Restless

by Paris Hansen

  “I’ve never seen you like this Sav. You’re happy…ridiculously happy and I’m pretty sure a lot of that comes from you finally getting laid.”

  “Jeezus, Brooklyn,” Savannah growled as she grabbed her sister’s hand. Without a glance toward the bakery’s seating area or the young woman manning the register, Savannah pulled her sister through the swinging door that led into the kitchen. She knew that if she didn’t talk to Brooklyn about her date, her sister would make a scene and that was the last thing she wanted or needed. With her luck, it would get back to Gabriel and she definitely didn’t want him to hear that she was “glowing” after their night together.

  “Spill Savvy. I want details. I’m living vicariously through you right now. Plus, you owe me, since really I’m the one that got you and Gabriel together.”

  “What? How do you figure that?” Savannah asked while she tried to busy herself in the kitchen. Three trays of cupcakes were cooling on a rack in the corner. They were still too warm to frost and all of the other baking was done for the day unless a big order came in. With nothing else to do, she grabbed dishes that needed to be washed, putting some of them into the left side of the industrial sized sink to soak. The rest she decided to hand wash…slowly. With the water running, she hoped that Brooklyn would drop the subject, but she knew that wasn’t likely.

  “If I hadn’t pushed you to do the dating thing with Kerrigan, you never would have sat at the bar in Arrow, which means you never would have talked to Gabriel. I knew I’d help find you love, if I had known I could’ve just bought you a few drinks at the bar, it would have saved me some money.”

  Savannah laughed, throwing a dish towel at her sister, who had decided to sit on one of the few empty counters in the backroom. It had been great getting to work with Brooklyn over the last few months. Before Brooklyn had come to work with her, they hadn’t had a lot of time to spend together between Savannah’s work and Brooklyn’s marriage. After Brooklyn’s marriage imploded she retreated into herself trying to figure out what happened and it was difficult for Savannah to see her that way. Plus, with her busy schedule, there had only been time for Survivor nights with all the chaos that surrounded them both. Savannah was no longer trying to do everything by herself, that coupled with the fact that they were each finally happy with their lives, made spending time together easier. Now if only Savannah could help her sister find love again, everything would be perfect.

  “It doesn’t matter though. Seeing you in love and so freaking happy, every penny I spent was well worth it. This is what I’ve been wanting for you and I am so glad you’ve finally found it.”

  “I don’t…”

  “Don’t even say it. I know you love him Savannah. I can tell.”

  “It’s too soon Brooklyn. We just went on our first date.”

  Brooklyn sighed, “You’ve been half in love with him since the first time the two of you first started talking. The night he told you about Jonathan, you fell all the way. It doesn’t matter that you technically just had your first date, you’ve been seeing each other for months and your feelings have been there the entire time. Don’t fight it, don’t ignore them, just feel and once you get it through your head, don’t hesitate to let Gabriel know.”

  “Are you crazy? I can’t tell him how I feel yet. Even if it’s not too soon to be feeling this way, it’s definitely too soon to tell him. Feelings freak guys out. I don’t want to scare him away when we’ve only just begun.”

  “If it makes things easier on you, I can guarantee he feels the same way,” a new voice interjected.

  Savannah whirled around, shocked to find Declan Reese standing behind her with a loaded hand truck in front of him. Her cheeks grew warm as she turned away from the man that she only recently learned was a friend of Gabriel’s. She had no idea that both Delectable Delights and Arrow used the same wine vendor, let alone that the co-owner of the wine distribution company was Gabriel’s childhood best friend. There was no telling how long he had been listening to their conversation, but it didn’t matter since he obviously heard the most embarrassing part.

  This was not how Savannah wanted things to play out. She didn’t want to think about her feelings for Gabriel yet. Although Brooklyn had been right, they’d been getting to know each other for months, they only really truly started dating. She couldn’t admit her feelings yet. The entire situation scared the crap out of her and now that Declan knew the truth it was only a matter of time before Gabriel found out. The fallout was inevitable. Because her sister couldn’t leave things alone, the relationship she was starting would be over before it truly began.

  “How could you possibly know that?” Brooklyn demanded, her tone going from sweet to antagonistic immediately. “Guys don’t talk about this kind of stuff. I’m sure Gabriel hasn’t admitted his feelings to you.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong Princess,” Declan said, his voice nearly as hostile as Brooklyn’s.

  Savannah looked over at her sister, surprised by the sudden change in her attitude. Quietly, she watched as Brooklyn and Declan seemed to forget that she was there. They traded barbs and argued about her relationship with Gabriel like an old married couple. When Declan stopped stacking cases of wine on the metal shelving unit against the wall and moved so close to her sister they were nearly touching, Savannah realized what was really going on between her sister and her boyfriend’s best friend. They liked each other, like really liked each other, but obviously neither wanted to admit it. Instead they reverted back to elementary school.

  “Guys don’t talk about feelings to each other. They talk about sex and how hot a chick is, but not about feelings.”

