by Paris Hansen
Valerie on the other hand was loaded or at least almost there. With each shot, she got more and more blatant about wanting him. She didn’t say a word because he’d told her to shut up, but she squirmed in her chair causing her clothing to shift in provocative ways. It would probably take only one small move of her hips for her skirt to lift just enough to show off her shaved pussy. She already had her legs spread so he could see whatever he wanted and he was having a difficult time not wanting to look. He knew she was turned on and raring to go; the room was so small he could smell her arousal and her nipples were tight buds beneath her thin tank top.
Valerie was the last thing he wanted, yet he was dangerously close to giving in to her seduction. The whiskey wasn’t doing the trick. Maybe a trip between the thighs of a woman he barely liked would make the hurt go away. Self-loathing was a far better option than being broken hearted. And fucking Valerie on his desk would definitely wipe away the memory of when he made love to Savannah in the very same place. His mouth was dry, nothing that another shot of whiskey couldn’t fix. As he took the shot, he watched Valerie shift slightly in her chair. It was like she could read his mind and she knew how close he was to giving in to her. He licked his lips removing the whiskey that had been on the rim of the glass as he continued to watch her.
With her eyes locked on him, Valerie leaned forward enough to drop her empty glass onto his desk before leaning back as far as she could in her chair. She spread her legs even further than they had been before which pushed her skirt up to her waist leaving her completely bare to his hungry gaze. He knew he shouldn’t be looking at her, shouldn’t indulge her, but he wanted to forget and she was offering him the perfect opportunity to do so. There was no way he could look away when Valerie trailed one hand down her stomach between her legs, her other hand snaking underneath her tank top to squeeze her breast. Her moan filled the small room and it was all he could do to keep himself from jumping over his desk. He didn’t even like her, but a woman pleasuring herself in front of him was something that no man could ignore.
“Oh Gabriel, I wish these were your fingers…your cock,” Valerie groaned as she worked her fingers in and out of her wet folds, her thumb pressed against her swollen clit.
He closed his eyes and listened to the sounds her body was making. More than anything he wished it was Savannah playing with herself across from him and with his eyes closed he could easily picture her sitting there. His dick throbbed against the tight confines of his jeans, begging for release. Reaching for his zipper he thought about how easy it would be to pretend he was fucking Savannah if he pushed Valerie down onto his desk and took her from behind. If he couldn’t see her face, he could imagine anything he wanted to. He opened his eyes and started to stand as someone pounded on his office door.
“Fuck, I said I didn’t want to be disturbed,” he yelled surprised that the knocking did nothing to stop Valerie from continuing to finger herself. In fact, while his eyes were closed she had lifted up her tank top so her fake breasts with their hardened nipples were on display.
“I don’t care what you want asshole, we need to talk,” the knocker said as they threw open the door.
Valerie jumped in her chair, emitting a squeal of surprise as she tried to pull her clothes down while Finley busted into the room. The door swung open, hitting the back of Valerie’s chair. Gabriel sat back down knowing that the shit was about to hit the fan. Finley glared at him from the other side of his desk and then looked down at Valerie who was sitting next to her. The tattooed woman nearly growled at the other woman before stalking over to Gabriel’s side of the desk.
“I cannot fucking believe that you are in here with this…this…whore. How could you do this to Savannah? It fucking smells like sex in here. Did you bang her on your desk after you banged her at your house? Has this all been one fucking joke to you Gabriel?” Finley screamed.
“What the fuck, Fin. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t banged Valerie at all. I barely want anything to do with her, but after Savannah basically broke up with me this morning, I don’t really think what I do in my office is any of your concern.”
“It was my fault Savannah came to your house this morning. I had finally talked her into going to see you and when she gets there she found this piece of trash there and you in the shower.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault that Valerie was at my house this morning, nor is it my fault that Savannah doesn’t trust me. I would have thought by now she would have trusted that I wouldn’t do anything with Valerie while I was with her…Fuck, Fin, I love Savannah with all my heart. I only want to be with her. I’m sorry she assumed the worst, but she should have talked to me instead of leaving my key and telling Valerie that she could have me.”
“Well you know what, it’s really hard not to assume the worst when your boyfriend’s ex-fiancée is lying naked in his bed while he’s in the shower.”
Finley’s words were like a punch to the gut, they stole his breath and for a minute he thought his heart stopped beating. Gabriel had no idea what she was talking about, but if it was true it would explain a lot of things. And really, he didn’t have to wonder if it was true. He knew the kind of shit Valerie liked to pull. She’d probably snuck into his house and planned on waiting for him. The fact that Savannah came along when she did was just an extremely fortunate coincidence for her. Looking over at his ex, he knew he was right. The look on her face said everything. He was such a sucker, even though he knew she couldn’t be trusted, he fell for her shit anyway. For a second he had even thought she might have changed.
“I’m sorry Gabriel, but I was waiting for you. Hoping that if you saw me the way you used to, maybe you’d be able to love me again. I’ve been so lonely without you and now without daddy…you’re all I have,” Valerie said, her bottom lip quivering, her eyes filling with tears.
