by Wynn, Ann
He had caged her there unknowingly. The distance between them was too close for comfort. He wanted to squirm and move away, but he felt like his feet were glued to the carpeted floor. Juliana smelled him, all clean and masculine. The white t-shirt that he wore molded on to his muscles. The low hanging pajamas made him look domestic, yet he still looked so sexy. How did she end up agreeing to stay here for the night anyway? She licked her lips as she felt them drying, unknowing that such a gesture would be Gabriel's undoing.
The temptation was too much. He had to give in even just for a little while. He lifted Juliana's chin to look at him in the eyes. She continued to look away as she blushed. She clutched her phone close to her chest, uneasy of what would happen next.
“I think you're very beautiful, Ms. Austin and I know you're in love with Michael but right now, all I can ever think about is kissing you...”
Her breath was caught as he leaned closer, planting his soft lips on hers. She initially wanted to push him away, but when she realized how gentle he was being and how good he was at kissing, she felt her guard weakening against him. What was this man doing to her? He broke away from their kiss. He did not force his tongue inside her mouth which she was thankful for, and yet, she knew she never should have let him kiss her.
“I'm sorry. I just had to. I couldn't help myself.” He said softly.
He apologized and cursed himself for being so weak. He walked away, leaving her wondering what just happened and if this would change anything between them. She rushed to the bedroom and closed the door behind her. She had just broken the never date your co-worker or boss rule. What would Lisa say to her now?
Gabriel berated himself for what he did. He had gone for a long time with no intent of a serious relationship, and yet here he was kissing somebody else's girlfriend. He knew he never should have kissed her. He did not want her to quit her job. She was good at it. This was going to be awkward, but he had to do something about this somehow. He just needed to sleep this off.
Juliana had been lying in the bed for hours now, but she still could not sleep. She looked at her watch and saw that it was already 5 A.M. When she heard some noise coming from the kitchen, she opened the door and walked out. It was then she saw Mrs. Donovan, who was preparing some breakfast. She was an elderly woman who was both quiet and reserved. Although she greeted Juliana and served her some pancakes with eggs, bacon and coffee for breakfast, she did not talk to her after that.
After a quick breakfast, she brought her dress into her room. Juliana did not know how to face her boss this morning. She just knew that if she stayed, it would be very awkward and she might not be able to stand it. She decided it was better to leave before he woke up to lessen the blow of what happened last night. She took a shower, dressed up and wrote a note, which she left in the bed before leaving. She might not know where she was, but she could always get a cab somehow. She only hoped that Gabriel wouldn't mind her going home alone.
“Thanks for everything. I really enjoyed the food and the movie last night. - Ms. Austin”
Gabriel opened his eyes to find himself sleeping soundly in his bedroom. He dreamed that he was with Juliana and somehow he wished it were true. As soon as he thought of her, he took a shower and dressed up. He wanted to eat breakfast with her before he took her home. Finally, he would be able to see her home with her consent. Even if he knew that he could always look her address up through her company files, he did not want to be like a stalker. Besides, he imagined the gossip that would generate. The last thing he wanted was Juliana leaving the company because she had an affair with her boss. He wanted her, but he knew now was not the right time for it. He only hoped that someday there would be more than a professional relationship between them.
Mrs. Donovan was cleaning the living room when he saw her. She was quiet as usual as she concentrated on the task at hand. He smiled and greeted her good morning. She greeted him back. But when he asked about Juliana and she said that she had left, his smile faded, leaving him frowning. He rushed to the room where she was sleeping and saw that she had left a note on the bed.
It was a thank you note. He dreaded it would be a goodbye note. He was relieved that it wasn't. Although he was disappointed that he was not able to spend more time with her this morning, he knew that he would have the next five days with her anyway. As he ate his breakfast, he formulated a plan.
“If Michael doesn't want you or doesn't do anything to keep you, I will steal you away and make you mine instead...”
He vowed to himself. He was not a bad man. He just wanted to make Juliana happy because right now Michael wasn't. If only she would forget about him and just allow a chance for her to heal. He could love her better if she would only let him. He could only hope and pray that she would. Gabriel had put his feelings aside for so long, he wanted to stop and just be true to himself, no matter the consequences. He would make her choose him no matter what.
Juliana rode on a taxi on her way home. Her thoughts were muddled about last night. The kiss only made it worse. As she got home, she felt exhausted, and her lack of sleep made her weak. She could no longer think straight. Her phone beeped. She took it out of her purse and looked at it. She saw a message from Michael and read it. She placed it on top of the living room table as disappointment continued to course through her.
He was going to work all weekend, which meant he was not going to be able to spend time with her. Just when she was feeling confused, he couldn’t be found. She collapsed on her couch and closed her eyes. She would have to sleep for now and regroup later. She wondered about Gabriel, but before she could think more, she fell asleep, hoping that everything would be okay when she woke up.
