20
EMERSYN
“I’ve got to go to a nightclub opening tonight. Want to come?”
We were at the café where Gabe used to work. Harry wasn’t rostered on, so we were left in peace as we sipped our coffees.
Gabe and I had fallen back into our old routine. We spent most nights together, Gabe crashing on the bed beside me, and on his days off, he never left. Neither of us spoke about that night again. But something was different now. I’d catch him looking at me, only to realize the reason I knew he was looking at me was that I was staring at him.
Gabe had become a huge part of my life, and on the rare occasion he stayed at his own place, I missed him. My bed felt cold. My room too silent. I’d wake in the middle of the night, hand moving under the blankets in search of him, only to find it empty. And then I’d feel empty.
Sometimes I’d forget the reason I’d befriended him, and it would just be Gabe and me, talking and laughing, living in this bubble of our own creation. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around what we’d become, but one thing I knew was that it was affecting my writing.
Jake’s story was the one I needed to rejuvenate my website. I had only posted filler articles for the past few weeks. And there were only so many ‘best of’ and ‘archive’ articles I could post before the traffic started to wane even more. Two more advertisers pulled their support. Soon, I would start to run out of money. And I couldn’t afford that. Even though my living expenses were relatively low, the last thing I wanted was to have to move back in with my parents.
“Who has a nightclub opening on a Monday night?” Gabe scrunched up his face.
He was dressed simply in jeans and a t-shirt. It was my favorite look on him—casual, relaxed, just like him. His t-shirts were always a little too tight, and each time someone walked past, their eyes fixating on his biceps, he’d get this little smirk on his face. He was so full of himself. But somehow with Gabe, it came across as adorable rather than conceited.
“It’s a soft opening, almost like a practice opening before the actual grand opening,” I explained, trying not to get distracted by his biceps.
“I know what the concept of a soft opening is.”
“So you’ll come then?” I looked over hopefully. I had been invited to write a review, but Gabe didn’t need to know that. These days, the thought of going somewhere without him just wasn’t appealing. Gabe somehow made my life more interesting. And more comforting.
“I’ve got to be at the gym at five tomorrow morning. I don’t think I’d survive.”
“Oh come on, it will be boring without you there.”
“Did you just admit you like having me around?” Gabe’s eyes glinted with mischief. “And the Thornton charm strikes again.” He pumped his fist.
“Fine. Don’t come. I don’t want you there anyway.” I feigned disinterest.
“You like me, admit it,” Gabe challenged.
“I do not. I tolerate you, that’s all.”
“You like me.” Gabe leaned down, slurping his coffee without lifting it from the table, still looking up at me with that smirk on his face.
“Look, if you can’t handle going out on a Monday night, that’s fine. I’ll find someone else. Tara will come. She’s good like that. She’s tough. She can handle a late night even if she has to work the next day.”
Gabe narrowed his eyes. “I think the physical exertion levels of our work are a little different.”
“Excuses, excuses.”
“Fine. I’ll come,” Gabe said grumpily, although a grin still played at the corners of his mouth. “You’ll owe me though.”
I clapped my hands and let out a little squeal while internally scolding myself for acting like a child. “It will be fun!”
“Such fun,” Gabe groaned. He picked up his cup of coffee and swirled the dark liquid, glancing over at me occasionally before looking back down at his coffee.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing.” Gabe swirled his coffee again.
“I know you want to ask me something, so just spit it out.”
Gabe sighed. “I know you said you didn’t want to talk about it, but I just want to make sure you’re okay. You haven’t mentioned anything about what happened with Conrad that night we were at your parents.”
My mood instantly deflated. Gabe must have seen it in the way my shoulders slumped because he added, “It’s okay, we don’t have to talk about it. You don’t have to tell me anything, but I just need to know you’re okay. It’s like you’ve been on a high since it happened, and I just want to make sure it’s not a way of hiding how you’re truly feeling. I’m just checking in with you, that’s all.”
As he spoke, he reached across and covered my hand with his own. The warmth of it brought tears to my eyes, and I tried desperately to blink them back. What was it about Gabe that made me cry? I wasn’t a crier. I’d never been a crier. I didn’t think it was in my nature, and yet here I was, getting all teary just because he’d shown me a little kindness.
“I’m fine.”
Gabe lifted that one brow of his.
“Honestly, I am. I’ve had to deal with Conrad’s shit before. It’s nothing I’m not used to. The other night just affected me a little more than it should have. I hate thinking that he has that power over me. I was so young when we were together.”
