Status: Active.

Rendezvous

“Just for the pancakes?”

London and Fabrizio had been seeing each other a lot for these past few weeks. They flirted, they kissed, and they had sex, they were having fun. They set up some ground rules: 1) No affection because it can lead to having unnecessary feelings that will destroy all the fun; 2) No jealousy if they see one of them hitting on another person – their relationship is not intended to be serious, anyway; and 3) Questions that are too personal about one another are to be kept to themselves.

Fabrizio turned to London who was staring at his bedroom ceiling, her chest heaving and forehead sweating. “Fuck,” she sighed and rolled over so she was facing him. “I swear, Fab...”

“Was that the best sex of your life?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Nah, I had better.” Of course, she was referring to Nick although she had only had sex with him twice and was never in bed. She sat at the edge of the bed and bent down, picking up her underwear and bra.

“What?” Fabrizio laughed. “Come on!”

“I don’t come on anything,” she joked as she was putting on the pair of underwear.

“Wow, nice joke,” he said flatly.

She turned and replied, “Fuck you.”

“You already did,” he smirked, admiring her (almost) bare back. She got up and collected her clothes, putting them on. She turned around and found Fabrizio watching her all the time.

“You know, you could at least cover the lower part of your body with the blanket,” she pointed at between his legs. He laughed and grabbed his jeans, putting them on. It was ten to eleven – he invited her over to have breakfast that which ended up to having sex.

Fabrizio walked her to the front door. “Thank you for the pancakes,” she said.

“Just for the pancakes?”

“And the good time. That was a nice way to start the day.”

“Pleasure’s mine.”

“Oh, I almost forgot,” she turned around when they reached the front door. She grabbed his face and kissed him. “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks,” he smiled. “I’m going to have a barbecue night later to celebrate, do you want to come?”

“Of course,” she played with the curls of his hair. “I’ll give you your present some other day,” she whispered in his ear, her lips grazing against it. She gave him a quick smile before walking to the direction where she came from, going to work. He smiled to himself, watching her strutting away from his house.

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London was back at Fabrizio’s house that night. This time it wasn’t just the two of them – his bands were there: The Strokes, Little Joy, and Megapuss. Nick, Julian and Nikolai brought their wives with them while Ryan had his arm around Annika’s waist.

Fabrizio introduced her to Illy, Juliet, Binki, Rodrigo, Devendra and Greg. She learned that Fabrizio and Binki used to be together a few months ago, but now they were just friends. They said they were better off that way. Despite the fact that Binki was the ex-girlfriend of the man she was seeing, they got along pretty well.

They were all gathered in Fabrizio’s not too small or too big backyard, drinking beer and smoking and talking. London was seated on his lap and he didn’t mind just one bit. Sometimes London would take the cigarette in his hand and inhaled once or twice and then returned it back to him.

Nick was leaning against the doorway that led to the veranda, drinking his beer. He always got awfully quiet whenever he was watching the two of them. He had seen Fabrizio acting like this to a girl before. He just sighed, wishing that Fabrizio was aware that London was also into another man, but at the same time he wished Fabrizio would never know.

Then his eyes met hers. He nodded his head back into the house, signalling that he wanted to talk to her. London averted her eyes back to Fabrizio who was laughing at a joke Greg just made. “I’m going to get some water,” she said, getting up. By the time she was going to go inside the house, Nick was already gone. He was waiting for her in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and taking swig of his beer.

“What?” she asked.

“Please don’t do this to Fab.” London didn’t know what he was talking about. “You’re going to hurt him.”

It then clicked in her mind. He was talking about the nonexistent relationship she was sharing with Fabrizio. “I made it clear to him that I didn’t want to be committed. He told me he didn’t want to get married. He came up with the whole friends with benefits idea.”

“But it wasn’t just a friends with benefits to him,” he looked up from his beer bottle to her, although there wasn’t much of looking up to do. “I’ve known him for many, many years, London, and I’ve seen that look in his eyes when he looks at you.”

She didn’t respond and went to fill a glass of water instead. She only did it because she told Fabrizio she was going to get some water and that she had to pry away from those eyes – the number one weapon that could make her crazy.

“Listen to me,” he demanded. She only stared at the glass that was filling up. “London!”

“No one’s going to get hurt,” she finally responded but her eyes were still glued to the glass.

“Oh come on, you know better than that. I’m sure you do. You’ve lived for 25 years and still counting, I’m sure you’ve encountered friends with benefits before. Where did it lead to?”

As much as London wanted to object, Nick was right. The last nonexistent relationship she had ended up with the guy completely head over heels for her. Her friend in New Zealand cried for so many nights when the guy ended their nonexistent relationship – he had grew in her without her really realizing.

“Look, I really care about him. He’s my best friend. If you don’t have the same feelings as he does, leave him alone.”

“You're the one who told me to find somebody available.”

“But not him. God, please, London.” She looked up to Nick. Bad decision. His eyes were pleading and instead of changing her mind about the whole friends with benefits thing, they made her want him instead.

She just stared, lightly biting her lower lip, her eyes trailing down to his lips. They weren’t standing too far from each other – she could stretch her hands out, grab on his shirt, pull him into her and crash their lips together, but she had herself controlled this time.

She left the kitchen without saying a word, going back to Fabrizio’s lap.

Nick threw his head back, groaning in frustration.

He knew Fabrizio was falling for her, and she would never want to end the fun they were having.
♠ ♠ ♠
I should write more about Ryan and Annika.
this story has become a Nick Valensi and Fabrizio Moretti story instead of a Nick Valensi story.
going to change the banner tomorrow.
maybe.
idk.