by Avery Lane
“I do,” Gabriel shrugged. “But you don’t have to pay me back.”
“Oh no, I can’t…” Riley said. “I can’t accept that. And I’m perfectly capable of paying for my own food. Just a bit unprepared today.”
“Consider this a gift,” Gabriel smiled.
“I can’t.” Riley shook her head.
“Why?” Gabriel looked a bit insulted now, or maybe confused.
“I just, you know, I don’t like…” Riley began to explain, feeling a bit silly now. “I don’t want anyone’s help anymore.”
“Anymore?”
“I mean, at all,” Riley shook her head. “Not ‘anymore.’ I meant ‘at all.’ I don’t want – I mean, I don’t need anyone’s help. Not that I don’t appreciate…your help.”
“Alright,” Gabriel laughed. “Then pay me back. Whatever. It’ll be a nice excuse to see you again.”
Riley furrowed her brows.
Oh, she thought. Was this...?
Flirting.
She had never really done it as an adult.
Suddenly, she was blushing furiously.
And she could tell it was a furious blush by Gabriel’s reaction. His lips curled up in amusement.
“You can pay me back tonight,” Gabriel said. “Over dinner or something.”
“Oh.”
This was too much. Her morning had gone from a total disaster to a peculiar stroke of good luck, then back to a tiny bit more of bad luck, and now she was being asked out on a date? Riley wasn’t ready to date. In fact, she couldn’t be farther from it. She barely knew who she was outside of being Evan’s wife and she hadn’t yet had a chance to, I don’t know, self-develop.
But you didn’t say no to a man who looked like Gabriel, right? She had never really dated, but she knew that these sort of men could not be easy to come by. Especially for someone as dowdy and average as she knew she was.
Wait. Was that something to be suspicious of? A man clearly out of her league who just upped and paid for her breakfast then proceeded to ask her to dinner?
Maybe she was underestimating her value in the dating market. Or maybe Gabriel had no idea what he looked like. But judging from the way the baristas and café patrons were staring at him, Riley figured that was unlikely.
“Okay, sure,” Riley blurted out.
Oh my God, her brain screamed. I wasn’t done analyzing this! She could feel her mind continuing to protest, furious at the words that had managed to escape her mouth. But it was too late. Gabriel was already putting his number in her phone.
You can still say no, you can put a stop to this!
Riley smiled, letting out a small laugh at the war between her brain and her body. When Gabriel returned the smile, his gorgeous eyes crinkling in delight, Riley already knew her body would sure as hell be going on this date even if her mind didn’t want to.
5
The air was still and crisp, just warm enough that an evening amble through Park Slope seemed like the perfect idea.
Keeping things casual also helped with Riley’s nerves.
Riley wished she had the luxury of consulting someone over her chosen outfit, but having friends wasn’t exactly something Riley excelled in. Evan was meant to serve as an all-in-one. He was at once a husband and a best friend by default. He had his own friends that sometimes served as Riley’s social circle, but that was really it. If it weren’t for Marco, Riley knew that these past two months would have been nothing but pure isolation and loneliness.
Marco would probably be happy to pick an outfit out for Riley. Though he was mostly reserved and quiet, he had always dressed impeccably and had that classic sort of good taste that Riley always admired. But she wasn’t about to subject him to anymore of her personal life. At least not today.
So Riley decided to mimic Sierra’s outfit as best she could with what she had available. She owned a floral dress, but like many of the things she wore, it looked a bit childish – like the sort of thing Judy used to put her in on picture day. The print was pink and pastel, unlike the bold violets and junipers on Sierra’s dress. But it was all she really had that was appropriate for a springtime date.
Because she didn’t own a lick of leather, she topped the dress with a white lace cardigan and prayed that the right makeup and hair would save her from looking like she was heading to church.
There was so much time and thought put into her outfit, hair, and makeup that she just about guffawed when Gabriel arrived wearing the same exact outfit he had on when they met earlier that day.
