Chapter 10 Gabriel
Gabriel
The vaulted ceilings and large rooms made my new beach house feel like home, not that I missed home.
I was just glad I didn't have to crawl back onto a shitty air mattress after what happened with Sophia a few days ago. I hadn’t seen or heard from her in three days now, she had called in sick each day since I told her the truth like she asked.
It was obviously a bullshit lie to avoid me, but today was the day I was supposed to meet her at the art gallery.
From my kitchen window, I had an unobstructed view of the beach.
The early surfers were already out. I sipped my coffee thoughtfully as I watched their silhouettes against the backdrop of the rising sun.
I pulled open the glass patio door and stepped out into the warm, humid air.
The sun on my naked body, coffee, and a cigarette in hand—God, it was the perfect day.
I took a drag from my cigarette and watched the pure white smoke curl up into the salty sea breeze.
Today felt different. She would call, asking where I was and why I wasn't at the gallery.
My phone chimed from inside, piercing the serene sounds of morning waves and distant seagulls. I flicked the cigarette off the patio with a smile before returning inside. My bare feet padded on the cold marble floor as I made my way to the living room and grabbed my phone.
“Your movers have arrived. Thank you for using Island Moving Company.”
It wasn't Sophia, but still, it was only a matter of time. The doorbell echoed through the cavernous rooms, drowning out the silence. After putting on some clothes, I flung open the front door and took in the lanky appearance of two guys.
“Sup, I'm Cody,” the taller one said, his voice uncomfortably hoarse. His shirt, faded and stained, hung loosely around his gaunt frame. The other one looked equally filthy.
“What do you two junkies want?” I asked.
Cody itched his shaved head while his eyes darted around nervously. “We’re your movers.”
“Really?” I said, incredulous.
The other one wiped his nose while staring at me with unnaturally dilated pupils.
“You're Gabriel's, right? I'm Matt.” He reached out with a pale, bony hand.
I felt like I was looking at a stain on a shirt I couldn’t explain, except these two stains were on reality. “It's Gabriel, not Gabriel's. Have you ever heard of someone named Gabriel's?”
A nest of unruly black hair fell into his eyes as he lowered his hand.
“Couldn’t say I haven’t.”
I had thought about canceling the furniture I ordered and planned to send the refund to a new account once I made one with a local bank. I didn’t need the money now, but looking at these two made me wish I followed through on that plan.
“So, you two are my movers?” I asked.
“Yes, sir, and we are ready to work,” Matt said with too much energy.
I leaned against the door frame and ran a hand down my face. “Got some heavy lifting for you this morning. Better get to it.” I waved them away.
I watched as they shuffled down the patio stairs, their flip-flops pattering with each step.
Cody moved with nervous energy, the thin muscles in his arms twitching as he reached into the truck and pulled out the first box.
Matt was slower but somehow able to lift five times his weight.
They began bringing boxes and small furniture inside, and by the third trip up, they looked exhausted.
They both moved slowly now as they disappeared inside the truck.
A few minutes later, Cody reappeared, tugging wildly at a large black floor vase wrapped in bubble wrap. I knew its fate before he shimmied it off the bed of the truck. With the full weight of the vase relying on his thin arms, it slid out of his hands and shattered on the ground.
I bolted down the stairs. “Jesus Christ! Ready to work, my ass!” I shouted.
An elderly woman tending to her flowers looked up at me with a quivering chin and wide eyes.
The horrified expression on her face revealed her unfortunate misunderstanding in my poor choice of words.
I flashed her a smile, which had no effect.
I turned my attention back to the two idiots, and they took a step back.
Cody’s mouth moved like he was trying to find words, but nothing came out.
Through gritted teeth, I pointed at the shattered remains of a vase I didn’t remember ordering.
“Clean every last shard of this shit up.” Without a word, they fell to their knees, scooping up the ceramic shards without thinking about what they would do with them.
