who blew me off, but still!”
Harley laughed, “He is so…I don’t know. He’s great. He’s funny and smart and kind, I like spending time with him.”
“So when did he ask you out?”
“Well, he didn’t. I guess I asked him,” Harley shrugged.
“What?!”
“The other night, he came over to my apartment, his partner had been shot and he needed someone to talk to. He didn’t know about Mallet until he got there and we talked for awhile, and he kissed me. Then he ran out,” Harley explained. “The next day, he was all embarrassed and apologetic, so I told him we would forget it ever happened. Then we had lunch and I just asked him if he was ever going to ask me out. He said he wanted to, but wasn’t sure if I was ready for that, especially since he learned about Mallet. I told him I was ready and we set the date.”
“So what did you do?”
“We went miniature golfing,” Harley answer and Shannon crinkled her nose. “No, I know, it sounds lame, but it was fun. We got to talk a lot and get to know each other. It was great.”
“Not quite my idea of foreplay, but whatever works for ya babe. So…how was it?” Shannon asked, leaning in close for all the details.
“I said it was fun.”
“No, the sex.”
“We didn’t have sex!”
“Why not?”
“Shannon! It was our first date,” Harley rolled her eyes.
“So? It’s not like you picked him up in a bar. And it’s not like it’s your first time!” Shannon argued.
“It would be since Mallet,” Harley said quietly.
“My god, Harley, it’s been almost two years.”
“Yeah.”
“So when’s the second date?” Shannon asked, changing the subject.
“I don’t know yet, he had to go out of town for work for a few days. He said he’d call me when he gets back to town,” Harley explained, but Shannon looked skeptical. “Give me a break Shannon, he did have to work. It wasn’t some excuse.”
“And while he’s out of town, he can do whatever he wants?” Shannon asked.
“I’m not his girlfriend, Shannon, we just went out once.”
“Alright.”
“Jeez, why did you have to put that idea into my head? Now all I can think about is him making out with some random chick in Times Square,” Harley sighed and Shannon laughed.
“Sorry. So, he a good kisser?” she asked.
“Yeah, I mean we only kissed a few times and nothing major, but…yes, definitely good,” Harley smiled shyly.
“Good for you,” Shannon said, patting Harley’s knee before she stood up.
“Hey, you’re not mad, are you?” Harley asked.
“Why would I be mad?”
“Well, I know you wanted to ask him out…”
“Harley please, I’d give up half the guys I’ve dated since we got here if it got you moving forward! I’m happy for you!” Shannon assured her.
“Thanks, Shan,” Harley said before Shannon left the office and she went back to her paperwork.
Harley spent the afternoon helping out in the dining room since one of their waitresses called off sick, and even though it was only a few hours on her feet before they closed at 3, she was exhausted when she got home. All she wanted to do was slip into a warm bubble bath when she saw the light on her answering machine flashing. She forced herself to detour over to the phone on the way to the bathroom and pressed play on the machine.
Hey, it’s me. Uh, Gus. I don’t know if we’re at a place where you would know who “me” was from my voice. Anyway, I know I said I would call you when I got back, but…well, I couldn’t wait. I wanted to call now. Now I admit that I called while I knew you would be at the restaurant so I look less pathetic, but I guess since I just admitted that, I still look pretty pathetic. Oh well, now you know, you’re dating one pathetic guy when it comes to you. At least I hope you’re dating him. Me. I really had a great time last night and I hope we can get together again when I get back. Looks like we’ll be here a little longer than I thought, so I will definitely call you later in the week to set something up. Have a good week, Harley, he ended sweetly and Harley had to force herself not to swoon too much. Her finger hovered about the delete button before she decided not to delete it just yet and she smiled as she went to draw herself that bubble bath.
“Harley? Phone for you,” one of the waitresses called out while Harley was refilling coffee in the dining room later in the week.
“One minute,” Harley called back and finished her rounds quickly before she went and picked up the phone. “Hi, this is Harley,” she greeted.
“And this is Gus,” she heard and immediately smiled.
“Hey. Can you hold on a second while I move to the office? It’s really loud out here,” she asked and handed the phone to the waitress who answered it when he said it was okay.
“Thanks Jess,” Harley said when she picked up the line in the office and heard the other extension click off. “So, how’s the Big Apple?” she asked.
“Big. Apple-y,” Gus replied.
“Apple-y, huh?” she teased.
“Actually I’ll be home tonight. We’re leaving here in a few hours and should get in around seven. Want to grab dinner?” he asked.
