Chapter 32
New Plan
"Gil…you look exhausted," was the first thing Sara said when she opened the door to Gil that next morning. Despite Gil had dressed sharply for his second lecture, and despite he'd done all he could to tame his silvery curls, nothing could hide the dark circles under his tired eyes.
Gil gave a nonchalant shrug as she let him in, they'd decided to breakfast together in the suite before heading off to the university for the second lecture. He pecked her lips before heading over to the small dining table in the main room of the suite, a light breakfast of toast and various jams had arrived merely minutes before he had, and was already on the table, looking appetizing.
"Have you been up all night?" Sara asked.
"Jetlag has played havoc with my sleeping pattern," Gil pulled her chair for her, and let her sit first, he took a moment to examine the grey pant suit she was wearing, he'd seen her wear it once before, and had always liked its simplicity, especially on her. "I couldn't sleep, so I stayed up all night and worked on the lecture. This time, I'm going to blow them away."
Sara put a napkin in her lap, "oh?" she asked. "What's your new plan of action this time around?"
Gil sat down, he poured her a glass of orange juice, "first of all, you'll be sitting out of view," he said, "it's hard lecturing when someone you know is watching you – even harder when you can see them watching you and writing notes about your general presentation…I don't know, it was very distracting," he confessed. "I just couldn't concentrate yesterday."
Sara nodded, "I noticed," she lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip.
"So sit somewhere that won't be obvious to me," he advised as he poured himself a glass.
"Okay…" Sara shrugged, "is that your only plan? Have me sitting out of view?" she served herself some toast.
"Actually, no," Gil took a slice of toast from the plate, "I used my laptop last night to email Cath and had her send me some digital photos over the internet," he smirked, "I got the use of a colour printer courtesy of the hotel. I have some of the goriest pictures to use in the lecture, that should get some attention if nothing else," he smirked. "You know young people, they like a little gore now and then."
"You always think of something," Sara mused.
Gil paused, took a sip of his juice then asked, "are we okay after yesterday?"
"I already forgot about it," Sara shrugged, she spread some marmalade on her toast, "well…most of it," she added.
"Which part didn't you forget?" he asked out of curiosity.
"Being pinned up against the wall," Sara remarked, she didn't meet his eyes but Gil thought he saw the tiniest smirk as she pretended to be more preoccupied in spreading marmalade.
"Why'd that stick out in your mind?" Gil asked trying to be very nonchalant, but couldn't help but feel the slightest tinge of pleasure that she hadn't quickly forgotten it – or that she was thinking about it at all for that matter.
"It was just…incredibly unlike you," she responded with a shrug. "It was spontaneous."
"Hey, where do you get this assumption I'm not spontaneous?" he demanded grumpily, "I was the first to kiss you, remember?"
"Yeah, only after I wounded your pride by insinuating you were a wuss," Sara smirked, she took a large bite of her toast, smirking as she chewed.
"You are cruel, miss Sidle, very cruel," Gil teased, he buttered his own toast. "I can be spontaneous, believe me. I only do it when the moment is right though."
"You only do it when you're all riled up!" Sara exclaimed, she laughed.
Gil pursed his lips to stop from smirking, he supposed in some way she might be right, it did seem to be whenever he felt particularly provoked that he became impulsive. Sara's comments that he'd never have had the nerve to send her an anonymous valentine, Catherine's suggestion he should 'be a man', and then Sara's insolence to him the night before – all these things had resulted in some pretty intense kisses.
"This might be an exhausting relationship if I have to get your back up just to get some action from you," Sara grinned.
Gil took a bite of his toast, he couldn't find a response to this that seemed to fit the situation at all.
You know, Gil, he thought to himself as he examined the clock on the wall. If you're quick, you could make love, have a shower and get to the university in time for the lecture.
He shook the thought out of his head, he tried to focus on breakfast.
"What day do we leave?" Sara asked, feeling incredibly disorientated as to when they'd arrived.
