Resolution (Saviour)

by Lesley Jones

  “Out with the girls I see.”

  “Yep, night out with the besties, one of them has some shit going on that she’s trying to hide from us…so we thought we would get a few shots into her and try and get her to spill.”

  “That’s a bit slippery Jo.”

  “That’s women Gabe, and you should know all about slippery women. In more ways than one.”

  Fuck, this isn’t good, what if she tells shorty about my rep and she blanks me. What the fuck am I on about, was I planning on talking to her then?

  “This is true Joanne, very true – so which of your mates is going through shit right now?” I ask as casually as I can.

  “It’s the gorgeous red head you’ve been staring at since we walked in.” Fuck.

  “Busted,” I shrug, “Tell you what, let me pay for the drinks and I will buy the gorgeous red head an extra shot from me. Is she married, shorty, the red head, your friend, is she married?”

  “Gabe, you want deets on my girl? Well then you grow some and go ask my girl herself.”

  We both look across at her friends, just as they laugh loudly and all turn towards us, shit did she see me staring, perving, staring, whatever? What the fuck is wrong with me?

  I lean forward and say to Jo, “Be sure to let her know the shots are from me.”

  Jo nods as I put the drinks on the tray that she’s carrying, “Jo?”

  She turns back to me, “Will you at least tell me her name?”

  “Shit, you have got it bad!”

  We both turn and look at shorty, who is looking right at us, busted again. Jo shakes her head.

  “I loves ya Gabe, but no can do, she’s my girl and my job is to keep her away from boys like you. Thanks for the drinks. Mwaaaah.”

  Boys like me? What the fuck does that mean and who the fuck is she calling a boy?

  I watch Jo walk back to her girlfriends and they all seem to giggle and chat amongst themselves. Shorty looks up and right at me and my chest does that weird thing again, what is that? I try to think back over what I’ve eaten today, it must be indigestion of some kind; it’s the strangest sensation. All the while, my eyes are locked to hers; I want to go over and introduce myself and ask her why she looks so sad when she thinks no one is watching her. No I don’t, what am I even thinking? Before I can take a step, Jo passes her the shot I bought her and she suddenly looks devastated. I watch intently, puzzled by her reaction, it’s just a shot. I didn’t send a note over asking for a root. She knocks back the shot, looks at her mates and bursts into tears. What. The. Fuck?

  My brothers being the slippery pair that they are suddenly reappear now that Jo has left the scene.

  “You still perving over the ranga with the big tits bro?” Zac asks from beside me.

  “Fuck off Zac, she’s not a ranga, and stop looking at her tits.”

  The three of us stand and watch as the four women huddle together. Then all turn together and head outside to the decked area. I watch until I can’t see her anymore, which doesn’t take long because of her lack of height. I suddenly become aware of the fact that my brothers are standing either side of and staring right at me. I look from one to the other; instinctively I wipe my hand over my mouth and chin, making sure I haven’t actually dribbled over them. Then through my hair.

  “What?” I look from one to the other, puzzled.

  It was one of those nights. They look at each other and laugh, they high five each other right in front of my face, then shaking their heads, they both say “Nothing, nothing.”

  Zac walks over to the bar just as I see Paige walking towards me.

  “Shit.” I turn to follow Zac to the bar but I’m too late.

  “Hey Gabe…Wait a sec, how ya going?”

  My eyes meet Coopers.

  “Fuck,” I say quietly.

  “Busted,” Cooper laughs as he walks away and joins Zac at the bar.

