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"So is your sister is coming down from Canada for Thanksgiving ?"
"No, I think she is seeing someone and going to dinner at his parents house" Nyla answered.
"Speaking of Thanksgiving, what are you doing for the holiday?"
"I was thinking I would spend it with Jocelyn and Javier or at this rate just Jocelyn.
We can have another girls night." Nyla noticed the disappointment in his face but said nothing. Gavin hadn't asked to spend the holiday with her though, she would decline if he did. She wasn't ready to meet his family especially in that high stress setting. Gavin was definitely his own man but he had tremendous respect and love for his family. She had gathered how close they were from their many conversations about his life growing up, even though they were extremely wealthy they were very down to earth and somewhat old fashioned. They would see him bringing her as a major step in their relationship.
"So, those plans don't sound that concrete but you know what is? My grandmother Irish soda bread that you don't want to miss" he teased.
Nyla watched the way his eyes lit up and creased in the corners, she loved every little thing about him. She hated disappointing him because he had brought her so much joy but she really wasn't ready to meet his family, it wouldn't be just his parents. There were cousins and aunts and uncles it was just too much.
"Nyla, I wont pretend that I'm not disappointed. You should know that I would want to spend the holidays with you ,that's a given. I mean, this holiday is particularly important to us as a couple. At least for me it is, I've never had more to be thankful for than meeting you. Having the woman in my life meet the people who raised me along with good eats and football sounds perfect to me. Why wouldn't we spend it together?"
She officially hate Gavin McKeough now how was she going to say no to that .
"I’ll think about it alright babe. I do want to meet your folks it just Thanksgiving is so Thanksgiving. She said her hands clasping and then widening to express how heavy the holiday was. Plus I was just mulling over going to Jocelyn' girl can't have too many options. “
“The only option you need is me” Gavin said smiling since he was confident he would be getting his way.
Two weeks later
Gavin lay sprawled out on Nyla's couch trying to watch the end of Saving Private Ryan for the two hundredth time while she worked herself Into a frenzy over dinner with his friends. She took issue with everything, from what to wear to the location of the dinner. When Mitch had first mentioned a double date he confirmed without consulting her, something he would never do again after the tongue lashing he received about being bossy and inconsiderate of her time constraints. Gavin knew the real reason she was acting so crazy, he just was waiting for her to tell him. That's the way Nyla worked you couldn't push her, you just had to wait for her to calm down and then she would open up. In the four months they had been together he had learned some of her many quirks but there was still so much to be discovered and he wanted to spend the rest of his life doing just that.
"Gavin are you listening to me, you've already seen this movie." She expelled a loud breath " I'm sorry it just I haven't had to impress anybody in a long time"
Gavin scoffed "So what am I chopped liver. Damn dating you is hell on a mans ego"
" You could use being knocked down a peg or two" she retorted.
Nyla walked over to Gavin's outstretched hand and he pulled her onto his lying form. She rested her head on his chest while he stroked her hair.
"This isn't an audition honey. I would love it if you got along with my friends but I'm a grown man nothing that they could say would change how I feel about you."
"I'm just ...shit it so was hard for me to relate to people afterwards, everything was so awkward or maybe i was just so awkward I made everyone except for Jocelyn uncomfortable. I was so numb I didn't notice till I only had one friend left. I just ...I don't want that to happen. " She spoke softly tickling his chest with her mouth as her words formed while his hand lazily caressed her back.
Nyla looked up into his blue eyes and felt like she was drowning and being saved at the same time. Sometimes the emotions she felt for him seemed overwhelming. Why should she be so happy? It was moments like this that she wanted to confess the love she had for him but fear kept her mute.
" I lo...lets not miss the ending its the best part" she answered quickly.
Gavin smiled down at Nyla and kissed the top of her head. He knew that she loved him. She made it obvious with her surprise lunches that she would bring him when she knew he had back to back surgeries or when he got sick a week after coming back from vacation she babied him with homemade soup and every OTC medicine she could find, while he shamelessly ate it up. He wanted to hear the words but he'd been with enough woman who whispered those three words but never had actions that solidified the claim. For now it was enough.