"Sex."
"Excuse me?"
Gil blinked, he couldn't believe he'd said it. It had been one of those things he hadn't realised what he was saying until he heard it after the fact. He winced and tried to play it off quickly, "huh?"
"You said 'sex'."
"I said the sixth."
"You said 'sex'," Sara corrected, raising an eyebrow, he could see her eyes were dancing with laughter, but she was deadly quiet, he could tell she was holding it in.
"I assure you, I said the sixth," Gil took another quick sip of his orange juice, the heat rising in his cheeks.
"Who's telling who lies now," Sara grinned from ear to ear.
Gil looked over at her, "lets not start that again, please?"
"Fine. But you said 'sex'," Sara ate her toast.
"Sixth."
"Sex."
"Sixth."
"Sex."
Gil realised he was fighting a losing battle, he didn't know how he could talk his way out of this one. "I meant the sixth," he finally stated as if to give in.
"You meant it, but you said 'sex'. What's thatsupposedstatistic, that guys think about sex every seven seconds?"
"That's an urban legend," Gil remarked.
"How often do you think about sex?" she asked boldly.
Gil wished he could find a way to drop the subject but she seemed intent on talking about it. He wondered if turning the tables would do the trick. "How often do you think about it?" he raised an eyebrow. He was hoping this question might have negated the whole discussion.
"On average, it's hard to say," Sara licked marmalade from her middle finger, "but I was thinking about it when you pinned me against the wall," she winked.
I didn't need to hear that, he thought, although he'd had to admit,Sara hadn't been the only one thinking of sex at that particular moment.
"So come on, out with it…"
"Out with what?" he blinked.
"I told you, now you tell me," Sara ordered, "that's the deal."
"I never struck any deals with you," Gil admitted. "Now…to answer your previous question, we're leaving on the sixth at six pm to catch the train to Glasgow. We're going the same route we came."
"Fine," Sara nodded, "now back to my latter question…how often do you think of sex?" she was determined not to let the subject drop any time soon.
"Why is it a big deal?" he asked, "it's not like we're having sex so why does it even matter?"
"It just does," Sara said, "it interests me."
"Why?"
"Because you're such a dark horse. No one ever knows what you're thinking," Sara confessed, "sometimes I wish I could just read your mind, I'd love to know what goes on in there."
"Sometimes I don't even know what goes on in my own head," he mused.
"Why is it whenever the subject of sex comes up you get strangely awkward?" Sara asked, she let her elbow rest on the table, and propped her cheek up in her hand, she stared at him as if she were fascinated.
"I don't get awkward."
"We've been romantically involved for a month and a half, Gil. You don't think it's odd we haven't been intimate yet?"
"I…uh…" he stammered, "well…"
"See…awkward as hell," Sara gestured with her other hand, "the other night, we were in the bedroom and I was on fire, and then you just…step away."
"I don't want to get into this right now," He said in a small voice.
"Why not?"
"Because I have an important lecture to give in an hour – and I don't want to be distracted thinking about what we've just been discussing."
"You mean what I've been discussing, because you've just been stammering and avoiding answering any questions whatsoever," Sara smirked.
Gil could have sworn that the smirk on her face was sheer pleasure from the fact she was making him feel uncomfortable with the subject.
Can't avoid this subject forever, though, he told himself. Sooner or later, you will be sleeping with her. How can you be expected to do it if you can't even talk about it? God, why is it only with her? I never get this awkward about sex with other women.
Sara was looking at him as if she expected him to say something.
Gil took in a deep breath, "we'll talk about this…when I'm ready," he said as if to finalise the conversation, "for now, I have to focus on my lecture…or I'm going to be doomed to bore the asses off those students again."
Thanks to the following people for reviewing past 3 lines:
Ambient Flames, Aidrianna, jtbwriter, Miss Amanda, and Kristy87
Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I had fun writing it, hehe.