‘Lex, what are we doing for dinner?’ I asked as I packed up.
‘You’re ordering take out for one,’ she grinned. ‘I’ve got plans.’
‘See you later Lexi,’ said Andrew as he stood up and left.
‘Andrew shaped plans?’ I asked astonished. ‘When did this happen? Why didn’t you say anything?’
‘While you were out aggravating horny unavailable men Mia, besides me getting laid is no big deal. Seeing you all excited like this is, it’s a first. Well it is if you don’t count your crush on Tyler phase. You were only twelve after all.’
‘I know it’s weird. Is it weird?’ I asked as I buckled up my bag.
‘Your old Tyler crush?’
‘No, the Gabe thing.’
‘It’s bloody great, but I’ve got to dash. “Laters baby” be good don’t use up too many batteries tonight thinking about him,’ she winked.
‘You may look like a bloke with that haircut Lexi Clarke, but let me tell you you’re no Christian bloody Grey,’ I yelled after her retreating figure. She responded with two fingers behind her back and disappeared out of the door. I grabbed my bag and Milo appeared by my side.
‘So Fifty Shades fan? Interesting.’
‘Hi Milo. Colour me embarrassed, this is a getting to be a theme around you.’
‘I have this effect on woman,’ he said with a lovely smile.
‘So, how’s Jenny? Have you been in touch?’ I asked as we walked out of the hall.
‘Yes, I was hoping she could make this weekend, we’ve never been apart for more than a few days, but she can’t make it with her work shifts. I really miss her you know. Does that make me sound less manly?’
‘No, it’s sweet,’ I laughed. ‘How long have you been together?’
‘Since we were 13, we met at school and were together through college too. She didn’t get the grades she was hoping for, so went to get a job instead.’
‘Listen Milo, I’m alone tonight. My roommate Lexi has a date and I hate sitting alone on a Wednesday. It’s just a black depressing hole in the middle of the week. How do you fancy sharing a Pizza with me, if I promise not to seduce you in your time of grief?’
‘Well when you put it like that how can I refuse?’ he laughed. ‘There’s a great Pizza take away around the corner from my digs.’ He offered me his arm and we headed out.
We went back to his room and ate, swigging beer as we sat on his bed with some music playing. We spent a few hours discussed movies, music and books and he told me all about how he and Jenny had grown up together and fallen in love, showing me pictures of the two of them. He was clearly smitten, so another guy I found attractive that was unavailable, just my bloody luck. I was going to die a virgin at this rate.
‘So what’s up with you and the blonde Adonis?’ he asked.
‘What?’ I laughed.
‘Well he swooped in to carry you out the day you fainted, can’t take his eyes off you and you were both out of English for ages at the same time earlier. It doesn’t take a genius.’
‘Well genius, you’re way off track. He’s seeing someone, so there’s nothing going on.’
‘Right, keep telling yourself that,’ he tutted as he swigged on his drink.
‘So you don’t think it’s possible to be attracted to someone and not act on it?’
‘For a woman yes, but quite unlikely for a man.’
‘You’ve told me you find me attractive, but you’re not doing anything about it.’
‘That’s because I’m taken, besides I can see the way you look at him and him at you.’
‘How’s that?’
‘Like you just have each other and no one else will ever compare. No one wants to get caught in the middle of that, trust me, there’s no hope for them.’
‘Well it won’t happen as he’s already taken,’ I sighed. I’d tried all afternoon to forget, but I just couldn’t get the image of Gabe out of my head, nor the way his blue eyes had searched mine so intently. I just wanted to drown in them and kiss his perfect lips while my fingers tangled in his soft blonde hair.
‘Then I feel sorry for her Mia. He’s definitely not into that relationship.’
‘Then why be in it Milo?’
‘It’s better than being alone I guess. Being alone sucks.’
We clinked our bottles to that and he called me a taxi.
‘Thanks Milo, you’ve been great company.’
‘You too, if you’re ever at a loose end, I’m here for pizza, movies or whatever as your new male BFF.’
