by J. B. McGee
Gabby smiled a shy smile, “I think you’ve told me once or twice, but do feel free to tell me again.” She winked.
“You look beautiful and they are going to love you.”
Gabby nodded. “You’re pretty beautiful yourself in that suit.”
“Beautiful, huh. Not handsome, but beautiful.”
Gabby raised both eyebrows as her eyes grew, “Uh huh. Beautiful.” She said playfully.
He loved this restaurant. There were floor to ceiling windows around the entire building. This table was in a quiet corner that had arguably the best view in the entire restaurant. The water was beautiful as the sun was setting. Stone Mountain really was beautiful. The leaves were just starting to turn and there was a nip in the air signaling fall was in the air. Bradley loved this time of year. Football season was in full swing, the smells reminded him of his mom baking for the holidays, and he loved that it wasn’t too hot or too cold. He had enjoyed taking Gabby to a few Georgia football games, even though she was most definitely not a Georgia fan. He smiled as he thought about bringing Gabby back to Stone Mountain at Christmas time. He knew she would love the lights. In fact, he could see her in his mind giggling and the way the lights would reflect off her eyes, making her even more beautiful. There were so many things he couldn’t wait to share with her.
Holley Banks was a stunning woman. She was slender and tall. Bradley had got his height from both his father and his mother. Her black hair was cut in an inverted stacked bob. Bradley also got his piercing blue eyes from her. They were beautiful. She stood and smiled as she held her arms out for Bradley to hug her. “There’s my baby boy.” After she hugged him, she pulled back and walked to Gabby. “And, you must be Gabby.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Gabby embraced her. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Banks.” Gabby pulled Sam closer introducing her, “Mr. and Mrs. Banks, I’d like you to also meet my sister, Sam.”
“Yes, Sam. We’ve heard a lot about you, darling.” Mrs. Banks smiled as she embraced Sam.
Carmen was standing back through all of the introductions. Gabby and Bradley had gone over to her house a couple of times for dinner on the weekends. Sam already knew her from the wedding. She nodded smiling at Carmen, “Hi Carmen. Nice to see you again.”
Carmen walked up and hugged both of the sisters and her brother.
The rest of the evening was spent discussing Gabby’s and Sam’s future plans. Mrs. Banks told embarrassing stories about Bradley’s childhood. There was lots of laughter and for the most part his dad had been surprisingly pleasant.
When they had finished their coffee and desert, they stood to leave. Mr. Banks grabbed Bradley’s arm, “Son, can I have a word with you?”
Bradley looked down to Gabby, rolling his eyes. “You and Sam go ahead, I’ll catch up with you in a minute. Here are the keys.”
Gabby looked up to him giving him an are you ok look. “Okay?”
He nodded and kissed her head.
Bradley
Bill Banks was tall and obviously in good shape. There was no denying that Bradley had excellent genes. Even though Bradley strongly favored his mother, he also looked a great deal like his father. Holley and Bill Banks were a beautiful couple. They’d made gorgeous babies together. Bill had short salt and pepper hair and blue eyes, as well. He was dressed in a pinstriped tailored suit. Even for an older man, he was extremely attractive.
When Bradley and his father were alone, he knew what was coming. He was thankful his dad had been so cordial all night. At least he had not embarrassed Gabby, or any of them for that matter.
“Dad?”
“Son, you don’t bring women home. And the one you do bring home is just a kid. What the hell are you thinking? Have I not taught –”
Bradley interrupted him, “She’s not a kid, she’s my girlfriend. And, I love her.” Bradley hissed.
“Well, what about the distance?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but it’s not been an issue thus far.”
His father pursed his lips and ran his fingers over his mouth. “This girl doesn’t seem to have a lot of money. Are you sure she’s not just with you for you money, son?”
Bradley went to turn on his heel. “We are so not having this conversation.”
“Son, don’t you walk away from me.”
Bradley stopped and turned half his body. “Dad. I looked up to you my entire life. I thought you were cool. It took Gabby for me to realize that what you’ve been doing to mom all these years is disgusting.” He clenched his teeth and squeezed his fists by his side. “I don’t want that for my life, not anymore. We’re done here tonight.”
His father stood there speechless as Bradley walked away.
It had been a couple of weeks since Gabby had met Bradley’s parents. Sam and Ryan had stayed in touch and things seemed to be going well for them. They had agreed to just be friends. Gabby and Bradley could only laugh at the attempt to contain the obvious explosive chemistry they had shared that day playing putt putt.
Gabby had been continuing the therapy with Dr. Harrison. She had thought a lot about what she had proposed and was anxious to leave the past in the past. She was working hard to move past the hurt she had experienced over the course of her short life by focusing on her future. That person was Bradley Banks. She was 99% sure she was going to choose social work as major. Bradley had been very supportive of her desire to help battered women and children.
Gabby was now on winter break and she had been staying with Bradley in Atlanta. What was even better than staying with Bradley for several weeks was that Sam had agreed to come to Atlanta for Christmas.
Bradley had talked to Ryan about a special date he had been planning for Gabby. He had something very important to ask her and he wanted to make sure that everything was perfect. He also thought it would be a great way for Ryan and Sam to spend more time together. He knew it would mean more to Gabby if Sam was there.
