Care to Command

54 Girls

"Sorry, I'm getting my fingers all in there..." Gia smiles unapologetically.

"Me too, it's so good!" Shushan giggles, licking her thumb. "Mm, my God! What is this?"

"It's aged cheddar on a dried apricot." I try not to laugh at their pornographic expressions.

They came over two hours after that brief phone call. Now, both are on my couch and I'm on the love seat across from them.

I made a humongous cheese platter with all sorts of goodies — fruits, jams, nuts, crackers, breads. Cheeses from hard to soft, bottles of wine.

Shushan has a strict curfew so she's only here for an hour. And it was her first time meeting Gia and I was a little nervous. But it feels like we've all been friends for years.

"You should take this to your business meetings and make the clients kiss your feet." Shushan says, going for her millionth one. "I'd sleep with you if you bribed me with this."

"Alright..." Gia smirks, dipping her chin down at her. "I see you, kinky Tinker Bell." She turns to me, pointing at Shushan with her thumb. "Where have you been hiding this one?"

"We met recently..." I chuckle.

"Yeah, Luc—" Shushan shuts up, eyes wide on the cheese platter with puffy cheeks. "Sorry."

"It's fine." I smile for her sake, shaking my head. "He's family to you, Shush. I get it."

"Lucas?" Gia warily asks me, voice quieter. "Dude, what happened between you two?"

"I don't want to talk about it." I grimace, starting to fidget. "Sorry..."

"No, no, it's fine!" She waves me off. "You don't have to apologize. It's just... Friday was intense." She raises her eyebrows.

"What happened?" Shush asks. Gia gives me a questioning gaze and I nod at her to continue.

"Well, Layla walked out for... reasons you already know." She says and Shush sinks in her seat. "I wasn't eavesdropping or anything, but I mean, everyone heard Lucas and Grant arguing. They were talking about Layla."

"But you didn't hear what they were saying?" Shush asks, then notices me staring. "I mean, it's none of my business..."

"Guys, stop tip toeing." I scoff. "I'm fine. I'm totally fine."

"You watch Friends, right?" Gia points at me and I nod. "Okay, because you sound like Ross right now when he makes fajitas for his double date with Joey and Rachel."

Shushan falls back, laughing, then picks up her glass of wine and narrows her eyes. "L... is for love, because... what is life without love?"

Gia and I laugh at her Ross impersonation and proceed to finish the lines of the scene.

"What were we talking about?" Shush sways forward, squinting. "Oh... the argument."

"Yeah, anyway." Gia scoots closer on the couch, making us lean forward too. "Then, Lucas storms out and I'm like holy shit he's about to break something, and he charges right at me!" She holds her chest. "The guy is huge! I'm thinking, I did something wrong and try to remember what it might be, but he's already in my face!"

"Lucas?" Shushan snorts, crossing one leg over the other. "Please, my dogs are scarier than him."

"He's vicious at work." I roll my eyes, remember how he was with Ashton's niece. I quickly regret for reliving that memory and pour myself another glass.

"He is! So he looks at me and he goes..." Gia deepens her voice and growls. "Gia—"

Shush and I burst out laughing. Both of these girls love impersonations too much.