Hey everyone! Here is chapter 2, sorry for the delay! I promise to get the next chapter out quicker! Thanks to all those who reviewed! Hope you all enjoy and any type of review or suggestions are welcomed :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Ugly Betty or 'I Don't Care' by Fallout Boys
Chapter 2: I Don't Care
Unstability leads to drastic actions and behaviors, and to the Rossi family, they were watching one ball of yarn slowly unravel as it fell more and more into an unpredictable life. To say there was concern that shone out of his mother's, Lia's, eyes, would be an understatement. The bags under the eyes only becoming worse with each passing day, the shorter temper from lack of sleep, and the constant throwing himself into work, perfecting his flavor so it could become a work of art. But those were the only things that the Rossi family saw, minus his cousin Marco. Marco saw the rest of it.
The baggy eyes were from lack of sleep, but the lack of sleep weren't the haunting thoughts that Gio festered inside. Sure, he was working hard, staying later and later in his deli coming up with different sandwiches and laying out a foundation on how to expand his business. But there was more. Every weekend and even some week nights, Gio Rossi was living the good life: dinner, drinks, and dancing. Throwing his feelings into the bottom of every bottle he had and drowning every lingering thought of a particular Mode girl.
And that was the game plan again this Friday night. Gio was wiping down the tables and getting everything set for another successful day when the chime went off. His back was turned so he couldn't see who it was.
"Be with you in one sec," Gio called out while he placed the last of the condiments away.
"Figured I would see Marco here. With you still apparently in Italy and all," the voice said. Gio stopped, frozen and all. He slowly turned around to look into the face of Daniel Meade.
Gio didn't know how to react, if Daniel was upset with him or happy. Daniel sensed the urgency so he put a smile on his face. "Shame, now that you are back, I'll just have to go back to your roast beef sandwiches. Marco made some good 'wiches."
Gio chuckled before shaking Daniel Meade's hand, relieved that there was nothing more than a friendly gesture here. "Obviously you should just tell him to open his own sandwich shop if mine is so disappointing."
"Nah, I guess I'll just have to adjust back to yours. When did you get back into town and how was the trip?"
"Oh Italy was something else. There was so much to see and I definitely found some new flavors that I've slowly been incorporating into my sandwiches."
Daniel gave him a look as he watched Gio get to work on his roast beef sandwich. "You still didn't tell me when you got back. I was under the impression that you still were away."
Gio sighed as he stopped slicing the roast beef and placed it into the fresh bread that was waiting. He knew what Daniel was indirectly implying. "I got back about two weeks ago."
Daniel put a frown on his face before responding, "Oh, I figured you weren't back yet since Betty has been getting different lunches every day since you left."
"Oh, but how were you getting your lunch then? I thought she put in all your orders?"
"Gio, just because Betty is my assistant doesn't mean I don't know how to get my own food or do things for myself. I know some people will say otherwise, but I try to be sufficient, even more so lately."
Handing over the sandwich, Gio took off his apron and leaned on the counter. "It's good that you know how to pay for food, otherwise I would be concerned about what you would do with yourself."
Daniel chuckled. "DJ helped to make a bunch of changes in my life, gave me a new perspective on things. So now I'm trying to get my life in order."
"How is DJ?"
"I don't know, his grandparents took him since I'm not the father." Gio gave him an incredulous look and Daniel continued. "I'm his uncle, Alexis is his father."
"Man, now that is one hell of a story and family reunion. Really? You Meade's are close alright," Gio pasued before continuing, "Sorry about DJ then. I could tell at the softball game that you were really warming up to the idea of him being around."
"Speaking of that, I did want to say that I don't know what happened between you and Betty, but I plan to still be coming here for sandwiches. Unless you rather that I don't," Daniel said while looking down at the counter.
"Why would I say no? You are more than welcomed to still pop in here. I don't know, call me crazy, but I feel like we are on the same page sometimes, you know?"
Daniel chuckled while he paid Gio for his sandwich. "No, I know exactly what you mean." Turning towards the door, he took a few steps before turning around. "Good seeing you Gio, hopefully I'll see you soon. Maybe whenever you return from Italy." With that, he turned around and opened the door to head out.
Gio smiled, understanding full well what Daniel was saying. "Thanks man, it'll mean a lot." With that, Gio looked at his watch and saw the time. He slightly cursed under his breath since he realized there wasn't much time until he had to meet his cousin Marco at the Marquee. It was another night, and he was ready to just let go.
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1 o'clock in the morning and the party was well underway at the club. The music had been pumping jams and the drinks had been free flowing. And center of the attention was Gio as he danced it up with the many ladies that were there. Gio knew he was crazy, but he had a few in him and finally felt it was okay for the first time, to put himself out there. His heart wasn't ready for anything serious, but he was a guy, and a distraction would be helpful. It went against a lot of things he tried to do, but after all the heartache he went through the year, Gio was ready for a change of pace.