He had been working mostly from home during the time Gabby had been staying with him. Her being with him had made him want her even more, not just physically, but emotional. He loved being with her. Even if they weren’t saying a word, he loved her being beside him on the couch. He loved getting to look at her while he ate his meals. He would never get sick of watching her sleep.
He had told the sisters that they were going on a road trip and to dress warmly. He wished he had taken a picture when Gabby saw the limo pull up to the apartment.
“What is this?” She looked over to him. She was so excited she could barely keep her feet on the ground.
Bradley had arranged for a limousine to take them to their destination and back. He thought it would be nice to not have to worry about driving. The girls would be able to talk. They would all be able to drink. He hadn’t been able to see Ryan much since he was in residency, so he knew they would enjoy catching up on sports.
He kissed her hand. “It’s a limo, climb in.”
Sam giggled and looked up into Ryan’s brown eyes. “Did you know about this?”
He smirked and conceded, “I did.”
Sam put her hands on her hips and sighed. He bit his bottom lip grinning and she busted out laughing.
Gabby and Sam climbed into the back of the limo and Bradley made sure everyone had a drink. He had arranged for their favorite champagne.
“Where are you taking us?” Gabby asked.
“Yeah, Mr. Moneypants. Where are you taking us?” Sam chimed in.
Bradley smirked as he looked at Ryan. “Should we tell them?”
Ryan bobbed his head from left to right, “Hmmm. Nah.”
The girls both nudged their guys simultaneously. “Not fair.”
Gabby had gotten excited as they approached Hopeland Garden’s in Aiken, but slouched when they passed the entrance. She had hoped that was where he was taking her ever since they had taken the Aiken exit. She wondered where he might be taking her if not there. What else was there to do in Aiken that would be so special, she thought?
When the limo pulled into the parking lot of the old shopping center next to the Applebee’s, she remembered that you have to take a shuttle to Hopeland Gardens at Christmas to see the lights. She and Sam made eye contact and beamed at the realization he had made arrangements for them to come together to see the Christmas lights.
Bradley placed his hand on Gabby’s leg. “Hey, I thought it was time to make some Christmas traditions. I know how special this was to you and Sam last year.”
A tear streamed down Gabby’s face and she was unable to speak. She just shook her head and cupped his face in her hands. He leaned over and kissed her, whispering, “I love you, Gabby Girl.”
He had told her he loved her at Thanksgiving. The past couple of months had been the best in her life. She couldn’t believe they were actually true. “I love you, too.”
Sam and Ryan watched on and Sam just rolled her eyes. Ryan’s hand was resting on the side of his leg barely touching Sam’s leg. She moved her hand closer, and then slowly threaded his fingers through hers. Neither looked at each other, but both were blushing.
Bradley pulled away, “C’mon. Let’s get in line.”
“Oh you mean you didn’t pay someone off to get us to the front of the line?” Sam winked.
Bradley gave her a condescending playful look. “No, I didn’t think all these sweet people with children would appreciate that.”
“Awe, Bradley. You’re so sweet,” Sam teased.
The wait for the shuttle had not been too long. The ride to there was only a couple of minutes. Gabby felt like she was in high school riding on a bus with her boyfriend, hands threaded together laughing with her sister and Ryan. She smiled at the couples with children and prayed that one day, these traditions would evolve into their family traditions.
“The lights are beautiful, aren’t they?” Gabby asked Bradley.
He leaned down and kissed her. “They are, but not as beautiful as how you look with the lights bouncing off of you.”
Gabby couldn’t do anything other than grin like a fool. She shook her head and finally found words. “You’re so smooth, such a charmer.”
Bradley shrugged his shoulders, raising his eyebrows, and said, “Hey, what can I say?”
Gabby nudged him. “Let’s get some hot chocolate.”
Ryan motioned for the opposite direction. “We’re going to go to the dollhouse thing over there. We’ll catch up with you two later.”
Bradley smiled a wry smile. “Sure, man.”
Bradley
Everything was going as planned. He and Ryan had already talked and planned for him and Sam to give them some space. He just needed to wait for the right time. His palms were sweaty even though the temperatures were just above freezing. He was thankful for his gloves so that she couldn’t tell just how nervous he was.
It didn’t matter what she said, even though he wanted her to say yes. He just needed to finally ask her, get it off his chest. Her staying with him had only made him want it even more. It was the next logical step in the relationship.
“Bradley?” Gabby nudged him.
He shook his head trying to snap out of his nervous thoughts. “Yeah, sorry.”
She handed him his hot chocolate. “Do you want to go into that Racing Hall of Fame or do you want to just walk around?”
Bradley smiled, “Let’s just walk around.”
Bradley held his hot chocolate with one hand and put his other around her back, bringing her close to him to keep her warm. She walked with both hands on her cup, blowing and sipping her drink.
When they got to a bench overlooking one of the big ponds that went in front of the stage, Bradley motioned for her to sit down.
“This is so pretty. I love this place at Christmas.” Gabby squeezed her shoulders in trying to stay warm.