“How much older is he than you?”
“Eight years.”
Gabe opened his eyes wide, revealing exactly how he felt about my revelation without saying a word. “But things were…” I paused, considering how much to reveal… “complicated. I’m counting down the days until the divorce can be finalized, but it seems like it’s taking an eternity.”
“You must have been fucking young when you got married.”
“Too young and stupid,” I muttered.
“How did your parents feel about it? Weren’t they concerned?”
“Concerned? Not at all. It’s like they couldn’t wait to be rid of me. Even the whole wedding thing was a lie. I thought it was all spontaneous, but when we got home, I found out he’d asked my parents before we even went away. Conrad had planned the whole thing, and I thought it was this romantic spur-of-the-moment decision we both made, but it wasn’t. He always had a way of making me feel stupid.” I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the feeling.
Gabe’s thumb stroked my hand comfortingly. “You know none of this was your fault, right? It sounds like Conrad and your parents basically conspired behind your back.”
“It didn’t help that I had nothing to base a healthy relationship on. I viewed everything he did as romantic when he barely did the bare minimum. After we got married, things went downhill so rapidly. He thought I should just agree with everything he wanted, and when I didn’t, he’d go running to my parents for backup. He still does. I feel so foolish when I’m around him. It’s almost as though the person I was back then is a stranger. I don’t know why I ever fell for him.” I snorted. “And he’s the only man I’ve ever been with.” I glanced up and then back down quickly. I didn’t mean to admit that. “But I don’t like talking about him because it means I’m thinking about him, and I’ve wasted enough time on Conrad fucking Blaire.”
Gabe nodded, content with my answer. “If you ever feel like talking, though, I’m here for you, okay?”
He stared at me intently, his blue eyes glowing with concern. I laughed to clear the lump that had lodged itself in my throat.
All I managed to say was, “Thanks.”
* * *
The nightclub was filled with glitz and glam. Tiny gold lights in a circular pattern dotted the ceiling, casting their light onto the already golden floor. The walls were black. The bar was black. The chairs and tables were black. Every drink available for the evening was themed and sparkled with golden flakes.
The people in attendance were all media or well-known names within the city. The dance floor was bare, and people stood in circles, chatting among themselves. It was a restrained yet decadent affair.
Gabe had splashed out and worn a suit: black pants, black jacket, black shirt, no tie. His hair was pulled back tightly and tied at the nape of his neck. His eyes seemed even bluer than usual as they reflected the golden lighting.
I was dressed in gold, as per the invitation. It was a tight, figure-hugging dress with long sleeves and a low-cut neckline. The height of my golden heels made me taller than Gabe. I’d borrowed the outfit from Tara, as I would never buy anything like it myself. I felt uncomfortable in the clothing, not like myself. The heels made it difficult to walk, and the length—or rather lack of length—of the skirt made me self-conscious. But I did my best to hide it as I slung my arm through Gabe’s and we made our way through the crowd, trying to find an empty seat. The music was high-tempo and loud, which made talking difficult, but it was a nightclub, so that was to be expected.
“Were you serious when you told Merrick you were thinking of expanding the gym into a franchise?” I yelled to Gabe when we’d finally found some seats.
“Fuck no,” Gabe scoffed. “It was just a display of Thornton charm. Otherwise known as lying through your teeth.” Gabe took a sip of his drink and made a face. “What the fuck is this? It tastes like glitter.”
I shrugged, took a close-up photo of my drink, then had a sip. He was right. It tasted like candy-flavored glitter, if such a thing existed. But it was the only drink I was allowing myself. I hadn’t touched any alcohol since that dreaded tequila night.
“I don’t even know how long I want to stay at the gym. I mean, it was my idea, but it’s more Jake’s thing. Recently, I’ve been feeling like most of my life has just been following someone else’s dream rather than my own. The gym’s no different.”
“So what is your dream?”
“That’s the problem,” Gabe shrugged and took a sip of his drink. “I don’t know. Once, I thought it was to be an architect, but I discovered I hated studying, and you can’t really get around that.”
“I know what you mean. I couldn’t stand the thought of going to university when I left school. I’d just spent the last thirteen years of my life in a classroom; I didn’t want to spend another second there.”
“Part of me wishes I’d just stuck it out. But you—you're living the dream now, right? Working for yourself, picking and choosing freelance work. It must be awesome.”
