Chapter 3 Gabriel
Gabriel
For now, the Internet was my only friend in this town.
It had taught me everything I needed to know to seem like I was qualified to be director of operations at this marine biology center.
I kicked my feet up on my desk, swirling a glass of whiskey before taking a sip.
The amber liquid burned its way down, warming me up from the inside out.
Most of these normal jobs only required a week or so of training to coast by anyway.
For now I could fake it well enough—just enough to blend in.
A soft knocking rattled my door, pulling me from my thoughts.
I took another quick drink, savoring the warmth, then hid the glass in a deep drawer and sat in my chair normally.
“Come in.”
My office door creaked open, revealing an old man in a lab coat with a notepad in his hand, thick glasses resting low on the bridge of his nose. I leaned forward, studying the man. He reminded me of one of my servants, His back was hunched, and the notepad trembled slightly in his hand.
“Good morning. I’m Edward, the Lab Supervisor. How are you doing? Do you need anything or have any questions?”
“I’m good, thanks. How about you give me a tour of this place?”
He gave a nod, turned slowly, and led me down the corridors of this small town’s Marine Biology center.
I drank in the sterile whites and grays of the walls.
The whole place felt cold and clinical, a stark contrast to the vibrant colors of the small beach town outside.
Maybe I should have just been a lifeguard.
The thought of spending my days soaking up the sun instead of pacing these lifeless halls had a certain appeal.
“This is the break room. It should have everything you need. If you bring in lunch, do be sure you write your name on it.”
The break room was about as exciting as I expected. A fridge, microwave, coffee machine, and vending machine surrounded a few round tables. A standard setup, nothing more, nothing less. I glanced around, noting the lack of windows. No escape from the artificial light here.
“Okay, let’s move on,” I said after giving the room a cursory look.
Edward led me into the lab next, his hands waving erratically as he explained the importance of each piece of equipment—microscopes, centrifuges, tanks filled with swirling, vibrant marine life that seemed out of place within these sterile walls.
It was fascinating, in a way, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.
My mind wandered as he droned on about the lab’s capabilities.
As we continued our walk around the facility, Edward introduced me to various biologists and technicians.
Their names flew right over my head as soon as they introduced themselves.
I shook their hands, smiled, and recited snippets of my well rehearsed bullshit backstory.
We made our way back toward my office in silence, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead.
“So, who am I responsible for here?”
His chin quivered as he stared at me, his expression a mixture of uncertainty and obligation. “Well, that’s not exactly how it works at our facility, but technically, almost everyone, I suppose. And you have an assistant. She works at that little desk right outside your office.”
“What does she do?” I asked, my interest piqued.
“Pretty much anything you need done that you don’t have time for.” He chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. “She can practically do your job.”
This was all coming together perfectly.
“So why not just promote her?”
Edward shook his head. “Ah, we’ve had some unpleasant issues in the past hiring from within, and let’s just say, she can be very late sometimes.” He smirked with the slightest hint of superiority. “We needed someone reliable with credentials, like you.”
I matched his expression, a mirror of his smugness. “Yes, of course.”
Edward’s smirk twisted into a self-satisfied grin. “Just because she can do your job doesn’t mean she should.”
We turned the corner, and I stopped abruptly.
Down the hallway, just beyond the reach of the harsh fluorescent lights, a beautiful woman sat at a small desk by the door to my office.
She looked up at me with a pleasant, open expression—only for a moment.
Her green eyes flashed in disbelief, then irritation as she recognized me.
I gave her a warm smile, but she returned it with that same violent look I had seen a few hours ago. This was going to be interesting.
Edward cleared his throat, his gray skin now holding a bright red hue.
“Gabriel, this is your assistant, Sophia. I’ve got to go take care of something, but I’ll let you two get to know each other.
Welcome aboard, Gabriel.” He must have thought she overheard him disparaging her.
What a coward. As he hurriedly retreated down the hall, I was left standing in front of Sophia.
She sat straight, her eyes looking down at her hands folded neatly over a stack of paperwork.
Her wavy light brown hair fell past her shoulders and framed a face that was equal parts beauty and anger. I couldn’t help but notice her shallow breathing, the tension in her jaw. With a smile, I leaned in and said, “Don’t you have anything to say?”
She cleared her throat, lips twitching into a tight smile. She finally spoke. “There is nothing to say, Gabriel.” She looked down at a document in front of her as if she were simply getting back to work.
“Maybe, ‘Good morning? Nice to meet you, sir? Happy to work for you?’”
She flipped through the documents in her hand and settled on one that must have looked enticing enough to pretend to read.
“I can see you’re having a hard time hiding your disappointment.”
“I’m not trying to.” She said, her tone cool and controlled.
I smiled, slumping into the chair across from her. She didn’t even look up, just continued scanning whatever document she held in her hands. “I’m glad this is going to be a cohesive working relationship,” I said, leaning back in the chair, trying to read her face.
“Mmm,” was her only reply. Silence hung between us, thick and heavy.
“Well, don’t let me disturb your work,” I said, standing up. As I opened the door to my office, she spoke under her breath.
“You already have.”
I paused mid-step, glancing back at her over my shoulder. Her gaze was still fixed on the document in her hands, but her lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile, as if she scored a point.