‘Well thank you, as long as you warn Jenny. I don’t want her on my ass when she comes to town.’
‘She’ll be cool about it, she has a male friend back home. We’ve been together too long not to trust each other.’
‘Then we’ll sort something out soon,’ I proclaimed as I kissed him on the cheek and made my way out into the cool night to find my waiting taxi and headed home, Gabe still invading my thoughts.
Thursday
I had the whole morning free, so I decided to take a break from studying and have a lie in. I texted Lexi.
How was he? Have you cut and run already or are you persevering?
Fifteen minutes later there was no response, which was most un-Lexi like.
Shit is he an axe murderer and you can’t reach your phone to text because your severed arms are the other side of the room to your phone?
My phone rang immediately.
‘If both my arms had been severed by an axe murderer I don’t think I’d still be alive, let alone able to bloody text what with my whole new no hands look you idiot.’
‘O right duhhhh. You normally reply so quickly with that text speak of yours, I was worried.’
‘I was just getting dressed when you sent the first one.’
‘You’re not shagging him now while you call me? You sound all breathless.’
‘No, I’m walking while talking, which is proving rather difficult, I’m so unfit.’
‘Ditch the fags Lex, that would help. Are you seeing him again?’
‘I’m thinking about it. It was above average. He’s talking about going out Friday night, but I’ve told him that’s girls’ night. Got to keep some traditions eh?’
‘Lexi if you’re prepared to see a guy for a second time, I think we can forgo our girls Friday for once.’
‘We’ll see. I’m nearly home now, what you doing?’
‘Just having a lie in, late night.’
‘Ooooo tell me more?’
‘Nothing like that. I went for a pizza at Milo’s and we just sat chatting for hours. He’s lonely as his girlfriend’s back home and we get on really well. Same film and music taste, same sense of humour.’
‘Are you playing the field Miss Prim and Proper?’
‘No. My head’s too full of Gabe. I dreamt about him last night and Lex, he was so good I think I came in my sleep. I really fancy him, it’s going to be so hard to see him every day and keep resisting his advances.’
‘You’re too nice, why persist and resist and be miserable? Go for it.’
‘Julie,’ I said sighing heavily. ‘I could never do that to another woman Lexi, it’s just wrong.’
‘What and your outrageous flirting and undressing each other with your eyes isn’t?’
‘My mum’s always said you can look at anything on the menu as long as you don’t order anything, or eat it, or something like that. Besides he says he wouldn’t cheat, so as long as she’s in the picture this is as far as we go. How you win them’s how you lose them as mum says.’
‘I don’t remember your mum being Chinese,’ joked Lexi. ‘Full of bloody proverbs she is.’
‘What and now you’re Yoda?’
‘Nice Star Wars comparison.’
‘I thought so. “Just eat the fucking cookie” guess that one,’ I said in my best Chinese accent.
‘Save them, it’s not Tuesday and that was way too easy anyway, Mickey Blue Eyes. Have to do better than that to catch me out with a
film quote Mia. See you in a few.’
‘I’ll get the kettle on and you can give me the low down. By the way Lex, have you borrowed my silver hoop earrings? I seem to have lost one.’
‘Nope sorry, got my black spears in today, I’m at the bottom door now, that kettle better be boiled by the time I make it up those bloody stairs, without a caffeine fix I may need a defibrillator.’
I got up and flicked it on and we headed into the lounge with our drinks and dissected Lexi’s evening with Andrew and I reminded her of our pact.
‘I’m making all this effort to lose my virginity, the least you can do is go on second date.’
‘It’s hardly a date when you just go home and fuck.’
‘Ok, but you never fuck twice.’
‘Seriously, trying to twist James Bonds “You only live twice” into you never fuck twice is just stretching the rules too far.’
‘You never fuck twice, that’s hilarious I wasn’t even thinking films. Please Lexi, do it for me?’
‘I’ll think about it.’
