by Mike Gomes
"No, you’ll never get over that loss, but I do expect you to drop this and not let Patel have this kind of power over you," Gabriella said.
"And how exactly do you expect me to be able to do that? How could I ever think that was okay?" Jay asked?
"Because you trust me."
Twenty
Standing outside of the doctor's office once again, Gabriella waited until she saw the man's car pull into the parking lot. Giving a soft wave, she saw the eyes of the doctor widened as the Jaguar pulled into its parking spot.
"Hello there, Ms. Gabriella," Dr. Patel waved to her as he got out of the vehicle. "I wasn't sure that you'd return."
"I sure did. How can I miss it? I can't imagine how much of my blood is helping other people right now."
"You know, I've always thought that. I've always thought that there should be some kind of a system to let you know who got your blood. I think if they had something like that, it would wind up seeing a lot more people donating," Patel smiled at her. "But like you know, these things happen and they happen all the time."
"It's a strange world we live in, Doctor." Gabriella returned his smile.
"So, either you're coming here to give some blood, or are you here for another reason."
"Oh, I'm here to give blood, sir. And I was hoping maybe you and I could go out for a drink."
"That sounds like it would be delightful," Patel’s grin grew wider and he placed his arm out for her to take hold of.
"I just need to go into my office first, collect a few things and then I'll be right back out, darling."
"Whatever you need to do, Dr. Patel." Gabriella reached into her pocket to see if her Glock was still loaded and by her side. Thatta boy, you're there when I need you.
"Now, you stay right here. I'll be right back," Patel said as he moved inside the door and away from her. Standing alone on the street, Gabriella opened her purse and searched through to feel two small pills at the bottom held in a small container. The pills were carried around with her from mission to mission, never having a time that they could be used. Liquid cyanide. If consumed, immediately led to death through convulsions and pain before the body would stop moving altogether and so would any chance at survival.
"I'm back," Patel said as he approached her. “Where would you like to go to, darling?"
"I think I'd like just to go for a walk with you," Gabriella smiled shyly. "I think if we had met at a different time, we could have had a long-standing relationship rather than one where we need to sneak around."
"I think you're right, Gabriella. I think there's a connection between us that is absolutely fantastic. And I'm the kind of man that doesn't like to let something like that just go by. When someone sees something like that, they must take it and rely on themselves, and only themselves.”
"You do seem like a man who is sure of himself. But if we can't be together in that way, I wonder if we can be together in others."
"You know, I don't pay for sex," Patel announced, his voiced laced with a little anger. "I'm not saying you're a prostitute. I just know that some people think that favors are attached to sex. I'm not one of those people. So if you have any thoughts about me somehow doing something for you if we sleep together, it's just not going to happen."
"Dr. Patel, that was never in my mind." Gabriella allowed a look of shock to cross her face and appeared offended at his insinuation.
"Are you sure? Because people will tell me this, and then they're asking me for things all the time. You know that I'm not playing with you, right, woman?"
"I guess the only way to show you that I'm not after anything is to have dinner with you tonight." Gabriella leaned into him, trying to sound seductive. "Perhaps you can take me to a restaurant and then after that, maybe we can just go look at the stars."
"Now, that sounds like a nice way to spend the end of my day." Patel nodded. "And I have just the right restaurant. It's over on the south side of town, a very small place, only about two or three tables. But they handmake everything. And they don't ask any questions."
"What do you mean by no questions?" Gabriella asked.
"Well, what I mean to say is that they're not interested about whether you and I are married, or if I'm married to someone else, or if you're married to somebody else. That's a rarity here in New Delhi. More often than not, you have all the busy bodies taking in the information of everybody else. If there was ever a way to harness the energy of the people of New Delhi and how they spread rumors so fast, it would revolutionize telecommunications."
"Dr. Patel, do you love your wife?" Gabriella asked in a hushed tone. "Am I just a fling for you because you'll always be with her, or do you feel something genuine for me the way I do towards you?"
"Gabriella, I've been married a long time. And I've learned a lot of things during that time, some things that I never knew existed."
"What do mean by that, doctor?"
"Marriage is nothing more than a few hours a night, and some weekends," Patel said. "When it comes down to it, the only time we really see our spouses is after work for a few hours until we go to bed, you share a meal together, and maybe watch a TV program or two. When you wake up in the morning, you're off to work, you don't see each other all day. In my line of work, I work late a lot and so that time is even diminished more. And when the weekends come, if you have children it's off to sporting events, dance, ballet, anything you can think of, but usually one parent going one way and one going the other. All the love in the world that originated the marriage, or even if it was an arranged marriage, there is nothing that looks like the fantasy life from a Disney cartoon."
"I think I understand what you're saying." Gabriella nodded. "But how do I know that doesn't happen to us? I'm afraid you're just going to stay with your wife and never leave her, and I'll be the one that's living on the outside that doesn't even have the opportunity to go to the sporting events with our children."
"Not so fast, Gabriella. We haven't gone out for one date yet, and you're talking about children and about if I should divorce my wife? That is a little bit more than I was hoping for on a dinner out." Patel let out a small laugh, placing his hand on Gabriella’s shoulder.