Bradley put his empty cup down on the bench. He turned towards her and shook his head, “You really don’t even have a clue how gorgeous you are, do you?”
She shook her head smiling. “No, I don’t see it. But, you say it an awful lot.”
“Gabby…” He ran the back of his fingers down her face.
“Yeah?”
“Please don’t freak and run away when I ask you what I’m about to ask you.”
Gabby’s brows furrowed with concern. She looked around. “Where exactly would I run? We took a shuttle and a limo. I’m kinda stuck and at your mercy at the moment.”
“I just mean from us, from this.” He wanted her to know it didn’t really matter what she said. He knew she would immediately think that what they were wasn’t enough if he didn’t clarify. “Gabby, I need you to know that no matter what you say, I love you and I want you any way I can have you. I still mean that.” He leaned in and kissed her.
“You’re really making me nervous. Just ask whatever you need to ask already.”
“Did you know there’s an all-girls school in Gainesville? It’s about an hour or so north of Atlanta?”
Gabby shook her head. “No.”
“Please just think about this before you answer,” he hesitated, “I am willing to pay your tuition if you’ll transfer there next semester.”
Gabby’s mouth gaped open. “Why would I do that? I don’t even know if I can transfer that fast.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Because I’ve already started looking for a house closer to there so we can live together. So we can be together, Gabby.”
She swallowed and whispered, “You want us to live together?”
“I do, Gabby.”
She kissed him softly. “I love you. This is a huge step, though.”
“I know. It is for me, too.”
She nodded, “Yeah, I guess it is, isn’t it?”
“Huge.”
“Can I think about it? I will need to see if I can even transfer this late.”
He pulled her into a hug because she was shivering. He kissed her on the head. “If not this semester, then please tell me you’ll do it this summer and transfer for fall term.”
She pulled back. “I think if things are going well, summer seems a little less scary and overwhelming to me. This has moved so fast, Bradley.”
“So, you’d agree right now to summer?” His eyes beamed.
“If things continue to go well, yes.”
He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her passionately. “I love you so much,” he whispered.
Chapter 17
January, 2011: The Present
Bradley
When he got back to his car he punched his fists against the steering wheel. Taking a deep breath, he realized he had to get out of there. He couldn’t give her the opportunity to see how much pain she had caused him. He pulled out and went about a mile down the road to a gas station. He pulled over and just hunched over the steering wheel in despair.
After a few minutes, he realized he had to talk to Gabby. He searched the floor board for his phone that he had so carelessly thrown across the car in anger. He had hoped when he looked there would be a missed call from her or something, but nothing. There were multiple missed calls and texts from Sam demanding to know what had happened and to let him know she had also been unable to reach Gabby.
He tried to call Gabby. It went straight to voicemail.
Bradley: 2:34pm
“Gabby, I know you’re upset with me. Will you please call me back. Let’s talk this out, please --- I love you.”
He tried again in a couple of minutes.
Bradley: 2:38pm
“Gabby, even if you don’t want to talk, at least text me back and let me know you’re ok.”
He filled his tank up and decided that if he couldn’t get her on the phone, he’d just drive to Columbia. He headed to his place to grab an overnight bag and while he used the voice command to call Sharon. When she picked up, he barely gave her time to say hello. “Sharon, It’s Bradley.”
“Mr. Banks, what can I do for you?”
“I wanted to let you know that I’ve had something come up
in South Carolina and I need you to cancel my schedule through Wednesday, please. I’ll check in Monday with further instructions for you.”
“Yes, sir. Anything else?”
Running his hand through his hair, he exhaled. “No, that’s it. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sir. Safe travels.”
“Bye, Sharon.”
By the time the phone conversation had ended he was pulling into the parking garage of his apartment. He hopped out, shoving the phone into his pocket and rushed inside the elevator that took him to his place. He grabbed his overnight bag and started grabbing jeans, a couple of tees, sweaters, and some boxers, throwing them into the bag. He grabbed all of the toiletries he needed and the medication he usually took on a daily basis for ADHD.
On his way out of his bedroom, he remembered the gift bag he had stored in his closet. He had planned to give it to her later that evening before everything had gone awry. He swiveled and turned to the closet, grabbing the bag in one fluid motion. He stood in place for a moment as he did a mental check of everything he might need. When he realized he had everything he couldn’t replace in South Carolina if he forgot it, he cut off all the lights and headed back out to his car. He had decided he would stay in South Carolina for as long as he needed to sort out the mess with Gabby that Veronica and Ian had created.
Bradley was about halfway into his trip to Columbia. He had frantically been trying to call Gabby, but no luck. He couldn’t even remember how many messages he had left for her. He didn’t want to tell her about Veronica and Ian over the phone, but he was worried about her. He wanted to at least make sure she was okay. The other concern was that he was driving to Columbia, but he worried that maybe she had decided to stay in Atlanta or even go to Charleston to see Sam. Ultimately, it was not knowing where she was and whether she was okay or not that worried him the most. He knew Sam had not been able to get in touch with her earlier. He really didn’t want to have to talk to Sam again so he had not tried to call her.