  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an arsehole to women, I like women, a lot, but only to have sex with and I always make that clear before I have sex with them, I don’t do relationships, I like my life as it is and I have no room in it for a woman. Apart from my daughter, my sister, my two sister in laws and probably my Mum, although I can’t be sure on that score because I can’t really remember her but I am assuming she was a good person. Apart from these women, any other women I have had any kind of relationship with have been sly, devious, manipulative, abusive, liars and I have no room in my life for any of that shit, I have been used and abused by women and I will never let that happen again; fortunately, I have never fallen in love, I love my daughter. God do I love my daughter, she is my life and I love my sister, I love Sam in much the same way; Jen, I care for, we have had a bit of a strained relationship since I caught her cheating on my brother but she has been a part of my life for a long time and Coop loves her and I have to respect that, but that is as far as it goes, any other women in my life are either in the ‘just friends’ zone, or the ‘fuck buddy’ zone, the problem is, no matter how clear I make it, they always want more, they always tell me they are totally cool with a one night stand but then they start turning up at places that I wouldn’t usually see them, or they start kicking off if they see me in the pub with another Sheila and I am seriously over it and Paige is one of those who has tried to make herself busy and get involved in my life after I banged her in my Ute a couple of months back; I never give out my mobile number but she knew the name of our company and had managed to get a call redirected from our office to my mobile about two weeks ago and asked me to see her again, I declined and she chucked a tanty over the phone at me until I hung up on her and I thought that was the end of it, but here she is, again.

  “Paige, how ya going?”

  She moves in for a cuddle but I step back and avoid her, as Ava would say ‘Awkward’

  “So you trying to avoid me Gabe?”

  “Why would I be trying to avoid you Paige?”

  “You tell me? You hung up when I called you and I haven’t seen you around in a while.”

  “I’ve been busy.”

  “I heard you were busy with Alyssa a couple of weeks back, what ya wanna be hanging with that skanky moll for?”

  “Because she likes uncomplicated sex Paige, she likes to fuck and walk away, she doesn’t stalk me at work and trick my secretary into putting calls through to me and she doesn’t piss me off when I see her in the pub.”

  “Fuck you Gabe.”

  “Yeah and fuck you too Paige. You knew exactly what you were doing with me, that it was a fuck and nothing more and you told me that’s all you were after, I didn’t lie to you, I was upfront from the start now if you don’t mind, I’ve just called in for a few beers and a catch up with my brothers; see ya around Paige, and don’t call my work again.”

  I go to walk away when I notice Jo and her mates come walking back into the bar, my eyes lock with shorty’s and she gives a little smile, giving me a little fatty, right there, in the middle of the bar. Paige is saying something next to me but I have no idea what, my blood is rushing in my ears, I really need to get this indigestion sorted, it’s affecting my chest, stomach and now my ears, it’s even making my legs a little wobbly. Fuck, she has the prettiest smile. It’s cute and hot and sexy, all at the same time but she looks sad, her smile doesn’t reach her eyes and they look sad and I have this almost uncontrollable urge to walk straight over to her now, wrap my arms around her and ask her what’s wrong, then I want to tell her that whatever it is, I will put it right for her, then I…What the fuck am I talking about? What is wrong with me?

  I raise my bottle and nod, in a ‘cheers’ gesture and it seems to make her happy as I see the spark of something…A smile? In her eyes.

  “You’re a fucking root rat Gabe, I fucking hate you!” Is what I think Paige says as she stomps off.

  Thank fuck, she’s gone, that makes me so happy that I can’t help but shrug and smile and smile and shorty smiles right back at me, she raises her glass towards me with a smile and the indi
gestion makes my stomach hit the floor and my head spins slightly, whatever it is that I ate, must have been really shithouse to make me feel this crook. Doesn’t seem to have affected my dick though, that is working embarrassingly well and is about to burst right out of my jeans if I don’t look away, she breaks eye contact first and I feel… I feel fine, fucking great, that’s how I feel, nothing else, yep, look away darl, makes no difference to me; I think this might actually be food poisoning, not just indigestion, because as she looks away, I suddenly feel sick!

  I turn around towards the bar where my brothers are both leaning back, grinning like a pair of pricks. I need a drink, a proper drink so I head for the bar and order bourbon and coke, hopefully that will cure my indigestion and settle my stomach.

  I spend the next half hour talking shit with my brothers and watching shorty’s tits bounce as she dances about with her mates.

  “Gabe?”

  “What?”