  “You couldn’t possibly know what we talk about. It’d obviously surprise you if you did. We aren’t just a bunch of horn balls that only talk about tits and ass, although we do talk about those things too. Is it wrong to admire a woman with our friends? I know you ladies do it to us when you get together. Don’t try to deny it.”

  “You’re such a jerk.”

  Savannah wouldn’t have been surprised if Declan reached out to pull Brooklyn’s hair or if Brooklyn started chasing him around like they were on the playground. The images playing through her head made her laugh, but she didn’t want to disturb the dance happening in front of her. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t hold in her laughter, the snort that escaped her ended up reminding them that she was still in the room. They both looked at her, embarrassment evident on their faces.

  This development gave Savannah hope for Brooklyn’s future. Declan was a great guy and absolutely gorgeous with his almost too long black hair, constant five o’clock shadow and piercing green eyes. He was at least 4 inches taller than her super model height sister and was in very good shape as far as Savannah could tell through the delivery uniform he wore. The olive green button-up shirt with the Reese Wine Distributors logo over his left pec and the black slacks he wore fit his athletic build like a second skin. If Savannah hadn’t been 100% into Gabriel she might have been inclined to drool over his best friend the way her sister was.

  “I’m sorry I stuck my nose into your business Savannah,” Declan said, his voice returning to the sweet, deep sound that she was used to. “Gabriel has talked about you non-stop for longer then you’ve technically known each other. I didn’t know it was you he was talking about until the night he finally learned your name. I never told him I delivered to you until he recommended I see how you felt about your current wine vendor.”

  “Thanks for your input Declan, but I still don’t think I’ll be declaring my feelings any time soon.”

  Savannah hated that the attention was back on her and her feelings. Their bickering was far more entertaining and less stressful for her, but Brooklyn was being unusually quiet and so was Declan. Now that he had said his peace, they both stood on opposite sides of the large metal table that sat in the middle of the kitchen. Occasionally, they would look at each other, but for the most part they stared at her like their int
ense looks could get her to change her mind.

  “Well ladies, it’s been great, but I have more deliveries to do today,” Declan said as he handed his clipboard to Savannah. “Don’t worry; I won’t mention this conversation to Gabriel. Your secret is safe with me, I promise.”

  “Like we can trust him,” Brooklyn muttered barely loud enough for anyone to hear.

  Savannah gave Declan an apologetic look before signing the invoice and handing him back the clipboard. There was definitely something going on between Declan and her sister. Whatever it was, she couldn’t let her sister continue to be a jerk to one of her vendors, even if he obviously antagonized her. Brooklyn would have to be the bigger person even if it killed her. Either that or she was going to have to admit that their grade school antics meant that she was interested in Declan and then do something about it, that was the only way she’d allow Brooklyn to continue to treat him the way she was.

  “What the hell was that Brook?” Savannah asked as soon as she heard Declan’s truck start up in the alley behind the shop. How she didn’t hear him pull up early, she didn’t know. It was probably the fact that thoughts of Gabriel seemed to easily distract her. Whatever it had been, she would have to be more careful. It could have been Gabriel standing behind her listening to her talk about how she was in love with him. That would have been ten times worse than his best friend hearing all about it.

  “That guy just rubs me wrong, okay.”

  “More like you want him to rub you down,” Savannah said. “You are totally into him, Brooklyn. The way you two were acting with each other, I felt like I was watching two kids in elementary school. I was waiting for him to pull your hair.”

  “I am not into Declan Reese!”

  Savannah snorted at her sister’s protest. “You are. And he likes you too. I can tell.”

  Brooklyn wasn’t happy with her sister throwing her words back at her, but her reaction made Savannah smile more.

  “How about we forget all about Declan and get back to you and Gabriel? You love him and you finally got laid. Saturday night was a big deal for you.”

  With a groan, Savannah tried to busy herself in the kitchen again, hoping that her sister would leave her alone. She should have known there was no way Brooklyn would stop asking about her night. The girl was like a dog with a bone and no amount of distractions or teasing would keep her from eventually getting the information that she wanted. If Savannah pushed about Declan, Brooklyn would push even harder for details about Gabriel. And if Savannah continued to tease her sister about Declan, then all hell would break loose and Brooklyn wouldn’t hesitate to make sure she embarrassed her big sister.

  “Can we not talk about this here? Declan walking in while we were talking about my feelings was bad enough; I would die if anyone else heard us talking about my date. Dinner and drinks after work? My treat and we don’t even have to go to Arrow.”

  Savannah hoped her sister took her up on her offer. Although she didn’t want to admit it, she did want to talk about Gabriel, her feelings and the amazing night that he had planned for their first date. She wanted to gush about everything and have Brooklyn tell her that she wasn’t crazy for feeling the way she did. If Brooklyn agreed, she might even invite her best friend Finley so she could get a cynical person’s perspective on the situation.

  While Brooklyn was all sunshine and rainbows where love was concerned, Finley was doom and gloom. Savannah always thought it was weird the way it worked out considering Brooklyn had gone through a bad marriage and a nasty divorce. Finley on the other hand, had never had a serious relationship that lasted more than a year. And even the few that hit near the year mark were never all that serious, more like friends with benefits than a real relationship.

