Chapter 47
When she got home the place was thankfully in darkness. She turned on the light & dumped her purse, keys & files on the counter in the kitchen, then she saw the note.
'Gone to cafe Uno, just round the corner if you want to join us! Adam & Jay are here too! Tried calling you but your cell has been switched off all day!
See you there!
Amy'
"No you wont!" Said Gemma tossing the note into the bin.
She took a long hot shower & it gave her time to think about what Shane had said to her. She knew he was right, she needed to make some changes or this was going to go nowhere! The first thing she needed to sort out was Jeff! She had to face him & things had to go back to the way they were. He was the only one that could keep her sane, if she lost their friendship she would lose her mind! It wasnt going to be easy but she was determined it was gonna work!!
Then there was Adam! What she was going to do about Adam she had no plans for & it scared her. He was nice! They had fun, great sex......but there was nothing solid for her to hold onto. Maybe she could fall in love with him given time, but right now she wasnt hopeful.
She got out of the shower feeling a lot more refreshed & a lot calmer in her mind. She had a coffee & then went to bed. She was asleep in minutes.
She didnt hear the others come home around 11pm. She didnt feel Adam planting a kiss on her lips & pulling up her cover, nor did she see Jeff who was standing in her doorway, hang his head & turn away before Adam saw him looking.
*******
Next morning Gemma was awake & out of bed at 6:30am. She was determined to make this work & no way was she going to show up late for Austin!! She went straight into the bathroom & got washed & dressed. She had to admit as she looked in the mirror she looked pretty damn good in her new black jeans & white shirt! She felt good too, like she had a new outlook on life! She tied her hair back, put on some make up & she was done!
She walked into the living room & jumped at the sight of something on the couch! It was something under a blanket & it snored! Gemma noticed the mass of blonde hair comming out of one end & her stomach did a back flip....it was Jeff! She took several deep breaths & tip toed to the kitchen to make some coffee. She figured if she was real quiet she'd be out of there in five & he'd never know she'd been there! Of course. as is always the case, the quieter she treid to be the more noise she made!! She dropped the spoon onto the bench & held her breath, Jeff didnt move. She walked into the cupboard door she'd left open & banged her head...
"FUCK IT!" She muttered, rubbing the fast appearing lump on her forehead, Jeff still didnt wake up! It wasnt until she picked up her cup & spilled hot coffee on her hand that Jeff stirred!
"SHIT!" She exclaimed rather loudly & then stopped herself, but it was too late!
"You ok?" Said a sleepy voice from the couch. Gemma rolled her eyes.
"Yeah fine! Sorry for waking you up!"
"It's ok." Jeff yawned. "What time is it?" He sat up & leaned over the back of the couch. Gemma looked at her watch.
"Seven fifteen."
"You going to work?" Jeff asked eyeing her clothes.
"Yeah I have a shoot with Austin at nine & I dont wanna be late! How come you slept on our couch?"
"WOAH! Never mind the couch! Austin? As in Stone Cold Steve??!!"
"The very same!"
"Holy shit! That's awesome!"
"Ahem....couch? You? Asleep? Here? Why?"
"Oh yeah well we kinda dont have an appartment...well until today! Shane's fixing it for us, just we weren't expected so soon!" Jeff smiled & Gemma quickly looked down at her not very interesting cup of coffee! "Matt slept in Amy's room....not that they did much sleeping by the sounds of things!! It's a wonder any of us got any sleep!!" He laughed.
"Jesus! Im glad I slept through that then!" Gemma smiled.
Jeff got up from the couch wearing sweat pants & a white vest, Gemma quickly turned away & went to the sink. She bit on her lip. 'Get a grip girl! It's nothing you aint seen a thousand times before!' she thought.
"So.....here we are huh?"
"Um......oh.....yeah!"
"Gemma?"
"Hmmmm?"
"Look at me!"
She closed her eyes & gulped.
"Sure what's up?" She said turning to face him & putting on her best fake smile!
"What happened.....the day you left....I..."
"Look Jeff I really do need to get going!" She turned to leave but he grabbed her arm.
"We need to talk!"
She stopped but didnt look at him.
"Yeah, but not right now, I need to get to work!" She took a step forward but Jeff didnt release his grip. She turned & looked him in the eye.
"Jeff...please...look it's fine! It's ok! Over & done with...in the past! Let's just forget about it ok?"
"Yeah sure!"
He pulled her towards him & Hugged her. She just stood there for a few seconds & then reluctantly put her arms around him. It wasnt the same. It wasnt natural. It wasnt two best friends hugging each other! It was forced, uncomfortable & Gemma wanted to scream at him-
'See! This is why I didnt do anything about my feelings for you! Its all fucked up & there's no going back!'....but she said nothing. She'd never felt so sad, so crushed in her whole life.
"I....I have to go now or I will get in trouble."
They parted. Jeff just stood & looked at her, he looked as gutted as she felt! He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Yeah. You go. I'll er....I guess I'll see you later."
"Sure. Bye then." Gemma picked up her files, her case & her purse & walked out of the appartment. She paused outside the door to make sure she had her car keys & she heard Jeff bang what sounded like his fist on the counter & shout "FUCK IT!"
She put her hand to her mouth, tried to stop the tears & hurried as quickly as she could down to her car. It was screwed! Nothing was ever going to be the same between them, she knew that as soon as she held him. But right now she choked back her tears. She had a job to do.
