Chapter 13
Gabriel: #FamilySucks
“Y ou’re a good man, Gabs. A good, sexy man and if you weren’t my best friend, I’d ride you like a …,” she mumbles before passing out.
Shit!
Am I having a heart attack? The way my heart is thumping, it sure doesn’t seem natural. Somehow, Nora is having an effect on me that no one, not even Nora in the pre-I-see-her-as-a-woman-era, has ever had on me. This is completely unfamiliar territory.
I mean, I’ve slept with my fair share of women, many of them super cute and some beautiful in the classic sense. There were some who were intelligent and others not so much. There has been a good variety, I’d say. I thought I’d seen it all, felt it all, and therefore this—whatever it is I’m feeling now—is alien and has taken me by surprise, and I don’t know how to deal with it. She’s my friend, for God’s sake, not just some woman. I can’t mess it up. Can’t afford to lose her.
But even as my thinking brain advises me against treading in that direction, my not-so-thinking brain comes up with images of how she’d ride me like. She thinks I’m sexy, at least when she’s drunk. What would it feel like when she rides me? There’s a rush of blood between my legs and a quick glance at my sleeping friend is enough to make me feel like a predator.
How can I have these thoughts for my best friend? It’s like crossing the line that must never be crossed. I’m probably the worst friend there could be. She said it in a drunken state. She doesn’t mean it. Or does she?
No. No. No.
I beat a quick retreat and make a beeline for my room. I don’t think I’m in a mental state to be around Nora right now. A good night’s sleep might do the trick.
Unfortunately, I’m still stuck with these thoughts when I wake up the next morning. I can’t get her slurry speech before she slept out of my mind, nor can I forget the feel of her lips or the sound of her moan.
Have things changed between us? It sure felt that way last night. More importantly, does she feel the same or is she regretting it?
I peep into the other room. She’s still asleep. I walk in and sit down beside her. There’s a red line on her cheek, most likely pressed by the pillow or cover, her hair falling around her cherubic face and a stray strand inside her mouth. Careful not to wake her, I pull the strand out of her mouth. Her lips spread into a smile, the faintest traces of her dreams still lingering on the soft curves, and she turns and faces the other side.
I want to keep sitting here and watching her before I realize how stupid that is. I almost feel like slapping this dewy-eyed-schoolgirl version of the man I’ve become. Watch someone sleep? I mean, it doesn’t get more maudlin or cheesy than that.
I march right out of her room, stealing a glance at her before leaving, and brew some coffee while I wait for her to wake up. I’d like to understand her take on last night before deciding anything.
I take my coffee cup and make myself comfortable on the couch. I pick up my phone that I’d left here last night and notice a few messages from Mom.
“Don’t forget the dinner next Saturday at home. Bring Nora too if you like.”
Then another that she sent five minutes later.
“Let me know if Nora will be coming. I’ll make preparations accordingly.”
And another.
“Your Dad says you must bring her. It’s been a long time since we’ve met her.”
I let out a sigh as I remember the lie Nora had told Mom yesterday. Was it only yesterday? Jesus! It seems like weeks ago. If she’s uncomfortable faking it all, we can call it quits and tell Mom she was joking. She’ll buy that, quite happily, in fact. The only problem would be that I’ll have to deal with the Sophia thing. But that’s okay. I’d never want to put Nora in an uncomfortable situation.
Sophia, I’ll somehow manage.
Just then, there’s a call from Dad.
“Morning Dad,” I say as I pick it up.
“Morning, son. So you’re going to the new office today?”
“Yeah,” I say, remembering now. Wow! I’d almost forgotten about it, what with last night and everything.
“Excited?”
“Um, I don’t know. I guess. I think it’ll be just for a few hours today.”
“Don’t think that it’s something you have to do. Tell you what, son, even if your mom’s family owns the company, you still have to earn the respect of the people you’ll work with. So my advice to you—take it as any other job. Prove yourself before thinking you’re entitled to anything. And I’m sure you’ll do well.”
