Live Fast! (Die Out of Town)
an excerpt

Rick’s hands are shaking a little as Ghia pulls him down on the stoop beside her. The great thing about her choice of venue is that they don’t actually have to look into each other’s eyes and sometimes that makes things a little easier to stomach.
“All right, shut up and listen,” said Ghia with nary a glance at Rick. “For some reason, I’m gonna forget about what happened last-“
“Ghia,” said Rick with a quivering lip that spoke of his sincerity more than his words ever could, “I’m really sor-“
“Shut up,” said Ghia more forcefully this time, “you do know what means, right?”
So wise, almost to be out of character, Rick just nods. Ghia catches that out of the corner of her eye.
“Good,” say Ghia, knowing full well that she was just buying time for herself, “you’re learning. I’ll continue.” She takes a deep breath, part of her really cannot fathom why she’s about to go ahead with her prepared speech. That part most visibly reflected by her shaking knees. Ghia was more than happy that they were sitting down.
“I’ve decided to give you another chance,” she said, still without looking at him. “We’ll see if we can make this work out.”
Rick starts to open his mouth and Ghia glares at him quickly. Rick shuts his trap.
“These are my demands,” said Ghia, “if you feel you can’t meet all of them, you let me know.”
Rick, having realized that Ghia is not, or will not look at him, seizes on this opportunity to gaze at her. He sees her nod to herself. Her mouth opens again; his eyes on her lips like he’s trying to read the words as they issue forth from her.
“First, you’re gonna move into my place,” said Ghia, realizing this was the second time in a scant few hours that she has made that proposal to someone. She wondered briefly whether she would be even sitting here next to Rick if Rachel had accepted the offer. Then she realized she was only stalling and that Rick was shaking, nearly vibrating next to her on the stoop.
“Not forever, just until you get settled. We’ll send Mike and Sandy over to Robo-Bitch’s place to pick up anything of yours that hasn’t been smashed to bits.”
Ghia looks over and sees that Rick is hanging on her every word. She looks away again. “Sleeping arrangements at my place,” said Ghia, “are to be negotiated.”
Rick’s lips start to form words, to commence those negotiations, but this is neither the time nor the place. A look from Ghia makes him close his mouth.
“Second,” said Ghia, “I’m not going to tell you what to do, but you’ve got to get your shit together. I’m auditioning to be your girlfriend – not your mother – so get that into that thick skull of yours right now.”
She raps hard on his head to emphasize that point, but she does it with affection along with her intent to cause a little pain just so Rick remembers this conversation. He nods his head to show that he got it. When Ghia turns away, he rubs the spot where she hit him. Yes, Rick will recall this little chat.
“I don’t want to lose you as a friend over this, so I’m telling you this right now,” said Ghia, “don’t fuck up.”
Again, Rick just nods.
“Okay, one last thing,” said Ghia, chewing her lip. “I love you.”
Rick gazes at her. After being told to shut up for so long and after what he has just heard, he’s not sure if he can speak.
“Okay,” said Ghia, finally giving Rick permission to talk. She is out there dangling in that open space created by those three, little words. Time stops in moments like these. It becomes a solid matter that you can look back on for years and say, right then, at that precise time. It is colored like magic hour. It smells like jasmine on an October evening. It is the perfect time for Rick to make a joke.
He gazed into Ghia’s expectant eyes and he said, “buy me lunch?”
She glares at him. She can’t really be angry; this is, after all, what she likes best about the big galoot.
“I love you, too,” said Rick meaning every one of those three, little words more than he has ever meant anything in his entire life. Ghia can read that in his face and in his eyes. That is one of the most wonderful things about falling in love with a good friend. You already know their face so incredibly intimately that you can read every emotion in headline large print.
They kiss. It is one helluva kiss; you should have been there.