14. Mike Lawson x Ginny Baker
14. “Hey, I’m with you, okay? Always.”
“This was a bad idea,” Ginny says, staring apprehensively out the taxi window.
Beside her, Mike catches the driver’s eye in the rear view, glances at Ginny, then looks back. “Hey, man, would you mind giving us a few minutes? Keep the meter running; we just need a little time.” The guy shrugs and exits the car, goes to lean against the hood and begins thumbing through his phone.
Mike turns his attention back to Ginny, who hasn’t taken her eyes off the house that sits beyond the curb. “Talk to me, Gin.” He takes her hand and presses it between his in an effort to calm the tremor that’s begun to run through her.
After a while, Ginny turns to him, eyes bright with unshed tears, and expels a tremulous breath. “What if we just went back to San Diego? I can make up some excuse. She’s used to them by now, and I’ll figure out how to make it up to her before the-" She pauses before she can complete her sentence, and her eyes grow ever wider and more frantic as her breathing gets rapid. Mike places his hands on her shoulders and runs his palms up and down Ginny’s arms.
“Breathe for me, babe, it’s okay. Breathe, Ginny. Breathe with me.” Mike fixes her with a steady gaze, and together they slowly breathe in and out for several moments. Once her panic subsides, Mike pulls Ginny in close and brushes her hair from her face, wipes the tears that sneak out from the corners of her eyes. “Okay, Gin. If you want to, we can go. We can leave right now. But do you want to put this off? Your mom and Kevin are getting married in three months. And you’ve been really clear about wanting to talk to her before the wedding day.”
“I know. And I do. It’s just…” Ginny pauses again and steals a look out the window. “Knowing that I’ll walk through that door and see them together again in the house - my family’s house. It just brings it all back.” She buries her face in Mike’s chest and tightens her hold on him. Mike feels more than hears her say, “I don’t think I can do this.”
“Baker.” His use of her last name gets her attention, and she lifts her head. “You can do anything. And I’m here for you no matter what. You wanna get the hell out of here, we’ll ask this guy to take us anywhere you want to go. You want to scream at your mom and Kevin for three hours, I’ll stand beside you or fuck off to the backyard. I can take him out for beers so you can finally talk to your mom about the affair in private. Whatever you want to do, however you want to do it, I’m in. You call the play, Rook.”
Once he finishes, Ginny takes another long look at the house. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
Mike huffs a laugh, “Which scenario we going with, Gin?”
“The third one. You take him for beers while Mom and I talk. But I reserve the right to scream at him later. And you don’t be like, overly friendly to him. He makes my mom happy, but I’m not completely sold yet.”
“Fair enough,” Mike agrees. He moves to exit the car, but Ginny holds him back. She reaches up to pull him into a deep kiss.
Releasing his lips, but resting her forehead against his, she says, “Thanks, Old Man. I love you.”
“I love you too.” Mike gives her a few quick pecks, and they sit leaning against one another for a few more beats. Then, with a quick tug to his beard, Ginny turns away and pushes open her door.
Mike climbs out on his side and meets the cabbie at the trunk. He tips him extra for his trouble, then grabs his and Ginny’s bags. Joining her at the edge of the driveway, he takes her hand and raises it to place a quick kiss to her palm. Ginny looks at him, teeth worrying her lower lip, doubts still playing in her eyes.
“Hey, I’m with you, okay?” He finishes with a short nod, “Always.”
Ginny answers with a nod of her own, squeezes his hand, and leads him up to the house.
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