Page 75 of Love Undecided
Yes, I said picnic basket.
Like a real basket with a hinged top that opens from either side. She spreads out a red and white checked tablecloth over the blanket, then artfully arranges dishes, silverware, cloth napkins, and an assortment of Tupperware containers. A real picnic basket with real dishes and silverware and cloth napkins.
Seriously?!?
Really, Cancer gods? You keep me alive so I can watch shit like this? I mean, sure I know they’re together, but I’ve never had to watch them for an entire evening while having their date ten feet in front of me.
Shit. Fuck. Piss.
I take a large swig of my wine, right out of the bottle, not even caring who sees me. He had to have known I was going to be here. I mean,Gooniesis one of my favorite movies and it’s at my bestie’s winery! He must hate me and wants to see me tortured. Just for that, I don’t love him anymore. And it’s a good thing too, despite what I was thinking earlier, otherwise I’d be in real trouble.
Lexie makes her way back to us to start the movie. Then scrambles up on her barrel and hands me a bag of popcorn. I’d almost forgotten the popcorn! She has an old-fashioned machine that she breaks out for movie nights and other events. I know it seems like popcorn and wine don’t go together, but it’s actually pretty good.
“Thanks, hot stuff!” I whisper to her. She blows me a kiss in return. Then nods her head at Brad and Stacy raising her eyebrows in question. I roll my eyes and shrug my shoulders in return, hoping that’s enough to convince her that I’m fine. The movie starts and I focus on the jailbreak and trying not to down my entire bottle of wine in one chug.
When I realize I’ve drunk over half the bottle by the time Chunk is doing the truffle shuffle, it becomes clear to me that I’m going to need a second bottle, and an Uber ride home after the movie. Brad is drinking lemonade, probably Stacy’s homemade recipe.
Ugh.
Even though I can’t see his pager on his belt, I’m figuring he must be on call since I know he usually loves Lexie’s wines. Stacy has provided him the epitome of the perfect picnic: fried chicken, potato salad, beans, rolls, and apple pie. I’m hoping the chicken is cold and rubbery.
Brad turns back to us and whispers, “Hey, if you guys are hungry we’ve got plenty of food.”
He’s talking to all of us, but it’s only me that he looks at. I can barely make out his face in the dark but I feel his piercing gaze to my core. And, cue all the blood in my body rushing to my face.
This cannot be happening. He’s here with Stacy. And I’m over him. I’m having lunch with him tomorrow to reiterate just that. Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean anything.
Stacy turns to give me a look that most definitely says that they do not have plenty of food if said food is feeding me and my friends. So I hold up my popcorn in response to his offer and smile. He shrugs one shoulder as if to say. ‘next time then.’ I try to stay focused on the movie, but I find myself completely tuned in to the Brad and Stacy show instead. She’s sitting very primly, perched upon her pillow with her legs folded and off to the side. I don’t think she’s touched a thing on her plate; she just continues to drink Diet Coke from a can with a straw. Someone should really warn her about the dangers of aspartame.
Brad’s lying on his side, holding himself up on one elbow and eating with the other hand. His shirt stretches across his biceps and back, showing the movement of the muscles each time he reaches for something or brings his fork to his mouth. I remember what it was like to run my hands over those muscles and dig my nails into that back. God, why do I keep forgetting how fucking good looking he is?
“Quit drooling,” Lexie leans over to whisper in my ear.
I glare back at her. “I’m not!”
She gives me that look that tells me she doesn’t believe me, but that it’s okay. I hold up my now empty bottle and look at her pointedly, she responds with some crazy acrobatic move that has her half on and half off the barrel, but a bottle magically materializes when she sits back up. She takes a big chug before she hands it to me. I give her a thumbs up in return. I so very much appreciate that not only is she not angry with me for disrespecting her wine by chugging from the bottle, but she’s joining me in doing so. I love that girl!
I’m mid-chug when Brad’s pager goes off.
"Ha! I knew it!"
Everyone turns around to see who’s talking and what the noise is.
Ooops, that was my outside voice!
He whispers an apology at the same time that I attempt to save face by loudly announcing, “It’s okay, he’s a hunky fireman, off to put out fires and save lives.”
Well, at least now all the attention is on me instead of Brad. He leans over to whisper something in Stacy’s ear then gives her a kiss on the cheek. A chaste kiss I notice, feeling triumphant.
Brad gives me a look with a furrowed brow and cocked head. I shrug and smile, an attempt at an apology, then close my eyes and tap my heels together three times and whisper, “There’s no place like home,” to try and return there.
When I open my eyes, I’m still sitting on my barrel, Brad is gone, and everyone’s attention is back on the movie. At least this way I’ll only have to deal with Stacy when the movie is over and not the emotional steamroller that is Brad and Stacy on a cozy picnic date five feet in front of me. I hand the bottle back to Lexie and happily resume shoveling popcorn in my mouth.
My phone buzzes, I pull it out of my pocket and see that it's Bauer.
"Hang on," I tell him softly. Then I get off the barrel and head out of the room so I can talk without disturbing anyone watching the movie.
"Whassup?" I ask,\ once I'm in the tasting room.
