"Looking for A Place to Land"
Chapter 19
This Chapter was written by Michelle
Gia: (closing her eyes again blocking out the visual world so she could think) It's not that I want you to leave, Lucky. . .
Lucky: (sitting up proping his head up with his hand) Then what is it?
Gia: (opening her eyes) It's just that. . . I'm really tired
Lucky: You're tired.
Gia: (slowly nodding her head) Yes. I just said that.
Lucky: Well, I think it's something else
Gia: (sighing) What's something else?
Lucky: The reason why you're getting so weired out at me sleeping in your bed
Gia: I'm not weired out
Lucky: Come on, Gia. The only time that I've seen you more weired out recently is when you were arranging furniture
Gia: (hitting Lucky with a pillow) Ha. Ha.
Lucky: Seriously, Gia. What's going on?
Gia: (holding his hand, but looking away) Nothing is going on.
Lucky: (trying to believe her) Alright. If you say so.
Gia: (relieved by his surrender) I do say so. In fact, I also say that I like having you sleep in my bed.
Lucky: (smiling) You do?
Gia: (smiling back) I do
Gia: There's just one problem
Lucky: (smile fading) What's that?
Gia: (teasing) You're keeping me from sleeping, Spencer
Lucky: (This time hitting her with a pillow) Uh huh. Whatever, Campbell. You know you love me.
Gia's face suddenly darkens. Her gaze falls from Lucky's face to the down comforter. Oblivious to Gia's sudden change in mood, Lucky wraps his arms around her. Gia's body stiffens and Lucky beings to fall asleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few days later, Gia sits in her apartment painting her toenails when the cordless phone next to her rings.
Gia: (picking up the phone) Gia here. What's up?
Caller: "What's up" is that you have messed up my life!
Gia: (almost dropping nail polish all over the carpet) Excuse me?
Caller: You know what? You have no professionalism, no loyalty, and no gratitude!
Gia: (continuing to paint her toenails) Okay, I give up. Who is this?
Caller: (screams loudly into the phone) UGHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Gia holds the receiver away from her ear for a moment.
Caller: This, Ms. Campbell, is the woman who saved you from wandering the unemployment line in some cheap Versace knockoff.
Gia: Skye?
Skye: That's "Ms. Chandler" to you. I expect to get some respect. Even if you aren't working for me anymore. Especially after the way you've treated me.
Gia: The way I treated you?
Skye: Jax told me that he offered to pay you off in return for leaving ELQ and working for him.
Gia: Jax isn't paying me off
Skye: Oh really? So you're turning on me for free, eh?
Gia: (putting down her nail polish) Look, Sk--Ms. Chandler, I really appreciate you hiring me--especially since you don't know me that well, but Mr. Jax made me an offer and--
The call waiting on Gia's phone beeps.
Gia: I'm sorry, Skye, someone is trying to call me on the other line. . .
Skye: It's MS. Chand--
Gia clicks over to the other phone line
Gia: This is Gia. Hello?
Lucky: Hey, it's me
Gia: (sighing) Hey, Lucky, can I call you later? Skye's on the other line.
Lucky: Well, I just wanted to talk about Valentine's Day. . .
Gia: (pausing) Valentine's Day. . . yeah. . . well, I'll call you back later today, alright?
Lucky: Gia. . .
Gia: I'll call you back, Lucky. I promise.
Gia clicks back over to the first line
Gia: Hello?
Skye: You know, Gia, I don't appreciate you hanging up on me for another caller
Gia: I didn't--
Skye: It must have been someone really important. . . like your boyfriend perhaps?
Gia: Boyfriend?
Skye: Yeah. Lucky Spencer. The young man that I saw coming out of your office the other day.
Gia: (frowning) I don't know what you're talking about.
Skye: Oh, I think you do, Gia. And seeing how quick you are to deny your relationship with the Spencer boy, I'm sure you wouldn't want me to spread the news about you two around town.
Gia: What are you getting at Skye?
Skye: A proposition to get you to continue workign for me instead of Jasper Jax
Gia: I'm listening
Skye: It's simple really. You stay on at ELQ or I spill the beans about you and Lucky
Gia's quiet.
Skye: I'll take your silence to mean that you're considering my offer. If you accept, I'll see you at work tomorrow. If not, expect your personal life to be on the cover of the newspapers tomorrow.
After hearing a click on the phone followed by a dial tone, Gia hangs up the receiver dejectedly.
