by Paris Hansen
“At least this has gotten you back out there, so if none of these guys work out, you’ll be comfortable enough to continue dating on your own. But maybe ‘the one’ will be one of the final ten or maybe he won’t even be a part of the process. You just never really know,” he told her, hoping that she would be able to read between the lines and see that he was hoping that maybe he was ‘the one’ she was looking for.
“Who knows,” she said with a wink. “I’m pretty sure the last guy I met had a thing for Kerrigan. He talked about her a lot, about how smart she was and he asked a lot of questions about her. He seemed really nice and was definitely hot, but constantly talking about another woman is definitely a turn off. I’m supposed to give little reviews of each guy, what I liked and didn’t like about them and I’m not sure whether or not I should mention his overwhelming Kerrigan appreciation.”
“Is Kerrigan single? If so, maybe she’d like to know that one of the guys has the hots for her. I mean, I’m sure she probably has some sort of fraternization policy, but when he’s no longer her client maybe something could happen,” Gabriel offered as he looked around the bar to make sure that no one needed anything.
Tuesday nights were usually Arrow’s slowest night. Savannah was one of only three people sitting at the bar and once she moved to the dining room, she’d be at one of only ten tables in use. He liked nights like this and secretly hoped that Savannah’s date stood her up so that he could spend the slow evening talking to her. He needed more time to get to know her better. The half hour conversations they had two times a week weren’t enough for him. He wanted to see her outside of Arrow so that he could make more than silly small talk with her. They hadn’t talked about family or hobbies or anything of substance in the last six weeks. All they really talked about were her dates and what she thought of them or what she was really hoping to find.
“Thanks. I never thought of that. Jackson seemed like a great guy, just not one for me. In fact, the possible one for me should be walking in soon,” she said as she glanced at her cell phone to check the time.
“Well then, I have a question for you.”
“Oh you do, do you? Alrighty then, shoot.”
Gabriel took a deep breath, willing his voice and his hands to be steady. He was beyond nervous, which was a new thing for him where women were concerned. Usually, if he asked, he knew the answer was going to be yes, but with Savannah he couldn’t be certain. In fact, he was actually fairly certain she’d say no at first, but he had to ask her anyway. He had to get her out of Arrow and into a more intimate setting. He wanted to get under her skin the way she was under his and he really didn’t think he was accomplishing that with the bar between them and the people constantly around them.
“I’d like to take you out sometime. Nothing big, maybe coffee or dinner somewhere else.”
“Gabriel…”
“It doesn’t have to be a date date…just two new acquaintances getting to know each other so that they can possibly go from being acquaintances to being friends,” he blurted out trying to change directions. His admission was making her nervous and he didn’t want that. He wanted her to say yes and he could see in her eyes that she wanted to as well, but something was holding her back.
“Friends? Not a date? But just friends?” she asked hesitantly and he nearly jumped for joy that she hadn’t immediately said no.
“Not a date, just friends. I like talking to you Savannah. You’re the most real person I’ve ever met and I’d like to talk to you when I’m not working and when you’re not constantly looking over your shoulder waiting for your next date to come in. We can do anything you want, you pick the day, the time, the activity. Hell, you can even pick out my outfit if it’ll get you to say yes.”
He sounded so pathetic; he was practically begging her to hang out with him. But there was no backing down now. The words were out there. The sentiment was out there. He could change things later, make himself seem less needy and desperate, once she said yes. But she had to say yes and her silence was sounding more and more like a no by the second. Gabriel kept his eyes locked with hers hoping that the eye contact would sway her decision.
“Look, Gabriel…I like you too, but I can’t have you distracting me from my purpose. I’m looking for stability and commitment, not just a good time. I’ve been there and done that and it doesn’t really work for the long haul. Plus, I can’t date anyone outside of Kerrigan’s service until after my contract is up no matter how badly I might want to,” she said, her voice held a hint of something that Gabriel realized was sadness. “But…I guess we can hang out as friends as long as you are on your best behavior. And…”
“Savannah, your date is here.”
Gabriel nearly growled at the interruption. Things were just starting to get good and Sylvia had to make the announcement that Gabriel had been dreading. He’d been hoping there would be solid plans, something that he could hold onto. Now he would have to wait until she came in on Friday for her next date and start the process all over again. Of course by then she would have had more time to think about what a bad idea it was for them to hang out.
“Here’s my card, my cell number is on the back. Text me later tonight so I’ll have your number and I’ll text you sometime about us hanging out. In fact, I’ll give you all of the details down to what you should wear,” Savannah winked as she slid her card and money for her drink across the bar toward him.
Before he could respond she was following Sylvia to a decent looking guy that stood by the host stand. He was tall, well over Gabriel’s six feet two, which he knew Savannah would love. The more Gabriel looked at him, the more he saw what she would like about this guy, at least in the looks department. Thank goodness Savannah wasn’t really superficial. It was everything else that would drive her away, so Gabriel had to hope that this guy was a jerk or really lame so that he would finally get his chance with the woman of his dreams.
