Part Seven

Author's Note: I am not sure on the level of Gia's pool skills.  I missed a few months of GH when I was in university. I am going to say that Gia's not that good at the game.

            Jason noticed the look on Gia's face.  "Is something wrong?"

            Gia just shrugged.  "Nothing worse than what has already happened.  Is Carly around?"

            "She is doing some business at the Club.  She should be back before lunch." Jason said.

            "Do you mind if I wait here?" Gia asked, half hoping that she could spend some time talking with him.  He was such a good listener.

            "Not at all." Jason moved out of the doorway of his penthouse so Gia could come in.  She sat down on the couch and threw the Deception contract on the coffee table. 

            Jason took a seat on the chair.  "What's that?"

            "My contract to Deception…Laura is trying to fire me." Gia put her hands on her temples.  She could feel the headache brewing. 

            "Can she do that?" Jason asked.

            "I really don't think so but I want to be sure." Gia said.  "That's why I wanted to talk to Carly.  She drew up the contract I signed so she would know if Laura's reasoning is enough to get me fired." She shook her head.  "I feel like I am being kicked when I am already down Jason.  I thought my work at Deception would help me get my mind off of Nikolas and now I might lose that."  She groaned.  "I don't want to talk about it anymore." She looked over at him.  "How are things with you?"

            Jason thought for a moment.  "Fine I guess.  My life isn't really that exciting."

            "Come on." Gia laughed.  "You are a supposed mobster who lives across from the most colorful couple in Port Charles.  You can't tell me that."

            "Well, the truth is I spend most of my day on the phone talking to various people.  And Sonny and Carly aren't what the papers say they are."

            "So they didn't have sex on the roof?" Gia asked, remembering something in the paper to that effect.

            "I really don't want to know if they did." Jason said, and then laughed. 

            "You must do something for excitement." Gia said.  "You ride your bike."

            "True."

            "And you play pool." Gia pointed out. 

            "I've become so good, I feel like I could play it with my eyes closed." Jason said.

            "That's because you always play the same people.  You need some new competition." Gia told him.  "I bet I could give you a run for your money."

            "I don't know." Jason remembered the other night.  "You not exactly a good shot."

            "Teach me." Gia said.  "Show me how to play the game and then I'll kick your butt."

            "Alright, you're on." Jason said.  "When?"

            "If you're not doing anything tonight, then neither am I." Gia said. 

            "Sure, I just hope you got time because you were real bad the other night." Jason teased.

            Gia heaved a pillow off the couch.  It went flying through air and landed on his lap.  "I was drunk."

            "No you were bad." Jason said simply.

            "Stop!" Gia declared laughing.

            The door opened and Carly poked her head in.  "Jason, guess what?  I just got a call.  Courtney is going into labor…" She noticed Jason's guest.  "Hey Gia, didn't mean to interrupt."

            "That's okay." Gia said.  "Courtney is going to have her baby! That's great." She had talked to her friend last month and she knew that Courtney was excited at the thought of being a mother.

            "I know." Carly said coming into the penthouse.  She was carrying Adella in her arms.  "I am going to be an Aunt.  So that means that the baby will be here today or tomorrow…today if she's lucky.  So we should be leaving by Wednesday.  You sure you can look after Michael and Adella?"        

            "Of course I'm sure." Jason said. 

            "Okay." Carly was excited.  "I'm going to wait a little before I call Sonny in case he is in a meeting."

            "While you waiting, maybe you can help me out a little."  Gia reached for the Deception contract.  She quickly ran over her meeting with Laura.  "So what I want to know is based on this contract can Laura drop me?"

            Carly shook her head.  "Just because she is upset over her son doesn't give her the right to fire you.  She can't bring her personal issues into this, Gia.  If she does 'fire' you, you can sue her for breach of contract.  I'll call Scotty later on tonight just in case." She said referring to her step-father.  "I know he'll help you because I'm family and family comes first."

            "But Laura's family too." Gia pointed out.

            Carly nodded.  "But she is breaching the contract.  Scotty will do the right thing."

            "I feel a lot better." Gia stood up.  "I got a few things to do…see you tonight, Jason?"

            "Tonight?" Carly asked.

            "I'm going to show her how to play pool." Jason told her.

            "I hope you catch on…he needs to be humbled." Carly stood up.  "I can't wait any longer.  I have to call Sonny!"

            "If you speak to Courtney before I do, tell her congratulations." Gia said as Carly began to leave.

            "Will do." Carly said, waving as she closed the door.

            "How about I meet you at Jake's at 8:00?" Gia asked.

            "How about I meet you in the lobby of the PC Hotel at 7:30?" Jason asked.  "You can take another ride on my bike."  He hoped she would agree.  He didn't like the idea of her traveling to Jake's on her own, even though she had done it before.

            "Sounds like fun." Gia grinned and then left.

            ****

            Gia looked at the mirror again.  She knew she looked good but she wanted to be perfect.  She had tied her braids up into a ponytail.  She was wearing a red sequined top and a faded pair of jeans.  As she was carefully applying her makeup she wondered what she was doing.  Here she was getting ready for a date…but it wasn't a date.  She wasn't ready for a date.    She was just going to play pool with a friend.  But somehow just showing up in a sweater and jeans didn't suit her.  She wanted to look beautiful. 

            She stepped back and took in the whole effect.  "Wow, Gia, you do know how to clean up well." She announced grabbing her jacket and purse.  If her goal was to knock the socks off of Jason she knew she had accomplished that.  What exactly was her goal with Jason?  He was just a friend, right? 

