Chapter Ten
DIANE
The next morning, I gave myself a pep talk as I finished putting on my makeup.
"Come on, Diane. Don't be a chicken. Go downstairs, have breakfast. If Gabe is there, just play it by ear."
But I didn't know how to play it by ear.
I could still feel his lips on mine and his hands slipping under my dress.
I'd enjoyed it so much that for a few seconds, I lost myself in the memory, smiling at my reflection in the mirror.
Then I shook my head. I had no idea how last night ended the way it did, but I didn't regret one bit.
I descended with quick steps, stopping when I was on the last one, listening intently. There was no sign of Gabe, even though it was nine o'clock. Still, I entered the living room cautiously, looking around. Everything was completely silent. I sighed with relief.
I stepped into the kitchen and smiled. There was a small tray with a glass of orange juice on the counter, as well as toast and sunny-side ups. There was also a note.
Diane,
Last night was unexpected. And delicious. My cooking skills suck, but I make a mean breakfast. Enjoy.
My face exploded in a huge smile. So he wined and dined me last night, then kissed the panties off me, and now he's left me breakfast? Who is Gabe Whitley? Is he an alien or something?
I ate the food, then downed the juice, still trying to figure out how to handle the situation. He said it was delicious, so clearly he was still in a flirty mood.
Then my smile fell. I couldn't do this. I had to shut it down. Celia would seriously be pissed off if I got involved with her boss. Besides, she’d told me that Gabe was a bit of a womanizer.
My stomach constricted at the reminder. Oh, that's why he's such a good kisser. That’s why he knew how to charm me.
But still, this had been a nice gesture, so I took out my phone to text him.
Diane: Gabe, thanks a lot for breakfast. It's a great way to start a day.
He didn't reply. He was probably in a meeting or something. Then again, I didn’t know how to have this conversation with him, so it was likely a blessing in disguise. Maybe I’d have an idea or two by tonight.
However, I never got the chance. Gabe didn't arrive home at his usual time that night, and I texted Celia, asking her how things were at the bar.
Celia: It's madness. One of our bartenders quit, but Gabe's here, thank God.
I bit my lip. Maybe this would give things a chance to cool off a bit.
Who am I kidding? Gabe probably isn't even thinking about me.
Turned out I was wrong. I got a text message from him a bit later in the evening.
Gabe: Probably Celia told you, but I'm going to be trapped at the bar this whole week.
Diane: Do you need any help? I can jump in.
Crap, so much for things cooling down. I was already looking for any opportunity to be close to him.
Gabe: No. It was great of you to do it that one time, but I've got this covered.
Diane: I'm going to cook myself a delicious dinner. You can have leftovers if you want.
Gabe: I won't say no to that. Thanks.
Oh yeah, that just gave me a good reason to make a kick-ass dinner. It seemed like a waste of time to cook for one, so I always made more portions, but I couldn't eat the same thing four days in a row.
I was grinning from ear to ear as I thought about what to make. Why am I so giddy, for goodness' sake?
Looking at it objectively, we’d made it through an entire conversation without any awkwardness. I suspected it might have gone a bit differently if he was standing before me in all his glory. But still, a victory was a victory.
For dinner, I'd made a huge portion of chili con carne that would last us for two meals. When I woke up the following morning, I was happy to see Gabe had eaten a portion.
I ate breakfast hurriedly, tiptoeing around the house, suspecting he was asleep. But when I stepped out, his car wasn't there.
Holy shit, he's gone to the office already?
That wasn't right. He couldn't work until late into the evening and be at the office again six hours later.
I didn't know what possessed me to do it, but I took out my phone and messaged him.
Diane: You're at work already?
He answered a few minutes later.
Gabe: No rest for the wicked.
Diane: Hmm, I disagree. Even the wicked need some sort of pampering now and then.
Gabe: You volunteering to do that?
I sucked in a breath. Ah, I’d declared victory too soon last night.
Diane: I can certainly cook dinner. I’m not in the mood for chili again.
To my astonishment, Gabe replied again right away. How did he have time for that?
Gabe: Diane, I’m grateful that you cooked last night, but it's really not necessary. I can eat at the bar.
Diane: I know for a fact you can't. Celia said it's almost impossible once the place is full. She sometimes forgets to even drink water, and her lips are dry at the end of the night.
Gabe: My lips are certainly dry. So if you wanted to help with that, I wouldn't say no.
Oh, that was way more direct than I expected. Does he mean kissing? Or… well, silly me, what else could he mean?
