Chapter 27 – She's up to something!
We went to the airport and picked up Vince's stuff. He kept trying to get details out of me about who I was working with, living with, seeing.
I just kept putting him off. I didn't want him to know the answers to these things so I mostly gave him dirty looks out of the corner of my eye and drove too fast. My driving too fast doesn't bother Vince at all. He's been driving around Dom too much for me to bother him.
"And who's this Rome guy anyway?" Vince asked.
"Just a guy." I didn't want to talk about this with Vince.
"Just a guy?"
"Yeah, just a guy I know."
"Looked like you more then know him."
"Did it? He's just a friend from work."
"I see. All your friends from work feel free to touch you like he did?"
"No. He's a good friend."
"How good?" Vince did his best Dom icy-calm impression.
"Good. He makes sure I don't work too hard."
"He worken you at home?"
"Vince! Don't be crude. Damn. Besides, it's nonaya."
"Nonaya?"
"Yeah, as in nonaya damn business."
"You're supposed to wanna get back together with Dom."
"And me having friends who are guys isn't likely to change that now is it?"
"Well, this sounds like he's more then just a friend."
"And maybe he is. Dom had like a hundred friends who were girls who were more then friends, that didn't mean anything. Who says I can't have a few?" Vince sighed. He was frustrated with me. Well, too bad. It was none of his business in the first place and he had to push his luck.
"You're not like that Letty."
"Maybe I wasn't. I might be now. Vince, I'm living my life how I wanna. It's no big deal. Besides, you just ticked me off, he's not that good of a friend."
"But he'd like to be."
"Maybe. He's B's best friend so I see a lot of him. He knows what went down, knows the whole story and how do you know he doesn't just want to be a friend, to be there for me."
"It's more likely he thinks playing your shoulder to cry on will get him where he really wants to be. He's using you."
"Who says I'm not using him? Damn, you don't give me much credit for being too smart do you?"
"Letty, guys play games with girls."
"I know that. I mean, games like Dom's played on me and I've seen you play on hundreds of girls. I know how guys play Vince. Who says I'm not using this guy? Maybe I wanted to get some while I was gone so I could rub Dom's nose in it."
"Letty too much info. And that's not why you and this guy know each other is it?"
"He works with me, and I like him. End of discussion."
"End of nothing. I don't want to see you hurt."
"Vince, I'm more likely to hurt him when I end up leaving here to go home ok. Damn, I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Ok, but if he hurts you at all while I'm here he's as good as dead."
"Anything to get a fight in eh Vince?"
"Damn straight."
And with that we both laughed. He was just being Vince and it felt like home. Annoying, but like home.
We collected his duffle and got back in the car and headed for home. He mostly left me alone on the drive from the airport to the house boat. I was glad for the break. I didn't really want to look too hard at how I felt about Rome. It was fine to know I liked him and liked spending time with him, but how did I really feel about Rome? Vince made me wonder about that more then I wanted to. I was happy just having fun with Rome. I didn't want to analyze our relationship.
When we pulled up to Tej's for once I didn't park in the garage, I parked down closer to the boat. I didn't want Vince to have any reason to snoop around the garage. I did wonder what car Brian took to Barstow, or if he flew. I assume his cars are not registered to Bullit, so should Vince see the papers he would likely find out that Brian owned them. I don't want that so Vince can't see Brian's cars.
I lead the way onto the boat. "Well, this is home." I told Vince as I opened the door.
"Cute. You share this with some dude?"
"Yeah."
"It's pretty small." Vince gave me a look about what living with a 'dude' in a small house meant.
"Yeah, but we're not home much anyway. Is there a guy I could know around here you wouldn't think I was fucking, or who wanted to fuck me?"
"No. You're irrasistable so I know all guys are trying to get in your pants."
"Thanks for the compliment Vince, but no one is trying to get in my pants. But maybe me. I've been eating so good since I got here stuff is getting tight." I answered and pointed to the area under the kitchen table. I noticed he was still shouldering his huge duffle. "Chuck your bag there."
Vince complied and looked around. "Where can I leave this?" He gestured at his guitar case. I pointed to the corner. "You look like you mighta lost weight, not gained any."
"Whateva. Flattering me will not make me go home with you." I looked around the boat.
The place was actually fairly clean. I guess I have Fiona to thank for that. Damn, I don't want to thank her for anything.
"Where am I gonna sleep again?" Vince asked. I pointed out the couch.
"Right there."
"Leeeeettyyyyyy, I'm like 6'2" and that thing is about three feet long."
"I can still make hotel reservations for you." I raised one eyebrow and looked at him.
"I'll sleep on the floor." Vince sighed at me. He's so funny while he pouts.
"Good for you. Good for your back." I told Vince and laughed. "I'm gonna go change then we'll start making supper ok?"