I grabbed the blue trashcan next to my garage and flung it in their direction.
Whatever substance they were on inspired them to move at breakneck speed.
Or maybe it was fear. Cody gave a meaningful look to Matt as they each scooped up a final handful.
They were communicating silently, the way brothers do.
A memory flashed in my mind of Damien and me at their age when we were always fucking up and dealing with the consequences.
I shook my head at my own sentimentality.
“Be careful with the rest of it, alright?” I said.
They both nodded without looking at me. I walked up the stairs and sat down on the cool marble floor inside, watching the front door sway in the breeze.
A quick glance at my phone told me what I already knew: Sophia still hadn’t reached out.
I had no choice but to wait. Calling her before she could make up her mind would only make her more hesitant to consider things logically.
She would retreat if I forced her to face the issue.
I stood up and grabbed a beer from the counter, shaking my head as I cracked it open.
Those two idiots had me drinking before noon.
I finished it quickly and grabbed another.
There really should be a way to see who your movers are before you hire them.
I tried to enjoy the warm beer, but the sound of flip-flops slapping the stairs drew my attention back to the open door. The two worthless movers stood there, empty-handed. I watched them with a blank expression. They didn't say anything; they just stood there, sheepishly staring back at me.
“What?” I said before finishing the second beer.
“We, uh, we can’t lift the fridge.”
I exhaled through my nose and followed them to the truck. It looked like they didn’t even try to move it.
“There it is,” Cody said, pointing at it.
I had no more energy for these two morons.
You would think we were dealing with some ancient, unmovable monolith, not a goddamn refrigerator.
I climbed in the truck and yanked the fridge towards me.
Once I reached the edge of the truck, I stepped out and wrapped my arms around it in a bear hug. With a grunt, I lifted.
“Move!” I growled as they stumbled out of my way.
I ascended the staircase with fierce willpower, each step a struggle between man and machine—well, appliance. I could feel the muscles in my arms and back bulging. Sweat rolled down my forehead as I reached the kitchen. With a primal grunt, I set it down.
“There,” I said, my voice low and ragged from exertion. “That’s how you move a fridge.”
Matt nodded in approval. “Yeah, man, I used to work out, but I hurt my shoulder a few months ago. So yeah, I used to, but I had to stop because of the injury.”
I couldn’t hide the judgment on my face and said, “Right, that’s what I figured.”
I helped them bring the rest of the boxes up to be done with it and frowned as I watched them drive away.
Everything I ordered to furnish the house was sitting in a big pile in the living room.
I had a lot to do, but the sooner begun, the sooner done.
I spent the next few hours unpacking, unwrapping, and constructing furniture.
I collapsed into my new, actual bed, staring up at the ceiling.
The whole day had seemed to pass in a blur.
A moments glance at my phone felt like an hour, and hours flew by in minutes.
That night in my office flashed in my mind, Sophias image perfectly vivid.
Her light brown curls falling loosely around her face, her beautiful eyes glowing in the soft lamplight.
I closed my eyes, and was in that moment again.
The sight of my arousal etched in her eyes was pure ecstasy; her mix of desire and uncertainty gave way to need as I kissed her.
I pulled her arm away, revealing her perfect tits with a gently bounce.
My hands explored her body, from the jut of her hips to the tantalizing dimples at the small of her back.
Her soft body against me was still fresh in my mind.
Raw and fiery, her passion matching mine with every touch, every movement.
Her back arched while she dangled in my strong arms, as I rocked her forward and back in sync with my thrusts, her soft perfect ass bouncing against me in a frenzy.
I could still hear her moans and feel the warmth that radiated from between her legs.
But when I opened my eyes I was alone in my room.
My hard cock needed Sophia, not a memory.
She still needed time to come around, a fact all the more clear considering she wasn’t on top of me right now.
She would reach out. How could she not? That memory was a shared one, she would be hopeless to resist, just as she was that night.