All eyes were on them as they strolled down Fifth Avenue. And there were plenty of people out on this beautiful spring evening. Riley couldn’t help but wonder what it was that drew those glances when she was far more used to being overlooked. At her diminutive size, she had even gotten used to getting elbowed in the face by taller people who didn’t even realize she was behind them.
So it was more than unusual to know that she suddenly had everyone’s attention. She considered, just briefly, that this was the result of her disastrous choice in dressing herself. Or maybe she had inadvertently broken some sort of date rule with her hair up in a ponytail. But realistically, she knew it wasn’t anything about her that was drawing all the stares.
They’re staring because Gabriel’s a giant. And a gorgeous giant, at that. One that didn’t seem to mind that the contents of his taco were tumbling down the front of his shirt.
Riley smiled. That was definitely it. People were staring because of the wildly handsome and surprisingly adorable man standing beside her. And rather than be uncomfortable with that, she should be happy that she was lucky enough to land him. And just two months into being single.
Over the course of a dozen blocks, Riley learned that Gabriel had graduated college a year early and spent the past decade traveling the world as a camera operator for an eccentric trust fund baby with aspirations of making the “next groundbreaking documentary.” Gabriel was compensated well and enjoyed what felt like paid vacations, but thousands of hours of footage later, they never actually completed a single project.
And as fun as all that was, he found himself yearning for something to show for his efforts. So he returned to New York to start his own business.
Gabriel was the man responsible for the war cries that Riley heard rumbling through the vents. He ran a parkour studio, one that had gotten increasingly popular due to its vast space and the creatively challenging obstacles that Gabriel had designed.
“So what you’re hearing is grown men doing back flips off fifteen-foot walls,” Gabriel said, disposing of his taco wrapper as he patted the food off the front of his shirt.
“And they like…land on their feet?” Riley frowned. She couldn’t imagine how that would work.
“No,” Gabriel laughed. “At least not most of them. I have like a pit of foam for them to land in.”
“What made you decide to open a parkour studio of all things? Why not videography since that’s what you’ve been doing?”
“My favorite part of what I did wasn’t the camera stuff. It was all the climbing around to get good shots,” he replied. “So when I got home, I thought – what if all I did was just the climbing? So, bam. Parkour studio.”
“Interesting train of thought,” Riley smiled. She thought about Evan and his obsession with American Ninja Warrior. He was nowhere close to athletic, but it would’ve been a dream of his to own a parkour studio. Or any business at all. He never considered what Riley had to be a legitimate business and insisted on correcting her every time she would refer to her work as such. He took any chance he had to tell her that she was “just a freelancer” and that she didn’t have the chops to be more than that.
It was a big part of what drove her to find herself an office. Riley supposed she should thank Evan for that.
“So how about you? What’s life like as an event planner?”
“It’s lot of phone calls,” Riley started. “And organizing and bossing people around. There’s a bunch of
paperwork. It’s fast-paced. There are deadlines. Tons of pressure.”
“Your dream job, I’m assuming.”
“Yes, actually,” Riley smiled. “I know that was a joke, but it feels like you have me figured out.” Gabriel looked pleased with himself, the way a kid might look after finishing a particularly difficult puzzle.
“I think I have a good sense of who you are.”
“Is it good or bad, what you sense?”
“Obviously good or we wouldn’t be on a date right now.”
“You know, when you said we’d be going to dinner, I actually thought we’d be sitting down at a restaurant somewhere.”
“Oh, what? You didn’t like the taco truck?” Gabriel put a hand over his chest, like he was wounded by this.
“No, it’s good!” Riley laughed. “This is good. It’s, I don’t know, less pressure?”
“I thought you just said you were into being under pressure.”
“Yes, but only at work,” Riley answered. “I’m a very different person at work versus not at work.”
Gabriel stopped walking, turning towards Riley to look at her with a thoughtfulness she couldn’t understand. There was a soft expression on his face.