I shrugged, wanting to avoid the topic of my career. “It’s okay, I guess. Be right back,” I said, pointing toward the bathroom. But instead of going, I took the opportunity to snap a few more photos. I captured one of the chandelier, another of a bartender’s hands wrapped around a glass, and then bent down low to take rapid-fire shots level with the floor, hoping that with a little editing I might get a decent shot of people’s feet on the dance floor.
When I returned to Gabe, I downed the rest of my drink. Despite the taste, it was still alcohol, and rather strong judging from the slight buzz of heat that flooded my chest. “You know,” I said, “I’ve never even seen where you live.”
Gabe snorted. “I live with Jake. There’s not much to see.”
“Still, I want to come over sometime.”
Gabe shrugged. “Fine with me. Come over Friday night. I’ll show you around. It’ll take all of two minutes.”
A hand rose above the crowd and waved frantically. It belonged to a tall woman with deadly straight blonde hair and a killer body. She pushed her way through the crowd, glass in hand, and made a beeline for us. She was dressed in a plain black pantsuit, and she was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen.
“Do you know her?” I asked Gabe as the woman approached. Just like Molly, she seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place the face.
“It’s Sadie,” Gabe yelled back. “She’s Tyler’s best friend. Good chick.”
I snorted at his use of the word 'chick.' The woman approaching us was about as far from a 'chick' as I could imagine. He’d said Sadie was Tyler’s best friend, and yet he’d chosen to marry Lauren. Interesting choice. Gabe stood when she got close, and they wrapped each other in an embrace that felt more like a competition of who could slap who on the back harder.
“What are you doing here?” Sadie yelled, leaning in close so she could be heard.
“Syn dragged me along.”
Sadie’s attention turned to me. “You the new girlfriend we’ve been hearing about?” she asked.
I raised an eyebrow at Gabe.
“We’re just friends,” he corrected, but I was sure his cheeks heated a little. Was it because he didn’t want Sadie to think he was with me? Or because he didn’t want me to think there was anything more than friendship between us?
“Sadie.” She extended her hand. “I’ve known this idiot for years. He’s like a little brother to me, you know, the annoying type.”
Gabe grinned goofily and playfully whacked her arm. “This is Syn,” he introduced.
“You’ve already said that.” Sadie took a sip of her drink and shuddered. “So how did you meet this dickhead?” She looked at me expectantly.
“Through the gym,” I replied. I watched Gabe and Sadie intently, wondering if there was anything more than friendship between them. But they almost seemed too natural around each other, too close, as though the possibility of romance was absurd.
Sadie shook her head. “Socializing with the clients. What would Jake think about that, huh?”
“Jake can suck my—”
Sadie covered his mouth with her hand and laughed. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell.”
“You here on business or pleasure?” Gabe asked her.
“Business. Lauren couldn’t make it tonight; something about Tyler wanting to spend some quality time with her or some such nonsense.” She rolled her eyes. “You’d think those two would have had enough of each other by now. They’ve only just come back from their honeymoon.”
“You work with Lauren?” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. I wasn’t supposed to know Lauren. Not personally, anyway—not enough to inquire about who she worked with. But Sadie and Gabe didn’t seem to notice.
Sadie reached into her pocket and flicked out a business card to give to me. “Slag.” She winked.
“Slag?” I repeated, studying the card.
“Sadie Anderson, Lauren Greer. The letters are mixed up, but I still like it.”
“Clever.” And it was, I guess. Although I didn’t understand why they’d chosen a name with such a negative connotation.
“You’ll have to change it to Slat,” Gabe chuckled.
Sadie merely rolled her eyes and finished the rest of her drink. “You going to that family meeting at the holiday home next weekend?”
“I haven’t heard anything about it,” Gabe replied.
“You will.” Sadie grinned wickedly. “I better go mingle and do all that shit. Nice to meet you, Syn, who’s just a friend.”
“Same to you, Sadie, who’s just Tyler’s friend.”
She narrowed her eyes, laughed, then turned and melted into the crowd.
“My god, that woman is gorgeous. Makes me a little sick,” I said as Sadie looped her arm around someone’s shoulder.
“Don’t let her looks fool you. She’s vicious, that one.”
“Speaking from experience?”
Gabe’s eyes widened, and he shook his head vehemently. “No fucking way.”
“So what’s this family meeting all about?”
“Fucked if I know. They’re usually just power trips for Hamish. He likes to remind everyone that he controls us. Don’t think I’ll go.”
“What if it’s something really important and you’re not there?”
“Don’t care.” He sat, tapping on his leg for a few moments as though deep in thought, then asked, “Want another drink?”