  “Jesus, will you take your eyes off her for a minute and listen to me, mate, I’m telling ya, you’ve got it bad, just go over and talk to her, what are ya a fuckin’ pussy or what?”

  “Zac, fuck off will ya.”

  Before I get chance to rip into my brother some more, I watch as my little red head, no not my –the little red head, make her way towards the toilets and I hear Zac call Jo over, “Jo, put my pathetic little brother out of his misery and introduce him to your mate, it’s getting painful standing here watching him drool.”

  Instead of Jo giving me the flick, she pulls me away from my brothers, “I’ll introduce you but you make any move to get in her pants and I will fucking hunt you down Wilde, she’s going through enough shit right now.”

  My stomach and my jaw both tighten at her words. Why would someone want to put anyone as little and cute and sexy and soft looking as that through shit? And again I get this overwhelming urge to wrap my arms around her.

  “Here she comes,” Jo continues, “She’s an interior designer, that’s all I’m telling you.”

  Jo calls her over and introduces her. Lauren, her names Lauren, she’s younger than Jo, about my age, maybe a year or two older, Lauren, her names Lauren and she has the prettiest face, a beautiful smile and the most amazing blue eyes, she looks all soft and curvy and I want to touch, fuck me do I want to touch, all of her, everywhere; my mouth is so dry and my dick is so hard I can actually feel it twitch every time my heart beats. She thanks me for the drink I bought her, she has an accent. English, London maybe?

  It takes me a few seconds too long to say “You’re welcome” As I think all of this through.

  I know I promised Jo but I want to take her home, I want my mouth and my hands all over those bouncy tits and round arse cheeks, my hands, my mouth, my tongue, over her, on her, in her; I want to hear my balls slap against her as I bang her from behind, while I hold on to those tits.

  I say something to her about doing some work for me, I think that’s what I said at least. This is fucking ridiculous, I’ve never, ever been affected by a woman like this, my blood is obviously all being directed to my dick right now, it’s actually painful where it’s so hard, the lack of supply to my brain is stopping my brain from forming coherent thoughts and I start to panic.

  What the fuck is wrong with me? I need to step away so that I can get this boner to go down, I offer to buy them both a drink and turn to the bar as Jo declines and heads off back to join the other girls they arrived with. I look back across at Lauren, she is shooting Jo death stares, she obviously didn’t want to be left alone with me and for some reason that thought causes a painful little flutter to shoot right through my heart. Heartburn and food poison?

  “Drink then, what would you like?”

  Lauren declines my offer, insisting she buys them as I bought her one earlier; I give her my order and watch her walk to the bar; she has the most amazing red hair that hangs all the way down her back, which brings my eyes to her arse, it’s not the biggest of arses but it fills her skin tight jeans nicely, how the fuck did she get into them I wonder as my eyes continue down her legs, she has one lifted up, her foot resting on the rail that sits on the floor, just in front of the bar and I can see how well toned her legs are; I lick my lips, I don’t want her that far away from me, I want to be next to her, I want to know her, I want to know about her, I want to be able to smell her, I want to taste her, fuck do I want to taste her.

  I take a step towards joining her at the bar when a Sheila suddenly appears beside me, “Hi Gabe.”

  “Hi,” is all I say back, I have no idea who it is, I don’t even look in her direction, I join Lauren at the bar just as she is served our drinks, we grab them and I lead us over to a space closer to the dance floor and away from the crowded bar, we set our drinks down on the table and I lean back against the wall.

  I can’t take my eyes off of her, she’s wearing this silky blouse, top thing and I am now positive she has no bra on, I lick my lip just thinking about how she would look out of those clothes and she catches me, shit, I take a deep breath to say something but I realise that she’s as affected as I am, she closes her eyes for a little too long and lets out the tiniest of sighs as she watches me lick my lip. Fuck. Me. I want her. There is no other thought in my head, all that’s going around is that, I want her, I want her, I want her, over and over and over, until it suddenly dawns on me that we have been silent for way too long and she is looking at me with those sad blue eyes and those cute little freckles on her nose and those tits, those fucking, perfect tits that are moving up and down as she breathes just a little too heavily, right in front of me and I think her nipples are sticking out, they’re hard, she’s so not wearing a bra, fuck! She. Is. Not. Wearing. A. Bra. Gabriel Joseph Wilde. Get a fucking grip and talk to the woman, before she walks away.