“Yes, I do, but I can’t. I have class tonight,” she answered.
“Oh, that’s right. I’m telling you, I don’t even know what day it is when I’m out of town. What time is your class over?”
“Nine.”
“Can I see you after class then? I’ll get some take out, we can just hang out, watch a movie, talk, whatever,” Gus suggested.
“Yeah, that sounds good. Why don’t you come over around nine-thirty? I should be home by then. Unless you want me to come to your place?”
“No, I’ll come over there. I have to run, I’ll see you tonight.”
“See you later,” she replied before they said goodbye and hung up.
“So, does take-out and vegging out on the couch count as a second date?” Harley asked Shannon when she got back into the kitchen.
“I think so,” Shannon nodded. “So it’s set?”
“Tonight,” Harley smiled.
“Wow. I thought he was out of town?”
“He’s coming back tonight, and coming over after my class.”
“You look happy,” Shannon observed.
“I am. I like him, Shannon. I like spending time with him,” Harley shrugged.
“Good, just…don’t fight it, okay? If you like him, let yourself like him. You know?”
“Yeah yeah. I’m going to head out, I have some work to finish up before class. That okay?” Harley asked.
“Absolutely. Have a good night,” Shannon winked before Harley rolled her eyes and headed out of the restaurant.
“Hey, sorry I’m late,” Harley said as she got to the front of her building where Gus was waiting with a bag of food. “Have you been waiting long?”
“Couple of minutes. Look at you with the book bag,” he teased.
“It’s a messenger bag. Less middle school,” she shrugged.
“It’s cute,” he replied as he grabbed the strap down by the bag and tugged at it.
“Welcome back,” she said as she smiled up at him and an uneasy silence came over them, neither sure how to continue their greeting.
“Good to be back,” he finally replied as he leaned over to kiss her while she reached for the front door, causing him to clumsily kiss her ear.
“Oh!” Harley jumped back, surprised. “Sorry. Wow, that was really awkward, huh?”
“Uh…yeah,” he laughed nervously and she cringed. “You hungry?” he asked, hoping to ease the uncomfortable air around them.
“Yes. Come on up,” she answered as she opened the front door and he followed her through.
“So how was class?” Gus asked when they got into her apartment and she set her bag down.
“It was fine. This class is harder than the other ones I’ve been taking, but I think I’m up for the challenge.”
“I’m sure you are. Plates?”
“I’ll get some. Want a beer?” she asked and he nodded.
“So how was New York? Successful?” she asked when she got back into the living room and handed him his beer.
“I guess you could say that,” he said as he handed her a container of Chinese food and scooped out some from another container onto his plate. “I guess in my line of work, any small piece of information is considered a success. It’s not like we get to take down the bad guys on a daily basis.”
“You like it?” she asked.
“What? My job? Yeah, I do. Especially on those rare days we take down the bad guys. It’s a rush, you know?”
“Yeah, I know,” she nodded.
“Do you miss it?”
“Sometimes, I do. Then I remember the day Mallet died, and I don’t miss it at all,” she said sadly. “Sorry,” she cringed, “I think it’s bad dating etiquette to talk about your dead husband.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” he said, touching her arm. “You can talk about him if you want.”
She shook her head, “I don’t want to.”
“Okay. So you want to see what’s on TV?”
“Yes, here, you pick something,” she said, handing him the remote control.
“Nope, nope, nope, no way, no…nothing,” he decided as he flipped through the channels. “Got any good movies?” he asked.
“Yeah. Umm…” she mumbled as she scanned the shelves of her entertainment center. “Twister? Have you seen it?” she asked, holding up a video tape.
“Nope, put it in,” Gus answered and she joined him back on the couch after she put the tape in the VCR.
“Hey, is that her?” Gus asked, pointing to a handful of pictures on Harley’s wall about an hour into the movie. “Is that Daisy?”
Harley followed his finger and shook her head, “No. That’s my niece Marina,” she answered.
“Cute. You don’t see her very often, do you?”
“No, I haven’t seen her since we…I moved to Florida. Frank sends me pictures though and I’ve talked to her on the phone a few times.”
“You haven’t been home since Mallet died?” he asked and she shook her head. “Do you have any pictures of Daisy?”
“Yeah,” she said and she reached over him into the drawer in her end table and pulled out a picture that she handed to him.
“That’s her on her first day of kindergarten. It’s the only picture I have of her.”
“You said she was ten now?”
“She’ll be ten in September.”
