GABRIEL #12
"Oh. Wow. So you can move them through your body whenever you want?"
"Yes. They are part of my… you could call it… defense system."
I obviously want to ask more, but I don’t because we’re already approaching level minus one.
At one point our eyes meet briefly in the reflection of the elevator wall, and there’s this tiny shift in his expression. Barely there, almost like he’s fighting back a subtle smirk.
The elevator doors open into the underground garage, where Gerard is already waiting beside the limousine.
Blue steps out first, and I follow right behind him, trying very hard not to stare again at his slim waist and beautiful neck, now half bare, with his hair swept to one side.
I fail immediately.
The entire car ride is basically me fixating on him while he stares at his tablet.
I watch his delicate fingers sliding across the glowing surface.
When he lowers his head slightly, I notice there’s something on his eyelashes. A dark sapphire shimmer. And there’s also this incredibly thin silver eyeliner tracing his eyelids, emphasizing the slight upward slant of his eyes.
Wow. He’s even wearing subtle silver glitter across his cheekbones. It’s placed so precisely that it follows the structure of the bones underneath, making his face look sharper, almost android-like.
"You have really interesting makeup on tonight," I say before I can stop myself. "It’s subtle, but really beautiful."
I’m fully expecting him to ignore that too, but he lifts his head and looks at me from beneath those dark sapphire lashes.
"That’s a lot of compliments for one evening," he says, cocking his head slightly.
"There would’ve been more, but I’m seriously holding myself back because I know that if I push it too far, I’ll end up in prison. Those ones just slipped out because I’d probably explode if I kept them in for a second longer." I give him a wide, apologetic smile.
Silence.
Yeah. Not surprising.
Blue watches me for a moment, then suddenly says, "You’re flirting with me, Gabriel."
Fuck. This is dangerous territory, and I immediately feel my face heat up.
"It’s not like that, I swear! I mean, I know you set boundaries, but can’t I simply say you look good sometimes? It’s a matter of politeness."
Silence again. Blue lowers his gaze and doesn’t answer.
Did I fix the situation?
Did he silently decide casual compliments are acceptable now? Eh, reading Blue is complicated.
Finally, we reach the gala building.
The limousine pulls up beneath a massive glass entrance glowing with white and gold light, and before the driver even fully opens the door, I’m already scanning the area with my 5-sec skill active.
Security is everywhere. Their presence isn’t obvious, just serious-looking guys in black suits with earpieces standing near the stairs, near the doors, near the metal detectors inside.
A few city officers too. No crowds pressing against barriers, no reporters screaming questions.
Whoever organized this gala clearly paid a fortune to keep it private.
Blue steps out first, one hand lightly adjusting the front of his coat.
And of course every person nearby immediately notices him.
An omega in a dark silver suit waiting near the stairs smiles politely the second he recognizes Blue. Probably one of the event coordinators.
"Mr. Lowen," he says warmly. "We’re honored you could attend tonight."
Blue gives a small nod.
I step out right behind him, keeping some distance to look professional while still staying close enough to react if needed. My eyes keep moving across the entrance, the balconies above us, the people near the doors.
Nothing weird, even though the people around still make me uneasy. Inside, the place is ridiculous.
The ballroom is actually some giant expo hall transformed into this insanely expensive-looking gala space full of hanging crystal lights, massive floral arrangements, glowing tables, and huge digital screens displaying the children’s hospital project everyone’s donating to tonight.
Waiters move through the crowd carrying champagne like synchronized NPCs.
Some guy from the organizing committee leads us toward the front tables while greeting Blue with fake smiles.
I notice people staring while we walk past. Mostly at Blue.
I mean… yeah. Understandable.
The room slowly fills with politicians, investors, celebrities, corporate executives, and famous doctors.
Rich people everywhere, and it’s a bit overwhelming, especially because I’m literally the only bodyguard staying close to his VIP inside the ballroom, which makes me kinda stand out in my mesh mask.
Blue’s assigned table is near the stage with the major sponsors.
The city mayor is already there talking to someone, and beside him sits Tim Kellan, Blue’s brother-in-law and apparently a newly elected state senator.
Tim notices Blue first and grins.
"There you are," he says. "I was starting to think you’d send a hologram instead."
Blue calmly takes his seat. "I considered it."
Tim laughs. The mayor looks way too fascinated by Blue immediately, which I dislike on sight.
I move a small distance away near one of the side pillars where I can keep the entire table and most of the ballroom in view.
The gala starts a few minutes later.
Some investor guy walks onto the stage and starts thanking sponsors one by one while giant screens behind him display donation numbers for the hospital project. The crowd claps constantly.
When he mentions Blue Lowen’s name, the applause noticeably gets louder.
Apparently Blue donated some completely insane amount of money.
Blue barely reacts while people around him glance over with obvious interest. He just sits there calmly with one leg crossed, fingers softly resting against his glass, looking like he doesn’t really care.
After the speeches, a young omega singer walks onto the stage wearing this strange green and fluorescent makeup that makes him look almost alien under the lights. I think he’s famous, but I don’t follow that kind of stuff. His voice fills the hall while servers begin bringing food to the tables.
Actual plated dinner. Fancy tiny portions arranged like modern art.
I notice that Blue doesn’t eat.
I stay standing while the rest of the elites stuff themselves and chat around the ballroom. Most conversations are fake as hell. Everybody smiles too much while at the same time measuring each other up.
At some point there’s an artistic dance performance on stage involving people bending in ways that look medically concerning. The audience seems fascinated.
I barely watch any of it.
Because my attention keeps drifting back toward Blue.