Chapter 3
She couldn’t concentrate. Brad or Dan or whatever his name was kept talking, but she had no idea what he was saying. Her hands were shaking and her stomach was filled with overanxious butterflies. She had given her phone number to Gabriel. Not only that, but she had essentially agreed to hang out with him outside of Arrow. Even though she had insisted that it couldn’t be a date and that he wasn’t what she was looking for (yeah right), it still felt like she was planning on going out on a date with him. This wasn’t supposed to happen, but she knew it would. It’s why she never took the opportunity to talk to him before.
Guys like Gabriel had always been her Achilles heel. Usually she could get them out of her system just by talking to them. But he was different. There was more to Gabriel than the tattoos and the sexy hair that sometimes made him look like he just crawled out of bed. And that smile…good god, his smile…it was ridiculous how that smile made her feel. Even though she knew they had barely scratched the surface during their talks, Savannah knew that Gabriel was more than what he seemed. She could see it in the way he treated the staff at Arrow and the customers that came in, whether they were regulars or people just discovering the restaurant. The first time she had seen an attractive woman flirt shamelessly with him, he had only been nice back and when she handed him her number he politely declined. His actions had shocked her and it was the first time she wasn’t sure what she was getting with Gabriel.
For the last few weeks, she never saw him flirt with anyone other than her, not even once. And he turned down a bunch of offers and phone numbers, at least the ones she saw. There was no doubt in her mind that he was offered plenty of other numbers when she wasn’t around. Whether or not he took those she didn’t know and she liked to try to tell herself that she didn’t care, but she did. She knew she shouldn’t want anything to do with Gabriel. He was exactly what she was trying to avoid, but he was getting under her skin. It would only get worse the more she was around him. Coming to the restaurant early every date had been a bad idea, but a compromise that she had made with herself.
She knew hanging out with him away from the restaurant was an even worse idea, but she had no idea how she was going to get herself out of the mess she was in.
Again she tried to pay attention to whatever her date was rattling on about. She had made the requisite noises to show she was listening, but she wasn’t. And now that she was trying to listen all she could concentrate on was the warmth of his stare on her back. For the first time since she had started the crazy dating experience she sat with her back to Gabriel. There was no way she would be able to sit through an entire date without looking at him and once she started she knew she wouldn’t be able to stop. It had been hard enough before he asked her out and now…now her resolve was hanging on by a thread. But she couldn’t give into Gabriel…could she?
Don’t even think about it, she thought as she tried harder to listen to her date. Anything to keep her mind off of Gabriel and what he offered and what she could do with it…with him.
“Savannah…hey Savannah, did you hear me?” her date asked. The use of her name finally broke through to her and she forced herself to focus on him. He was really good looking and from the information Kerrigan gave her, he was smart and accomplished being a doctor and all. On paper and in appearance, he was exactly what she was looking for, but once again there was no spark. Why couldn’t there be a spark?
Because you have a spark with the hot bartender that you can’t get out of your head even when he’s not asking you out, she reminded herself.
“I’m sorry, what was that?”
“I was just asking about your business. I’ve been talking enough about my work, figured I should learn a little more about you, but you seem a little distracted.”
“Oh gosh, I’m really sorry. You’re right. I am distracted, but it’s about work,” she lied without hesitation. “There is so much going on right now because we’re opening a new location and I’ve been working with my sister to get her acclimated so I’ll have more help. It’s very, very chaotic in my world at the moment.”
He asked a few more questions about her business, ones that she was happy to answer not just because she liked talking about Delectable Delights, which she did, but because it helped keep her mind off of Gabriel. As soon as the date was over, Savannah practically ran out of Arrow to head home. She really couldn’t face Gabriel, especially not once she made the decision that if he texted her tonight, she was going to text him back. She had also decided that she was going to hang out with him even though she wasn’t sure it was such a great idea. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that hanging out with him might be the perfect way to get him out of her system. In fact, she even thought about maybe sleeping with him just to knock the rust off, not that it had been that long, but since she wouldn’t be seeing any of these guys again at least for another month and a half, she needed to do something in the meantime.
As soon as she walked through her front door, she pulled her cell phone out of her purse to see if her sister had called. Brooklyn checked in on her every night she had a date because she wanted all of the details. Her little sister was living vicariously through her and Savannah was usually eager to talk about her dates. Tonight was different; she really wasn’t in the mood to talk. Of course, the message Brooklyn left was quick asking for a call before bed after commenting on the fact that Savannah hadn’t answered. Usually she was home by the time Brooklyn called, but her date ran over and the walk home had taken longer than usual because she was lost in her thoughts.
