[chapter sixteen]
Disclaimer: If you've heard of
them, I don't own them. Everything else is mine, so no stealing, pretty please.
;-)
**
As Jimmie pulled into his driveway, all three of his passengers heaved a silent sigh of relief that the evening was almost over. The four of them had sat through the most uncomfortable dinner of all time, interrupted only by stories Jimmie told of Baja and Faye told of college, and by the waiter inquiring about the quality of their dinner.
Chad had spent the night glaring at Mia.
Mia had spent the night ignoring Chad.
Faye had spent the night wanting to beat them both upside the head.
Jimmie had spent the night trying to figure out what everyone else was thinking.
"Whew. Okay, well, Mia, let me grab my keys and…" Faye said, as they gathered in the driveway.
"I'll take her home." Chad said, his deep voice interrupting Faye.
"I don't want you…" Mia began before being cut off.
"I'm taking you home." Chad repeated, taking her arm and tugging her towards his car.
"Call me!" Faye called out after Mia as Jimmie wrapped his arms around Faye's middle and tugged her against him.
"Let them go, hon. They'll either make up or kill each other. Either way, we'll find out in the morning." Jimmie said reasonably.
"Yeah, I know. I'm just afraid that Mia is going to win. And that would be bad." Faye answered.
"Nah. He won't let her get away. Not that easily." Jimmie smiled. "Now come inside and leave them be."
"I'm sorry about dinner." Faye said as Jimmie held the door open for her. "I had no idea that…"
"Faye?"
"Hrm?"
"Shut up."
**
Chad gripped the steering wheel tightly as Mia glared at him, not saying a word except to give him directions to her house. The silence was palpable between them, with no signs of letting up.
"What the fuck?!" Chad finally burst out, his emotions getting the better of him.
Mia calmly returned his glare but said nothing. "You're the one that…"
"What? I'm the one that what?" Chad argued. "I'm the one that fell for you, tried to show you how much, then got ignored and kicked to the curb the next morning?"
"A little dramatic, don't you think?" Mia asked icily.
"Dramatic? Let's talk about this getup you have on tonight!" Chad spat.
Mia looked down at her manicured nails and spotless dress and felt herself blush. She had felt Chad watching her all night, and secretly hoped he found her irresistible. Payback for all the years of her frump gear and unruly hair.
No matter how un-Mia-like she felt in it.
"What about it?"
"Well, Jesus, Mia. This isn't you!" Chad said hotly.
"You know what!?" Mia said, her temper finally giving way. "Maybe this should be me! Maybe I would stop being treated like a doormat if I was like this more! I mean, look at Faye - she's gorgeous and doesn't wear a speck of makeup but she's still girly and cute and beautiful. Maybe, just once, I wanna be like that!"
Chad sighed as he pulled onto Mia's street. "You wanna know something? When I met Faye, she was as timid and shy as you are. You know what makes her beautiful? Confidence - and being with the right person. I swear to god, she and Jimmie practically glow when they are around each other, and it has nothing to do with mascara and everything to do with being happy and being with who she belongs with. You could be like that."
Mia snorted, but said nothing as he pulled into her driveway and killed the engine.
"I'm serious."
"Uh-huh. I think I'll just stick with this." Mia said, gesturing to Faye's dress.
"No, because it's not you. And trust me, babe, you are a helluva lot sexier in your glasses and overalls than you are in too much blush and shoes that are obviously uncomfortable. Because that ain't you." Chad said, his voice suddenly resigned. "So excuse me for falling for Geek Mia, and not this imposter that's here tonight."
"You didn't fall." Mia said evenly.
"You know what, maybe if you didn't hid behind all your fucking machines all the time, you'd realize that…" Chad began before Mia's rising voice cut him off.
"I hide? I hide behind my machines? What about you?? You're the one that said you were married to a racecar! You could care less about a woman unless she happens to stumble into your bed, so don't sit there and tell me I'm hiding, because you do it too!" Mia said as a tear streaked down her cheek. "And I thought my social skills were underdeveloped!"
"Maybe I hide because I'm not willing to waste me time and energy and emotion on some two bit whore, or some pit lizard, or some girl who doesn't have a brain in her head. Maybe it's not worth it. I haven't found a girl like you, Mia. At least, not one that would ever be interested in a fuckup like me." Chad said, leaning forward until his forehead rested on the steering wheel. "If that's what you think, then maybe you should just get out and never speak to me again."
Mia didn't move a muscle as she watched him in the lamplight, her emotions running rampant through her mind.
"Did you really fall for me?" Mia asked timidly.
"Yes." Came Chad's muffled reply.
"And you think I'm the girl who can replace that hunk of metal in your heart?" She asked.
"Yes." Another muffled reply.
"And you really think I'm hotter with glasses and bad hair than I am right now?" Mia couldn't resist asking, her feminine emotions getting the best of her.
"God, yes. Jesus! What do I have to do to prove it to you?" Chad begged, finally looking up. "I'm not giving up, Mia. I'm not."
"I…I have to go." Mia said, turning to pick up her purse as Chad leaped from the car and jogged around to the passenger side to open her door. "Thanks." She whispered, heading for her front door, Chad at her heels. "You don't have to walk me to my door."
"I'm not leaving us like this."
"You aren't coming in."
"Fine, but I'm not leaving. I'm just going to sit on this porch until you come to your senses. Maybe you can write a formula on your computer that will calculate pros and cons of seeing a guy like me in your future." Chad said angrily, sitting down firmly on the porch steps.
"You infuriate me." Mia said.
"You drive me crazy." Chad returned.
"I'm going inside." Mia said, testing him.
"Great. If you make coffee in the morning, I take mine black, three sugars." Chad said, settling back with a sigh.
Mia refused to take the bait and stepped inside, slamming the door behind her.
And about a minute later, found
herself back outside and in Chad's embrace.