  Although they had been friends since college, Savannah still had no idea what made her best friend tick, at least not in most cases. Finley was one of the best people that she’d ever met, yet she didn’t want people to know that. She was a badass, always acting like a tough bitch so that people would leave her alone. Most of the people that Savannah had introduced her to over the last decade and a half always wondered what Savannah saw in Finley that made her keep her around. They didn’t see the great friend that Finely was. All they saw was the heavily tattooed and pierced girl prone to flipping people off and breaking up bar fights.

  “Fine, we can do dinner,” Brooklyn agreed, her voice breaking Savannah out of her thoughts about Finley. “And before you ask, go ahead and invite Fin, but I’m inviting Kerrigan. All the work she did to find you a man and you found one before your first date even started, she deserves to hear all about this too.”

  Savannah rolled her eyes, but agreed to let Kerrigan come to dinner too. It was going to be a girl’s night out, which she hadn’t had in a long time. She was definitely looking forward to hanging out and having drinks with the girls, but she knew that if Gabriel had the night off, she would have never suggested it. One date and she was already ready to drop her friends for a guy. He’d completely knocked her world off its axis and now she couldn’t get enough of him. They didn’t even have to talk or have ridiculously amazing sex for her to want to be with him. Just being near him was enough, although it was ten times better when he had her wrapped in his arms like he had most of Sunday.

  It didn’t matter what any of the girls said at dinner, Savannah knew she was a goner. Gabriel Archer had done a number on her from the very first moment she saw him. She lusted after him until she got to know him better and then she fell in love with the incredible man that he was. There really was no way she could deny that her sister was right. She was in love with Gabriel and if she wasn’t careful, she’d be shouting it from the rooftops before the day was over.

  ***********************

  Two weeks later, Savannah was no closer to telling Gabriel how she felt than she had been the night she spent with the girls. They all tried to convince her that she should get it out in the open, even Finley. No matter how hard they tried to persuade her it was the best thing to do, she wasn’t going to budge. She planned on waiting until he told her how he felt before she admitted her feelings to him. Either way it didn’t really matter. She no longer worried that what Declan told her wasn’t true. After everything Gabriel had done for her since their first date, she could no longer deny he had feelings for her too. It was pretty obvious, but she wasn’t convinced yet that his feelings were as deep as hers. Did he care for her? Yes. Did he love her? Probably not.

  They spent nearly every night and every morning together, either at his house or hers. It felt like they’d been together for years instead of weeks. In her entire life, Savannah had never felt more comfortable with another person, not even her sister or her parents. There was no longer any doubt in her mind that Gabriel was the “one”. He was that elusive creature everyone talked about, but she never thought she’d find. Or really cared to find, if she was honest.

  Checking the clock on the kitchen wall, Savannah sighed in frustration. It was only a little after four in the afternoon and she still had over an hour until Gabriel was supposed to be at her house. She was anxious to see him, even though they had woken up together that morning. There wasn’t anything she could do to keep her mind busy while she killed time until he arrived. The house was already clean, the kitchen already set up for the cooking lesson that she had offered him. She had been shocked to learn that although he owned a restaurant, he had no idea how to cook. Even the basics were beyond his skill level in the kitchen.

  “You can’t cook?” she asked again, bewildered by the concept of a restaurant owner who couldn’t boil water.

  “I never had reason to learn. Growing up we had help, then when I got older I was too busy with school and the practice to take time to learn something I was never going to have the time to do. Cooking was always Jonathan’s passion, not mine. But now, I wish I knew how to at least do the simple things. It would be nice to make dinner for you for a change and to be able to take care of myself when you’re workin
g late. I eat out, both at the restaurant and other local places, every night and often for lunch too. And I pretty much eat cereal or toast for breakfast, unless I go somewhere.”

  “But you’ve owned Arrow for years now.”

  “And in that time I learned how to run a business and make drinks. I didn’t really have time to learn the cooking part too. Maybe you can teach me sometime?”

  “Just name the time and place and I’ll be there. We’ll at least make a cook out of you…then maybe we can move on to making you a chef.”

  Savannah picked something really simple for Gabriel to make. It didn’t take a lot of skill to make spaghetti with meatballs, garlic bread and salad. She was even going to have him make dessert, an easy cherry pie with store bought crust. There wasn’t a whole lot about what they were making that he could mess up, despite his request that they have a back-up dinner on standby. The sauce was in a jar, the pasta in a box and the garlic bread just needed to be stuck in the oven in its foil package. For the salad, he had to chop and mix up the ingredients, which was a fairly easy task. The most difficult part of the meal was probably the meatballs, since he had to actually form and season the meatballs before cooking them.

  She gave one last look around the kitchen, noting that everything was ready, before she turned up the iPod that was sitting on the docking station. One of her favorite songs was playing so she started to dance around the kitchen, giggling at how silly she probably looked. She couldn’t remember a time when she was so carefree and happy; when she got to spend a Saturday at home, fretting over her date and dancing around the kitchen instead of what was happening at work. The stress of opening a new location was still there, but it no longer ruled her life. Her love for Gabriel did.