When she got home the place was thankfully in darkness. She turned on the light & dumped her purse, keys & files on the counter in the kitchen, then she saw the note.
'Gone to cafe Uno, just round the corner if you want to join us! Adam & Jay are here too! Tried calling you but your cell has been switched off all day!
See you there!
Amy'
"No you wont!" Said Gemma tossing the note into the bin.
She took a long hot shower & it gave her time to think about what Shane had said to her. She knew he was right, she needed to make some changes or this was going to go nowhere! The first thing she needed to sort out was Jeff! She had to face him & things had to go back to the way they were. He was the only one that could keep her sane, if she lost their friendship she would lose her mind! It wasnt going to be easy but she was determined it was gonna work!!
Then there was Adam! What she was going to do about Adam she had no plans for & it scared her. He was nice! They had fun, great sex......but there was nothing solid for her to hold onto. Maybe she could fall in love with him given time, but right now she wasnt hopeful.
She got out of the shower feeling a lot more refreshed & a lot calmer in her mind. She had a coffee & then went to bed. She was asleep in minutes.
She didnt hear the others come home around 11pm. She didnt feel Adam planting a kiss on her lips & pulling up her cover, nor did she see Jeff who was standing in her doorway, hang his head & turn away before Adam saw him looking.
*******
Next morning Gemma was awake & out of bed at 6:30am. She was determined to make this work & no way was she going to show up late for Austin!! She went straight into the bathroom & got washed & dressed. She had to admit as she looked in the mirror she looked pretty damn good in her new black jeans & white shirt! She felt good too, like she had a new outlook on life! She tied her hair back, put on some make up & she was done!
She walked into the living room & jumped at the sight of something on the couch! It was something under a blanket & it snored! Gemma noticed the mass of blonde hair comming out of one end & her stomach did a back flip....it was Jeff! She took several deep breaths & tip toed to the kitchen to make some coffee. She figured if she was real quiet she'd be out of there in five & he'd never know she'd been there! Of course. as is always the case, the quieter she treid to be the more noise she made!! She dropped the spoon onto the bench & held her breath, Jeff didnt move. She walked into the cupboard door she'd left open & banged her head...
"FUCK IT!" She muttered, rubbing the fast appearing lump on her forehead, Jeff still didnt wake up! It wasnt until she picked up her cup & spilled hot coffee on her hand that Jeff stirred!
"SHIT!" She exclaimed rather loudly & then stopped herself, but it was too late!
"You ok?" Said a sleepy voice from the couch. Gemma rolled her eyes.
"Yeah fine! Sorry for waking you up!"
"It's ok." Jeff yawned. "What time is it?" He sat up & leaned over the back of the couch. Gemma looked at her watch.
"Seven fifteen."
"You going to work?" Jeff asked eyeing her clothes.
"Yeah I have a shoot with Austin at nine & I dont wanna be late! How come you slept on our couch?"
"WOAH! Never mind the couch! Austin? As in Stone Cold Steve??!!"
"The very same!"
"Holy shit! That's awesome!"
"Ahem....couch? You? Asleep? Here? Why?"
"Oh yeah well we kinda dont have an appartment...well until today! Shane's fixing it for us, just we weren't expected so soon!" Jeff smiled & Gemma quickly looked down at her not very interesting cup of coffee! "Matt slept in Amy's room....not that they did much sleeping by the sounds of things!! It's a wonder any of us got any sleep!!" He laughed.
"Jesus! Im glad I slept through that then!" Gemma smiled.
Jeff got up from the couch wearing sweat pants & a white vest, Gemma quickly turned away & went to the sink. She bit on her lip. 'Get a grip girl! It's nothing you aint seen a thousand times before!' she thought.
"So.....here we are huh?"
"Um......oh.....yeah!"
"Gemma?"
"Hmmmm?"
"Look at me!"
She closed her eyes & gulped.
"Sure what's up?" She said turning to face him & putting on her best fake smile!
"What happened.....the day you left....I..."
"Look Jeff I really do need to get going!" She turned to leave but he grabbed her arm.
"We need to talk!"
She stopped but didnt look at him.
"Yeah, but not right now, I need to get to work!" She took a step forward but Jeff didnt release his grip. She turned & looked him in the eye.
"Jeff...please...look it's fine! It's ok! Over & done with...in the past! Let's just forget about it ok?"
"Yeah sure!"
He pulled her towards him & Hugged her. She just stood there for a few seconds & then reluctantly put her arms around him. It wasnt the same. It wasnt natural. It wasnt two best friends hugging each other! It was forced, uncomfortable & Gemma wanted to scream at him-
'See! This is why I didnt do anything about my feelings for you! Its all fucked up & there's no going back!'....but she said nothing. She'd never felt so sad, so crushed in her whole life.
"I....I have to go now or I will get in trouble."
They parted. Jeff just stood & looked at her, he looked as gutted as she felt! He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Yeah. You go. I'll er....I guess I'll see you later."
"Sure. Bye then." Gemma picked up her files, her case & her purse & walked out of the appartment. She paused outside the door to make sure she had her car keys & she heard Jeff bang what sounded like his fist on the counter & shout "FUCK IT!"
She put her hand to her mouth, tried to stop the tears & hurried as quickly as she could down to her car. It was screwed! Nothing was ever going to be the same between them, she knew that as soon as she held him. But right now she choked back her tears. She had a job to do.