Page 46 of All the Right Words
‘Hi, how’s it going?’ Olivia asked and, without waiting for a reply, launched into the point. ‘Look, I know you probably didn’t want to pick up the phone to me tonight.’
‘It’s completely fine,’ Gina said, meaning it. ‘Is everything OK?’
‘Great. I mean, no, I’m still… I just wanted to get theteensiestbit of advice from you about maybe making a move tonight?’ Olivia asked tentatively.
‘I see,’ Gina said evenly, thinking,Hey, I’m on a date. What the hell do I care?It was a lie, but what else could she do? She only had this plan. She only had Alison. Who was ordering even more drinks.
Olivia sighed. ‘I mean, I feel like things are going well, and I think it’s weird we haven’t… you know. I haven’t even kissed her since that first time. She said something about not being in the right place last time? I don’t know what she meant, exactly.’
OK, so Harper had said something about that. Luckily, Olivia was clueless. And still talking. ‘But if we can just, you know, do the old… Get in the… You know what I mean?’
‘Olivia, if you want to use the proper words, that wouldnotbe a problem,’ Gina said irritably. ‘I’m thirty. I’ve had the birds and the bees talk.’
‘Fine,’ Olivia grumbled. ‘If we havesex, I feel like we’ll both be able to relax a bit.’
God, that had been a mistake. Because now Gina was picturing it. Olivia going to town on Harper. It wasn’t a pleasant image. Not just because Olivia was her boss and, as far as Gina knew, had an undercarriage as smooth as a barbie doll. But because of the other thing. The whole reason she was out with someone who was trying to get out of her tree at a terrifying speed. The person she’d nearly said an idiotic thing to that very afternoon. Gina wasn’t even sure what she’d have said if that phone hadn’t rung and broken the moment. She felt lucky not to have found out. ‘Look, I guess that’s something you’ll need to assess,’ she told Olivia vaguely. She wanted this conversation to be over.
‘How?’ Olivia pleaded.
Gina tutted. ‘Olivia, it’s not like you haven’t done this before.’
‘No, but… I don’t know. This feels different. She’s tough to read.’
‘I’ve never found that,’ Gina said without thinking.
‘No?’ Olivia asked.
Gina felt her stomach tighten. Had she really just said that? ‘Just talk to her.’
‘But you feel like you can get a read on her, is that what you just said?’ Olivia asked.
‘Uhhh…’ Gina said.
‘I’m sorry, have I interrupted something? You sound like you’re at a bar,’ Olivia said.
‘Yeah, I’m on a date,’ she admitted feebly.
‘Where?’ Olivia asked.
Gina thought that was a weird question, but she answered, ‘It’s called The Speakeasy? It’s on-’
‘James Street. Yeah, I know it,’ Olivia said with odd pep. ‘So, um, I was thinking…’
Gina groaned. ‘Olivia. No.’
‘We’ll just come foronedrink, I swear. And then you can tell me if I should go for it or not.’
‘Hey!’ said Alison, tapping her on the shoulder. Gina turned around. ‘I know you said no booze, but I got you a prosecco. I mean, that’s practically a kid’s drink.’
Gina looked at the drink in Alison’s hand and said into the phone. ‘Fine. Do what you gotta do.’ She hung up the phone and took the glass. ‘Hey, some people I know are going to stop by for a drink with us. I hope you don’t mind?’ she said.
Alison shrugged. ‘The more, the merrier.’
Gina wasn’t so sure about that. But if this was going to be a shitshow anyway, why not double down?
It was comforting to pretend this was only about not giving a shit. Gina could nearly believe her own apathy. Until the moment that Harper walked into the bar, and Gina knew she’d said alright because at the bottom of all the crap, she just wanted to see her. Even under these circumstances, she couldn’t seem to not be near the woman.
Twenty-Eight