  “So, you come here often?”

  No, no, no. What the fuck am I saying? What a douche, seriously, kill me now! I’m almost too scared to look at her for a response, but I also can’t resist looking at her.

  Her eyebrows are raised and she has an amused smile on her face, “Really? That’s the best you can do?”

  I run my hand through my hair and let out a nervous laugh to try and hide the groan that’s actually escaping from me, I look around to see if my brothers are watching my pitiful attempts to engage this gorgeous, cute, sexy woman in conversation. They are, leaning against the edge of the bar. Cooper is laughing and shaking his head and Zac is holding two fingers under his chin, imitating the act of shooting himself, I give my head a shake. You can do this, make out it’s just Stella or Sam, just a normal conversation, about anything

  “Sorry, that was poor, I’m really sorry, I’m shit at this.”

  So, let’s just really fuck up your chances with her and let her know for sure that you’re incapable of holding a conversation with a woman. Way to go Gabe, what a wanker!

  “Oh, I doubt that,” she says sarcastically, very sarcastically and for some reason I find it hot, like really fucking hot, she is so different, she’s not some young, stupid thing, she doesn’t want to root me just so that she can go away and tell her friends that she banged Gabriel Wilde, she has no idea who I am, about my reputation and I actually feel like the ground is falling away from me.

  Sam told me that one day it would happen, that I would meet someone and bang, this is how I would feel, and bugger, she was right. I actually laugh out loud, I LOL as Ava would say.

  I have to explain, let her know why I am so crap at this; I have to let her know how special she is, “What? Do you doubt that I’m not very good at hitting on women?”

  That sounded wrong, it sounds like I’m bragging; I need Sam or Stella here, they would tell me what to say. What the fuck is wrong with me tonight? It’s got to be this indigestion, heartburn, food poisoning, thingo; it’s seriously affecting my brain.

  I jump and drop my coffee cup as my phone vibrates in my pocket and I’m suddenly, once again reminded of my surroundings as the sights, sounds and smells of the hospital inv
ade my senses… Shit, was I dreaming all of that? It felt so real, like I was there, back to that night and Lauren was there, with me, awake and smiling that sad smile she had when I first met her, sad but full of life, not like now, now she’s lying unconscious, half an hour away in a hospital bed and it’s all my fault, if I hadn’t fallen just a little bit in love with her that first night and completely in love with her over just a few short days after that first night, then she would never have been on that Jet Ski, she would never have been knocked unconscious, she would be safe and happy and living her life and I would be living mine, still oblivious to what it’s like to be in love, to want and need to be around someone every day, to touch them, to smell them; I hate being apart from her, even when we are both at home, I hate being in another room from her, ten feet and a few walls is just too much distance… and when she gets through this, I swear on my life that I will let her know every single day what she means to me, how she’s rocked my world, how she saved me from just existing and showed me how to live and love, if I could swap places with her, I would do it in a heartbeat, she has been through so much already…My phone vibrates again, this time it’s in my hand so I manage to answer the private number before it rings off.

  “Mr Wilde?”

  “Speaking.”

  “This is Meagan North, one of Lauren’s Nurses; we need you to get to the hospital as soon as possible. Mr Wilde – are you there?”

  LAUREN

  CHAPTER 13

  I’m vaguely aware of a floating sensation and a very loud noise, voices all around me, but none that I recognise; my eyes won’t open and my head aches and I feel very sleepy, I let myself drift away again.

  Next thing I think that I remember are more voices but again, I don’t know who they belong to, I force my eyes to open but the light is so bright it hurts my eyes and my head, someone takes hold of my hand.