"What I'd like is for you and I to enjoy ourselves and have some fun. Let's go to dinner, and like you said, let's stay and go look at the stars and when we do that, we can get to know each other better and see if something is there for the future. But to be trying to predict that now doesn't make any sense." Patel tried to sound rational. "Two people need to find out if they're compatible both mentally and physically. I don't think we'll have any problem physically but I wanna make sure we can join on more than just that, before I'd ever think of leaving my wife."
"Would you really consider it, if things work out between us?" Gabriella asked, pulling the man deeper and deeper into the conversation and leading him exactly where she wanted him to go.
"For a woman like you, Gabriella, it would be worth the social stigma and the harassment from others to be able to have you in my life, but do you have what it takes to handle all that?"
"I'm sure I could endure it for you," Gabriella smiled seductively at him. "Since that first day you flirted with me, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. Everything you said to me, everything that you did appealed to me on such a basic level, I felt like we were grounded together. At times it felt like I couldn't even make eye contact with you, because I was far too impressed by the man you were."
Giving a smile and nodding his head in the affirmative, Patel accepted the compliments in his stride, boosting his ego even more.
"Why don't we meet here tonight outside my office, and from there, we can go out to dinner," Patel suggested.
"Really, we can do it tonight?" Gabriella clapped her hands together to appear excited. "I need to go get something to wear. This isn't going to be good enough."
"Don't get too dressed up. We're not going anywhere fancy, they just have spectacular food. It's a place to relax, and let y
our guard down," Patel smiled at the woman’s excitement, lighting a fire in him in anticipation for the night ahead. "Then after some vino and a whole lot of laughing, we can see where the night takes us."
Looking the man deep in the eye, Gabriella was sure that he had committed to exactly what she wanted. The ability to draw the man out on his own, away from his protection and security, having him be led around not by his mind, but by his lustful desires for the beautiful woman.
"Are you sure you're not just going to love me and leave me?" Gabriella pouted.
"I'll admit to you, Gabriella, there have been times in my life where I have done that but I've never stood in front of a woman as remarkable as you." Patel raised up both of his hands and held each side of her face. "It's like you're a work of art. Your beauty is spectacular. The way you hold your body as you stand is unforgettable. Everything about you is a slice of perfection that has been honed in and defined to be the best it possibly can."
Letting out a long exhale, Gabriella placed her hand open on her chest. "You just took my breath away."
"I have a way of doing that." Patel smiled at the woman he was sure was going to be his.
Twenty-One
The crumpled dress in the bottom of Gabriella’s duffel bag had finally found its use. Once it was ironed to remove all the wrinkles that had formed, the dress dropped just perfectly upon her body. With one final check to make sure her weapons were hidden, Gabriella moved out onto the street, waiting for Patel to pick her up. A sleek, white Mercedes pulled up in front, and the passenger side window slid down.
"Ma'am, may I take you to dinner," Patel greeted with a smile, pressing the automatic locks to the unlock position.
"Well, I normally don't take rides from strangers, but I've got a good feeling about you," Gabriella grinned, feeling the compact 9mm pistol strapped high on her thigh. "The question is, where are you gonna be taking me?"
"Well, if I have anything to say about it, maybe heaven." He winked at her after delivering a line with the utmost of sincerity, despite the fact that Gabriella was internally repelled by it. "Why don't you come on in and we'll see where the road leads us."
Opening the door, Gabriella slipped in, allowing her skirt to raise above her knee, letting the man examine her as she moved through the doorway.
"I thought that we could go out to one of the finer restaurants in town." Patel looked over at her, eyeing her bare legs and shifting slightly to the side in his seat. "It's called Chateau Le Meilleur. It's one of the greatest places in town. People wait months and months to get in there on the reservation list. But they know me, so a table's always waiting."
Feeling immediately repelled by the man's arrogance, Gabriella forced herself to draw up a smile as if she was impressed with the words Patel said. "Well, it's nice to be with someone that gets such respect."
"That's what happens when you've been in the community as long as I have," Patel boasts. "The people know you and then you work with some more people, and then they know you, then you work with more people after that, and now they all know you. So after a number of years, you just seem to know everybody in the neighborhood. And if you do good work, they do good things for you, even when you don't ask."
"From what I understand, you've been helping the people here for a long time. I asked all around a little bit and told people your name."
"Did you say we were going on a date?" Patel snapped in a harsh and firm tone, removing any sense of flirtation and romanticism in his voice, but instead jabbing hard at an answer.
"Oh, good God, no." Gabriella feigned shock, shaking her head profusely. "I knew that that wouldn't be acceptable to you."
Patel gave her a smile as he dropped the car into gear and pulled away from the curb. After several twists and turns, and a ride that consisted mostly of platitudes from Patel and girlish laughter from The Mantis, the two arrived at the restaurant and exited the car.
Going through the front door, Patel walked in to a Maître d' that immediately greeted him.
"Dr. Patel, so good to see you," the Maître d' greeted, wearing a tuxedo and spreading his arms wide and walking toward the doctor, eager to shake his hand. "We have your table set aside."
