I crack an eye open and slowly pry my grip on the
roll bar above my shoulder.
“That was, well I felt like I was on a roller coaster.”
I admit looking at him. He looks ashamed, and also a little amused.
Bastard.
“How about we get some drinks and some grub?
You like tater tots? Burgers? This place is amazing!” He
says motioning to the wood and steel building to the side of the jeep.
We slide out of the jeep and enter in through the side
door and take a seat at one of the picnic tables in the outdoor patio. I look around, it’s a cute little spot with an area where kids can play, and where adults can mingle. This must be
one of the new Hipster type spots that keep popping up in this area of San Diego.
I didn’t know what to expect as Gabe became my
temporary neighbor, I wasn’t sure if we would spend any
time together, so today has been refreshing and nice. He
seems reserved and like he would rather be anywhere than
wherever he actually was most of the time, expect today he seems like he’s living in the moment and enjoying himself.
Which I could look in the mirror and say the exact same. Pot meet kettle. We sit in a comfortable silence as we look over the menus and after ordering I look out onto the street as I can feel Gabe looking at me. Eventually, my eyes meet his
and he smiles.
“So. You apparently know a little about me, what’s your deal? I know next to nothing about you, aside from the fact that you should be driving for formula one or
something.” I ask placing my chin in my palm.
“Nothing to tell. Lived overseas for a bit, and now
I’m back.” He shrugs.
“What did you do overseas?” I ask, probing for
anything.
“I did this and that. Nothing really monumental. I
survived.” He says with zero emotion, as if it’s an automatic explanation, one he’s given countless times.
“I know what that’s like.” I mumble to myself.
“What’s that?” He asks, grabbing his beer.
“Nothing.”
We sit in silence, but a comfortable silence until our
food is brought out. After my first bite of the burger, I forget that I’m in the company of someone else, a gorgeous male,
and someone who’s practically a stranger as I let out the
loudest moan from my lips. A moan so sinful, that it could be construed that I’m getting off. Well, my taste buds sure as hell are. Gabe chuckles as he eats his burger, offering me some onion rings off his plate.
“So what will you be doing for work?” He asks after
he polishes his burger.
“I’ll be working with the homeless, however on the
administration side. Working with their housing and stuff.
Nothing too heroic or anything. I’m good with paperwork.” I shrug stealing another onion ring from his plate.
“Sounds pretty heroic to me. Someone has to do that stuff.”
“What do you really do for work? Are you really a
lumberjack?”
He laughs and runs his hand through his hair and
down the back of his neck. I notice the column of his neck thick as he threw his head back and his dimples as his head returns to eye level, he is gorgeous.
“No. I only did that for a few years during the
summer and fall. Let’s see, in college I majored in
international business. In Paris, I was a marketing manager consultant for a firm in Nice. And then now, I’m
just…home.” He says, avoiding eye contact.
Nice. Nice, France. Why does that sound familiar?
“So yeah, now I’m bumming it at my sisters until I
can figure out my next step, whether it is in San Diego or elsewhere. I’m not fully committed to any location, so I can go wherever the job is really.” He shrugs. “But I would like to stay here, I like it here. Here is nice.” He rambles.
“I’m glad I got the job I was gunning for. Being an
adult is expensive.” I jest.
“It is.” He smiles. “Is working with the homeless
something you’ve always wanted to do?”
“No. I wanted to originally be a marine biologist.
Then I realized how much math and science was involved
and I said screw that. Then I wanted to be a writer, and I realized that career choice was iffy, so I stuck with social work. Its shit pay, being in social work, but it’s humbling.
Makes me feel like I’m making a small difference.”
“Those three different career scopes are so vastly different.” He smiles.
“Eh, I’m a woman on many talents, although Math
and Science I am not.” I return his smile.
“Shall we?” He asks, crumpling up his napkin and
throwing it on his plate.
“We shall. Thank you for this. I likely would have
forgotten to eat until it’s too late and then just made a box of mac and cheese.”
“From a box?” He asks.
“Haters gonna hate?” I narrow my eyes.
Gabe holds his palms up in surrender and laughs
slowly backing away.
“Care to not drive like a lunatic this time? I feel like
I need to dye my hair for all the grey you caused me on the way over here.”
“I’ll do my best. Want to get in the back seat and we
can pretend that I’m Morgan Freeman and you’re Jessica
Tandy?” He winks as he gets in the driver’s seat.
“Do I look like a wrinkled old lady to you?” I joke.
“Far from it doll.” He smiles as he turns the car on.
He revs the engine a few times with his head turned towards me. Out of necessity, I grip the roll bars again and pray that we make it home in one piece.
C H A P T E R
Five
I survived!
