“I wanted to ask you about that. We talked about going out tonight, but I didn’t get your cell or your address. I’d like to pick you up since this is a date, but we never said where. I got your office number off the internet. I can pick you up there if you prefer.”
“No!”
“Rebecca? Are you all right?”
“It’s a long story. I got something spilled on my blouse and need to change. I want to look nice.”
“You always look nice.” It was his turn to interrupt her this time.
“Thanks,” she chuckled feeling a bit better. “You are too sweet, you know that?”
“I’m glad you think so. What’s your preference? Home or work? And if you want me to get you from home, I’ll need your address.”
Could Brent be out there watching her office? “Pick me up here. I have a big favor to ask.”
“Anything.”
“Just ignore my shirt when you come by, please. Let’s forgo dinner and go to a movie instead so I can hide the coffee stains on my top.”
“How about we do both and I bring you a shirt or blouse?”
“No, no. I wouldn’t ask that of you,” she stammered.
“I know – I am offering in exchange for your cell number which, I might add, that you haven’t given me yet.”
“I don’t have a cell phone,” she admitted.
“You are probably the only woman on the earth to not have one.”
“It hasn’t been necessary as of yet.”
“I see. What time do you want me to be there to pick you up?”
“I should be finished about five. So maybe in about an hour or so? Oh shoot! My client is early! I gotta go,” she rushed on the phone. “See you soon, okay?”
“You got it.”
Rebecca hung up the phone and smiled widely as she saw a man try the office door. He peered in the glass and waved when he saw her. Realizing the door was still locked, she ran over quickly and smiled apologetically. “I am so sorry. It’s been a bit of a trying day. Please ignore the mess. I was trying to have some coffee ready and botched it up.”
Thankfully, he understood and waited patiently while she cleaned up the spilled liquid. Wiping down the tables and straightening the items, she invited him into her office area. They could begin, even if she was a few minutes behind. Sitting down in her chair, she put on an enthusiastic smile that she hoped was faked well enough.
“Let’s talk. How was your day?”
Three
As her client wrapped up his session, she stepped out of her office into the waiting area and jumped as she saw someone sitting on the couch. Gabriel was sitting there with two small bags and a large vase of wildflowers sat on the counter. As soon as she entered the room, he jumped to his feet. He ran his hand over his shirt to smooth any telltale wrinkles.
He’s nervous, she thought, surprised and touched. She was a bit amazed and intimidated that he’d held a crush for her for so long. She was bound to let down his ideals at some point. No one on a pedestal that high could ever make it, just like she was bound to find a flaw in him like she had any other fellow she’d talked to. They all wanted more than she was willing to give. Talk about what he liked, do what he wanted, intimidated that she was strong enough to stand on her own two feet. It was hard not needing a guy, yet not wanting to be alone either.
Holding back a sigh, she smiled tentatively as her client exited the inner office. Her nose crinkled as she realized that the coffee had burnt on the hotplate, giving off a strange smell. She’d need to clean it really well and spray some air freshener before she left tonight.
“I will see you next week, if you need anything please feel free to call,” she said politely.
“Will do, thank you.” She shook his hand and thanked him again, giving him a business card with his next appointment on the back. Turning back to where Gabriel stood, she smiled, feeling bubbly with excitement.
“Let me grab my purse and we can go.” Rebecca waved him towards her office at the back as she exited the reception area. She was embarrassed that he looked so nice for their date tonight. She felt like the coffee stain on her blouse was practically neon, glaring against the white chiffon material.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes, just a rough day.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he began from the doorway of her office as she rummaged through her purse idly for the keys to her vehicle. She was never one to assume that the guy would drive and honestly liked the freedom that driving herself gave. If she needed to scoot, she could leave. If the man drove, she was stuck. Not that she thought she’d be trapped with Gabriel but in the past, she’d had some awful dates that had gone sideways resulting in the need for control of her own life.
