Part 9
CJ, Josh and Eric were sitting around a round table waiting for Sam and Toby.
"I hope nothing has happened to them. They're never this late." Josh looked at his watch for the fifth time in two minutes.
"Well, then you don't know Toby." CJ laughed thinking of all the times she thought Toby had stood her up, but when he only had been late.
Eric and Josh looked at her, expecting her to say something more about it. When she didn't they began to talk about other things. CJ tried to focus on Eric and Josh's conversation as long as she could, but her mind quickly drifted off to Toby. At first, when Eric had told her about the dinner she had gone crazy. When he had asked why she didn't even want to try to make up with Toby she realized it was no point in arguing. If she kept doing it, he would want to know more, and she didn't want to tell him. Not ever.
"There they are!" Josh suddenly said loudly.
Sam and Toby quickly walked towards the table and sat down.
"Sorry we're late. Traffic." Sam smiled at CJ. "You look beautiful tonight, CJ."
"Tell me when she doesn't." Eric reached out for her hand that rested on the table.
Toby couldn't help it, but it bothered him to see CJ's hand in another man's than his. He tried to not look, but he couldn't look away.
CJ noticed that Toby thought it was hard to see her hand in Eric's. She smiled before excusing herself. Five minutes later she came back and this time she put her hands together on the table. And whenever Eric tried to reach out for her hand she found a reason to pull away. She thought it was innocent and that no one noticed. The truth was that everyone around the table noticed it. A specially two of them.
* * * * *
Toby was standing outside CJ's door. It was closed. It had never bothered him before, but this time it did. He raised his hand to knock on it, but before he touched the door a voice behind him startled him.
"Toby? Why are you knocking?"
He quickly turned around and blushed when he noticed that Carol was looking curious at him. "No reason," he quickly said and opened the door to CJ's office and entered.
He was totally unprepared of what he saw. CJ and Eric were standing in front of her desk, kissing each other. It was too late to turn around to leave so Toby made a noise to get their attention. CJ blushed and pushed Eric away when she saw it was Toby.
"I'm sorry." Toby looked down.
"No, I'm sorry," CJ hurried to say.
She didn't look at him either. Eric looked at them, not understanding what really was going on.
"Listen, I'll go and see Sam for a while. Come and get me when you're done."
Eric grabbed CJ's arm and leaned down to kiss her, but she tilted away her head so he just kissed her on the cheek. Eric tried to hide that it hurt him and quickly left, before smiling briefly at Toby. After Eric had left Toby closed the door and sat down in the couch. CJ soon joined him.
"You don't have to do that for me."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't have to tilt away your head when he wants to kiss you, you don't have to pull away your hand from his when he wants to hold you. Not for me, CJ."
"Oh, Toby, don't say that." CJ had tears in her eyes, without really knowing why. "I don't... I'm just thinking of..." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I still remember how much it killed me to see you and Andrea."
"And I didn't do anything to hide it." He almost sounded a bit guilty.
They were quiet for a while, before CJ reached out to take his hand. He held her hand tightly in his, never wanting to let go.
"I have to ask you something."
She knew it probably would kill him, but at least she had to ask.
"What?"
"You're coming to the wedding, right?"
Toby turned to her and saw her begging eyes that had tears in them. He didn't want to go and he knew she knew it. Still, she asked him. Because she needed him there. She needed the person that meant the most to her there.
"CJ...," he started, but stopped when a tear ran down her cheek. He wiped it away swallowing his own lump in the throat. "Of course I'll come," he whispered.
* * * * *
"Hey Eric! What can I do for you?"
"Sam, I want you to tell me everything you know about CJ and Toby."
Sam looked up at his friend. Eric's constant smile was gone, and instead his face looked bitter and his lips were pressed together in a straight line. Sam took a decision he knew he shouldn't take without either Toby or CJ's permissions. He was going to tell him the whole story. Not only for Eric's sake, but for Toby's and CJ's as well.