She hopped in the elevator and thought about the last few days.  Jason seemed more than a friend.  She felt so comfortable talking to him…like she could tell him anything.  She didn't remember ever being able to open up to someone so fast.  Not even with Nikolas…

"Okay, Gia…Jason is just your friend." Gia told herself.  "You just broke up with Nikolas who you were with for five years.  It's normal to feel lonely…he's the first guy who has paid attention to you…" She continued her pep talk, seriously hoping that no one else would board the elevator.  The doors opened and looked up.  Fighting her urge to frown, she acknowledged the person standing there.  "Hey AJ."

"Gia, I was just on my way up to the room." AJ said.  "Are you coming or going?"

"Going." She stepped past him, shaking her head a little.  She could smell the alcohol on his breath.  He really had sunk down low.  She felt a little sorry for him.  He had been kind to her once, but that didn't excuse the fact that he had deceived Courtney.

"Gia!"

She looked up to see Jason standing there.  She smiled and walked over.  "I am really glad that you could do this."

"No problem.  I wanted to find a new player." Jason said.  "You can learn from the master…"

Gia laughed.  "You're so full of yourself." She said as they exited the hotel.  She felt excitement run through her as she spotted the bike.  She took the helmet and climbed on the back, wrapping her arms around Jason's waist. 

Soon they were racing through the night.  Gia concentrated on nothing but the feel of the wind hitting them, the blur of the world as they raced by…She laid her head on Jason's back and closed her eyes.  She wanted to stay like this forever.

The trip to Jake's wasn't a long one and Gia couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when they reached their destination.  She climbed off Jason's bike and handed him back the helmet.  "That is so much fun." Gia declared. 

Jason smiled.  "Anytime you want to go for a ride, let me know."

They entered Jake's and Gia felt relieved that Charlie and his buddies weren't there.  Jason claimed his usual table and politely declined a match against one of the other regulars.  "Tonight I am a teacher." He nodded towards Gia who was slipping off her coat and depositing her purse on a nearby table.  Jason raised his eyebrows.  She looked gorgeous. 

Gia turned back to catch Jason staring back at her.  She blushed, and placed her hands on her hips.  "Where do we start?"

"First off, do you know how to hold the cue stick?" He asked handing her one.

"Of course I do." Gia said.  "Don't be silly." She took the stick in her hand and demonstrated.

"You could do it that way." Jason made a face.  "But it would be easier to do it this way." He moved her hands higher up the stick.  "And instead of putting the stick between your fingers to shoot, you can put it in the space between your pointer finger and your thumb." He showed her. "It's easier when you are just beginning."

"Are you calling me a beginner?" Gia demanded.

"How many games have you played before?" Jason asked, leaning against the wall.

"A few." Gia replied.

"Good, then you break." Jason told her.

Gia shoot the ball and watched as the others scattered around the table.  Not one went in.

Jason stepped up and shot.  The ball went hurtling down the table, knocking one in.  Within in moments, he had cleared the table, leaving Gia stunned.

"How did you do that?" She asked as she set the table up for another game.  "I didn't even have a chance."

He shrugged.  "Practice."

"You break this time." Gia instructed.

Jason lined up his shot and the balls went flying around the table.  Not one went in. 

"You did that on purpose." Gia accused.

"Did not." Jason said.

Gia gave him a look.

"Okay, I did." Jason laughed.  "Your turn."

Gia scanned the table.  She spotted a red ball that was so close to going into one of the corner pockets.  She leaned down and looked at her shot.  It was a perfect straight line.  She grinned and was about to make the shot. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Gia looked up.  Jason was right behind her, also looking at the shot.  "Oh and why not?"

"It is a straight line but the green ball is in the path every so slightly." Jason explained.  "The ball would hit it and send you off path.  You could hit the red one or you could sink the white ball."

"Why should I believe you?" Gia asked.  "You are my competition."

"But tonight, I am your teacher." Jason said.  "I am not going to mislead you."

"Well then what should I go for?" Gia asked.

Jason walked around the table.  He finally stopped one side.  "Hit the ball here." He said placing his hand on the side of the table.

"But there is no ball there." Gia protested.

"If you hit it on an angle then it will bounce off the side and hit the yellow one in to the pocket next to you."

Gia looked skeptical. 

"Here, let me help you." Jason came back around and leaned over the table with her. 

For a moment, Gia felt lost in the smell of him…not to mention the fact that he was leaning against her.  He's just your friend…Gia reminded herself.  She allowed him to help her with the shot and was rewarded with sinking the ball.  "Wahoo!"

Jason smiled with her.  He was glad that she was having fun.  "A few more tips and I think I might actually have some competition."

"You better believe it." Gia gave him a playful shove.

Jason was about to say something back when his cell phone rang.  He pulled it out and for a second a serious look crossed his face.  Gia felt her heart sink.  He probably had to go for business.  Then he broke out into a huge smile.  "That's great! Tell Sonny congratulations…Okay…calm down, I'll tell her!"  He hung up the phone.  "Courtney had her baby."

Gia felt a huge smile cross her face.  "Really?  What is it?"

"A son…Jacob Ryan Young." He said.  "Carly is so excited and Sonny was so happy he couldn't even come to the phone.  They are driving to see them tomorrow.  I have to meet them in the park with the kids.  They promised Michael and Adella that they would have a picnic before they go." Jason slipped his phone back into his pocket.  "I think I'll just stay there and let them play for awhile.  Do you want to meet me there?"

Gia nodded.  "I did promise Michael that I would play in the sandbox with him."

"Great!" Jason said.  "And Carly wanted me to tell you that she called Scotty.  He is prepared to help you if Laura does go through with her threat to push you out of the company."

Gia sighed in relief.  Things were starting to look up! "Back to the game?"

Jason nodded.  "I believe it is your shot." He scanned the table.  Gia moved next to him to figure out what he was thinking.  "Why not…"

"GIA!"

Gia frowned.  She didn't even have to turn around to know whose voice it was.  "Hello Marcus."