Gary wasn't happy. He couldn't figure it out. Rose was gone, and good riddance. She was so exhausting. She jogged every day, even when it was raining, and lately he was thinking how nice it would be to sit with someone rather than chase after them.
Work's going well, he thought as he rooted around the sink, trying to find the cause of his malaise. Rose might've been pushy, but buying the bar was a good bet. Even if that meant tying himself down. Hong Kong was fun but it brought nothing but trouble. Best to stay here where he knew things would always be the same.
No, work wasn't what was bothering Gary.
'Fine', he sighed, the words echoing through the empty kitchen. He might as well admit it, if only to himself. It was Miranda. He always knew what to expect with her, but she wasn't holding up her end of the bargain! She was his best friend, and now she was kissing this other bloke. He wasn't even that good a reporter! Panning, Ha!
He put down the plate he had been washing for the past ten minutes, and picked up another. Someone only ate one bite of their Pavlova. He imagined Miranda's reaction. 'The horror', she would exclaim, clutching her pearls.
As he scraped it into the trash the noise filled his ears and suddenly he couldn't take it any more. He threw the dish across the room and reveled in the crash it made.
'Right', determined, he wiped his hands on the towel at his waist, and grabbed his keys.
Storming out of the kitchen, he bounced off the softest wall he'd ever encountered. Seeing Miranda fall, he managed to catch her flailing arms, only to be pulled down on top of her.
'Miranda! Are you okay?' This wasn't the first time he'd found himself in this position, but he found himself rather less annoyed about it than he had been before.
'Gary! Are you hurt?'
'What are you doing here?' Gary shifted his weight to the floor and helped Miranda sit up, and just caught the blush coming to her cheeks.
'I heard a crash'
Bugger, she heard that!
'Oh, that was nothing, dropped a dish. Customer didn't finish their pavlova.'
'The horror!' Miranda's hand flew to her chest, claiming her necklace and playing with the diamond that hung there.
'Where are your pearls?'
'What?'
Chuckling, Gary stood and helped her to her feet.
'But that was just now, the crash'
He watched Miranda fix her clothes after the scuffle, and noted that she was avoiding his eye.
'What are you doing here?' Gary pressed, taking Miranda's hand and leading her to the nearest table. 'The kitchen's closed.'
Miranda chuckled to herself and looked at her hands, still intertwined with his. Suddenly flustered she began to bat away his hands. 'Stop it now, no flirting, friends remember?'
The punch in his gut took Gary by surprise. It didn't bother him yesterday, that horrible word. Friends, that's right, Gary, Friends. Turning quickly to avoid her gaze, he took the first chair down, set it upright and presented it kneeling with his head bowed.
'Your throne, milady'
'Milady? Really, thank you very much to you kind sir'
As Gary stood up and Miranda sat their heads clunked together, and Gary saw stars.
Miranda stood right back up, 'Oh, never mind, this won't do. Goodnight Gary.' She started to push past, but he was having none of that.
'Miranda, stop. You came here for a reason, so sit back down. You're not leaving until you're out with it.' Gary guided Miranda with a firm hand on her shoulder back into her seat, and quickly pulled a second chair down and sat, crossing his legs. 'Go on'
'Oh, it's so easy for you isn't it, Gary, just sitting there!' Miranda's hot flash of anger took him by surprise.
'What?'
'Nevermind. It's just…' She was getting flustered, and he didn't know how to help.
'What, Miranda, you can tell me anything.'
'But that's just it, I can't. I can't tell you everything because so much of it is about you!'
Gary uncrossed his legs and leaned in, 'Wh—'
'I can't tell you how hard it is being friends with you! It's really infuriating, you know. I can't tell you because if I do and you don't then we can't be friends anymore and I don't want that!'
His heart lifted, could she be saying what he's been trying to? 'Can I just say—'
'No, you can't because I'm saying this. I love being with Michael. I love the way he looks at me, and makes me feel. I should be with him, I should be with Michael.'
Miranda stood up, 'Goodnight Gary.'
Gary jumped up and followed her to the door, he knew if she left now, he'd never get his courage up again. 'Where are you going?'
'To be with Michael.' Miranda sighed and tried to push past. Gary stood his ground.
'Why? You don't love him.' Please don't let her say she loves him…
'I can love him, and he loves me.'
'I love you.'
Time froze as Gary held Miranda's gaze, willing her to believe him. He didn't realize it until he had said it, and now he knew it was true.
'I love you, Miranda.' Gary took a step closer.
'Don't.' Miranda took a step back.
'I love you.' Gary grasped her elbows and gave her a little shake as he pulled her closer.
Miranda dropped her gaze, 'Don't do that!'
'What?' He closed the distance that had been taunting him, snaking an arm around her back.
Miranda's gaze returned, with fire in her stare. 'Don't DO that! Don't wait until I've got a very pleasant boyfriend, thank you very much, to lie to me and make me feel like I have to choose between reality and my imagination!' Imagination! Please, let her understand!
'What's imaginary? I love you, Miranda, and yes, maybe I didn't know it before today, but I love you and I want to be with you!'
'I can't. I just can't do this anymore. I love you, Gary, I do, but—'
Gary couldn't hear Miranda's protests any more. Taking no more chances, no more wasted time, no more second guessing, he placed his hand on her neck, brought her close and closed her lips with his own….