"Sure thing. What we haven?"
"Won't know till I check out the cupboards."
"You're gonna cook?" Vince looked horrified. "I didn't bring the fire extinguisher."
"I do ok here. Not as much to distract me. I only almost burned the place down once."
"Um, hi." I heard from the door and turned to look in that direction. And there was Fiona.
"Hi." I answered and looked at Vince. No hope for it, I'll have to introduce them. "Vince, this is Fiona, Fiona, this is Vince."
Vince smiled his hello ladies smile and stuck out his hand. "Hi there."
"Hi." Fiona answered, not too warmly and shook Vince's hand quickly. I knew she wasn't going to be happy about having him here. As long as she doesn't tell him who she is and who owns the boat it's all good.
"Thanks for picking up around here." I told her, mostly to be polite and try and disquise from Vince the fact she didn't really like me that much.
"It's no problem. I know...My brother can be a bit of a slob."
"Yeah, me too." I answered.
"That and I don't know who convinced her she can cook but now she thinks she can." Vince said and gave me a look.
"I can make dinner for us all if you want." Fiona offered, surprising me. "I never ate yet myself."
"That would be great if you're sure you don't mind." I answered her in some shock.
"It's cool." She started to move around the kitchen area. Vince sat at the table and I went to change.
That sister of Brian's is up to something I know it. Cleaning, offering to cook...It's not like her so it must be bad. I finished with changing my clothes and headed back out to the kitchen.
Yep, cleaning, cooking...FLIRTING WITH MY VINCE!
Oh hell no! That's what she had up her slimy little sleeve. She's flirting with Vince. She doesn't like Vince. She hates him same as she hates me. But there she is smiling at him while she listens to him go on about his guitar.
I some how doubt she cares about his guitar but there she is acting like she does.
She can't have him. He's mine. My brother, my Vince. She's just using him anyway. I know he'd hate me for telling anyone but he's not as tough about girls as he lets on. The whole situation with Mia has hurt him worse then he lets on.
I don't want to see him go through liking another girl who'll never like him back. I know Mia just doesn't love him that way and Fiona would be using him but still, it would likely just about break whatever ability he has to love a woman left if Fiona used him like that.
I can't tell him what she's up to without making him wonder why she'd even want to hurt him like that. If I confront her about what she's doing she might just outright tell Vince who she is and who I'm staying with.
I thought this was going to work out. I might have been wrong. This is getting complicated.
We went to the airport and picked up Vince's stuff. He kept trying to get details out of me about who I was working with, living with, seeing.
I just kept putting him off. I didn't want him to know the answers to these things so I mostly gave him dirty looks out of the corner of my eye and drove too fast. My driving too fast doesn't bother Vince at all. He's been driving around Dom too much for me to bother him.
"And who's this Rome guy anyway?" Vince asked.
"Just a guy." I didn't want to talk about this with Vince.
"Just a guy?"
"Yeah, just a guy I know."
"Looked like you more then know him."
"Did it? He's just a friend from work."
"I see. All your friends from work feel free to touch you like he did?"
"No. He's a good friend."
"How good?" Vince did his best Dom icy-calm impression.
"Good. He makes sure I don't work too hard."
"He worken you at home?"
"Vince! Don't be crude. Damn. Besides, it's nonaya."
"Nonaya?"
"Yeah, as in nonaya damn business."
"You're supposed to wanna get back together with Dom."
"And me having friends who are guys isn't likely to change that now is it?"
"Well, this sounds like he's more then just a friend."
"And maybe he is. Dom had like a hundred friends who were girls who were more then friends, that didn't mean anything. Who says I can't have a few?" Vince sighed. He was frustrated with me. Well, too bad. It was none of his business in the first place and he had to push his luck.
"You're not like that Letty."
"Maybe I wasn't. I might be now. Vince, I'm living my life how I wanna. It's no big deal. Besides, you just ticked me off, he's not that good of a friend."
"But he'd like to be."
"Maybe. He's B's best friend so I see a lot of him. He knows what went down, knows the whole story and how do you know he doesn't just want to be a friend, to be there for me."
"It's more likely he thinks playing your shoulder to cry on will get him where he really wants to be. He's using you."
"Who says I'm not using him? Damn, you don't give me much credit for being too smart do you?"
"Letty, guys play games with girls."
"I know that. I mean, games like Dom's played on me and I've seen you play on hundreds of girls. I know how guys play Vince. Who says I'm not using this guy? Maybe I wanted to get some while I was gone so I could rub Dom's nose in it."
"Letty too much info. And that's not why you and this guy know each other is it?"
"He works with me, and I like him. End of discussion."
"End of nothing. I don't want to see you hurt."
"Vince, I'm more likely to hurt him when I end up leaving here to go home ok. Damn, I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Ok, but if he hurts you at all while I'm here he's as good as dead."