Chapter 8
“Are you going home now?” Joana asked Michael as she saw him fixing the mess in his worktable. He looked exhausted and impatient. His lips were tightly closed as he looked at Joana.
“Yes, I need to get some sleep, take a shower and head back here. I still have a lot to do.” He said without looking at her. Although he knew he should grab something to eat later, he had no appetite for anything right now. He just wanted to relax even for a couple of hours before finishing his work later.
“Cool! Can we go together?” Her question left him stopping. He did not expect her to act this way.
“What do you mean by that?” He looked at her and asked. He had a skeptical look on his face as he waited for her response.
“Did you forget what we talked about last night? I thought you said you wanted to help me with my ex-boyfriend?” Joana looked hurt. It was then that Michael realized that he had promised her that he would help her by pretending to be her boyfriend for the time being. He was too tired to protest. Now was not a good time to do so.
“Okay. Are you ready to leave then?” Michael finished cleaning his station before asking.
“Yes, I am.” She answered cheerfully.
He led the way and she followed nearby. She looked paranoid, looking from one side to the other. At this point, he no longer cared if their co-workers were starting to notice that she was tagging along with him. He knew he would just have to explain everything to Juliana in case rumors about him and Joana ever surfaced. When he saw her following him to his car, he stopped, turned around and faced her. He had to find out what the hell was going on.
“Did you park here too?” He asked as he tried to hide his annoyance. He was trying to be nice because he knew he had to.
“Actually, no. I don't have a car. I just use public transportation every day but since you're going to pretend to be my boyfriend, you should take me home instead.” She explained to him.
“Okay, fine. Just tell me where you live and I'll drop you off.” His response sounded more curt than usual.
He was too tired to argue. He let her ride in the passenger seat while he drove them off to her home. Joana's plan was starting and Michael had no clue he was being set up. She guided him to where she lived. He was surprised to find out that she lived near him. As soon
as they reached her home, she asked him if he wanted to go in, but he refused. He was in no mood to be her pretend boyfriend today. He wanted to kick himself for even letting himself get dragged into being one to begin with. He was such a loser.
“Thanks for bringing me home. I hope you will accept my offer to go inside with me next time.”
She smiled sweetly at him. She removed her seat belt and moved close to him to give him a kiss on the cheek. The gesture was sweet but unexpected. Before he could say anything, she had already slid out of the passenger seat and closed the door. She waved her hand at him as he drove away. He did not expect this to happen. It was just a kiss on the cheek. It was of no importance. He only hoped this pretending to be her boyfriend was a decision he wouldn’t regret in the end.
Joana continued to wave until she could no longer see Michael's car from her home. She entered her apartment building with a smile on her face. For the first time, she was able to kiss him. Although it was a mere kiss on his cheek, she hoped she would be able to kiss his lips too. She figured she would have to do better next time to get that. How? She did not know yet but she had ways, she always had. She brought her phone out from her pocket and started sending him a text message to thank him for last night. She did not add the details. She just wanted to show him how much she appreciated him. She opened her front door and closed it behind her, when she suddenly heard someone banging on her front door. She carefully walked to the front door to see who it was when she heard Carl's loud voice outside. He was cursing and making a lot of noise, which made her nervous.
“I know you're there, Joana. Let me in now! Let's talk about this. Please, I miss you.” He slurred, which was a sure sign that he had been drinking.
“Go home, Carl! Your pregnant wife needs you now more than ever.” She coaxed him.
“But I don't love her anymore. I told you I would divorce her for you. Just don't do this to me. Let's talk about this. Baby, please.” He begged.
Carl refused to leave her front door and if this kept up, everyone in building would know what a home-wrecker she was. She dialed Michael's number and hoped that he would answer right away. Michael's apartment was near Joana's. When he heard his phone ringing, he expected to hear Juliana's voice on the other side of the line, but was surprised to hear Joana's. In his mind, he debated on whether he should receive the call or not. He decided it would be rude if he did not answer. He sighed before answering the phone only to hear Joana's hushed voice. She was frantic, and he knew something was wrong.
“Michael, please help me. Carl is here outside my front door and he's been trying to break the lock to get in. I'm scared. Please help me.” She pleaded.
He exhaled for patience. He had not parked his car yet. He was pissed off that this was happening now of all the days, but he felt guilty. What if she got hurt because he refused to help her? He wouldn't have that. Juliana might end up blaming him if something bad happened to Joana, and he wouldn't have that.
“Okay. I'll try to be there as soon as I can.”