‘Well think fast, English lecture beckons, we’d better shift. Jenkins already has it in for me.’
We just made it in time and I was disappointed to find Gabe was nowhere to be seen. Milo waved from his seat and mouthed ‘Hello’ and I reiterated. I watched Andrew as Lexi sat next to him. God he looked so miserable, we’d such different taste in men. The lecture dragged without any flirtation with Gabe to distract me. Where was he? I’d been looking forward to my fix all morning. As a break was announced we got up to go and get coffee.
‘Mia, I’ve a message here to pass onto you. I’m not the postal service, please refrain from using me as such in future,’ called out Mr Jenkins. He waved a piece of paper in his outstretched hand, without even so much as a glance in my direction.
‘Great, I make it on time, no toilet breaks, no falling over. You’d think I’d get some credit. Who the bloody hell’s sending me a message here?’ I asked Lexi.
‘Beats me,’ she shrugged.
I sighed and went to collect it and quickly exited the hall before I got another mouthful from Jenkins.
As we made our way to the cafeteria, I opened it and pulled out a scrappy piece of paper on which was scrawled I need to speak to you now. Call me on this number immediately, Gabe. His mobile number was scribbled below.
‘Who does he think he is?’ tutted Lexi ‘He’s very authoritative, I’d make him wait.’
‘You’re right. I don’t want him to think I’m too desperate for him.’
‘Which you are.’
‘But I’m trying to be somewhat discreet.’
‘And failing miserably, you do remember you actually told him that you wanted to have sex with him while he spanked you?’
‘I didn’t put it quite like that Lexi and anyway I’m not failing. I’m holding out pretty well. I’m quite proud of myself. Name a time you met a guy you fancied and lasted more than three days without jumping his bones.’
‘Touché. So calling or texting? Now or after we get out?’
‘Call I think. I like the idea of hearing his sexy voice on the phone and I’m going to make him wait until after English.’
‘Well save his bloody number, you know how many films go horribly wrong because the prats lose the piece of paper it’s written on, or wash it off their hands.’
‘So any development on the Andrew part deux front?’ I asked as I programmed Gabe’s number into my new iPhone.
‘Hmmm still thinking about it. He mentioned a club that’s supposed to be all the rage around here, Fazeleys I think? Reckons its good on a Friday, so said I’d let him know as it’s my night out with you.’
‘I told you I don’t mind, we can always go out together first and I can either head home or see if Milo wants to join me at the club.’
We were forty minutes back into our English lecture when there was a knock at the door and Mr Jenkins teaching assistant opened it and put his head out. I could hear mumbling before he closed it and scanned the room.
‘Mia Page?’ he called.
‘Here,’ I replied, automatically putting my hand in the air, a reflex from morning roll call at Rowleys.
‘Apparently you have a water leak and need to get home immediately.’
A water leak? Goddamn it that was all I needed, I started packing my bag up.
‘Do you want me to come?’ asked Lexi.
‘No, stay and keep notes for me. I’ll call the landlord and get someone to meet me there.’
‘Miss Page, please will you make a decision, staying or going. You’re holding up my lecture. Again,’ resonated the annoyed voice of Mr Jenkins.
‘Sorry Sir,’ I mumbled and was rewarded with a heavy sigh and shake of the head.
I grabbed my bag and hurried out of the door, turned right and ran straight into Gabe leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. He reached out to steady me and I tried to keep in a gasp at the feeling of unexpected full body contact as I sprawled against him. His body was solid like concrete, but so warm and I virtually drooled on his shirt at the feel and smell of him. His hands were gripping my biceps and he gently propped me back up and let go with a chuckle. My stomach did a somersault as I swayed looking up at him, he looked amazing, even dressed in sweats and his hair was slightly damp as if he’d just showered.
‘Finally Mia. Do you know how difficult you are to get hold of?’ he said looking amused.
‘Shit. There is no water leak is there?’ I sighed as I leaned back on the wall to steady myself and dropped my bag onto the floor.
‘No.’