And not only did I survive, Gabe drove almost too
slow as if he was making fun of me. He was being playful
and we actually were able to have a conversation on the way home. He is far different than my original thoughts of him when we first met last week. He’s still extremely gorgeous, but you somewhat forget that aspect when you speak to him.
He’s cultured, and while a little distant, he’s a nice guy. And not just the nice guy that you say someone is because you’ve officially friend zoned him, if I’m being realistic, I would love it if he would throw me against the wall and run his
hands all over my body and make me moan like the burger
did. But there’s still something about him that’s closed off.
Today felt like the first real human interaction day I’ve had with someone my age in months. Today felt good.
As I hoped out of the Jeep, I thanked him for the day
and began walking over to my house. I stopped as I got to
the front door as Gabe was still following me. I turned, I’m sure with a confused look on my face.
Gabe’s hands were in his pockets, as he stood before
me.
“Oh. Shit. I’m sorry. I forgot that I’m next door.” He face reddens and he immediately looks next door and then
back at his car, noticing that he parked in my drive-way.
I smiled as I dug in my bag for my keys.
“You can come in, hang out if you want. It’s not like
I really have any plans.” I offer.
“I don’t want to force you to hang out or anything.
Sorry. I completely spaced.”
“Come on. I’m sure I’ve got some male-worthy crap
saved on the DVR and I know I have beer and chips.”
“You won’t make me Mac and Cheese?” He teases.
“Don’t you mock my mac and cheese
!” I point the
house key in his direction as he laughs.
We enter my house and I make my way walking
through the house, turning on all the lights as I pass. Gabe is trailing behind me quietly until we end up in the kitchen. He starts for my fridge making himself at home as if he’s been here dozens of times. I watch in awe, wishing that I could feel so at home in this house. He grabs two beers, some salsa from the fridge, and the chips on the counter and makes his way to the living room. I stand there just staring at him with my mouth wide open.
He sets everything down on the coffee table in front
of the couch and then stands tall, looking back into the
kitchen at me, since I haven’t moved.
“You okay?” He asks.
I close my mouth and put my bag down on the counter, toe off my shoes and walk into the living room. He sits and I take a seat as well giving enough space on the
couch to sit comfortably without being obligated to touch.
He twists off the cap on a beer and hands it to me with a
smile as I grab the remote.
I navigate through the menu on the television and
then hand him the remote, I honestly don’t care what we’re watching. I likely won’t be able to fully concentrate on any of it being in such close proximity to Gabe and controlling my overactive thoughts. I am torn; on one half I am elated, because I feel alive in his presence. On the other half, I know that he’s secretive, therefore I am not fully getting the whole picture when it comes to him. I mentally slap myself,
because he could say the same about me. I’m far from
someone who shares, especially since the accident. Maybe,
just maybe we can share each other’s secrets and maybe, just maybe, both our pains will go away.
C H A P T E R
Six
I must have fallen asleep, while the lights are all on
in the house, the sky outside is now dark and the television is stuck back on the DVR recordings menu. I open my eyes
slowly and see jeans under my head and the hardness of
another human. My eyes spring open widely as I realize I
fell asleep during some stupid zombie movie that Gabe
started and apparently, my head landed on his lap, on his
rock hard thigh. I hear him lightly snoring as well, so that would entail he too, fell asleep and I don’t feel as bad. I hope that I fell onto his lap after he fell asleep, but with the fact that his arm is around me and his hand in on my shoulder, I will go with a big fat no! To that.
Oh god, this is embarrassing.
I begin to move slowly, to not wake him as I move
to a sitting position. His arm is stuck behind my back and I quietly move off the couch. I look at him, fully without
feeling ashamed that I’m opening oogling him again He is
perfection on a stick. His lips are parted and his eyelashes flutter against his cheekbones. I feel like a stalker standing over him watching him sleep, so I take one last look and then head off to the kitchen where I hear my phone beeping in my bag.
Mindy: Is Gabe over there? His car is in your
driveway (weird) and he’s not answering his phone.
The text was sent over an hour ago.
Me: Yeah, he’s passed out on my couch. He helped
me earlier, I must have worn him out.
Mindy: I don’t need to know about my brothers sex
life!
Me: Mind out of gutter. He helped me with house
stuff.
Mindy: I repeat, I do not need to know about my
brothers sex life! TMI
Me: You suck. I’ll wake him and send him home.
Mindy: No need, I was just worried. You keep him,
he sleeps on my couch and snores! Haha You guys have
dinner?
Me: I’m going to make mac and cheese, thanks.
Mindy: If it’s not homemade, he won’t eat it. Good
luck with that. Hope you survive the night. Don’t return
him to sender.
I laugh a little louder than I intended, accidently
waking Gabe up. He stirs on the couch, and shakes his head looking around. He then turns his head to me in the kitchen and lazily smiles.
