we could be starving

Lynsey, hated being compared to Nicki Minaj, but Tyson's grandmother mentioned it more than once. Of course, Tysen put it to rest that his grandmother was just that way, and she'd forget it one day.

Lynsey didn't want to start anything, saying he should be on her side. After all, it hadn't exactly been a whirl wind romance for the two of them. She supposed his grandmother thought different. Maybe if it hadn't have been the dead of winter in that very cold apartment of his, none of this would have happened. But they were happy together now. And Lynsey wanted to keep it that way.

They'd found themselves a bigger place. Now Gia had her own room. Lynsey was moving up in management, where she worked. There were a lot of good things happening. And now Ruben would have to call.

"Well, you can't come over." She was stern about it, but she met him down at Oliver's for tea.

"Why did you even come back?" Lynsey wasn't sure why he was giving her the time of day. He wasn't exactly his loveable self last September when she'd invited him to Willow's wedding. That seemed ages ago now. They could have met at Willow's, but he didn't want to.

"You see, I'm in love."

She couldn't help but crack up. She laughed a lot longer than she meant too.

"What are you talking about?" She looked at him in a whole new light. He was not as fabulous as she remembered. He sounded like an idiot. His dark curls were a mess, and he needed a shave.

"Its Dorian. I can't stop thinking about him." His dark eyes were so serious. He looked a bit wounded.

"Well, you know, he's got a boyfriend." Lynsey didn't know him that well, but Dorian and Eli came to Tyson's Sunday night dinners. They'd even helped them, with their move. She supposed they were friends.

"So they say, but this..this Eli, he's just a boy." Ruben winced with distaste.

She looked at the clothes Ruben wore, nothing like the high end fashion she remembered, yet he could even make thrifted garments look sexy, just in a white t-shirt and old jeans.

"You're finally in love." Lynsey was a bit disgusted with him. So this is what love looked like on Ruben. Honestly, he looked as if he might fall apart.

"I've been thinking about him, a good while now. I've got a little saved up." He shrugged. "If he could just make up his mind, I could take us back to Paris."

"Maybe, maybe you're just not for him. And think about it, if its not you, worrying about a Green Card, then he'll be having to worry about one if he goes to Paris with you. Long distance relationship, really suck." Lynsey shrugged. "Move on."

He shook his head, no.

"Look, you want them to medicate you about this? Its just not you, Ruben." She looked at him seriously. "You could have anybody. Anybody, Ruben."

"I don't want just anybody." Ruben glared at her.

"Fine, but what if you waste all your savings, waiting for Dorian to change his mind? Then what?" She wanted to know.

"I'll find work." He shrugged as if it were no big deal.

"I just don't see you, working at a gas station, nor anywhere else." Lynsey shrugged back. "I'd just go back to Vancouver if I were you. Or go home?" Didn't he have family? Somewhere? But the more she looked at Ruben, she could see he was a lonely guy, very alone.