Sex by Francine Pascal

Author:Francine Pascal
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Published: 2002-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

SEEING ED’S FACE HAD BASICALLY braided Gaia’s guts together. She just hadn’t been prepared for it. Don’t even look at him, she told herself.

* * *

Electrical Surge

* * *

The problem with looking at him was that it made her want to lean her head between his neck and shoulder and stay there for an indefinite period of time. She wanted to grab his hand, hail a cab, and go back to his bed for the next three days. Because that’s really where they should be right now. They should be in bed. Not standing out in the relative cold, staring at each other like strangers.

Looking at Ed now felt exactly the same as looking at old pictures of her family from before her mother had died. It was like she could see her happy home just inches from her fingertips. Right in front of her was joy and safety and a future, and Gaia couldn’t touch it. She couldn’t go near it or get inside it. So she couldn’t bear to look at it. She just wanted to slam the book of photos closed before her resolve started to crumble—before she started to crumble into pieces right there in front of Gen and Tatiana and her uniformed doorman. Because she knew Ed all too well. And if he saw a chink in her armor, if he saw through to the truth of what she was feeling, then he’d never let it go. He’d find some way to chisel away at the cracks until the truth came out, not even understanding that he’d only be screwing himself in the process.

So, cold was the order of the day. Cold as ice. Colder than she’d even been to him the last time. Cold enough and hard enough to make sure he didn’t come back for more. As cold as the stare Tatiana was giving her and Gen.

“Where were you all night?” Ed demanded as he and Tatiana faced down Gaia and Gen under the awning of the building. “I came here to talk to you this morning. I don’t even know how long I’ve been waiting.” Ed turned to Tatiana. “How long?”

“At least an hour,” Tatiana replied.

“At least an hour,” Ed repeated to Gaia. “Sitting in your house, waiting for you. We finally went out for coffees.”

Gaia rolled her eyes to Tatiana with pure disgust. She was sure Tatiana must have just hated being forced into morning coffee with Ed. She might as well have had the phrase “I have a crush on Ed” embroidered on all her perfect little Calvin Klein outfits. She was probably hoping Gaia would disappear every morning. Then she and Ed could have coffee together on a regular basis.

“Don’t look at me,” Tatiana complained, bouncing Gaia’s disgust right back at her. “You are the one who disappears. You think I like watching my mother walk around our house with worrying?”

“Whatever,” Gaia muttered.

“Whatever,” Tatiana hissed in reply. Her English might be slow going, but she was a quick mimic when it came to insults.

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