“Did you bring a t-shirt? I hated to ask but if we are going out –”
“About that,” he replied.
“You change your mind?” she asked, crestfallen and surprised, looking up from where she was digging around in her purse.
“Not in the slightest!” he quickly retorted and then smiled. “I hope you don’t mind but I had an idea.”
“Oh?”
“Well, I brought a t-shirt for you since I didn’t know what blouse size you wore. You know that women’s clothing sizes are a lot different from guys? We measure our dress shirts by the collar and sleeve length. Women’s stuff has lots of numbers and there is petite, long, average, and the list goes on and on,” he chuckled. He ruffled the back of his head nervously and handed a small, plastic bag to her.
“We can still go out if you want – and I’d like that! But I thought maybe we’d have dinner here, just us. Do you like Chinese?”
“I love Chinese food,” she answered absently and pulled out a black t-shirt. Shaking it out, she unfolded it and glanced up at him surprised. It was clearly marked SWAT on the front. “Is this yours?”
“Yes, I hope you don’t mind. It’s clean, but it might be too big. It certainly doesn’t match your dress slacks. But like I said, I was really confused,” he admitted, blushing. “I wear a seventeen collar and well… I can guess at your measurements.”
Gabriel began rubbing his head again and looked away from her grinning face. He was really red with embarrassment as he got really quiet immediately. She laughed at his bewildered expression.
“It’s not that hard, I promise. Size twelve, okay?”
“Shall I go back to the store?”
“No! No,” she said chuckling. “Why don’t you unpack the food and I will go change so I don’t feel so grungy. I will also dig up a few plastic forks for us, unless they are in the bag.” She circled around the desk and gently nudged him backwards, smiling. Locking her office door, she quickly yanked off her blouse and shoved it in the bag. Pulling the t-shirt over her head, she realized just how much bigger he was than her.
She’d known he was taller and had danced with him. But if this was his, he certainly had broad shoulders and she liked it. The shirt hung on her and she resisted the temptation to tuck it in. Instead, she pulled it to the side and tied it in a knot on her hip just like the girls had done back when they were much younger.
Opening the door to her office to rejoin him in the reception area, she stopped in her tracks at the scene before her. Yes, she’d seen the vase of wildflowers absently on the table when she’d first stepped out and greeted him, but this was something else! He’d pulled two chairs forward, one on either side of the table that held magazines. He’d set the flowers down on the table, where two Styrofoam plates sat.
The coffee table had been cleared and was covered with a large sheet of paper functioning as a table cloth. Several petals were sprinkled around for decoration. Tea light candles were dotted around the office; on the sign in desk, the side table near the coffee pot and several tables in the waiting area. He’d turned off the overhead lights and closed the blinds as to set a more intimate mood for their dinner. Apparently, if they weren’t going to a nice restaurant then he’d planned to make it as special as possible for th
e two of them.
He was wiping down the coffee burner where the burnt residue had been. She had apparently taken longer than she’d realized changing in her office, either that or the man was efficient at making the best of what little time he had to set up!
“This is incredible,” she breathed, surprised by the thoughtfulness he showed. It was casual, romantic and obviously special to him, too. “Did you plan all of this?”
“It’s nothing,” he mumbled, and she wished the lights were on, so she could see his expression a bit better. She was positive he was probably blushing again. It seemed to be so easy to read his expressions. It surprised her that he did that. How did a big, tough guy that was a part of a SWAT team get to be a bundle of nerves around little ol’ her? She’d never understand that – nor would she understand how it drew her interest.
“This is really something! Don’t sell yourself short.” She took several steps forward and then reached up to smooth her hair from her face. She wished she’d put on lip gloss or something to make herself look nicer than she did. The t-shirt did nothing for her appearance and she hoped that in the dim lighting he wouldn’t notice how disheveled she looked.
“Stop,” he ordered quietly. “You look breathtaking.”
“How’d you know?”