"Nyla come on babe we really have to go" Gavin said shrugging on his leather jacket. Nyla stared at her reflection in the mirror, she looked good, the plum colored blouse was gauzy but not sheer and a sweet contrast to her knee length leather pencil skirt. She paired the ensemble with plum,cobalt and black color block shoes. Her makeup was simple with a little purple eyeliner to brighten up her eyes, her berry gloss was not stuck to her teeth. Even her hair had cooperated, she had it in loose waves parted in the middle. So why Dear Lord couldn't she walk out the bathroom door. The sense of foreboding was stifling her. "Don't be this woman, go out there and have a good time!" She said as she touched the handle, taking a deep breath she turned it and walked through the doors almost bumping into a pacing Gavin.
"I was getting worried I was about to take the door of the hinges. " he said . Gavin's concern soon gave way for a more prevalent emotion when he noticed how the fitted skirt molded against her curvy hips and ass. He scanned lower to her stiletto clad feet and gulped. Gavin made his way back to her gorgeous face and already started thinking of the excuse he would give Mitch for them not making it.
" Honey if this is too much for you we don't have to go. We can just stay home" he said slyly ."Actually, I think we should stay home but you can keep on that skirt and those heels."
Nyla eyed him the entire time, she observed as his concern was quickly replaced by desire. The look he was giving her was causing her panties to dampen and though tempting she had spent two hours of therapy to work up the courage to go through with this night so Gavin baby was going to have to wait.
"No, I'm feeling much better it was just a case of nerves. Let's go"
They pulled up to Nabi and Gavin went round the car to let her out. He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze and slid his had slowly down her arm and clasped her small hand into his. "Relax their going to love you besides all that matters is I already do."
Nyla smiled up at him and pulled him forward as they made their way through the restaurant until the stopped at a table with two couples sitting down. Nyla watched a slightly shorter white male stand up and greet her with a firm handshake while Gavin made the introductions.
"Nyla, this is Mitch and his fiancée Anna. He looked to the other couple across from them continued uncertainly " This is Trent and." He stretched the and in the hopes that Trent would fill in the blank because not only was he unaware of his dates name he didn't know that he would be joining them this evening. Trent finally saw fit to look up from the menu.
"Hey Gavin, you remember Gia from Poor Billy's right" he said expectantly.
Gavin decided to go with it. "Of course Gia, good to see you again. This is my girlfriend"
The over eager girl cut him off mid sentence "It's nice to see you too. I am so excited I always wanted to come here but I can't afford a place like this and pay for books. I'm a junior at Mercy College" she said excitedly showing everyone at the table her age. When she finally took a breath Gavin tried again as it was getting awkward standing there.
"Trent, Gia this is my girlfriend Nyla" he said
Nyla looked at the young woman and shook her and when she suddenly pulled her in for a hug. Nyla smiled at her warmly surprised but not offended and extended her and to Trent. "Nyla it is a pleasure to meet you I feel like I already know you" he said with a smirk on his face. Nyla smiled at him and they finally took their seats.
Nyla sat and stared at the handsome black man that sat in front of her. He looked very familiar, he actually had a similar build to Greg. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by Anna. "So how'd you two meet"
"We'll I kind of ran into him... Literally." Nyla said with a small smile as she remembered how they met.
“I bet she chasing after you huh Gav” Trent added
"No , it was no easy task getting her to agree to a date with me either. Can you believe she turned all this down” Gavin added gesturing at his body jokingly.
"Really, I have a hard time believing she wasn't easy" Trent said slyly
"Excuse me" Gavin asked him a menacing undertone to his voice
"What? I just meant most woman would love get a guy like you, right buddy."
It was obvious something was going on with Trent but no one at the table seemed to know what. The tension at the table was getting too thick for Nyla's liking.
"Excuse me, I'm going to freshen up." Nyla's said getting up from the table.
"I have to go as well" Trent said suddenly and followed behind Nyla. Nyla inhaled and the aromas from the Habachi grill intermingle with a scent all too familiar, Givenchy before she could process they arrived at their respective lavatories and walked in. Nyla looked at herself in the mirror as an unsettling feeling started to settle in her stomach. she reapplied a little more gloss before stepping out where Trent stood waiting for her. His arms crossed he leaned on the wall crossing his legs.