TBC.
CJ, Josh and Eric were sitting around a round table waiting for Sam and Toby.
"I hope nothing has happened to them. They're never this late." Josh looked at his watch for the fifth time in two minutes.
"Well, then you don't know Toby." CJ laughed thinking of all the times she thought Toby had stood her up, but when he only had been late.
Eric and Josh looked at her, expecting her to say something more about it. When she didn't they began to talk about other things. CJ tried to focus on Eric and Josh's conversation as long as she could, but her mind quickly drifted off to Toby. At first, when Eric had told her about the dinner she had gone crazy. When he had asked why she didn't even want to try to make up with Toby she realized it was no point in arguing. If she kept doing it, he would want to know more, and she didn't want to tell him. Not ever.
"There they are!" Josh suddenly said loudly.
Sam and Toby quickly walked towards the table and sat down.
"Sorry we're late. Traffic." Sam smiled at CJ. "You look beautiful tonight, CJ."
"Tell me when she doesn't." Eric reached out for her hand that rested on the table.
Toby couldn't help it, but it bothered him to see CJ's hand in another man's than his. He tried to not look, but he couldn't look away.
CJ noticed that Toby thought it was hard to see her hand in Eric's. She smiled before excusing herself. Five minutes later she came back and this time she put her hands together on the table. And whenever Eric tried to reach out for her hand she found a reason to pull away. She thought it was innocent and that no one noticed. The truth was that everyone around the table noticed it. A specially two of them.
* * * * *
Toby was standing outside CJ's door. It was closed. It had never bothered him before, but this time it did. He raised his hand to knock on it, but before he touched the door a voice behind him startled him.
"Toby? Why are you knocking?"
He quickly turned around and blushed when he noticed that Carol was looking curious at him. "No reason," he quickly said and opened the door to CJ's office and entered.
He was totally unprepared of what he saw. CJ and Eric were standing in front of her desk, kissing each other. It was too late to turn around to leave so Toby made a noise to get their attention. CJ blushed and pushed Eric away when she saw it was Toby.
"I'm sorry." Toby looked down.
"No, I'm sorry," CJ hurried to say.
She didn't look at him either. Eric looked at them, not understanding what really was going on.
"Listen, I'll go and see Sam for a while. Come and get me when you're done."
Eric grabbed CJ's arm and leaned down to kiss her, but she tilted away her head so he just kissed her on the cheek. Eric tried to hide that it hurt him and quickly left, before smiling briefly at Toby. After Eric had left Toby closed the door and sat down in the couch. CJ soon joined him.
"You don't have to do that for me."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't have to tilt away your head when he wants to kiss you, you don't have to pull away your hand from his when he wants to hold you. Not for me, CJ."
"Oh, Toby, don't say that." CJ had tears in her eyes, without really knowing why. "I don't... I'm just thinking of..." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I still remember how much it killed me to see you and Andrea."
"And I didn't do anything to hide it." He almost sounded a bit guilty.
They were quiet for a while, before CJ reached out to take his hand. He held her hand tightly in his, never wanting to let go.
"I have to ask you something."
She knew it probably would kill him, but at least she had to ask.
"What?"
"You're coming to the wedding, right?"
Toby turned to her and saw her begging eyes that had tears in them. He didn't want to go and he knew she knew it. Still, she asked him. Because she needed him there. She needed the person that meant the most to her there.
"CJ...," he started, but stopped when a tear ran down her cheek. He wiped it away swallowing his own lump in the throat. "Of course I'll come," he whispered.
* * * * *
"Hey Eric! What can I do for you?"
"Sam, I want you to tell me everything you know about CJ and Toby."
Sam looked up at his friend. Eric's constant smile was gone, and instead his face looked bitter and his lips were pressed together in a straight line. Sam took a decision he knew he shouldn't take without either Toby or CJ's permissions. He was going to tell him the whole story. Not only for Eric's sake, but for Toby's and CJ's as well.
TBC.