“Again? Really?” Holly raised an eyebrow as she flopped down beside Chris, his hands going fast on the controller. “You've played this video game all week,” she remarked, watching him shrug. It had been on when she'd come over in the morning and then in the evening after work. “I thought we were going to Wingstop.”
“We are. Meeting up with Al and Georgie,” he replied, bumping her leg. “Nice shirt.” He gave a snort as she josteled his arm.
“Shut up, I happen to like this shirt.” Holly made no excuses for wearing an NSYNC shirt. She knew Chris would tease her and think it was hilarious. That and her favorites were Lance and Joey-at least back in the day. She didn't care that they hadn't made new music in years, they still took up a big part of her play lists at home. Unless she was working and Chris was away, they were together. Chris drove her crazy at times, and at the same time she was hopelessly in love with him. He never knew it, but she was planning on telling him soon.“What are you doing for Valentine's Day?” she asked him, knowing he'd only be half listening.
“You mean the biggest commercialized day of the year?” Chris asked, pausing his game and turning his head. “I actually have a date. Why?” he asked, turning the game back on.
Holly swallowed hard, running a hand through her hair, hoping that would keep her emotions in check. “A date?” she said after a few moments, hoping her voice sounded normal. Chris had dates once in a while, but he usually told her about them, wanting to get her opinion on the girl and what he should wear. If his jokes were too lame. She always told him they were cheesy and outdated, which made him smile more.
“Yeah. It should be fun,” he said, not breaking his view of the television. He finished his game and stood up, tossing the controller back on the couch. “What are you doing for Valentine's Day? Calling Lance's radio show and professing your love for him?” his mouth twitched into a smile as he watched her blush. “Oh Lance, I know you have a boyfriend, but I love you the most...” he pretended to swoon.
“You're a jerk, Christopher,” Holly huffed at him, sitting there after he went to get his shoes from the bedroom. She wondered who the girl was he was taking out. Looking down at her clothes, she wondered why she hadn't tried harder. Not one of those girls who dressed up unless it was absolutely necessary or wore make up much. It was at that moment she realized she'd made herself out to be great friend material. Guys wanted the looks and the body. Even now, Chris could have any woman he wanted. They'd known one another for four years and she'd seen women still flock to him. He was too polite to refuse a picture or autograph. Holly's eyes traveled to a few pictures that were sitting out. A family picture of his mom, sisters and him. One of him at the celebrity golf tournament Justin Timberlake hosted, which Chris won. And then one of them together, a self one Chris took after they'd went to see a movie.
“You ready?” Chris asked, watching her study the pictures. She'd gotten quiet which let him know something was on her mind. “You never answered my question. What are you doing for Valentine's Day?” He fished his keys out of his pocket to the Corvette, waiting for an answer.
“I have to work and then I guess go home and open that vintage wine you brought me from Italy . If I'm lucky there will be a good movie on tv I can sit and watch without you quoting movie lines.”
“I never do that,” he scoffed, making a shocked face at her. “I'm an angel while we watch movies.”
“Says the man who quotes all of the Austin Powers movies.”
“Yeah baby yeah,” Chris said, throwing his arm around her. “It's one of my many talents and qualities that makes me irresistible to women.”
Holly rolled her eyes at him. “Stick to singing. I like that better than you trying to memorize every movie you see.”
“You're bumming me out, Hollz,” Chris held her door open for her and laughed when she said something about his car compensating for something else. “That line's getting really old. You helped me pick out this car,” he reminded her after getting in the driver's side. It was black 2010 Corvette and his 'baby'. “So no plans? At all?” Chris asked once more as they got on the road.
“Why would I have Valentine's Day plans? Who do I have to go out with? No boyfriend...remember?” Holly made a face at him as he laughed. “You should be married with about three kids by now.”
“You sound like my Mom.” Chris told her, rolling his eyes. “You should be married with kids. Or at least knocked up with some guy telling you to get your bitch ass in the kitchen and make him some pie.”
“Only fucking pie he'd get is Sara Lee,” Holly informed Chris, watching him shake his head.
“I like her, she cooks some good shit.”
“There's women that would marry you in a red hot minute, Kirkpatrick. You know that,” Holly pointed out as they pulled in the parking lot of Wingstop and waved to their friends.
“They think they do, but they can't handle all this awesomeness,” Chris told her, laughing as she rolled her eyes. “I should be offended.”
“You two argue like an old married couple,” Al remarked as he and Georgie met up with them, making them both groan. “We up for bowling later?” he asked, watching Chris shrug and look at the woman with them.
“See George, he defers to her,” Al whispered loudly.
“Hey man, I don't have to work tomorrow. I'm down for whatever,” Chris said, holding his hands up.
“I'm good to go, boys, I don't work until three tomorrow afternoon.”
“Yeah, you gotta go make sure your stash of conversation hearts doesn't get sold out,” Georgie said as they went and were seated.
“How many stores did you go to last year?” Chris asked as they sat down and told the waitress what he wanted to drink. “Five or six? And you bought all they had. I was eating fucking conversation hearts until Thanksgiving.”