“She’s gorgeous. She looks just like you.”
“Thanks,” she smiled shyly.
He looked over at her and saw that her smile had been replaced by watery eyes. “Cow,” he said pointing to the screen. “Another cow,” he added along with the movie.
“I thought you’ve never seen this before?”
“I didn’t. There was just another cow flying through the air! These people are crazy. I mean, I know people think cops and FBI agents are crazy for putting their lives on the line every day, but we have some control, at least. You don’t mess with nature like this! They’re just asking for it.”
Harley smiled over at him and sat back against the couch, listening to Gus’s running commentary on the movie until the credits rolled.
“Well, that was good. Good choice,” he said as he leaned forward and stopped the tape. “Cow,” he laughed, shaking his head. “That was definitely the best part.”
“Can I ask you something?” Harley asked and he nodded as he looked over and saw how serious she had gotten. “What do you think about me? I mean, having her, giving her up…”
“I think,” he began as he grabbed her hand, “that we all make mistakes when we’re kids. I know I did.”
“Yeah? You have a little girl out there somewhere too?” she teased.
“Well, not that I know of. My point is that I think you did what was best for your daughter at the time. And I think it was probably the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do. But it gave you strength, I think, that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. I think everything bad that happens to us, everything hard we have to do gives us strength to get through the next day, to make it better, to make things right. It’s why I do what I do.”
“Organized crime?” Harley asked, confused.
“No, umm…you know, catching the bad guys. Any bad guys. Doing what my dad did,” he shrugged.
“I guess.”
“Do you regret what you did? Giving her up for adoption?” he asked.
“No,” she shook her head. “I know I did the right thing.”
“And she’s safe and healthy and happy, right? So that’s all that matters,” he said as he squeezed her shoulder.
“God, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be laying all of this on you. It’s just, Shannon doesn’t know and I can’t talk to my brother about it, he worries about me enough as it is. But…”
“Hey. All of this, Mallet, Daisy, it’s you. It’s part of you. And I want to know you. Not just the good stuff, but the bad stuff too. And I know that technically, this is only our second date, but I’ll be honest with you, I want there to be more. I want there to be a lot more, so I want you to be able to talk to be about stuff like this. Does that scare you?” he asked.
“It terrifies me,” she answered in a shaky voice. “I haven’t been with anyone since Mallet…I mean, I’ve gone on a few dates, but not like this.”
“Okay. It’s okay, we’ll take things slow,” he assured her and she let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.
“I like you, Gus. I do. I don’t want to not see you…”
“You won’t. I mean, I want to see you. I want to take you to dinner and the movies and whatever. I want to keep doing this. We can do that right?”
“Yeah,” she nodded.
“We’ll go slow and if we’re going too fast, tell me, okay? ‘Cause this is new for me too. I don’t do the relationship thing, but there’s just something about you. I don’t even know if I can explain it. I believe the most appropriate word for it would be smitten. I’m completely smitten with you, Harley Cooper. And I’ll do just about anything to get you to feel the same way about me. Wow, that probably really puts a lot of pressure on you, doesn’t it?” he laughed.
“Uh…yeah,” she replied, somewhat in shock.
“That’s not what I wanted to do. I can be an incredibly patient man when I want to be, when it’s something important. So, I’m going to go home. And I’ll come to lunch like normal and I’ll wait patiently for you to let me know when you’re up for a third date,” he said hopefully.
“Okay,” she nodded.
He stood up and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “I’ll see you Monday,” he said quietly before he slipped out of her apartment, leaving her on the couch, overwhelmed.
“Way to scare her off, Aitoro. I think you just blew it,” Gus sighed as he tossed his keys onto his kitchen counter when he got home to his little apartment. He was on his way to the refrigerator for a beer when he saw his answering machine light blinking and he pressed play.
Hi, it’s Harley. There’s a concert in the park Saturday night, I thought maybe we could go. Okay. Night.
“Maybe I didn’t blow it after all,” he smiled to himself as he set his beer back on the shelf, then changed his mind and grabbed it, taking a long pull as he headed to bed.
“I’m dating Gus,” Harley blurted out.
“Harley! I said I need coffee first!” Shannon exclaimed and ran to get coffee. “Okay, now, you’re doing what with who?” she asked when she came back with two cups.
“Dating Gus. You know, Gus. The one who eats here a couple times a week? You hit on him last month?” Harley explained when she noticed Shannon’s confused expression.
“Oh him. You’re dating him?”