‘You can’t just do something like that Gabe, now I’m missing a lecture and Jenkins is mad at me again.’
‘Well if you’d returned my phone call like I asked over two and a half hours ago I wouldn’t have had to resort to such measures.’
‘Two and a half hours? I only got your message about half an hour ago.’
‘Bloody Jenkins, I told him to give it to you before he started lecturing,’ he said with a frown that only made him look even sexier. I was getting all hot again, he was standing so close to me.
‘Well he didn’t and he wasn’t impressed at all, so thanks for making things worse for me with him. Why weren’t you in there? You could’ve just come and spoken to me.’
‘I’m on swim practice overload for the competition tomorrow, so I’m getting notes after and I’ll have to catch up.’
‘O right. So how long have you been waiting out here?’
‘I don’t wait when I want something. I sneaked out of practice, got here and I knocked.’
‘Has anyone ever told you that you have some serious stalker tendencies?’ I asked astonished at the lengths he’d gone to so he could see me. ‘Anyway what do you want?
‘Well first off I’d like to know why you didn’t ring me when you finally got the message half an hour ago?’
‘Do I look like your slave girl? I’ve other things to do with my time than jump every time you crack the whip.’
‘Hmmmm, more references to bondage play, interesting.’
I looked up at him and blushed to see the sparkle of naughtiness in his eye. I could see exactly what he was thinking. ‘Now who’s avoiding? What do you want Gabe?’
‘You of course,’ he replied as he tilted his head to the side and studied my face for a reaction.
I took a big gulp, he’d just said it again, that he wants me, which seemed laughable, implausible even given how he looked. ‘We’ve been over this Gabe, I don’t…’
‘do complicated,’ he finished for me. ‘I got that message loud and clear Mia, so I’ve made adjustments.’
‘Adjustments? What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Julie and I are no longer together.’
‘What? When?’ I gasped as I felt my eyes widen. He’d totally thrown me. I knew he liked me, but I’d anticipated that we’d carry on this flirtation for a long time. I thought he’d want to get to know me a bit better, to
weigh up if it was worth the risk. I hadn’t expected him to end his relationship for me, just like that. He was full on. Too full on? I was so confused.
‘Yesterday as soon as English was over. I went straight to see her and ended it.’
So that explained why he’d rushed out of the lecture yesterday, he really didn’t mess about. ‘O god Gabe. Why did you have to do that?’ I asked rubbing my forehead.
‘You told me you didn’t do complicated remember?’
‘So you finish with her just like that?’ I asked as I looked up at him and had to stifle a moan as I looked at his gorgeous eyes again.
‘It’d never have worked out anyway,’ he said with a shrug. ‘Don’t blame yourself.’
‘O thanks for being so magnanimous, I wasn’t planning on it. What did you tell her?’
‘Does it matter?’ he asked, seeming surprised.
‘It does if she thinks I’m to blame and goes all Glenn Close on my arse.’
‘You see this as akin to Fatal Attraction?’ he laughed.
‘You know your films. Well then you must know that women are typically not happy when they’re dumped out of the blue. A hint of another woman in the picture can make them see red.’
‘It was hardly out of the blue. We were together for 9 months and she knew I wasn’t that keen.’
‘How come?’ I asked intrigued.
‘Because I was distant, I wasn’t full on and I never told her I loved her.’
‘Why?’
‘I just didn’t feel like that about her. I’ve never told anyone that I love them. When I say it I want to really mean it. I want it to be for it to be for the right reason with the right person.’
God was he for real? Or was this one of his seduction tactics, telling women exactly what he thought they wanted to hear so he could fuck them? I sighed, what did it matter anyway? This flirtation with him was just about sex after all.
‘Wow Gabe, you should be anointed as patron saint of true loves ethics. Why stay with her so long then?’
‘She was there and we got on well, sex was ok and … well we’ve talked about this. There was no one else I was interested in at the time.’
New Leaves, No Strings (Austin Erotic Romance Series) Page 5