The other two men were laughing hard as Holly glared at him. Chris just smiled at her innocently. He couldn't wait until Valentine's Day. He'd reserved a table at one of the nicest hotels in Orlando, something that Holly wouldn't expect. From what he'd observed, she figured he was taking out someone else. That made it all better. As he listened to the conversation around him, his mind wandered. They'd met four years ago at a club he frequented at a charity event. She was fairly tall, nice body with light brown hair that went past her shoulders and green eyes. They'd talked some that night and he'd found out where she worked from someone else who knew her. Chris had invited her out for lunch and gotten her number. Then he called just to say hi and before long they were going out to football games and other things that he really didn't consider dates, since they didn't get dressed up. Sure, they'd went out to charity things and dressed up, but never an honest-to-God date. That was his plan for February the 14th. His thoughts drifted off when he felt Holly shove his elbow off the table. “What?” he said, looking at her and then sheepishly at the waitress who was waiting to take his order.
“He'll have the order of hot and tangy, extra blue cheese and the homestyle fries, add a pickle,” Holly rattled off before Chris could pick up the menu.
“Yeah, what she said,” he said, flipping his friends the bird after the waitress left. “Kiss my ass.”
“How do you know what he likes to eat?” Georgie asked Holly who just shrugged.
“This is the man who eats the same things when we go out to eat. He's like clockwork,” she informed them, giving Chris an innocent smile..
“You take ten minutes to pick out an appetizer!” Chris shot back, pointing at her.
“So tell us about this date. Who's the girl?” Al asked.
Holly rolled her eyes and snorted. “Is it a contest to see who is dating the hottest person or what? Does it really matter?”
“Why does she automatically have to be hot, Hollz?”
“Like you'd take out someone who looks normal,” she shot back.
“I look at a woman more than just for hotness,” Chris replied, giving her a look. “She has to have a brain...carry on a conversation...important shit.”
“Like knowing to wait until the car door is all the way shut before trying to get your pants down,” Holly snickered at her own joke as the men just buried their heads in their hands.
“Tell me she's not saying that,” Al said, shaking his head slightly.
“Women are worse than men,” Georgie pointed out, giving Holly the shake of a finger. “You girls know just what to do to make it bad on men. Somehow it ends up being all our fault. Besides, what are your Valentine's Day plans?”
“I have great plans!” Holly said, suddenly defensive. There were a few downsides to hanging out with Chris all the time. Men didn't understand the emotions of women quite as well as other women. She couldn't gripe about men to others of the male species and they certainly wouldn't understand now. “I'm going to sit on my couch with some wine and some Ben & Jerry's and watch a movie without Chris blabbing every damn line of a movie two seconds before they say it! And I'm going to enjoy every damn second of it!” she half yelled, getting up and making her way towards the restrooms.
“She'll be okay. Every time Cindy does that, she comes back and pretends nothing ever happened,” Georgie said as their food came. “So just act like she didn't yell.”
“I don't blame her though,” Al looked at Chris with a grin, picking up a wing, “you do quote movies and it's damn annoying.”
Chris picked up a hot wing and passed it over Al's food. “These are not the wings you are looking for.” He grinned crazily as the two men groaned.
“Holly's a saint to put up with your shit.”
“I know, that's why I'm taking her on a date,” Chris smiled, taking a bite of his food and then switching his and Holly's orders. His friends just stared at him and he shrugged. “You can quit looking at me like I have three heads.”
“Al, what was your bet?” Georgie asked, shaking his head a little. “Mine was watching 'Real Housewives of Miami' for a month.
“It was going with her to those damn antique stores,” Al muttered. “We'll never be able to live it down now.”
“You guys bet on this?” Chris asked, shocked and quite amused. He took a quick look over towards the bathrooms to make sure Holly wasn't coming back yet. “That's sick and funny at the same time. I've been in love with Hollz for a while.” He looked more confused when they both groaned. “What now?”
“It's nothing man,” Georgie looked like he was going to cry. “I just lost my tickets to the sporting event of my choice.”
Chris just shook his head. “I'm enrolling you and your wives both in Gambler's Anonymous.” He took another bite of his food. “Should I go check on her or something?”
“Nah, she's probably found someone to talk to in the bathroom. It's like a woman convention in there,” Al replied, picking up a wing. “See, here she comes.”
“You alright?” Chris asked Holly, watching her smile.
“Fine. Why?” Holly asked, the other men snickering. She looked at her plate and then at Chris's. “Give me my food, ya jerk.”
“Oh. My bad,” he said, switching their plates back.
“I hope you're nicer to this date than you are to me,” Holly told him, digging into her own plate of food.
“I'll be a complete gentleman,” Chris told her, making the other three patrons at the table with him laugh hysterically. “What? I can do that. It wouldn't take much.”
“A brain transplant,” Holly fired back, smiling innocently at Chris as he groaned. She'd shoved her feelings down. Her friendship with him was important. She could overlook a Valentine's Day date for that. Whoever the girl was, she must be pretty special since he hated that holiday. Holly would just try to play it cool until then. Then she'd tell Chris how she felt and hope that even though he was going out for the night that everything she wanted to say wouldn't be for naught.
Story Notes:
This is for my friend Holly. Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy. (hugs)
Author's Chapter Notes:
Yes, this is Holly and Chris, but has nothing to do with the storyline in Between Friends. I don't own anything but the plot..etc. Happy reading.
Incomplete
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