“Oh cut the crap Val…that fake cry bullshit that you do isn’t going to work on me. I’ve seen you do it too many times to know that it’s not real. And don’t you dare bring your dad into this. That man would be rolling over in his grave right now if he knew what you’d done to me. Not just today, but before our wedding. Your dad was the best fucking man I’ve ever known besides my brother and I lost time with him because you’re a selfish whore. Now I might have lost the love of my life because you came barreling in, pulling the same old shit you used to. I let my grief blind me to the real you even though I knew better.”
“But…”
“Shut the fuck up Valerie. I never want to see you again. Don’t ever come into Arrow again or you’ll be thrown out onto your plastic ass. And stay the hell away from Savannah or you’ll regret ever knowing me.”
Valerie tried to speak again, but Finley took a step towards her. “You better listen to him honey. I’m pretty fucking pissed right now and if you stick around much longer I doubt Dumbass here will be able to pull me off of you in time to save that face of yours.”
With a huff, Valerie gave Gabriel one last pleading look before storming out of the office. Gabriel slumped over in his chair, his head hitting his desk with a loud thud. He had really let her ruin his life again and this time he had no excuse. It wasn’t like last time when he was blinded by love and responsibility; when he didn’t know the kind of person she was. This time his eyes had been wide open even if he was trying to hide behind the death of her father and the memory of his brother.
“Oh god, Finley, what have I done?”
Finley pushed some things out of the way on his desk so she could sit down next to him. “I don’t really know what you were thinking Gabriel, but you fucked up. You hurt my best friend and none of us know why. Hell, I don’t even know if you know why.”
“I…”
“Dude, don’t tell me. Tell her. If you love her half as much as you say you do, you’ll fucking go to her and tell her. Make her see that you didn’t do anything with that whore and apologize for being a jackass. Show her the ring you bought her. Let her know that you want fo
rever and that you’ve wanted that for longer than you’ve been being stupid. Lay it all out for her and if your love is strong and real, then you’ll be able to get past this. If it’s not, well then it definitely sucks to be you. You’ll let the best thing that’ll ever happen to you slip away because you were too wrapped up in yourself to see what you were doing to her,” Finley said before hopping off of the desk and striding towards the door.
“I like you Gabriel and I like the two of you together. As badly as I want to rip your balls off and feed them to you right now, I won’t for her sake. But if you don’t hurry up and get your ass out of this office, then you’re going to miss your chance. Savannah won’t wait around forever for you, not after what she saw this morning. The last time I saw her she was at home packing, I’m not sure what her plans are, but you better go to her. If you fuck up this chance, I won’t feel bad for my homicidal thoughts where you’re concerned.”
Gabriel watched as Finley walked out of his office, he could hear the sounds of her heels clicking against the hall floor until they were drowned out by the sounds of the kitchen. She was right, he had fucked up so royally that the only thing he could do was go to Savannah and beg for her forgiveness. He had to get her to see the truth. There had never been anything between him and Valerie except demons of the past and a familiar grief. It was his fault that he let his insecurities and his fear get between him and Savannah and now he had to make it right.
With a renewed sense of purpose, Gabriel hurried to open the safe. The ring he had bought weeks ago sat untouched in the middle of the money and the paperwork, the black box covered in a light layer of dust. He hadn’t moved it since putting it in the safe three days after he bought it. After Valerie stopped him and told him about her father, he had forgotten all about the ring until he found it in his pants pocket once he finally stopped crying. He had nearly thrown the pants, ring and all, into the washing machine, but for some reason he remembered to check the pockets, which he almost always forgot to do. At the time, he still hadn’t thought much about the ring or what it meant, his head was in a messed up place, so he stuck the ring next to his keys hoping that he’d remember to take it to the restaurant so he could put it away. He had always meant to put the ring in the safe, but at the time he had to admit that he wanted it out of his sight. It was a reminder of the happiness he didn’t think he deserved to have.
He had never been more wrong in his life. But now his stupidity might have set into motion his greatest fear. If he couldn’t find her…if he couldn’t fix it…there would never be another Savannah. There would never be another woman who made him feel the way she did. He would rather lose her like he lost the others, than lose her because he was an idiot. Fuck death and the fear that it had built inside of him and fuck himself for letting that fear take over. It wasn’t just Valerie’s fault that he was in this situation. Everything was his fault, although without Valerie’s help he might have been able to salvage what he had screwed up, now he wasn’t sure that Savannah would even give him the chance.
Not wanting to waste any more time, he ran out of his office and through the kitchen, narrowly dodging the chef who had a plate in each hand. He yelled out an apology before running through the dining room and past the host stand. This time he didn’t bother to check in with any of the staff. By now they were more than capable of taking care of the place while he was gone. Someday, if he got his shit together, he’d get Arrow together too. Expand the business like he planned and give the staff that had been there for him more responsibilities and more money. But he couldn’t do anything for them until he got Savannah to think about taking him back.