“All right then,” I said, leaving my door open. I returned to my office and eased myself back into my chair. "I'll try to keep the disruptions to a minimum," I said, kicking my feet up on my desk, loud enough for her to hear.
“So why are you still disturbing me?” she shot back, her voice cutting through the quiet.
"Sophia, I need to see you in my office.”
She sighed, then appeared in the doorway, her gaze finally meeting mine. Her eyes were sharp, cutting into me, yet there was something there—an undercurrent of curiosity, maybe even a little desire.
“You have nothing scheduled for today, so feel free to leave at any time,” she said politely, her tone laced with indifference.
I flashed a smile at her. “You’re very diligent, memorizing my schedule so quickly. What about tomorrow?”
She crossed her arms, pulling her eyes away from mine. “There’s a dive at noon to collect some ocean samples.”
“Great, who’s going?” I asked, leaning forward slightly.
"I am," she replied, her tone flat and unamused. "And an intern who works in the lab. I suppose you'll want to come along to watch us work?”
"Actually,” I drawled, leaning back in the chair and lacing my fingers behind my head, "I think you could handle it. You're clearly capable."
She rolled her eyes at me, the motion full of disdain. “You'll need to fill out and sign the necessary liability forms."
"I'm sure I can manage that. Where are they?" I asked, flashing her another smile.
She shook her head, a small, exasperated sigh escaping her lips. “Under your feet.” Without another word, she left my office. The door closed shut behind her with a soft click, leaving me in the thick silence of my own thoughts.
Stretching out in my chair, I glanced at the pile of paperwork that sat innocuously on one corner of my desk and spent the next hour completing the forms. It was pretty straightforward and hardly required any effort.
As I worked, my mind kept drifting back to Sophia.
There was something about her—a fire beneath the surface.
I found myself staring at her signature on the liability form, alongside the line for the intern to sign and four more empty lines for other potential signatures.
I could use a coffee. The small amount I had this morning was not cutting it.
I stood, the chair squeaking in protest, and exited my office.
Sophia was still at her desk, her eyes focused on the papers in front of her, but I knew my presence had her complete attention.
"I'm heading over to the break room for some coffee and the interns signature if I can find her.
You want anything?" I asked, standing close enough to catch a note of her sweet perfume.
It was subtle, but it lingered in the air between us.
She glanced up, her plump lips parting in surprise for a moment before pressing back into a tight line.
She shook her head, her light brown hair swaying gently as she did so.
I walked past her, then stopped. There are few things I can’t stand more than issues festering due to a simple misunderstanding. Exhaling, I turned back to face her.
“Sophia.”
She ignored me, her eyes fixed on her work.
“Look at me.”
She did what I ordered, but now staring into her eyes felt like looking off the side of a steep cliff. “I didn’t order that painting knowing I would have to cancel it. It was an unexpected decision I had to make after my card declined this morning. You understand that, right?”
She narrowed her eyes and shook her head before harshly saying “Yeah.”
I scoffed and made my way to the break room.
It was mostly empty, but a few people ate their lunch at the round tables, talking in soft whispers.
I followed Sophia’s coffee recipe and scanned the room while it brewed.
I should have been paying more attention when Edward was giving me a tour.
I may have forgotten the intern’s name that I needed a signature for, but I couldn’t forget her freckled face and braided blond hair.
She sat at the other side of the room, staring at her phone.
She didn’t notice me until I took a seat next to her and cleared my throat.
She quickly looked up at me, her eyes growing wide, as they had when Edward introduced her.
“Oh hey, it’s great to see you again. Are you taking a break with me?” she asked. Her voice was high-pitched, cute at first, but quickly becoming annoying.
I looked down at the liability form in my hand, then back to her. “No, I just need you to sign this.”
“Oh, what for?” she asked, her voice grating on my nerves.
“You’re diving tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah, why?”
Jesus Christ. I ran my hand down my face. “You need to sign this because you’re diving tomorrow.”
“Oh.” She took my pen and signed her name, accenting it with a little heart.
“Perfect, thank you.” The incessant beeping from the coffee machine was soothing compared to what I just endured.
I left her at the table and went back to fill my cup.
Ready to get back to my office, I turned and nearly spilled the steaming drink.
The intern was standing inches away from me, looking up at me with a smile.
“Can I help you?” I glanced at her signature. “Amy?”
She placed a hand on my chest that fell to her side as I took a step back. “Will you come dive with us tomorrow? I’m supposed to drive the boat, but I’m kind of scared.” Her fake eyelashes made wide arcs as she blinked deliberately, trying to play the damsel.
"Scared, huh?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
She nodded, her eyes wide and pleading. I thought about it for a moment, then sipped my coffee while desperately trying not to smile.
I didn’t care about her fear, but this was a good opportunity—a chance to spend some time with Sophia outside the confines of the office.
Maybe out on the boat in the sun with some drinks, I could get her to loosen up and get over the damn painting.
I’d rather not have my secretary treating me so poorly.
"Alright," I finally said, tipping my coffee cup in her direction as if toasting our new arrangement. "I'll be there." I signed my name on the liability form.
Amy's face lit up, and she bounced up and down. “I can’t wait.”
"Don't mention it. Now if you'll excuse me."
“Of course, you’re a busy man,” she said with another flutter of her eyelashes.
I walked around her with a smile, then made my way back to my office.