“Just water,” I replied.
Gabe came back a few minutes later with a tray of shots. “Thought this might be more to our liking. Tequila. But they added a stupid rim of gold flakes.”
I frowned. “I said just water.”
“I didn’t think you were serious.” He held out a shot. “You’re not scared after last time, are you?”
“Scared of a little tequila?” I scoffed and took the shot. Another drunken night wouldn’t hurt me. Then I’d go back to being sober.
“Or scared of what the tequila will make you want to do to me?” Gabe downed his shot with a wink.
“Haha,” I said dryly and tossed the liquid back.
We downed three shots each, and then I made my way back to the bar, declaring it was my turn to shout. I ordered the same again, wiping off the little gold flakes on my way back to Gabe. I paused for a moment just before I reached him. He didn’t see me; he was too busy staring at the people who had ventured onto the dance floor.
His jacket was off and slung over the table. His shirt—tight as usual—bunched at the buttons as it strained under the pressure of his arms resting along the sofa. He sat with one foot resting on the knee of his other leg. I almost sighed at the sight of him. He was so devilishly good-looking, like a model from a glamour shoot. A swirl of smoke, or dry ice, or whatever it was they had seeping onto the dance floor, had gathered at his feet. The lights above played over his skin, making him glow more golden than usual.
I stumbled as I set the tray of drinks down, and Gabe reached out to steady me. “Don’t tell me you’re swaying after three shots,” he scoffed.
I laughed and didn’t mention that I’d downed a few extra ones at the bar. I kept quiet because, despite my dismissing Gabe’s concern, I couldn’t get Conrad out of my thoughts. Each time I closed my eyes at night, Conrad’s leering face would appear, and I’d feel the grip of his fingers wrapped around my arm again. Gabe was right; I had been acting differently. But it wasn’t because I was on a high. It was because I was low. And when I felt like this, I kept myself busy, stuck to my routine, or drank myself into forgetting. But I’d been trying to avoid that. It never helped anyway. But maybe tonight would be different. Tonight could be the night that I forgot Conrad Blaire had ever existed. I would just have to make sure my willpower around Gabe remained strong.
I downed another shot. “Dance with me,” I pleaded, and Gabe willingly agreed. I led him onto the dance floor and draped my arms around his neck. The muscles of his shoulders felt firm. I moved my hands, exploring them, running my fingers over the dips and swells while trying to justify my actions inside my head. Gabe looked at me suspiciously, but he didn’t stop me. His hands were around my waist, but they didn’t wander anywhere.
After the third song, or maybe it was the fourth, Gabe glanced down at his watch. “Maybe we should head home.”
“Pussy,” I taunted, grabbing his wrist and twisting it to see the time. “We can’t go home. It’s not even midnight.”
Gabe rolled his eyes. “Fine. But remember I’m the one who has to get up and work tomorrow.”
Suddenly, my feet hurt. I hadn’t noticed it before, but now they were throbbing. I reached down and flicked my shoes off, leaving them discarded on the floor. When I looked back up, Conrad was standing next to Gabe, arms crossed and glaring at me.
“Well, if it isn’t Em and her pretty little rich boy.”
“You again,” Gabe groaned.
“The shoes are off, I see,” Conrad sniggered.
His words made me see red. Without warning, I lunged at him, screaming, “Don’t fucking touch me!” Even though I was the one who had lunged at him. I’m not sure what I hoped to accomplish, but I ended up tangled between both of them, with Gabe attempting to pull me away.
“I think it’s time you fucked off,” Gabe growled at Conrad when he finally succeeded in getting me away.
“She’s the one who fucking needs to leave!” Conrad shot back, puffing out his chest and approaching Gabe.
Half of me expected Gabe to punch him. All of me hoped he would. But Gabe merely wrapped his arm around my shoulder and shook his head as though he was disappointed in Conrad.
“You wouldn’t stand a chance, mate.”
“Gabe’s not your type,” I hissed. “He’s big enough to fight back.”
Conrad’s eyes quickened with rage. He took a threatening step toward me, but Gabe stood in his way, literally bumping his chest against Conrad’s.
“Take another step,” he snarled. “I fucking dare you.”
Conrad breathed deeply. His eyes were filled with darkness, contrasting starkly with Gabe’s bluer-than-blue ones. After a few moments, Conrad backed down. “Who can be bothered with her shit anyway? You’re welcome to her.” Then he sauntered away as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
Gabe bent down and picked up my shoes. “Come on. I’m taking you home.”