Chapter 16: A Fool In Love
Vanessa was attractive enough, even though her personality wasn't all there. A week ago I would've had her naked in a room by now, but I just wasn't into it. Even when her hand slid under the table and roamed down to my crouch, I didn't take the bait; I just moved her hand away. From the scowl on her face, I could tell she didn't take rejection too well, that's probably because her old man gives her anything she wants.
"What is wrong with you tonight Taylor?" Vanessa asked. She reached for my pack of smokes taking out a cigarette without even asking, but that was just like Vanessa, thinking the world owes her something.
"Nothing's wrong, I'm just not in the mood." I replied without looking at her, my eyes were still set on the crowd.
"Do you know how many guys would kill to be with me?" she asked with an attitude. When I didn't answer I heard her huff under her breath and turn away from me. "I don't know why I waste my time with you, you're such an asshole."
"So I've been told." I looked across the table and saw the guys laughing and having a good time with their girls. I needed a drink, Marcy was close by, so I waved her over.
She made her way over to me with her note pad in hand. "Hey Taylor, what can I get ya?"
"The usual; and whatever she's having." I said tilting my head over to Vanessa.
Marcy took down our orders when she looked up from the pad she turned to face Scarpa. I noticed her face harden when she saw the girl sitting on his lap. Chris was clueless, he just kept on laughing and flirting. Marcy cleared her throat loudly and Chris looked up at her with a smile still on his face, "What will it be?" She sounded irritated, but Chris being who he is, didn't pay her any mind.
"Could you bring us a bottle of the finest champagne you have back there?" Scarpa pulled out a roll of money and stuffed a big tip in Marcy's apron. She cut her eyes at him and stormed off.
I looked at him and shook my head, this guy though he had all the answers and couldn't see the obvious right in front of him. A few minutes later she came back over with our drinks, I thought Chris's glass was gonna break the way she slammed it down. He didn't care, he was too caught up in the pair breasts in his face. I was on my third smoke and second glass of whiskey and was about to call it a night, that was until Marbles got my attention.
"Oh shit Taylor, guess who I just saw?" He pointed to someone downstairs, "look over by the bar."
I looked over to see what he was talking about, when I did my eyes widened. Gia was standing at the bar in a white dress talking to Marcy and Carla. I almost didn't recognize her, her hair was different, but it looked good on her. I was tempted to go straight over to her, but I didn't want the guys to know just how lost she had me. "What is she doin' here?" Chris seemed to be close to her, so I asked him.
He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders at the same time, "I don't know, but she's coming this way."
I straightened up, trying to get myself together, that's when I remembered Vanessa was next to me. I'd been giving her hints that I wasn't interested all night, but she still stuck around. I could strangle Scarpa right now. She reached the top of the stair and was closing in on our table. Her eyes strayed in my direction for a brief second before turning to Scarpa and Marbles. "Hey guys, nice to see you" she said with a smile, Chris stood and hugged her and Matty did the same. Not once did she acknowledge me.
"Gia, where you been, I haven't seen you around." Scarpa asked. I just watched out the corner of my eye while they stood there talking.
"I know, I haven't been feeling well, but I'm much better now." She replied.
He smiled looking her up and down, "Yeah, I can see that. Why don't you join us, we got room."
I waited in silence for her reply, secretly hoping she would take him up on his offer. "Thanks, but I'll pass. I just came up here to hang my jacket in my office, but you guys enjoy your night." Gia smiled and walked off.
I sat there for about five seconds after she left, and then got up and went through the doors that led to the offices in the back. Gia didn't make it far, as soon as she was in reach I grabbed her hand. "We need to talk." I said while dragging her behind me. When we made it to her office, I released her wrist and closed the door blocking her exit.
"What the hell is your problem Taylor?" She rubbed the wrist I was holding while looking at me with that familiar scowl.
"I see your talkin to me now."
"I see I have no choice. Why are you even bothering me, shouldn't you be with your girlfriend?"
"She's not my girlfriend." I knew she was relieved to hear me say that, even though she looked at me questioningly. Her arms folded under her breasts as she stared at me, for the first time tonight I notice how amazing she looked. It was driving me crazy just watching her stand there in front of me in that dress. "You look beautiful." I mean to tell her that, but it slipped out. I don't know why, but I felt like I needed to touch her. I moved closer to Gia, my hand slid down her arm and I felt her tremble, she had to know how bad I wanted her. Just as I was about to go in for the kill, I heard her voice cutting me off.
"Taylor, stop it." Gia turned her face away and stepped around me.
"So what are we back to square one now, I told you I'm not with her." At this point I was beginning to get frustrated with the whole situation.
