Baby Come Back(6)

It was only a little after one in the afternoon. Tristan would be in the office getting the payroll checks ready to disburse. As soon as Tylar and I entered the club I saw Sunny stocking the main bar. She had a couple of customers sitting there drinking beer.

“Well hey, Gina! I heard you were back in town,” she greeted me sweetly, as if we were old friends.

“Who’s that?” Tylar whispered as we crossed the room.

“Sunny,” I hissed under my breath, snapping my gum.

“Oh shit,” Tylar commented softly.

“Hi Sunny. Is Tristan in our office?”

“Sure is, hon. I just popped in there a few minutes ago to get my check and he is working away like always.”

I turned to Tylar.

“I need a minute with Tristan, Ty.”

“Sure,” she replied, nodding her head. “I’ll just go over and get acquainted with Sunny.”

I walked to the hallway that led past the kitchen and to the office at the end. The door was shut. We had moved the office downstairs after we had remodeled. The old office upstairs had been torn down to open up the loft to add room for the second bar.

I gathered my nerve and tapped lightly on the door.

“It’s open,” I heard Tristan’s voice from the other side.

I opened the door and went quietly inside, closing the door softly behind me. Tristan didn’t look up. He probably thought it was one of the employees coming in for their paycheck.

“Hey Tristan,” I said, softly. He looked up immediately, his eyes meeting mine.

(Oh God, I’ve missed him so much.)

He was on his feet immediately, closing the distance between us. He stopped in front of me. I wanted him to touch me but the next move had to be his.

“Gina,” he breathed, pulling me to him, “I am so sorry, Gina.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face into his chest. I was in his arms again. It felt so right.

“Can you forgive me, Gina?”

I nodded against him. I was afraid to speak. I just needed him to keep holding me.

“Can we talk about what happened?”

“I’m not sure what there is to say, Tristan.”



He pulled back from me to study my face. He raised my chin so that my eyes met his. I could see the confusion on his face. The truth was I could forgive him just as I knew that he could forgive me. I just wasn’t sure that I could forget how he had made me feel with the things that he had said to me that night. The weeks of silence that had followed had convinced me that Tristan hadn’t cared enough to work it out. I had suffered through it alone.

He pulled me over to the couch. He sat down, pulling me down next to him.

“I don’t understand, Gina. You said you forgave me.”

“Tristan, I do forgive you; I hope that you will forgive me for not being upfront with you from the start. That was wrong. I know that now. I’m just not sure what it is you want to talk about.”

He nodded, waiting for me to continue.

“I just can’t forget so easily the things that you said to me. It was like you were someone else; someone that I didn’t know. It was scary, Tristan. Then you hired someone to replace me here. You said you didn’t want to be around me. That hurt even more.”

“Gina baby - I just had to sort it through. It was like I told you then; it stirred up some memories.”

He was brushing my hair back with his hand. He framed my face with his hands; he lowered his lips to mine kissing me sweetly and softly. His touch melted me, as always. I shivered as I felt the familiar goose bumps.

“Are you cold, babe?”

“I’m fine,” I said, resting against him.

“I’ve missed you so much, Gina.”

“I’ve missed you too, Tristan.”

“Can we have dinner this evening?”

“Where?”

“How about at the apartment?”

“Tristan - I’m not sure that would be a good idea.”

I knew we would end up in the sack and as much as I wanted him right this second, I wasn’t sure if that was the healthiest thing to do at the moment.

“Anywhere you want then.”

“Pick me up at Jo Anna’s at seven,” I said, “We’ll decide then where to eat.”

“Okay, babe. I’ll be there.”

I got my check and told him that Tylar wanted to say hello to him. He walked me out to the bar where Sunny was obviously bending Ty’s ear about something. Tristan’s hand was on the small of my back as we walked over to Tylar. I saw Sunny’s expression change as soon as she noticed. I smirked inside at her obvious displeasure.

(That’s right, bitch. He is still mine, all mine . . .)

Tristan and Tylar conversed for a few minutes while I pretended to listen, watching Sunny in my peripheral vision. She was trying to act busy but I could tell she was eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Ready, Gina?”

(Hmm? What?)

“Oh yeah. Let’s go.”

Tristan pulled me back to him. “Don’t I get a kiss goodbye?”

I saw Sunny’s head snap up out of the corner of my eye. She was making no attempt to hide the fact that she was watching us. I heard Tylar snicker softly on the other side of me.