"Anything to get a fight in eh Vince?"
"Damn straight."
And with that we both laughed. He was just being Vince and it felt like home. Annoying, but like home.
We collected his duffle and got back in the car and headed for home. He mostly left me alone on the drive from the airport to the house boat. I was glad for the break. I didn't really want to look too hard at how I felt about Rome. It was fine to know I liked him and liked spending time with him, but how did I really feel about Rome? Vince made me wonder about that more then I wanted to. I was happy just having fun with Rome. I didn't want to analyze our relationship.
When we pulled up to Tej's for once I didn't park in the garage, I parked down closer to the boat. I didn't want Vince to have any reason to snoop around the garage. I did wonder what car Brian took to Barstow, or if he flew. I assume his cars are not registered to Bullit, so should Vince see the papers he would likely find out that Brian owned them. I don't want that so Vince can't see Brian's cars.
I lead the way onto the boat. "Well, this is home." I told Vince as I opened the door.
"Cute. You share this with some dude?"
"Yeah."
"It's pretty small." Vince gave me a look about what living with a 'dude' in a small house meant.
"Yeah, but we're not home much anyway. Is there a guy I could know around here you wouldn't think I was fucking, or who wanted to fuck me?"
"No. You're irrasistable so I know all guys are trying to get in your pants."
"Thanks for the compliment Vince, but no one is trying to get in my pants. But maybe me. I've been eating so good since I got here stuff is getting tight." I answered and pointed to the area under the kitchen table. I noticed he was still shouldering his huge duffle. "Chuck your bag there."
Vince complied and looked around. "Where can I leave this?" He gestured at his guitar case. I pointed to the corner. "You look like you mighta lost weight, not gained any."
"Whateva. Flattering me will not make me go home with you." I looked around the boat.
The place was actually fairly clean. I guess I have Fiona to thank for that. Damn, I don't want to thank her for anything.
"Where am I gonna sleep again?" Vince asked. I pointed out the couch.
"Right there."
"Leeeeettyyyyyy, I'm like 6'2" and that thing is about three feet long."
"I can still make hotel reservations for you." I raised one eyebrow and looked at him.
"I'll sleep on the floor." Vince sighed at me. He's so funny while he pouts.
"Good for you. Good for your back." I told Vince and laughed. "I'm gonna go change then we'll start making supper ok?"
"Sure thing. What we haven?"
"Won't know till I check out the cupboards."
"You're gonna cook?" Vince looked horrified. "I didn't bring the fire extinguisher."
"I do ok here. Not as much to distract me. I only almost burned the place down once."
"Um, hi." I heard from the door and turned to look in that direction. And there was Fiona.
"Hi." I answered and looked at Vince. No hope for it, I'll have to introduce them. "Vince, this is Fiona, Fiona, this is Vince."
Vince smiled his hello ladies smile and stuck out his hand. "Hi there."
"Hi." Fiona answered, not too warmly and shook Vince's hand quickly. I knew she wasn't going to be happy about having him here. As long as she doesn't tell him who she is and who owns the boat it's all good.
"Thanks for picking up around here." I told her, mostly to be polite and try and disquise from Vince the fact she didn't really like me that much.
"It's no problem. I know...My brother can be a bit of a slob."
"Yeah, me too." I answered.
"That and I don't know who convinced her she can cook but now she thinks she can." Vince said and gave me a look.
"I can make dinner for us all if you want." Fiona offered, surprising me. "I never ate yet myself."
"That would be great if you're sure you don't mind." I answered her in some shock.
"It's cool." She started to move around the kitchen area. Vince sat at the table and I went to change.
That sister of Brian's is up to something I know it. Cleaning, offering to cook...It's not like her so it must be bad. I finished with changing my clothes and headed back out to the kitchen.
Yep, cleaning, cooking...FLIRTING WITH MY VINCE!
Oh hell no! That's what she had up her slimy little sleeve. She's flirting with Vince. She doesn't like Vince. She hates him same as she hates me. But there she is smiling at him while she listens to him go on about his guitar.
I some how doubt she cares about his guitar but there she is acting like she does.
She can't have him. He's mine. My brother, my Vince. She's just using him anyway. I know he'd hate me for telling anyone but he's not as tough about girls as he lets on. The whole situation with Mia has hurt him worse then he lets on.
I don't want to see him go through liking another girl who'll never like him back. I know Mia just doesn't love him that way and Fiona would be using him but still, it would likely just about break whatever ability he has to love a woman left if Fiona used him like that.
I can't tell him what she's up to without making him wonder why she'd even want to hurt him like that. If I confront her about what she's doing she might just outright tell Vince who she is and who I'm staying with.
I thought this was going to work out. I might have been wrong. This is getting complicated.