Riley was intrigued. And flattered. There was something about his gaze that made her feel fascinating. Like nothing she had ever felt before.
A dreamy, bell-like melody suddenly surrounded her and it was only then that she realized they were stopped in front of an ice cream truck. She wanted to be embarrassed, but instead, she laughed at herself, peering up through her lashes as she watched Gabriel pull out a wad of cash.
“We want ice cream, right?” he asked. “I don’t want to speak for you, but I’m just getting these ice cream vibes.” He flipped open the wad, flipping quickly through a bunch of singles.
“Do you moonlight as a stripper?” Riley teased. “I imagine you’d do well.”
“I appreciate the compliment,” Gabriel replied, cracking a smile. “But I’m just the type that carries cash around.”
“I feel like our generation just, you know, does everything electronically so it’s kind of weird that you do.”
“I think you maybe mistaken about us being from the same generation,” Gabriel said. Riley hadn’t considered that. Gabriel didn’t look old at all. She had just assumed they were the same age.
“So…how old are you?”
“Thirty-six,” he replied. “Is that okay?”
“Oh, sure,” Riley said. That was barely different from her thirty-one years, but she recognized that the five years between them might’ve meant a significant distinction in their technological behavior. “Don’t you want to know how old I am?”
“I assume of age because you own your own business.”
“There are literal children running companies in Silicon Valley, I think it’s best you ask.”
“Isn’t it rude to ask women how old they are?”
“Why are you so old-school? You’re only four years older than I am!”
“Alright, so you’re thirty-one,” Gabriel said. “Clearly, it was very important for you that I know that. Now what ice cream do you want?”
“Strawberry shortcake, please.”
“A sophisticated choice.”
“You’re mocking me.”
“No, I’m really not,” Gabriel replied. “Because I’m ordering one of those Spongebob bars with the gumball eyes.”
Riley watched as Gabriel put in their order, totally straight-faced. He wasn’t kidding about the Spongebob bar. As he counted out the cash to pay, Riley pressed a fresh ten-dollar bill into his hand.
“For this morning,” Riley said.
“Oh, damn,” Gabriel replied. “You weren’t kidding about paying me back.”
“Why would I be kidding?”
“I don’t know, I thought it was banter.”
“Maybe it was a little bit banter,” Riley replied. “But it was mostly a new policy of mine. Accepting help has only ever bit me in the ass. But you did come to my aid in my time of need and I thank you for that. And now we’re even.”
“Fine,” Gabriel laughed. He pocketed the money before taking their popsicles and resuming their walk. He held the strawberry shortcake out towards Riley. “Just FYI, I’ll do better on our next date. I’m seeing now how bad tacos and popsicles look.”
“Next date?” Riley arched an eyebrow.
“Oh please, you know you like me.” He took a bite out of his popsicle.
“Of course,” Riley smiled, taking her own popsicle from him. “How could I not?” She just didn’t realize he liked her back just as much.
“So,” Gabriel said. “Tell me how a girl from upstate turns into the Type A businesswoman you are today.”
Riley furrowed her brows.
Something about the sentence struck her as odd.
It took her a good long second before she realized what it was.
“How’d you know I’m from upstate?” she asked. Riley had told him a bunch of things over the course of the night, but she was pretty sure she hadn’t mentioned that. She kind of didn’t like mentioning where she was from. But she wracked her brain, wondering if she was wrong.
Gabriel didn’t answer.
She looked up at him, waiting.
He continued walking in silence, his jaw clenched shut.
Every beat that went by made Riley feel more on edge.
“Sorry,” he said, finally. He held his popsicle out to show Riley. Spongebob was missing an eye. “I just got the gumball unexpectedly and it got stuck in my teeth.”
“Oh.” Riley let out a hesitant laugh. That explained the pause, but not how he knew she was from upstate.
“Your phone number,” Gabriel replied. He blew a perfectly round bubble before popping the gum and sucking it back into his mouth. “845. That’s an upstate area code.”