“Well, we had one date. Last night, so I guess technically I’m dating him, but it’s not like there’s been a second date, so maybe I only dated him, I don’t know,” Harley rambled while Shannon gulped her coffee.
“Will there be a second date?” she asked.
“I think so,” Harley nodded and Shannon stared at her in shock.
“I can’t believe you’re dating!” Shannon finally exclaimed as she tackled Harley in a hug. “That’s so great! I’m a little annoyed that you’re dating the guy who blew me off, but still!”
Harley laughed, “He is so…I don’t know. He’s great. He’s funny and smart and kind, I like spending time with him.”
“So when did he ask you out?”
“Well, he didn’t. I guess I asked him,” Harley shrugged.
“What?!”
“The other night, he came over to my apartment, his partner had been shot and he needed someone to talk to. He didn’t know about Mallet until he got there and we talked for awhile, and he kissed me. Then he ran out,” Harley explained. “The next day, he was all embarrassed and apologetic, so I told him we would forget it ever happened. Then we had lunch and I just asked him if he was ever going to ask me out. He said he wanted to, but wasn’t sure if I was ready for that, especially since he learned about Mallet. I told him I was ready and we set the date.”
“So what did you do?”
“We went miniature golfing,” Harley answer and Shannon crinkled her nose. “No, I know, it sounds lame, but it was fun. We got to talk a lot and get to know each other. It was great.”
“Not quite my idea of foreplay, but whatever works for ya babe. So…how was it?” Shannon asked, leaning in close for all the details.
“I said it was fun.”
“No, the sex.”
“We didn’t have sex!”
“Why not?”
“Shannon! It was our first date,” Harley rolled her eyes.
“So? It’s not like you picked him up in a bar. And it’s not like it’s your first time!” Shannon argued.
“It would be since Mallet,” Harley said quietly.
“My god, Harley, it’s been almost two years.”
“Yeah.”
“So when’s the second date?” Shannon asked, changing the subject.
“I don’t know yet, he had to go out of town for work for a few days. He said he’d call me when he gets back to town,” Harley explained, but Shannon looked skeptical. “Give me a break Shannon, he did have to work. It wasn’t some excuse.”
“And while he’s out of town, he can do whatever he wants?” Shannon asked.
“I’m not his girlfriend, Shannon, we just went out once.”
“Alright.”
“Jeez, why did you have to put that idea into my head? Now all I can think about is him making out with some random chick in Times Square,” Harley sighed and Shannon laughed.
“Sorry. So, he a good kisser?” she asked.
“Yeah, I mean we only kissed a few times and nothing major, but…yes, definitely good,” Harley smiled shyly.
“Good for you,” Shannon said, patting Harley’s knee before she stood up.
“Hey, you’re not mad, are you?” Harley asked.
“Why would I be mad?”
“Well, I know you wanted to ask him out…”
“Harley please, I’d give up half the guys I’ve dated since we got here if it got you moving forward! I’m happy for you!” Shannon assured her.
“Thanks, Shan,” Harley said before Shannon left the office and she went back to her paperwork.
Harley spent the afternoon helping out in the dining room since one of their waitresses called off sick, and even though it was only a few hours on her feet before they closed at 3, she was exhausted when she got home. All she wanted to do was slip into a warm bubble bath when she saw the light on her answering machine flashing. She forced herself to detour over to the phone on the way to the bathroom and pressed play on the machine.
Hey, it’s me. Uh, Gus. I don’t know if we’re at a place where you would know who “me” was from my voice. Anyway, I know I said I would call you when I got back, but…well, I couldn’t wait. I wanted to call now. Now I admit that I called while I knew you would be at the restaurant so I look less pathetic, but I guess since I just admitted that, I still look pretty pathetic. Oh well, now you know, you’re dating one pathetic guy when it comes to you. At least I hope you’re dating him. Me. I really had a great time last night and I hope we can get together again when I get back. Looks like we’ll be here a little longer than I thought, so I will definitely call you later in the week to set something up. Have a good week, Harley, he ended sweetly and Harley had to force herself not to swoon too much. Her finger hovered about the delete button before she decided not to delete it just yet and she smiled as she went to draw herself that bubble bath.
-----------------------------------------------
“Harley? Phone for you,” one of the waitresses called out while Harley was refilling coffee in the dining room later in the week.
“One minute,” Harley called back and finished her rounds quickly before she went and picked up the phone. “Hi, this is Harley,” she greeted.
“And this is Gus,” she heard and immediately smiled.