“Sorry. I meant to laugh quietly. Go back to sleep if
you want.” I smile setting my phone down.
“Anything that makes a girl snort when she laughs needs some sort of explanation. Besides, I’m good with the power nap. So, why the snorting?” He stands up and
stretches then scratches just above his waistline. Giving me a glance at his tanned stomach and the sprinkling of hair
leading into his jeans.
I breathe out and collect myself before speaking,
blinking a few times as if I’m rebooting myself.
“You’re sister. She’s just, she’s just funny.” I say
not wanting to divulge the fact she mentioned his sex life.
“She has that tendency.” He says pulling his phone
out of his pocket. He swipes at the screen. “She can be a
freaking pain in the ass sometimes.” He says to his phone
and holds it up for me to see.
“Ten texts? Geez! She knew where your car was.
She has eyes.” I laugh.
“She also jumps to conclusions.” He smiles,
scrolling down on the screen.
“Yeah, she’s like that.” I offer, wishing that he
would show me what she texted to him.
He types out something and then sets his phone on
the counter, looks at me and smiles. “So what’s for dinner?”
“Mac and Cheese.” I smile proudly.
“Okay. I’ll make it.” He walks around the counter
and again evades the kitchen. I turn to watch but he stops his movements and grabs me by the arms and moves me to the
spot he just stood in. Forces me to sit and then walks back into the main part of the kitchen.
“Everything is over by the garage door, in the pantry.” I say pointing as he nods and heads in that direction.
He enters the pantry and comes out moments later with
boxes of noodles and a jar of something, but I can’t make it out from where I sit.
“The mac and cheese is clearly labeled on one of the
shelves, you know blue box with yellow noodles.” I
describe.
“I know.” He says his back to me. “Now, where do
you keep you baking dishes?” He asks.
C H A P T E R
Seven
It would appear that Gabe can cook, I notice as I
watched him maneuver skillfully through the kitchen with
ease once he found out where things were. He likely knows
more about this kitchen than I do. He set out the baking dish on the stove a moment ago to let the dish cool down. He
turns to me and smiles as he grabs two bowls from the
cupboard to the side of my head. He plates the food and
with both bowls in his hands, he motions over to the dining table and sets our meal down. He grabs forks and napkins
and then takes his seat beside me.
I look down into my bowl and see that he’s made
homemade mac and cheese, it smells delicious. I smile and look at him as he forks a mouthful and smiles over the fork.
He moans, almost as loudly as I did earlier at lunch with a crinkle in his eye watching me, waiting for me to take my
first bite. I do, and I mimic the sound I made earlier, my moan throatier than his and suddenly I feel my face flush. If Mindy would have walked in at that moment, she would
have heard both of our moans and thought exactly what she
was texting me about.
I clear my throat and look to him. “You’re trying to
ruin me, aren’t you?” I joke.
“Isn’t that any man’s motive?” He says with a lopsided smile that makes him look boyish.
I return his smile and dive into the dish, relishing
every bite. He goes back for seconds and afterwards I’m
standing at the counter doing dishes while he sits on the
stool.
“So, you learn how to cook in France?” I ask making
conversation.
“College. Mindy taught me some things, and I
enjoyed it, so while I was in school, on a poor college
student’s budget, I made due with what I could to avoid
eating out all the time. In France, I knew people who were amazing chefs and I would watch them and learn that way.
My roommate and I…” He stops and looks to the ground.
“We um, we used to have cook-offs and invite friends over
and it would be a contest between who made the best dish.”
He says somberly.
“Sounds like a good time.” I say, trying to keep my
voice light, knowing that his mood changed drastically.
Thankfully, we’re interrupted by the doorbell
chiming. I wipe my hands on a dishtowel and excuse myself, knowing its Mindy at the door, since I don’t know anyone
else around town anymore. Mindy stands on the other side
of the door holding a casserole dish with tin foil over it. I look at her quizzingly as she steps through the doorway.
“I’m hoping I’m not interrupting anything. ” She
says loudly, turning back to me and whispering, “That’s why I rang the doorbell.” And then winks. “I Brought you two
dinner.” She says a little louder picking up her step and
entering the kitchen.
“Min, we’re capable adults. Besides we already ate.”
I whine following behind her.
“Gabe’s a food snob. He won’t eat that Kraft boxed
shit.” She says striding into the kitchen, setting the dish down on the stove and turning to her brother.
“We didn’t eat the boxed shit. I made homemade
mac and cheese.” Gabe says, a hint of a smile showing.
Mindy looks around the kitchen, shrugs and then
puts the dish in the refrigerator. “Meh, then leftovers for tomorrow. So listen, we’re going to take Stella to some
lodge fun park thing up in Orange County for the weekend.
You both are more than welcome to join us, we’ll get
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