Gil's Saturday

Gil decided to go down to the gym for a workout and tanning session. He wasn't a fanatic about fitness but he did feel that he should put some effort into staying healthy. He had signed up with several of his friends, figuring that it was the one place they all would stand a chance of seeing each other on a regular basis. All of his good friends were involved in vastly different fields so the gym gave them a common ground. Plus the juice bar had the best brauts in all of Vegas.

He didn't see anyone he was looking for so he just took a spot on one of the treadmills and began walking. The treadmill was his machine. It didn't require much effort and he could go as fast or as slow as he felt like going. Today he felt slow. He had been there for about 10 minutes when Stan joined him.

"Hey Bugman." Stan hopped onto the adjoining treadmill.

"Hey Stan, how's the new love?"

"Great. We're going to be taking a trip to the Grand Tetons next month."

"First trip together?"

"Yeah, going for the week."

"Great skiing up there."

"So you say. Will find out next month I guess." Stan grabbed a sip of water from his bottle. "You and Catherine still fighting?"

"No, I think we're good again. At least for a while." Gil pressed the button to lower the speed so he could begin his cool down.

"Gil, why don't you just take her out on a date yourself?"

"If Catherine wanted to go out with me she would just ask me out. She wouldn't ask me to find her a date."

Stan got off the treadmill and grabbed his stuff. "That's enough of that. Let's go sit down and talk."

They went to the juice bar in the gym and grabbed a table. Stan ordered a couple of brauts and herbal tea. It was an odd combination, but the way Stan looked at it the good of the tea balanced the bad of the brauts.

"Gil, what do you think is the real reason for Catherine asking you to find her a date?"

"I thought we were talking about your trip to the Tetons." Gil knew trying avoidance with a psychiatrist was not the best move but he still tried it.

"Gil, do you think maybe she was lonely?"

"No, she has Lindsey, her mother and her friends. What reason does she have to be lonely?"

Their server arrived with the order, giving Gil what he hope was an opportunity for this conversation to end. Stan had other thoughts though.

"Gil, that's not what I meant." He took a bite out of his braut. "Damn, these things are great. Do you think maybe she misses having a man in her life?"

"She has men in her life. Me, Warrick, Nick, Greg, Brass…"

"Gil, do you think she misses have a man in her life in a romantic relationship?"

"Probably. But she has the worst taste in men. She's just going to end up being hurt again."

"Gil, if she chooses to be with someone who hurts her then that is her choice and her responsibility."

"Not if I can help it. Stan, you never saw her after one of Eddie's beatings. There were times I was amazed she was standing."

"But, Gil, it was her choice to stay with Eddie." Stan felt for him. He saw women every day who were making the same choices. He knew from experience that unless they were ready to make a change that they would keep repeating the pattern.

"It was a bad choice."

"But it was her choice. You cannot live her life for her."

"I can protect her though."

"Only if she wants you to. Gil, listen. Don't talk. I'm putting this as simply as possible. She asked you to find her a date because you hurt her by what you said after you told her not to go out. She is trying to satisfy your need to protect her. Knowing Catherine, she's also trying to drive you a little crazy in the process. She is trusting you to fill this hole in her life. Now, it's up to you how you choose to do that."