“Oh!” Riley exclaimed. She wrapped her free hand over her forehead. “I’m an idiot, duh.”
“What, you thought I was some creep?”
“For a second, yeah.”
“Hmm,” he responded, his lips pressed into a straight line.
“Sorry. For thinking you were a creep.” Riley frowned.
“It’s fine.”
The atmosphere thickened with an unbearable awkwardness.
Riley gritted her teeth. Well, there goes the night.
“I’m sorry,” Riley said again. “We were having such a good time and I just ruined it.” She could feel her stomach turn. She was suddenly very aware of the taco sitting inside it.
“No, of course not,” Gabriel shook his head, stopping to put a hand on Riley’s shoulder. “I’m still having a great time, I swear.”
“You know, ugh. I shouldn’t say this, but maybe it’s a bit early for me to be dating again. Maybe that’s why I’m acting like this.”
“What do you mean?”
“I didn’t want to mention this, but you actually caught me at kind of a weird time in my life,” Riley continued. She didn’t want to be saying these words, but they wouldn’t stop. “I’m actually technically…married. But separated. My husband left two months ago. I saw him for the first time this morning and it kind of threw me off my game. He’s also acting even worse than usual, so I don’t even know how to deal. And what I was used to already sucked.”
Shit.
Boy, she could babble when she wanted to. She could feel her mind screaming at her tongue, begging it not to continue. Oh my God, stop it, seriously.
Riley had committed a massive first date faux pas by subjecting Gabriel to ex drama. She didn’t need a rich history of dating to know that much. And now, so she wouldn’t keep going, she was waist-deep in the gravid, awkward silence it had created.
Gabriel furrowed his brows, looking concerned.
Change the subject, Riley thought. Maybe bore him with thorough details of your seasonal allergies. Dear God, I shouldn’t be allowed out of the house.
“Did he…hurt you?” Gabriel asked. “
Like, physically?”
“Oh, no. It was nothing like that,” Riley replied. She didn’t want to mention the chair. Not after all she had already said. She had just met the man and she was already forcing him to worry for her.
“You wouldn’t lie about that, would you?”
“Definitely not,” she said. “He’d never lay a hand on me. Can we talk about something else? I really hate that I mentioned any of this at all.”
“If this happened just today, it’s kinda fresh, isn’t it? You’re not really going to enjoy yourself until you get it off your chest,” Gabriel said. “And I want you to enjoy yourself. For purely selfish reasons.”
“Ha,” Riley smiled, feeling a bit relieved. “Fine. But first, just to make me feel less awkward, you need to tell me why you ended your last relationship.”
“Hmm.” Gabriel’s eyes crinkled thoughtfully. “The last girl I dated was back when we were working in Australia. She was a chef. She threw her favorite knife at me and then made me pay for it because it got damaged when I ducked and it hit the wall behind me.”
“Um, wow.” Riley blinked.
“Did you know knives can get really expensive?” he asked. Riley shook her head. “Anyway, I’m more than familiar with the crazies.”
“Evan was a different kind of crazy, though,” Riley explained. She took a deep breath. Guess I’m doing this after all. “He was controlling, but did it in a stealthy way so that I didn’t realize until it was too late. My only friends were his friends. He made sure of that. He dictated what I ate by cooking every meal for me and got cranky if I ever wanted to deviate. While I was building my business, he was most of our income. But then my business got going and I quickly caught up to him. Even surpassed him a little. He didn’t like that he couldn’t control my work and it was then that I realized I let it all happen again.”
“Let what happen again?”
“My mother was like this too,” Riley sighed. Her brain had given up on telling her to shut up. She was clearly not shutting up. “It’s a little different of course, because I was a kid for most of my time with her so I’d obviously need her help and guidance. But it went beyond that. She was an unbelievably oppressive presence in my life, beyond your typical helicopter parent. If she could’ve controlled the rate at which I breathed, I think she would have.”