NINE
THE INTERVENTION
DAVIS
Gigi’s birthday was a disaster. I thought if I put Belle in a box marked Friend Zone, compartmentalizing her like I do most things in my life, that I could handle sitting across from her.
News flash: I couldn’t. And what she said to me out by her car, keeps playing in my head over and over.
Now I’m drinking beers alone at a little neighborhood dive bar across town, The Driftwood, completely fine being miserable on my own and getting drunk. When suddenly, Jackson appears on my right, and Gigi on my left.
“This is an intervention,” Gigi starts.
“What the fuck?” I growl and rub a hand down my face and neck. The trouble with knowing each other for so long is they think they know me and have a right to interfere.
Jackson slaps my shoulder. “Sorry, buddy. G and I got to talking?—”
“G? What are you two besties now?” I snidely comment to draw the spotlight away from me.
“Don’t be an asswipe. She came to see me tonight, worried about you. We got to talking, and it turns out we both share the same worries for you and Belle.” He holds his hand up with two fingers so the bartender will bring them brews.
In a flash, I reach a hand out, ball his shirt up, and bring his face closer. “You told her about me and Belle?”
“Relax, Davis. I’ve known about you two since the first time she rode you in her office on the exam table.” Gigi deposits her purse on the bar top, dropping this bomb like it’s one of her news stories.
“Y-you know everything?” I let Jackson go and I settle back on my stool. She nods. That shouldn’t surprise me, given the strength of their sisterly bond. “Sorry, buddy. I thought you betrayed my secret.”
“No worries. But this thing has you on edge, man. I’ve never seen you like this over any woman before. So it’s time to face facts. You got it bad.” He grabs a handful of peanuts from the bowl on the counter and pops them into his mouth.
“I agree. And you, in denial, are upsetting the balance of our group. We’ve survived Beau and Addie getting together. I suppose we’ll survive you and Belle.” Gigi rolls her eyes.
“No. We’re over. Done.” I insist.
“No, you’re not,” she retorts.
“Not by a long shot.” Jackson snorts.
“Hate to point out the obvious, but she’s dating someone else.”
“Who is a douche bag. I looked into Richardson at the office tonight. The articles I’ve uncovered so far have him connected to some pretty awful and powerful people. I don’t like it. First, we had to deal with Chadwick among us. That was bad enough. Thank God Addie divorced him. So there’s no way I’ll let my sister get in any deeper with a guy like Richardson.”
“I can’t control who Belle dates.” My jaw clenches. I can’t even control my blood pressure knowing she’s in the presence of another man.
“That’s why Gigi and I agreed. We give you our permission to date her yourself. So there you go. No more secrets.” Jackson smiles like the balance of life and order of nature has returned.
“Where do you two get off…? I can’t. Look what I grew up with? I don’t have the greatest faith in myself to handle a serious relationship. What if I hurt her? You two would never forgive me. This already threatened our friendships. You saw what happened tonight. Nope. I’d rather lose Belle than to lose all of you.”
“You sure about that? It’s been a few weeks, and I’ll bet you’re still thinking about her nonstop like she is with you.” Gigi practically jabs her fingernail into my shoulder.
“He does. All the time.” Jackson, the traitor, needs to keep his mouth shut.
“And trust me, she’s stuck on you. And I’m bored with trying to talk her out of it. So tonight, I embraced it. I’m fine with the two of you dating. I think you’re an upstanding guy. You’ve been a friend of ours for so long. If I’m ever going to have a brother-in-law, you’d do nicely.”
“Jeez. Now you have us married off already. I can’t. I never pictured myself like that.”
“Admit it. You have a thing for my sister. That’s the first step. The rest will follow, eventually. Or whatever is ahead of you in the future. Just go with it.” While she takes a break from busting my balls and sips at her beer, doubts play in my head that a relationship could be that simple. Of course, Beau and Addie, once they got together, make marriage and love and growing a family look easy.
Could it be?
“Look, even if you don’t want to admit it, we know you’re miserable. So we’ve come to give you support. You don’t have to be such a lone ranger. We’re here for you.” Gigi reaches out, giving me a side hug, even laying her head on my shoulder, briefly.
But she’s not the sister I want holding me. I want Belle.
I. Want. Belle. And it scares the life out of me. But I can’t live without her either. I’m fucked.
“Okay. Fine. Me and Belle.” I admit, with a small, almost terrified voice.
Gigi pops up with a giddy squee. Then she’s back to all business. “Now. I have some ideas about how you can win Belle back.”
From her purse, she whips out her notepad, not surprising since she’s a reporter and often seen about town taking copious notes for a story. Only a glance at the page facing up has a list with the heading Davis and Belle written on it with a heart around the names. The Merry Festival of Lights going on this weekend is at the top of that list.
“Oh, come on. I think from this point, I can figure things out.” I guzzle the rest of my bottle and make to leave. She stops me with her hand on my key chain.
“Davis, my sister deserves the best man, don’t you agree? So maybe you sit here a few more minutes, and let me tell you some things about her. I love her so much, so I’ll tell you why and maybe you can appreciate the amazing woman she is a little more, too.”
Fuck. She swipes a tear away and sniffles. Never have I seen Gigi allow herself to cry. My ass remains glued to the seat and for the next hour, listening to her tell me everything I need to know about Belle, I realize my heart is in deeper than I thought. But now a new ache forms.
What if I’m too late? This jerk off Richardson has his claws into her. I imagine a tug of war with Belle between us. Which of us is stronger to win? Gigi assures me Richardson has too many red flags, but I still worry. Something about that guy has bugged me since the day I pulled him over for speeding.
Three more beers and two shots of tequila later, Gigi long gone, Jackson drives me home. He helps me from the car to the house, stumbling our way down to the hall to my room. I land on my back on my bed and ache to be with Belle so badly; I roll into a fetal position, moaning her name.
My last view of Jackson before sleep takes me over is of him shaking his head as he walks out of my room. “Jesus, you’re a mess, man. I’ve never had it this bad for a woman. But that Gigi. Fuck me. The way she kept raking her eyes over me in the bar tonight? There’s some nasty and bad things I’d like to do to those curves of hers.”
“Huh? Gigi?” I drift off, unsure of what I heard.
“Nothing, buddy. Get some rest.”
The lights go out and I’m off to La La Land, holding a pillow against me like it’s Belle’s body for comfort.