“Because I’m really nervous, too.”
“Which one of us is the psychologist?” she laughed.
“It doesn’t take a doctorate for me to realize that I better not blow it with you this time around by being overly eager.”
“You never did, you know. Blow it, that is. I should have given you a chance.”
“That’s the past,” he said softly. “Let’s begin again and enjoy our first candlelight dinner.” He pulled out two Styrofoam cups from behind him with a grin, winking at her. “It might not be champagne or anything elegant, but there are some perks to being older now. We couldn’t have wine then. Would you like a glass – a cup, actually – now?” he asked, holding up the Styrofoam.
“You brought wine? Oh, my goodness,” she preened, trying to look impressed. But she ended up giggling as she took a seat in one of the chairs. “I’m not much of a drinker.”
“Neither am I, but a special occasion calls for something a little different.” He pulled a tiny box of wine out from beneath the table where they sat. “Chateau-de-who-knows?” he offered formally, making her smile. Turning the plastic screw off cap, she watched as he took a sniff and made a face.
“Mercy! That smells like vinegar. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, after all.” She laughed heartily and wiped the mirth from her eyes.
“Can it be that bad? Are you feeling adventurous?”
“I’m game, if you are. At least for a quick toast and then we can have water,” he quipped, pouring a bit of the dark fluid in each of the cups. Holding one aloft, he grinned. “To second chances.”
“And new beginnings?”
“Absolutely!” They tapped the Styrofoam cups together and took a sip. The moment it hit her tongue, she gagged. She spit it back out in the cup indelicately as fast as possible. Rancid, bitter tartness still burned in her mouth, making her cheeks hurt. Mortified, she glanced up to see that he’d done the exact same thing.
“Ugh! That was horrifying!”
“No kidding!”
“Water?” he asked, gagging again.
“Oh, my goodness, yes!” She leaped to her feet, her throat working convulsively to keep from gagging again. “Follow me!” she quickly ordered and headed into the tiny bathroom.
Turning the faucet on, she leaned over the sink and made room for him beside her. Yanking open the drawer, she grabbed two plastic wrapped toothbrushes and a tiny box of toothpaste. Neither said a word as they unwrapped them quickly and tried to remove the abhorrent taste that had not dissipated. Sighing happily, she shut her eyes and brushed her teeth as the minty smell took over. She heard him spit in the sink over the water running and cracked open her eyes. Leaning over, she did the same and rinsed her mouth with water.
“How do you have individually wrapped toothbrushes in your office bathroom?”
“I’m big on hygiene, to put it mildly. When I get my teeth cleaned, I ask for extras and store them here in case I have something stuck in my teeth or have foul, vinegary wine,” she said with a teasing grin.
“I’m thankful you had them. Do you have bitter wine with many men in your office?” he asked with a smile.
“No, that’d be another first for you.”
“I have to admit that I like our firsts,” he breathed, stepping closer and putting his hand on the wall nearby as he leaned in. She could smell his cologne and stared entranced at his face as she held her breath, waiting.
“But that first? That was simply terrible,” he finished, whispering in her ear. His cheek was nearly touching hers. She could have sworn that he’d kiss her. But then he backed away and turned his face from hers. Instead of kissing her, he reached down and clasped her hand.
“Let’s have our dinner before it gets cold. I promise, it will taste better.”
“I’m starting to think you are a tease,” she admitted crossly.
“And you might be a bit impatient.”
Rebecca would not admit that he was right. She would enjoy his company and their friendship as long as possible before something went wrong. There was always something, wasn’t there? Wrong time, wrong person, wrong setting… what if he was an awful kisser and this flirtation was just leading up to a massive, crushing disappointment?
They each took their seats. Without a word, she extended her hand. Gabriel held it and said grace quietly for them, without being prompted or asked. It seemed so natural, so right. She was again reminded that something had to be wrong at some point. He couldn’t be this perfect for her – could he?