I grinned, shaking my head. My sister would so hand me my ass.
Diane: I'm going to keep cooking dinner for myself. You are more than welcome to help yourself to it.
Gabe: I know what you're doing. But this is a conversation we'll have face-to-face.
I started laughing for no reason at all.
I could imagine Gabe saying that in that semi-flirty voice he always used, like he didn't have an off button when it came to charming everyone.
My sister had warned me he was a shameless flirt, and I could attest to that.
I mean, I'd only been living here for a short while, and we'd already kissed.
But I was certain that by the time I saw him, he'd probably have forgotten all about it.
Hell, maybe he'd even hooked up with someone else in the meantime.
An unexpected pang of jealousy shot through my chest as I hurried to the subway station. Yep, I intended to ignore that completely. It wasn't warranted and was probably just an instinct, though I was nothing if not excellent at disregarding those.
I called my mom as I walked at a rapid pace, putting in my earbuds.
"Darling, good morning," she said.
"Hey, Mom. I thought I'd check on you before my first tour. How are you?"
"I'm good. You girls, will you ever stop worrying about me?"
The honest answer was "No, Mom. We will always worry about you." That was as true as it was that the sky was blue and the grass was green. Instead, I said, "I just wanted to check in, that's all. I cooked a fantastic chili con carne last night."
"Ah, what did Gabe say about it?"
I told Mom that he'd appreciated my lasagna, so I wasn’t surprised when she asked.
"He wasn't home. He needs to be at the bar this week."
"Oh, good gracious. That man works so much."
I smiled at the protective tone in Mom's voice. She’d never met Gabe, but she'd worshiped him ever since he helped with the bills.
"Yeah, I agree. Anyway, Mom, I was thinking of paying you a visit this weekend.”
"Nonsense. I'm fit as a fiddle, and I know you're busy."
I sighed. "That's true."
"I'll tell you what. We can FaceTime," she said proudly, pronouncing the words slowly. She tried hard to keep up with technology.
"Sure, let's do that."
I talked to her more about my tutoring sessions. Mom was always my champion. She'd never chastised me or made me feel bad about myself, even when I made the mistake of giving up my job at the hotel in Portland to chase a man to Boston.
Celia said I got my positivity from her. She was probably right, not that we knew anything about our dad. Mom never spoke of him, and we never pressed.
For the rest of the week, I felt a bit like I was living alone.
I was sure Gabe came home to sleep, but our paths didn’t cross.
In fact, I'd gotten so used to it that I didn't even think about him when I went into the living room on Saturday morning.
And then I stopped in my tracks when I noticed him doing… chin-ups?
He was in the doorway of what I’d assumed was his bedroom but was actually a workout room. He'd installed a pull-up bar in the doorway and was currently lifting himself up.
Wowzer, the man was strong. I had no idea how many he'd done, but the grunts he let out indicated he was putting in a lot of effort. Damn it, those grunts were too sexy. I had to make my presence known, so I cleared my throat.
"Good morning," I said.
Gabe immediately stopped and lowered himself to the floor. Then he turned around. I checked him out before I even realized it. His chest was a bit sweaty, but he was the sexiest man I'd ever seen in my life. His eyes were wide, and his muscles… yummm. I finally slid my gaze back up.
"Good morning," he said with a half smile.
"How come you’re up so early?" My voice was high-pitched, but I hoped he'd let it slide. I mean, he had to expect this reaction, right? He was so damn sexy, I was surprised I could even remember how to talk.
"I always wake up at seven during the week, so I can't turn it off on weekends."
"It's been a long week, huh?"
"Yeah.”
“I almost forgot I had a neighbor.”
“Nope, still here, not going anywhere. By the way, I meant to talk to you about something, but I never got the chance because I was barely home. My brothers are stopping by today."
"Are you having a housewarming party? Should I make myself scarce?"
He came closer, and I folded my arms over my chest so I wasn't accidentally tempted to reach out for… oh, I don't know. I was sure I could find an excuse. Maybe I’d lose my balance again.
"They're just coming to hang around. And you don't have to make yourself scarce. In fact, you're invited. I'd like for you to meet them. They’ll show up here often, and it's best if you know them."
"Oh, okay," I said. "So when is that exactly?"
"They're coming in about two hours. I was just going to shower and check how the construction is going at the house. I haven't been there in a week." After a beat, he added, “Want to come with me and see it?”
I bit the inside of my cheek, hesitating for a split second.
Oh, what the hell? The best way for things to return to normal was for me to act normal. Besides, I was curious.
“I’d love to.”