With that he ended the call and drove back to her apartment. He no longer bothered to park well. He ran as fast as he could to the 3rd floor where Joana's apartment was, and saw a good-looking blonde who reeked of alcohol. He was desperately asking Joana to let him in. He looked harmless except for the fact that he looked crazed. He knew he wouldn’t have it easy, and with that thought he felt even more upset.
“Hey buddy! Back away from the door.” He commanded Carl, who just looked at him but ignored his command. Michael wondered if he did not hear him or if he was just ignoring him. His patience was thinning now, and if Carl would continue giving him a hard time, he knew he would just snap.
Joana heard Michael's voice outside. She held on to her phone, dialed his number and called him. Michael looked at his ringing phone and answered only to hear Joana's voice on the other side of the line. When Carl realized that Michael was a friend of Joana's, he got angry and stopped pleading her to let him in. He focused his attention on him instead.
“Who are you and what are you doing here? Are you Joana's new boyfriend?” He looked at him with contempt. Michael was taken aback by his aggression. Although initially he did not want to hit him, now he had the urge to do so badly.
“Yes, I am, and my girlfriend called me to make sure you stop harassing her.” Carl laughed at what he said and moved closer to him.
“Harassing her? Did she tell you I was doing that? I would never! I love her and I want us to be together.” He confessed. He looked like he was telling the truth, but Michael was not convinced. He could just be a really good liar.
“You can't! She's with me now. Go back to your wife and leave us be.” There was authority in his voice, which only made Carl angrier.
“She's mine. You will never have her! And if I cannot have her, nobody will!” He bellowed.
Carl lunged for him. His aim wasn't so bad. Lacking sleep, Michael was not able to dodge well. Carl's fist hit his lower lip, cutting it and making it bleed. But as soon as his fist connected to Michael's face, he collapsed on the floor, as if he had used up his remaining strength to swing his fist at him. He looked pitiful lying beneath him. Michael took the opportunity and jumped on him, holding his two hands behind his back. Once he was sure that he wouldn’t be able to get away, he stood him up and pinned his face against the wall. He grunted at the impact. Michael was not cautious. He deserved to feel pain right now and he was willing to give him just that.
“Now, I will ask you nicely. Leave my girlfriend alone, or else I will make sure to really mess you up next time.” He threatened him, because he knew it was the only way to end this. He only hoped it would work eventually. Carl grinned as bitterness seeped from his voice as he responded.
“Your girlfriend seduced me. I was happily married before I fell in love with her. She's a really good lover. I thought she would do everything for me and now, my wife left me and she's all I have, but she won't take me back because she has you...” Carl mumbled.
“Did you know that I used to live here with her too? Everything was okay for a year, but then one day, she just decided to ditch me. My wife was desperately trying to contact me to return to her then, but I just didn't care. I was so consumed by my love for Joana that I was too blind to see anything else. Now, I know what I was to her. A plaything. I was a test subject, and because I failed to resist her advances, I have failed to gain her love.” He laughed bitterly as he continued to talk, while Michael held him against the wall.
Michael listened as he continued to blabber while he restrained him. He held on to his arms to steady him. But as soon as he started telling him more intimate details about his affair with Joana, he felt disgusted that he would tell him about their dirty little secrets. He didn't care. He didn't want to hear every single one. Annoyed, he pulled him off the wall and pushed him down the staircase to escort him outside the apartment building. Joana was watching everything through her front door.
Somehow she had managed to take a peek when she heard Carl's voice move away from it. When she saw that Michael had escorted him out, she opened her door and followed them. When she saw him push Carl outside of the building, she ran toward him. Carl saw her and laughed like a man possessed as he looked at her with crazed eyes.
“Now you show up. Don't worry; I won't hurt Lover Boy here, but I'll be back, Joana. I promise you that, and when I get back, be ready for me, because I will ruin you as you have ruined me. Just you wait.” He continued to laugh after his declaration.
Joana whimpered as she held on to Michael's arms. Michael clenched his fists. He wanted to pummel him to the ground bad, but before he could take action and come near him, Carl ran away as fast as his feet could take him. Although he stumbled several times because of his drunken state, he was still able to leave. He sighed heavily. This was not a good way to end a stressful day.
“I'm sorry I dragged you into this. I'm a mess. I never should have said yes to being his lover.” Joana said sincerely.
/> She babbled as Michael escorted her back to her apartment. He was quiet. He recalled everything that Carl said. What if Joana was not a victim, but why was she lying to him? As soon as she was already in front of her apartment, Michael knew it was time to leave, but she held on to him with crying eyes.
“Stay. I need you, please.” She begged him to stay.
“I can't stay here.” Michael refused.
“Just stay for a while, then leave when I've calmed down. Please?” She still held onto him, and as much as he wanted to leave, he could not refuse her, especially when he heard the last words that Carl uttered in front of them. He could come back and do something bad to her. He did not want that.