“Hey. Can you hold on a second while I move to the office? It’s really loud out here,” she asked and handed the phone to the waitress who answered it when he said it was okay.
“Thanks Jess,” Harley said when she picked up the line in the office and heard the other extension click off. “So, how’s the Big Apple?” she asked.
“Big. Apple-y,” Gus replied.
“Apple-y, huh?” she teased.
“Actually I’ll be home tonight. We’re leaving here in a few hours and should get in around seven. Want to grab dinner?” he asked.
“Yes, I do, but I can’t. I have class tonight,” she answered.
“Oh, that’s right. I’m telling you, I don’t even know what day it is when I’m out of town. What time is your class over?”
“Nine.”
“Can I see you after class then? I’ll get some take out, we can just hang out, watch a movie, talk, whatever,” Gus suggested.
“Yeah, that sounds good. Why don’t you come over around nine-thirty? I should be home by then. Unless you want me to come to your place?”
“No, I’ll come over there. I have to run, I’ll see you tonight.”
“See you later,” she replied before they said goodbye and hung up.
“So, does take-out and vegging out on the couch count as a second date?” Harley asked Shannon when she got back into the kitchen.
“I think so,” Shannon nodded. “So it’s set?”
“Tonight,” Harley smiled.
“Wow. I thought he was out of town?”
“He’s coming back tonight, and coming over after my class.”
“You look happy,” Shannon observed.
“I am. I like him, Shannon. I like spending time with him,” Harley shrugged.
“Good, just…don’t fight it, okay? If you like him, let yourself like him. You know?”
“Yeah yeah. I’m going to head out, I have some work to finish up before class. That okay?” Harley asked.
“Absolutely. Have a good night,” Shannon winked before Harley rolled her eyes and headed out of the restaurant.
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“Hey, sorry I’m late,” Harley said as she got to the front of her building where Gus was waiting with a bag of food. “Have you been waiting long?”
“Couple of minutes. Look at you with the book bag,” he teased.
“It’s a messenger bag. Less middle school,” she shrugged.
“It’s cute,” he replied as he grabbed the strap down by the bag and tugged at it.
“Welcome back,” she said as she smiled up at him and an uneasy silence came over them, neither sure how to continue their greeting.
“Good to be back,” he finally replied as he leaned over to kiss her while she reached for the front door, causing him to clumsily kiss her ear.
“Oh!” Harley jumped back, surprised. “Sorry. Wow, that was really awkward, huh?”
“Uh…yeah,” he laughed nervously and she cringed. “You hungry?” he asked, hoping to ease the uncomfortable air around them.
“Yes. Come on up,” she answered as she opened the front door and he followed her through.
“So how was class?” Gus asked when they got into her apartment and she set her bag down.
“It was fine. This class is harder than the other ones I’ve been taking, but I think I’m up for the challenge.”
“I’m sure you are. Plates?”
“I’ll get some. Want a beer?” she asked and he nodded.
“So how was New York? Successful?” she asked when she got back into the living room and handed him his beer.
“I guess you could say that,” he said as he handed her a container of Chinese food and scooped out some from another container onto his plate. “I guess in my line of work, any small piece of information is considered a success. It’s not like we get to take down the bad guys on a daily basis.”
“You like it?” she asked.
“What? My job? Yeah, I do. Especially on those rare days we take down the bad guys. It’s a rush, you know?”
“Yeah, I know,” she nodded.
“Do you miss it?”
“Sometimes, I do. Then I remember the day Mallet died, and I don’t miss it at all,” she said sadly. “Sorry,” she cringed, “I think it’s bad dating etiquette to talk about your dead husband.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” he said, touching her arm. “You can talk about him if you want.”
She shook her head, “I don’t want to.”
“Okay. So you want to see what’s on TV?”
“Yes, here, you pick something,” she said, handing him the remote control.
“Nope, nope, nope, no way, no…nothing,” he decided as he flipped through the channels. “Got any good movies?” he asked.
“Yeah. Umm…” she mumbled as she scanned the shelves of her entertainment center. “Twister? Have you seen it?” she asked, holding up a video tape.
“Nope, put it in,” Gus answered and she joined him back on the couch after she put the tape in the VCR.
“Hey, is that her?” Gus asked, pointing to a handful of pictures on Harley’s wall about an hour into the movie. “Is that Daisy?”
Harley followed his finger and shook her head, “No. That’s my niece Marina,” she answered.
“Cute. You don’t see her very often, do you?”
“No, I haven’t seen her since we…I moved to Florida. Frank sends me pictures though and I’ve talked to her on the phone a few times.”