Instead of calling, she sent her sister a quick text to let her know she was home safe and that they’d talk in the morning. Savannah knew she needed time to think about what she wanted her sister to know. She was pretty sure she wasn’t going to tell Brooklyn about Gabriel, but knew that it was going to be difficult to hide anything from her sister, especially the fact that she had a huge crush on the bartender. Until she was sure what she wanted to do about him, she didn’t want her sister to get any ideas. Since her divorce, Brooklyn had different ideas of what was important in a relationship and she really wanted Savannah to agree with her. To Brooklyn, love and passion should win out over stability and determination every time, but Savannah had a hard time thinking like that. Everything needed to be perfect. There needed to be a spark, but she also needed someone who was stable and reliable.
Ignoring the few text messages she had, she put her phone down on her dresser so she could pull her pajamas out of the drawer. She wasn’t tired enough for bed yet, but she was definitely ready to get out of the dark grey pant suit that she’d worn that evening. She had originally bought the suit when she opened her second store and had only worn it a few times over the last couple of years. She figured the suit would be a nice change of pace from the dresses and skirts she’d worn for most of her dates. Kicking off the three inch heels that complemented her outfit, she was thankful that her feet weren’t sore. She wasn’t used to wearing heels and after walking to and from the restaurant, she figured she was going to be in for some pain once she took them off.
Deciding that a bath sounded fantastic and long overdue, Savannah quickly shed her suit, grabbed her phone and walked into her bathroom so she could start running the water into her oversized whirlpool tub. She still hadn’t taken a hot relaxing bath since the night her sister had brought up all the dating stuff, but she’d never stopped needing one. After setting the phone next to the tub, she stripped out of her bra and panties, turned on the jets and then stepped into the nearly scalding water. Sinking down into the tub, her muscles immediately started to relax. The bath was exactly what she needed. If only she had grabbed a glass of wine before heading upstairs everything would have been perfect.
She closed her eyes, letting her head fall back against the cool fiberglass of the tub. Immediately she was inundated with images of Gabriel. Flashes of his smile, the depth of his beautiful green eyes, she even had images of things she had never seen before filter through her head. There was no denying the fact that she was attracted to Gabriel, but there was definitely more to her feelings for him than just a mere attraction. He intrigued her and it was becoming obvious to her that he wasn’t the player she once thought he was. And he really didn’t seem like he was just some bartender either. She was captivated by him, no doubt, but was he really what she wanted in a significant other. Was being intrigued and captivated by a man enough to build a future on? She wanted stability and being a bartender wasn’t very stable. The pay usually wasn’t very good and the tips were only good for those who flirted heavily with the clientele.
But did any of that really matter? She was looking for love and wasn’t love supposed to conquer all? Did it matter that he didn’t have a stable job? He was still a good man and he could make a good husband and father. He made her laugh and obviously didn’t mind that she was a career-driven woman, in fact he praised her for it. Wasn’t that all she really wanted in the end? A buzzing near her head stopped her from asking any more questions she really wasn’t ready to answer. It also interrupted the pleasant cycle of Gabriel images that had made her start asking questions in the first place.
Opening her eyes, she looked over her shoulder at the phone she had set down earlier. The text notification on the screen said that she had 4 text messages waiting to be read which reminded her that she never checked the ones she received while on her date. Scrolling through the messages she saw that the newest one was from her sister and that she had three from an unknown number. She checked Brooklyn’s message first knowing that it would be the quickest and then moved on to the others. Her stomach fluttered as she opened up the message thread. She had a feeling that she knew who the messages were from, but the first line confirmed it.
Hey, this is Gabriel. Figured I should text you now so that you could give me instructions as soon as your date is over.
Looking at the time stamp, he had sent his first message right after she left her seat at the bar. His eagerness made her laugh until she read the next text.
Did I do something wrong? I
thought we had a plan with the hand signals, but you’re back is to me and I’m pretty sure it’s because of something I did.
His actions had led her to choose to sit with her back to him, but not in the way he probably thought. Before that night, it had already been almost too difficult to go on a date with another man in front of him, let alone with him being able to see her face. His being able to see every possible emotion or look that crossed her face was too much; especially that night when all she could think about was him. With a sigh, she scrolled down to his last message.
I’m sorry. I don’t want things to change between us, so if it makes you feel better I’ll rescind my invitation to hang out. I like talking to you Savannah and if I’ve ruined that, then please let’s go back to before I said anything and pretend it never happened.
That last text was giving her exactly what she thought she wanted during her date; he was giving her a way out of spending more time with him. But now, after thinking about things more, she was no longer sure what to do. Deep down she knew she wanted Gabriel, but there was something in her that wasn’t allowing her to embrace that. Maybe she just wasn’t ready to allow herself to admit that she had been wrong about what she was looking for or to let herself have it. Either way, she knew that she couldn’t go back to the way things were. She wanted to hang out with him, to spend time with him away from Arrow. She had to text him back to ease his mind and to satisfy her own.
You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m looking forward to our not date. I just couldn’t look at you while on a date with someone else. As it was, I can’t even remember his name or anything that he said.