"Dude, I see two women over there checking us out," Marco says as he took a swig of his beer. They lost track of the amount of drinks that they had this night, though they still were functioning well enough.
Gio turned to look at them and saw that he recognized one of them to be the girl in the deli only weeks prior. He hadn't called her since he was void of any thoughts of reason but now he was finally in the right frame of mind to deal properly with it. "I'm going to go over there. I recognize that one girl. Oh, what was her name, she wrote it down that time at the deli."
"The girl that seemed all shy but then gave you her number?" Marco asked innocently.
"Kara! That was it, I knew it would come to me." Gio said as he took another sip from his beer as he eyed her up. "I'm heading over, you in?"
Marco smirked, "When would I ever turn down the opportunity to talk to a pretty lady?"
They walked over and Kara got a smile on her face, obviously glad at the fact that Gio recognized her. Gio noticed the little pout that brushed her rosy lips as she got the puppy dog look on her face. He smiled and gave her one last approving look. "So I haven't seen you back for another sandwich recently. And I know your sandwich had to come out fantastic."
"Do you remember what my name is?"
Gio's voice lowered down and came out huskily. "How could I forget a pretty face like yours Kara's? I know I haven't called but I was hoping to make it up to you by getting you a drink and shaking it up on the dance floor. What do you say?"
Kara turned to her friend and giggled while placed her drink down on the bar. She turned around and took Gio's hand while pulling herself close. She leaned in and her body was flat flushed against his body. Gio gulped, every thought he ever had of Betty was gone in that instant as her lips got dangerously close to his ear. "Hope you can keep up," Kara said with a wink and she walked out to the floor, talking to her friend along the way.
Gio turned to Marco and raised his eye brows. "Hey listen, you mind if we split up from here? Gotta take advantage when I can."
Marco looked at his cousin wondering what has gotten to him these weeks. Here was a broken man holding on to any piece of normalcy in his life, yet at the same time creating as much chaos in his life as humanly possible. He was battered and torn down but all was hidden behind a brick wall that every brick and foundation had been laid upon by Betty Suarez.
"Are you sure you are up to it Gio? I don't want you jumping into anything you aren't ready for. You still seem a little shaken up," was all Marco could say as he watched Gio order a shot at the bar. He knocked it back before turning to Marco, a grin plastered on his face.
"Why would I not be fine? I'm here to dance and have a good time, and I think I found someone that will be a bit of fun. Anyways, I need to get out there if I want to dance it up. I will see you tomorrow at the deli Marco!" he called out behind him as he walked out to Kara and her friend, before the friend disappeared, allowing Gio and Kara to be on their own.
By 2:30AM, Gio danced it up with Kara and learned more than he ever imagined. Plus the drinks continued to flow between them just as well as their dance moves brought them around the floor. They were sitting down in a secluded part of the bar watching the scenes unravel in front of them.
"Want to get out of here?" Kara said innocently enough with every implying thought being directed by the soft tone of her voice.
Gio nodded wordlessly as he got up and pulled her up slowly after him. Quietly they walked out of the club before grabbing a cab. He kissed her, not passionately, not with every feeling in his body, but just enough to leave her breathless. When the cab pulled in front of an apartment building, Kara paid the bill before jumping out. Giggling, her and Gio walked up, flirting shamelessly. Walking in and through the hallways, he took in the scenes around him and realizing what this was leading to. Gio wasn't normally the ladies man this way, but he didn't know what he was anymore
He smirked and pulled her against him and kissed her, allowing to finally adjust to the scene that was unfolding around him. Unbeknown to him and Kara, the main door to the apartment complex opened up and a small gasp could be heard. Kara didn't hear it but did detach her mouth from Gio's as she moved her lips down to a sensitive part of his neck to nibble on. Gio took advantage to quickly look at see what it was that he heard.
Betty Suarez.
Betty Suarez was standing there frozen on the spot looking on to where he was, her eyes wide and her mouth open agape. He looked at her with all the disgust he was feeling, mostly at himself, for what he knew he was about to do and the fact that she knew exactly what he was up to himself. And in that moment he closed his eyes and realized despite it all, he didn't care. He didn't care that she saw him. She caused all the pain that he had been feeling and he knew she needed to know the same kind of pain that he festered inside.
He opened his eyes to see her still frozen on the spot. He smirked before turning his head and kissing Kara hastily and she grabbed his hand and dragged him up the stairs to her apartment. Gio wasn't proud of what he was about to do, but he honestly didn't care anymore what he was doing to himself or what she thought also.
He was just trying to find happiness in the misery of the mess he calls his life. And he knew that it all escalated even more so. Gio was not looking forward to his next meeting at work, knowing full well he was going to get a very angry visitor. He kissed Kara harder and she fumbled with the keys to her apartment.
Gio didn't care what Betty Suarez thought..... that was all he was going to keep telling himself as she pulled him into her apartment, the door closing behind them and leaving behind all the baggage he came with downstairs in the main entrance, along with his heart.
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