As they ate, she found herself completely enchanted by how charming he was. Bright, witty, funny – he kept her on her toes and she liked it. At one point, he bet his fortune cookie against hers to see who would be kissing who first.
“You are sadistic, you know that?”
“No, ma’am, not in the slightest! I just know that if it’s something designed for you in your life, there are unmistakable signs. You just have to be smart enough to see them and have faith in His plan.”
“What if you misunderstood those signs?”
“Then you’ll find your way back eventually,” he shrugged. “Trust is a big thing for me and my team. It’s big in my life. Trust that they have your back and faith that you have theirs. It’s the same with my beliefs. I have never been shy about how I have felt, but I have never had to brag about it either. It’s an inner strength you grow with, you know?”
“I do know, and I understand what you mean,” she admitted, surprised that she had felt the very same. She had to find her inner strength and when she found herself, she found peace.
“I think we have missed the movie,” he said quietly, interrupting her thoughts. “Did you still want to go?”
“What time is it? I have to be at the D.A.’s office in the morning.”
“It’s almost ten.”
“Really? Oh, my goodness! How did time slip by so fast?”
“How about a raincheck and we see that movie tomorrow?”
“What movie did you want to see?”
“Honestly, I couldn’t care less. I just want to see you again,” he admitted candidly.
Swallowing hard, she looked at his open expression. Here was a handsome man that seemed to be genuine, no games and no strings attached. So, why was she so hesitant? Was it her lack of self-confidence? Was it her an internal radar going off? I mean, why would a handsome, eligible man wait for her for over ten years?
“That’d be nice. But, perhaps, we should take things slowly. I don’t know many people that go on date, after date, after date. You know?”
“I understand and you’re right.”
“I’m not saying no, but maybe Saturday instead?” Today was Monday. That would give her a bi
t of space and time to get used to the idea or to analyze it to death.
“Saturday, it is. Can I pick you up at five?”
“I’d like that.”
“Let me clean up this,” he offered.
“No, I will get it,” she countered and saw him straighten up as he got to his feet. She’d been concerned that she’d hurt his feelings and it was apparent that she might have. She’d brushed him off and now was ending their date. “This was really nice and incredibly sweet. I will have to think of some way to impress you on Saturday.”
“You don’t have to impress me. Just be yourself and that will be enough,” he admitted, walking towards the door. Turning the lock, he stepped out into the fluorescent lights that shined down, showing his car that he had parked next to hers.
“Don’t be silly.”
“I’m being honest,” he whispered, leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek. “Goodnight, Rebecca. Thank you for tonight.”
Four
Watching Gabriel leave was one of the hardest things that she’d ever done. Everything in her wanted to yell out for him to come back, but she didn’t. She let him go and told herself it would be all right. She’d see him soon enough. That wasn’t it thought, it wasn’t just seeing him. She was concerned that she’d hurt him again like she knew now that she’d done so long ago. She couldn’t help but be intimidated by his intense attraction to her. She didn’t know anyone that burned a candle for a crush for over ten years without giving up. She’d hidden from everyone and that hadn’t dissuaded him one bit. Perhaps coming home had been a mistake… or perhaps she was being tested.
Shaking her head at the thought, she smiled to herself. Things didn’t work like that. Life wasn’t a series of tests. It was about living and the victories that came with it. It wasn’t all dire gloom and doom. Consequences and failures. It was happiness, contentment, finding joy where you could and moving through it all with a single goal: love. In each other, in yourself and in your faith. Everything else was small potatoes.
Blowing out the candles, she picked up the remainder of the plates and empty containers. Smiling to herself, she poured the vinegary wine down the bathroom sink and turned on the water for a few moments for good measure. Finishing up with her cleaning, she sprayed air freshener throughout the office to get rid of the smell of cashew chicken and cabbage eggrolls. She grabbed her purse and the plastic bag with her blouse and then walked out of the office, locking it behind her.
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