“Thanks, Dad. I’ll try my best.”
“The best is all we can do, right? So now that the mandatory work conversation is done, tell me, is it true about you and Nora?”
I don’t know what to say. I don’t even know if we’ll be continuing the ruse. “We’ll see how it goes.”
“Um. She’s a good girl. Don’t break her heart. Is she coming over next Saturday for dinner?”
“I don’t know. She might have some work. I guess I’ll be able to confirm later. It’s next week, not tomorrow.”
“Well, I’m happy for you. That’s what I wanted you to know. I never liked this arranged marriage idea.”
“What? What arranged marriage?” I almost shriek, then realize Nora is still sleeping, so I walk over to my room and lower my voice. “What do you mean?”
“Oops. Daphne didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what , Dad? Stop beating around the bush.”
“She kinda promised to Monsieur Martin, Sophia’s father, that you would marry Sophia.”
I don’t even know how to react to this. There are a few moments of complete silence as I try to understand what the words mean.
“Are you kidding me?”
“I wish.”
“Why didn’t I know about this?”
“It was done long ago. Even I got to know about it only recently. But you have an excellent case of not agreeing to it now. Y’know with Nora and you being a thing. With that other lady, Paula, your mom had problems, but I don’t think she can come up with any reasonable issues with Nora.”
“Um. Yeah.” The only problem is that there is no Nora and me. How did I get such a messed up family? Who sets up their son’s marriage years in advance? “Why did Mom do this?”
“Long story. Will tell you when we meet. Don’t tell Daphne I told you. Okay? She’s back from her run. I better go. See you next week, son.”
He disconnects the phone and I slump down on the bed, my head buried in my hands, wondering how my life, both personal and professional, has become such a chaotic mess.
I’m still in this state of self-pity and loathing when I feel a soft touch on my shoulder. I start as if I touched a live wire. Tingles run down my spine. I look up and see Nora beaming down at me.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Her hair is still a mess of strands around her face, her eyes, though still drowsy, reveal a depth and warmth that only a good friend can show. She has no makeup on, but to me, she is prettier than ever, more beautiful than any other woman on the planet.
“What happened? Is everything okay?” she asks.
I shake my head. Even if I try, I can’t hide anything from her. “That was Dad on the phone. Apparently, Mom has arranged for me to marry Sophia some years ago.”
“What?” her eyes become like big round peaches, the drowsiness completely disappearing from them. “Who does that? Is this for real?”
“I know, right? That’s what Dad said. Of course, he thinks, since we’re together, as per what you so kindly told them, Mom might have to back off.”
She takes a seat beside me, deep in thought. Is she having second thoughts about the fake girlfriend thing? “Hey, I totally get it if you don’t want to go ahead with the whole fake-dating thing. I’ll handle Mom and Sophia.”
She nods. “We don’t have to decide anything right now. Let’s think about it and see.”
“They expect you to come over for dinner next week and I need to tell Mom. You know how she is, right? She’ll have the dishes planned accordingly, and the seating done as per the list, etcetera etcetera.”
“Um. Look, I’ve already said what I did. And if it helps you get out of a mess, so be it. Let’s roll with it. Carla has been asking me to come home and meet her and Mom. So I’ll do that as well once we go there. Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”
Really? Wow!
There’s silence for some time and I have to ask her the question that’s killing me.
“You remember last night?”
“Yeah. Of course. We drank. I flirted with some random guy and gave him my number. You hit on a girl in a green dress. We danced, I think. I’m not too sure. Then came back.”
“You remember nothing else?”
“No. Is there something I should remember? Was I too drunk?” She opens her eyes wide, staring at me, and continues in a whisper. “Shit! Did I come home with someone and don’t remember it?”
I bite my lips and shake my head. “No. Nothing happened. It was exactly like you said. I was testing your memory. Checking how drunk you were.”
She punched me on the shoulder. “You dumbass fool. I actually thought I slept with some random stranger and forgot about it. Ooh. That would’ve been bad. Hashtag shit-level-bad.”