"You know what Taylor, I could really careless, and as far as you and I are concerned, we were never even at square one." Her voice was calm and leveled, it didn't raise at one point of our conversation.
"Oh really, then what was that whole thing about you having feelings for me. Was it a lie?"
"I meant every single word that I said, and I ended up regretting it less than a minute later." There was silence, I had nothing to say. She shook her head and went for the door knob.
When she tried to leave, I reached out to stop her. "Where are you going?" I asked,
She looked back at me with venom in her green eyes; her stare would have broken a lesser man. "I don't know, maybe I'll take a page from your book and go find a guy to have sex with in my office."
I held onto her wrist, when she tried to pull away she realized just how tight my grip was. She was pressing my buttons and was about to find out what my limits were. "I'm warning you Gia, you don't want to play this game with me."
Her feet moved closer to me almost as if she was challenging me, there was no fear with her. "Who says I'm playing?" Gia asked with a smirk. I let her go and she walked away from me, something I was starting to get use to.
My night had gone from just bad to a total fuckin shit storm in a matter of minutes. After my 'talk' with Gia I went back over to the guys and had another drink. What happened in her office didn't seem to faze her at all, she just went on dancing with every asshole that offered. My fingers clinched my glass as I watched her laughing and carrying on in the distance. The place was packed so I would lose her every now and then, this time when she disappeared I found her with Ray. That was enough to set me on edge. The guy's an all around creep, he'd probably be pushin' up daisy's right now if he didn't work for Moretti. I watched her closely, they were sitting at the bar talking, I couldn't hear a word they were saying, because I was up high on the second floor, so instead I read their body language. He was leaning into her, when she would look away his eyes would stray and linger over her body, but I couldn't blame him there. From the looks of it, he asked her to dance. When they moved to the dance floor I lost them in the crowd.
I had to get closer without being obvious, I turned to Vanessa "You wanna dance?" I asked.
Her eyes blinked twice looking as if she was shocked that I even asked. "I thought you said you don't dance."
"I don't." I stood and grabbed Vanessa by the hand leading her down the steps.
It didn't take long to spot Gia and Ray, I was close, but still managed to keep my distance. Vanessa wrapped her arms around me as a slow song played in the background; Gia mirrored the same actions with Ray. I looked cool on the outside, but was boiling beneath it all. My attention was focused on those two the whole time, I must have looked like a fool.
"Is that why you've been acting so strange?" Vanessa asked.
"What are you talking about?"
"You don't know? Maybe I should go ask her." She unwrapped her arms from around me attempting to walk over to Gia.
I placed my arm around her waist pulling her back to me. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." I warned, and she left it alone.
The song was about to end. I glanced over at Ray and Gia, they were still dancing, only now Ray was whispering in her ear, whatever it was it made her laugh. I noticed the hand that was on Gia's lower back start to shift further south; this asshole was making his move. I broke away from Vanessa pushing my way through the mass of people to get to them. As soon as I got close enough, I grabbed Gia, dragging her away from Ray.
"Let's go." I told her, and I didn't care how much she fought me. The thing is, I knew I crossed the line and was acting like an idiot, but I was too far gone to stop now.
"You're hurting me Taylor." Gia tried to pry my hand from her, but it wasn't working out too well for her.
"She can't leave yet; we were just getting to know each other." I heard Ray yell out while I was dealing with Gia.
I let go of her, and walked over to Ray getting close up on him. "Stay the fuck away from her, I'm only gonna say this once."
"And if I don't." He stood there with a smug grin on his face that I wanted to wipe off.
I felt like he wanted to challenge my threat, my fist clinched and my shoulders rolled, he should have known what was coming next. I swung hitting him square in the face. Ray fell back against a table knocking it over. I waited for him to get up, and when he did, he came charging towards me, 'bad move' I thought to myself. I saw his punch coming a mile away and dodged it, I began to work on his body, my fist was pounding into his flesh, when I let him go he fell to the floor. I gripped him by his shirt and for some reason I just kept punching him. I heard Gia's voice yelling for me to stop, but I didn't, I couldn't describe the rage I was feeling.
Marco eventually got through the screaming crowd and managed to pull me off Ray. My knuckles were red from the blood on them, some mine, but most of it was Ray's. When I looked around I didn't see Gia anywhere. Scarpa and Marble were standing there staring at me like I was a mad man, and in that moment, I was.
"Taylor have you lost your mind, do you have any idea what you just did?" Marbles shouted, his eyes were glued to the mess of a man on the floor.
"Where's Gia?" I asked.
"I think she took off." said Chris. I stepped over Ray, headed for the exit. "Taylor where the hell are you going?" he yelled after me, but I kept on moving.