"I've been waiting for you." he said his voice low and dripping with innuendo.
"Are you sure we haven't met before Nyla, you look so very familiar and a woman like you I'm sure is hard to forget. " he said
"No I don’t think so …Ah, well I think we should get back to the group" Nyla answered
"Why I thought we were getting to know each other, maybe catch up"
"Catch up? What are you talking about?" She looked at him bemused however soon as she said it memories flashed through her mind. Images of his naked body pumping in and out of her while she moaned Greg's name. The realization that not only had she bumped into her one night stand but that he was one of Gavin's best friends was almost too much. She swayed and he reached out and caught her holding her to him. The smell of his cologne, her soft body pressed against his hard chest pressed brought on another onslaught of memories.
"Oh my god this cant be happening Nyla whispered pressing her hand to her lips.
"Now that I have jogged you memory maybe we should tell Gavin just how intimately we are acquainted, or better yet maybe relive the good old days" he said huskily while caressing her cheek.
Nyla was about to have a full on panic attack. She did not know what to do with the asshole in front of her or how to explain to Gavin. Seeing as she had no way out she decided to play dumb.
Nyla looked Trent in the eye "I'm sorry Trent you must be mistaken, I've never seen you before tonight. If you'll excuse me I have got to get back to my date and you should do the same." She said before pushing past him to find her way back to Gavin and his friends.
Gavin noticed immediately that Nyla's demeanor had changed from friendly and talkative to subdued and skittish since she returned from the restroom. Trent had come back a few minutes after her and had cooled it with the inappropriate statements however he was still going to have a word with him in private very soon. She wasn't really participating in the conversation. Gavin leaned into her " Nyla are you ok? We can go at anytime" he whispered in her ear.
The smile she pasted on soon after was meant to be reassuring but was anything but.
"I'm good, I'm having a nice time" she answered back and dived into the ongoing debate
about the economic crisis.
Nyla focused all her attention on Mitch and Anna, it was if the other couple didn't exist. Gia had very little to contribute to the conversation other than giggles and Trent watched her when e thought no one was looking.
Nyla tried to focus on the ongoing conversation so Gavin's friends wouldn't believe her to be a complete dingbat but it was very hard to keep up the charade with Gavin and Trent boring holes into her.
By the end if the evening Nyla was exhausted and ready just to crawl into bed with Gavin. She decided she wouldn't tell him about Trent. He was the past , barely a blip on the radar of her life.
Gavin was quiet and observant on the drive back to Nyla's house. She normally chatted more in the car to keep herself from falling asleep as she was lulled by the motion.
"Gavin, I'm happy I came out with you today. I really liked meeting your friends especially Mitch and Anna, they are a great couple."
"Good I'm glad they seemed to really enjoy you too. But what was with Trent, do you know what that was about." He asked quizzically.
" He's your friend, how would I know what normal behavior for him? we just met" she answered defensively.
"It just seemed weird there was some undercurrent between the two of you"
Nyla started choking on the sip of bottled water she had taken. Damn his perceptive ass.
"No Gavin, the black people at the table were not having a moment . Can you just drop it."
"Sure, consider it dropped" Gavin had never seen Nyla so defensive. He was going to get to the bottom of this "dropped my ass" Gavin muttered deciding in that moment to figure out just what was going on.
They arrived at Nyla's house and she quickly let herself out of the car, practically racing to the door. Gavin jogged over to her while she fumbled with the keys. He took them from her shaking hand and opened the door ushering her in. Before he could say a word she locked her self in the bathroom and he heard the water running, for the first time in a long time Gavin was unsure whether he was welcome to stay overnight. He sat waiting for her to come out, resting his head back on the sofa cushion. He heard the bathroom door open and the hall light illuminate and she padded past him drying her hair, saying nothing. He walked over to her as she sat on the bed focused intently on drying her hair, her eyes were red. She had obviously been crying.
"Nyla, what's going on?"
"Nothing, everything's great. Dinner was delicious.” She said feigning enthusiasm
"Nyla, do you want me to go?"
"Go. No. don't leave .Stay with me. Stay with me. I just want you to stay with me." She answered while standing on the bed and wrapping her arms and legs around him welcoming him.