Hi there, here's the next installment. I think we're nearing the end of Tori and Greg now, probably about two or three chapters left (unless my brain chooses something different - who knows!). I know I say it every time, but thank you for your comments and voting -it's just been amazing. And please continue to do so because this is the best way for me to learn!
Thanks very much
Elle x
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"It's not stalking, it's not stalking, it's not stalking." This was the mantra that Greg was repeating to himself as he paced on the street outside Tori's apartment building. He had made the decision to pursue her, to actively stake his claim on her rather than just sitting back and waiting for her to come to him. No one could deny the chemistry they had with one another, the previous night had demonstrated this. But then Greg also had to take into account that she had been damaged from her previous let down. If he was honest, he hoped that this really was her reason for leaving and not because he was a lousy lay. He hoped that if she took the time to see him again, he could show her that not all men were like that, and that although he was prone to moments of idiocy, for the most part his heart was good.
It turned out that she was easy enough to find. Google was amazing for that, and having read her website and testimonials, it was also easy to see she was pretty good at her job. He found it interesting that she would choose to arrange weddings, given what had happened, but whatever it was, it seemed to be working.
Once he found the address, he took a deep breath and made his way out hoping he wasn't making a massive mistake, but also very much looking forward to seeing her again.
Which led him to be pacing, like an idiot outside her mansion block. He gave himself one last pep talk and jogged his way up the stairs and buzzed the buzzer resolving to himself that he was doing the right thing.
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Roni had been in full tirade for about twenty five minutes now. As I looked around the room, I found it created an interesting tableau. Carrie was perched open mouthed on the sofa, watching Roni's temper in fascination, Mike was rubbing his hand over his head back and forth as he always did when he was anxious about his wife throwing a wobbly, and I was flicking through Marie Claire wondering if I could justify a new pair of shoes. I was startled out of my reverie of the beauty that was Gucci by my sister screaming,
"You're not listening to me!"
I put down my magazine and faced my sister folding my arms, "As I told you at the beginning of this soliloquy of yours, I will not respond to you when you shout at me about something that doesn't involve you."
Roni stamped her foot, "But it's not right, I found him for you and you don't even have the decency to tell me about it?"
She pointed at her husband, "Mike knows", and then gestured dismissively to Carrie, "She knows." To which Carrie raised her eyebrows at being spoken to in that way - it seemed that we had forgotten that Carrie was a paying customer, but it didn't matter as Roni continued, "And yet I have to find out that my sister has had sex for the first time in two years from the person she did it with."
At this new piece of information my eyes widened, "Greg told you I slept with him?"
"No, he told Mike and Mike told me."
All eyes turned to Mike who raised his hands placatingly, "Now hold on a second, Roni. Vic, he wasn't gossiping - to be honest, the poor guy was worried that maybe he'd fucked up or something and once I told him about Luke..."
A stunned silence filled the room.
"You told him about Luke?" Carrie gasped
Roni gasped at me, "You told her about Luke?"
I sank back onto my sofa. These people were beginning to give me a headache, it was like some kind of farcical soap opera.
Carrie shook her head at Michael, "I'm not sure you should have told him about that, that's Tori's history that she should tell when she's ready."
"What do you know about it, and anyway who are you?" my sister demanded of Carrie
Mike sighed, ignoring his wife and responding to Carrie, "I know, I know. It's just that he's a great guy, and I really don't think that he would do anything to hurt her, you know?"
Carrie nodded and shrugged, "I suppose."
Taking advantage of the sudden distraction, Roni grabbed me by the arm and turning to the rest of the room announced,
"I would like to talk to my sister alone,"
She dragged me into the kitchen and sat me down heavily at the table and then made her way to the opposite side so that she was facing me. I looked at her steadily. My sister was beautiful. All of her features made complete sense on her face. It was as though she got the best from each of our parents which made her physically almost perfect. It had been awful growing up with her, not least because she was completely aware of her beauty, but because she was arrogant with it. Don't get me wrong, I loved my sister, and would kill for her, but Jesus she could be a bitch.
Happy to be back in charge, Roni tilted her head to one side and used the patronising tone she usually reserved for shop staff and waiters,
"So, how are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling fine thank you. I would really like it if you lot left though so I could go have a shower and wash the sex off of me, but somehow I can't see that happening."
Roni rolled her eyes, "Don't be crude. You could at least have told me you were going to go out with him."
"What so you could have advised me about what to wear, where to go, what to say, and how not to embarrass you and Mike? Give me a break Ron. It was just easier to go out and have a nice night with a nice man with no fuss. He was lovely and I had a lovely evening, but what happens from here is no business of yours."
"No, I wish you had told me as it shows that you are getting better and I couldn't bear to see you so broken over Luke."
"Well Luke was none of your business and neither is this so why don't you just leave it?"
Roni narrowed her eyes at me, a sign of open combat,
"You're just ungrateful, that's all it is. I just want you to remember that if this works out, it's only because I found him for you. And I still think you could have made things work with Luke you know, if you'd only changed-."
"Changed what?"
"Nothing," she shook her head, "Nothing at all."
And with that as a parting shot, she pushed back her chair on my tiles, which she knew I hated, and stalked her way back to her husband. I lay my head on the cool marble of the table, wishing I was anywhere else, listening to what seemed to be a bang and a muffled curse and then silence. Blessed silence. I was surprised not to hear Roni expounding on my ungratefulness at the top of her voice to Mike which was what she normally did when she was pissed off with me.
I lifted my head and looked over my shoulder, it was very quiet out there. I got up from the table and made my way back to the lounge to find Carrie hopping from foot to foot wringing her hands, Mike walking around in circles like a dog chasing his tail, Roni holding her hands to her mouth in shock and Greg, well Greg was lying on the floor with blood spurting from his nose.
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Greg had had embarrassing moments. There had been the time that his rugby team mates had stolen his clothes after they had gone skinny dipping and forced him to hitchhike naked and then there was the time when he was seventeen and finally got the love of his life home after a party and then vomited on her from having drunk too much vodka. But as far as he was concerned, there was nothing worse than having made a gallant effort to find the woman who he desperately wanted, only to be assaulted by her sister's massive designer handbag containing the new very expensive pair of Jimmy Choo shoes that she was hiding from her husband.
And now here he was, sitting on Tori's sofa with ice on his nose, a burgeoning black eye and her rubbing the back of his neck. Everyone had made a fairly rapid disappearance from the flat once the blood had started to flow, leaving Tori and Greg with each other and a whole lot of tension.
He cleared his throat and took a breath to start a conversation but was beaten by,
"I sure know how to entertain don't I?"
Greg laughed and winced as his nose jolted, he wondered if it was broken.
She winced with him,
"You must think I'm really rude hey? Leaving like that."
Greg turned to her, "Not rude, I was just worried that maybe you didn't enjoy yourself with me. I had a great time, I just wanted to make sure you did too."
He watched Tori gnaw at her lip and realised that she did this was she was either nervous or turned on. If he was honest, he was turned on just looking at her, but wanting to get everything out in the open, he decided to just brazen it out.
"Listen, we weren't very smart last night, you know protection and all that. I wanted to make sure you were ok, that's why I'm here. I'm not stalking you or anything"
Tori laughed delightedly, "Don't lie, you've been staking out my house for weeks."
He nodded, "Damn it, caught . What gave me away? My night vision goggles?"