He ran to her house, dodging the people that strolled along the sidewalk, jumping over leashes of dogs that were in his way. Her house was only a few blocks away, but in that moment it felt like it was in another state. No matter how fast he ran he didn’t think he’d ever get there. As he rounded the corner to her block, he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw her walk down her stairs carrying a suitcase in one hand and a briefcase in the other. Once down the stairs, she dropped the suitcase and pulled out a handle so she could pull it behind her. He couldn’t let her leave. He had to stop her. He had to make things right.
“Savannah,” he yelled out as he started to walk toward her.
He didn’t want to scare her or seem over eager, so he didn’t run to her and scoop her into his arms like he wanted. She stopped in the middle of the road and looked at him. When their eyes met, he lost his breath, his chest tightening like it always did when he saw her. The pain he saw in her eyes, even from that distance broke his heart. He had done that to her. Partially unwittingly, but he had done that to her nonetheless. He made her feel the way she did and he didn’t know if he could forgive himself for that. The screeching of tires in a relatively quiet residential neighborhood broke Gabriel out of his thoughts. He looked around to see where the sound came from, but before he could really register what was happening a familiar car sped past him.
“Savannah,” he screamed before breaking out into a hard sprint even though he knew he wouldn’t make it in time to save her.
Gabriel watched helplessly as the car slammed into Savannah, her body flying onto the hood of the car, her head smacking into the windshield. The driver slammed on the brakes suddenly reversing which sent Savannah careening onto the cement. For a moment, the car stopped and Gabriel thought the driver might get out to check on Savannah. He thought that for a moment maybe the entire thing was really just an accident and not a total nightmare. But that passed quickly as the car continue to reverse back the way it had come. As the car passed him, he got a good look at the driver. Although he already knew who was behind the wheel of the red BMW, there was definitely no doubt now. Valerie had finally fallen off of the deep end and she had taken her crazy out on the one person in the world that didn’t deserve it.
Without wasting another thought on the woman that he would see pay for what she’d done, he ran until he reached Savannah’s side. Dropping to his knees next to her, he checked for a pulse and let out the breath he had been holding when he felt one. It was weak, but there. He lowered his head to her mouth, leaning his ear as close as he could to see if he could hear her breathing over the sound of Brooklyn frantically calling 9-1-1. He could hear a faint wheezing sound and could see the rise and fall of her chest with each small, sporadic breath she took. She was undoubtedly broken and while all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and hold her, he was afraid to move her. There was no telling what kind of injuries she had; blood was everywhere.
“I can’t lose you Savannah,” he told her as he brushed a strand of hair off her face. “Please don’t leave me. I’m so freaking sorry. I need you baby. I love you.”
Tears flowed freely down his face as he reached down and grabbed her hand. He had to touch her and it seemed like the least damaged part of her body. While he stroked her hand, he kept telling her how much he needed her and how sorry he was. He talked to her like she could hear him, but promised to repeat it all when she was actually awake. By the time the ambulance arrived, Brooklyn had dropped to her knees beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder and sobbed while he continued to talk to Savannah. The last thing he wanted to do was let go of her, but he knew he had to let the paramedics work. He picked Brooklyn up and held her in his arms while the EMT’s assessed the damage and put Savannah onto a backboard.
As they loaded her into the ambulance, they announced that they could only allow one of them to ride with them. Gabriel grabbed Brooklyn’s keys and then helped her into the back of the ambulance. He promised to call her parents and Finley before they closed the doors and he watched them speed away with their lights flashing and sirens blaring. With Savannah out of his sight, he was finally able to take in the scene around him. Cops and onlookers covered the street as did Savannah’s luggage.
“Can I…” he started turning toward the cop nearest to him. “Can I pick up her stuff…get it out of the street?”
> “And you are?”
For a second, Gabriel didn’t know what to say, but then he figured the cop didn’t need to know about their dirty laundry. “I’m her boyfriend.”
“Did you see what happened tonight?” the cop asked still not answering Gabriel’s question.
“Yeah. I watched my crazy ex-fiancée rundown the woman that I love without a hint of remorse and then I got to sit here while the love of my life fought to stay alive. I’d love to give you a statement or do whatever it is you need me to do, but first I want to get her clothes and stuff off of the street and then I want to call her family so they can meet me at the hospital so we can all stand around and wait to find out if she makes it through this.”
“Look sir…”
“No…don’t look sir me. I obviously wasn’t the one driving. Her sister can attest to that. I’m the reason she was standing in the middle of the street though, giving that sadistic whore a target, but other than that I had nothing to do with this. I know you need my statement, but you don’t need it right this second and her belongings lying in the middle of the street aren’t evidence of any kind. All you need to know is that Valerie Meadows is your driver and she owns a red convertible BMW with the license plate 2HOT4U.”
“Sir all I was going to ask was what your name was so that I could have it for my report and so that we knew who to contact in the morning, although I do appreciate the information on the suspect.”