Patel looked back at Gabriella and nodded his head, as if he had somehow proven that the table would be waiting for him.
"Tell me, how is your son doing?" Patel asked the Maître d'. "Has he been feeling better?"
"He is, dear doctor," the man gushed, spreading his hands out wide and looking up to the heavens. "But if not for you, I don't know what would have happened to him. Things were looking very bad, and then you stepped into our lives and changed everything."
"It's just my job." Patel dripped with arrogance despite the fact that he had no intent to make it sound that way.
"And the lovely lady, is there anything special that I could get you?" the Maître d' asked Gabriella as she came out from behind the doctor that was so revered.
"Oh no, I'm just fine. I'm just happy to be here with Dr. Patel."
"Madam, if you don't mind me saying so, you're dining with a king," the Maître d' informed her, before being cut off.
"No, no, no, I am no king. I'm a man like any other. I just happened to be a doctor and I have the training to help the people." Patel waved off the praise.
"Doctor, I have told you before, I will not hear of that," the Maître d' said. "You're far too modest. Ma'am this man is a legend in this town, a town of sick and hurting people, and he is the one that makes them better."
"It seems that everything about of him is impressive" Gabriella agreed, as the Maître d' extended his arms, showing them the way to walk.
"Right this way, we'll get you both to the table."
Arriving at the table, the couple sat down on the chairs being pulled out by the Maître d', for not just Gabriella but Dr. Patel as well. Eyes glanced over to see the man in the restaurant with a woman other than his wife. Those who had frequented in the restaurant often were not shocked by the sight. Patel had often found himself in and out of the restaurant with different women all the time. More often than not, when spoken to he would refer to them as a patient of his, but not with Gabriella.
"Over here, young man, over here." The Maître d' snapped his fingers, calling the young busboy to bring over the bottle of wine that he was holding.
"Dr. Patel. This is a particular vintage that I saved just for you. When we saw you come through the door, we made sure to get it, it's already been opened and breathing. It is a Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2009."
"Outstanding." Patel slid his glass over so that the Maître d' could pour a small amount in the glass.
Lifting the glass, Patel swirled the contents around and then tilted the glass to the side, quickly straightening it back out to see how much hang the wine had rolling down the sides of the glass. He then placed his nose into the top of the glass, and took in a robust and full breath, getting every scent he could from the elixir that had been specifically selected for him. Finally taking a small mouthful, he held it inside before swallowing it down.
"One of your best picks yet," Patel praised, nodding profusely to the Maître d'.
After filling both glasses, the Maître d' stepped aside leaving the couple to their dinner. Through the first course, the couple exchanged a light chatter before the entrees arrived and Patel decided to shift into a higher gear.
"I'm not going to mince any words with you, Gabriella. I find you very attractive," Patel admitted, knowing that the woman already knew. "And I have every intent on sleeping with you."
"Dr. Patel, let's not move too quickly," Gabriella said shyly. "I have to be careful with my emotions. If you're having no inclination of leaving your wife, then I really shouldn't be getting mixed up with you. If I fall for you, it'll be too difficult to try to come back from it."
"I don't know what the future holds, but I do know what tonight could hold for both of us. Gabriella, we need to live for right now, we need to take advantage of this oppor
tunity we've been given."
"I'm not sure, doctor, this all terrifies me so much. At heart, I'm a pretty much a simple girl, I don't need a lot," Gabriella looked him in the eyes. "Most of what I need is just trust."
"If trust is what you want, trust is what I'll give you. Besides what could I ever do to wrong you? You know where I work, you could make my life hell if you wanted to. Why would I get involved with someone knowing that they know so much about me?"
"That's a great point."
"I know it is," Patel agreed and smiled at her again.
"If tonight leads where I think it might lead, I need you to know that I'm not on any kind of birth control," Gabriella informed him with a soft and gentle voice, keeping up the charade of her being nothing more than a babe in the woods.
"Well, that could be difficult, couldn't it.?" Patel said with a smile, eager for the night to move on and to find himself in the bedroom with the woman. "As lowbrow as it sounds, in the bathroom, if you ask the attendant here, he'll provide you with birth control."
"Oh, I could never do that. It's much too embarrassing," Gabriella continued with her shy girl act. "Would you be able to do it in the men's room?"
"It's not something I'm accustomed to, but in the name of safety, I think I can this time." Patel backed up his chair and stood up. "Now, you better be here when I return or I'll be very, very sad."
"You don't have to worry about that. I'll be right here."
As he walked off toward the bathroom, Gabriella watched until he was out of sight. Going to her purse, she reached in and felt the lining that ran across the top, and unfolded it, removing the small white tablet. Taking it between her thumb and forefinger, she scanned the room to see if any eyes were watching as she put her hand out and dropped the pill into the doctor's drink. Immediately the pill began to fizz and dissolve, creating a visual that if the man had been at the table, he would have immediately noticed. But not being there, the bubbling stopped within a few seconds before calming itself out, leaving no trace that anything had entered the glass. Gabriella reached out, taking the bottom of the glass and rotated it to spin the contents, making sure there was no residue left behind. With a smile, she picked up her own glass and took a small sip while waiting for Patel to return.