“You haven’t been home since Mallet died?” he asked and she shook her head. “Do you have any pictures of Daisy?”
“Yeah,” she said and she reached over him into the drawer in her end table and pulled out a picture that she handed to him.
“That’s her on her first day of kindergarten. It’s the only picture I have of her.”
“You said she was ten now?”
“She’ll be ten in September.”
“She’s gorgeous. She looks just like you.”
“Thanks,” she smiled shyly.
He looked over at her and saw that her smile had been replaced by watery eyes. “Cow,” he said pointing to the screen. “Another cow,” he added along with the movie.
“I thought you’ve never seen this before?”
“I didn’t. There was just another cow flying through the air! These people are crazy. I mean, I know people think cops and FBI agents are crazy for putting their lives on the line every day, but we have some control, at least. You don’t mess with nature like this! They’re just asking for it.”
Harley smiled over at him and sat back against the couch, listening to Gus’s running commentary on the movie until the credits rolled.
“Well, that was good. Good choice,” he said as he leaned forward and stopped the tape. “Cow,” he laughed, shaking his head. “That was definitely the best part.”
“Can I ask you something?” Harley asked and he nodded as he looked over and saw how serious she had gotten. “What do you think about me? I mean, having her, giving her up…”
“I think,” he began as he grabbed her hand, “that we all make mistakes when we’re kids. I know I did.”
“Yeah? You have a little girl out there somewhere too?” she teased.
“Well, not that I know of. My point is that I think you did what was best for your daughter at the time. And I think it was probably the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do. But it gave you strength, I think, that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. I think everything bad that happens to us, everything hard we have to do gives us strength to get through the next day, to make it better, to make things right. It’s why I do what I do.”
“Organized crime?” Harley asked, confused.
“No, umm…you know, catching the bad guys. Any bad guys. Doing what my dad did,” he shrugged.
“I guess.”
“Do you regret what you did? Giving her up for adoption?” he asked.
“No,” she shook her head. “I know I did the right thing.”
“And she’s safe and healthy and happy, right? So that’s all that matters,” he said as he squeezed her shoulder.
“God, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be laying all of this on you. It’s just, Shannon doesn’t know and I can’t talk to my brother about it, he worries about me enough as it is. But…”
“Hey. All of this, Mallet, Daisy, it’s you. It’s part of you. And I want to know you. Not just the good stuff, but the bad stuff too. And I know that technically, this is only our second date, but I’ll be honest with you, I want there to be more. I want there to be a lot more, so I want you to be able to talk to be about stuff like this. Does that scare you?” he asked.
“It terrifies me,” she answered in a shaky voice. “I haven’t been with anyone since Mallet…I mean, I’ve gone on a few dates, but not like this.”
“Okay. It’s okay, we’ll take things slow,” he assured her and she let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.
“I like you, Gus. I do. I don’t want to not see you…”
“You won’t. I mean, I want to see you. I want to take you to dinner and the movies and whatever. I want to keep doing this. We can do that right?”
“Yeah,” she nodded.
“We’ll go slow and if we’re going too fast, tell me, okay? ‘Cause this is new for me too. I don’t do the relationship thing, but there’s just something about you. I don’t even know if I can explain it. I believe the most appropriate word for it would be smitten. I’m completely smitten with you, Harley Cooper. And I’ll do just about anything to get you to feel the same way about me. Wow, that probably really puts a lot of pressure on you, doesn’t it?” he laughed.
“Uh…yeah,” she replied, somewhat in shock.
“That’s not what I wanted to do. I can be an incredibly patient man when I want to be, when it’s something important. So, I’m going to go home. And I’ll come to lunch like normal and I’ll wait patiently for you to let me know when you’re up for a third date,” he said hopefully.
“Okay,” she nodded.
He stood up and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “I’ll see you Monday,” he said quietly before he slipped out of her apartment, leaving her on the couch, overwhelmed.
-----------------------------------------------
“Way to scare her off, Aitoro. I think you just blew it,” Gus sighed as he tossed his keys onto his kitchen counter when he got home to his little apartment. He was on his way to the refrigerator for a beer when he saw his answering machine light blinking and he pressed play.
Hi, it’s Harley. There’s a concert in the park Saturday night, I thought maybe we could go. Okay. Night.
“Maybe I didn’t blow it after all,” he smiled to himself as he set his beer back on the shelf, then changed his mind and grabbed it, taking a long pull as he headed to bed.
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