LAUREN

 

I was undone. But Gabe wasn’t.

My skin gripped against the wood as he pulled my limp body towards him. After covering himself, he gripped my thighs at the end of the table and entered me forcefully and repeatedly, staring at me in such a manner that I soon found myself quivering to maintain control again. And then I lost what control I had the same moment he lost his.

Gabe flopped down on the table beside me. He held one hand to his chest, ran the other through his hair, and laughed. Sitting up, he kissed me firmly. “Thank you.”

“You’re thanking me?”

He nodded slowly and ran his hand through his hair again. “Yep. I needed that.”

I couldn’t help the grin that spread over my lips. His was a smile of utter satisfaction. And I had put it there. “You’re welcome?” I said and laughed a little. Sitting up, I gathered my robe. “Best I go shower. Again.”

Gabe sat bolt upright. “I’m not done with you yet.”

“Well, you’re going to have to wait. I start work in half an hour.”

He grabbed my hand. “Call in sick.”

“Gabe,” I scolded gently.

“I’ll pack a picnic and we could go back to that house.” He tugged me toward him. “Please?”

I pulled my hand away, but he gripped hard and peered at me with exaggerated sad eyes.

“Gabe,” I warned again.

He jiggled my hand, dropped my fingers and grinned. “See you tonight?”

“You know how Peta has that awards dinner thing?”

He nodded slowly. Peta had been nominated in a local competition for the business woman of the year. Tonight was the night she found out if she won.

“Well, she needed a babysitter, so I offered and she swapped my close shift with Jordan.”

“So you’re not even going to be at work tonight?” He sighed and frowned. “I haven’t seen you in days.”

“You’re seeing me now. In fact, you just saw quite a lot of me.”

“That’s not the same thing.” He grinned. “That was just so I could calm down and actually concentrate on what you were saying.”

“Well, it’s all you’re going to get today.”

Gabe shrugged his t-shirt over his head. “Tomorrow?”

“After work tomorrow night, I’m all yours.” I walked over and kissed his forehead.

He pulled me against him and dipped his head to my chest. “The boys want to play pool tomorrow night and I said I’d go with them.” He looked back up.

“Oh, okay.” I shrugged. “Maybe Sunday?”

“I want you to come with me.”

I started to draw back but he held me tight.

“Not, you know, with me, with me. Just come hang out, like we did that other time. Just as friends. I’ll keep my hands off you, I promise. I just want to do something with you, something other than this.” He buried his head into my chest and found some exposed flesh to nuzzle into. Then he froze and looked back up warily. “Not that I want to stop doing this. I like this.” He grinned again. “Very much.”

He was hard to say no to. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

I nodded and smiled a little. “Okay. Just as friends though.”

Gabe held his hands up. “Strictly as friends.” Then he placed them gently on each cheek of my backside. “Unless, of course,” he said, with mock severity. “You turn up wearing something similar to the top you did last time. If you do that, Mrs Robinson, all promises are off.”

* * *

Peta’s house was chaotic when I arrived. The middle boy, Charlie, was tearing down the stairs shooting his Nerf gun.

Peta walked down the stairs, Henry on her hip. “Charlie! I told you to go have a shower and change into your pyjamas. Now, go do as you’re told!”

Charlie ignored her and Shrek walked down the stairs, knotting his tie. “Do as your mother says. Scram!” He ordered and Charlie flew back up the stairs, laughing, but heading in the right direction at least.

“Ren.” Shrek nodded and grinned at me. “Looking as young as you feel, I assume?” His head almost wobbled with his smile as he walked past me. I just narrowed my eyes and shook my head. “Speaking of young, how’s Gabe these days? I hear he’s proving to be rather useful to you.”

“Enough,” Peta said, walking over and dumping Henry in his arms. “He needs to be changed. You can do it before we leave.” Turning to me, Peta sighed. “Sorry.”

“You look pretty,” I said, stepping back and admiring her dress. She was dressed all in black. “Understated but elegant,” I offered.

“Who cares? It’s all I’ve got,” she said. “I had no idea of the state of my wardrobe until tonight. I had no idea how desperately I need to go shopping.”

We walked into the large lounge where Nicholas was seated on the cream and gold striped couch, glued to his device. I was just about right in front of him before he looked up.

“Stimpy!” he said and grinned. He pulled the earplugs out of his ears and slapped my hand, returning my high-five.

“Hey, you.” I sat beside him. “What are we going to do tonight?”

“Watch the ‘Happy Happy Joy Joy’ song!” He leapt from the couch and started dancing strangely, bopping up and down on the spot and singing the ridiculous lyrics.

Joining in, I looked over at Shrek who had walked back in with a freshly changed Henry. He rolled his eyes and poked his tongue out at our strange antics before joining in, lifting a chuckling Henry up and down in the air.

“You’re an idiot, Dad.” Nicholas flopped back down on the couch.

“You’re all idiots,” Peta said, shaking her head. She turned to me. “Will you be alright here?”

I looked to Nicholas. “What are we playing?”

“Skylanders,” he said.

“Yep, we’re good,” I called out to Peta and picked up a controller.

Babysitting three boys, aged from one to nine may seem hard, but only if you cannot balance a baby on your hip while swaying and using a gaming controller. Thankfully, I was a master, and in no time at all, I was putting the youngest to bed.

Henry went down at seven. He was an easy baby during the day and an even easier baby to put to bed. He snuggled into the blankets and stuffed his thumb into his mouth, asleep within seconds.

Nick and Charlie weren’t quite so easy. I had to read a story, and then I had to read another story because Nick got to choose the first story and Charlie didn’t get to choose one. Then they remembered they hadn’t brushed their teeth. Then they wanted a drink of water. When they came and tried to insist that they hadn’t had breakfast that morning and should really eat now, I put on my stern face. “Bed!” I ordered.

“Yes, Stimpy.” They giggled and ran back up the stairs.

Once in bed, I scrolled through my social media newsfeed on my phone which was mainly filled with friends from high-school gushing over their children, and selfies of Madison. I was one of the unseen people of social media. The ones that have a profile, a couple of pictures but you see no activity, apart from when they are tagged by other people, and instead, they hover in the background as a silent stalker.

“Did you win?” I asked as soon as Shrek and Peta walked in the door.

Peta pulled a face and hung her head. “No.” She sighed and dumped her handbag onto the coffee table. “Everything okay here?”

“Good as gold. You should’ve won.”

Peta nodded. “I should have.”

* * *

I was a little nervous when I pulled up outside Gabe’s house. I wasn’t sure how his friends were going to greet me. And what if it wasn’t just them that were there? What if I ran into that Elise? Or, heaven forbid, Haleigh? I almost didn’t go in. I almost turned the wheel and pulled away from the curb. But I swallowed the urge and hopped out of the car. Gabe pulled the door open before I could even knock.

He leaned out the door, his hands gripping the frame and smiled so happily, I felt a little giddy. “You came.”

“I did.” I pulled a bag over my shoulder. “See? I even packed a bag.”

Gabe’s eyes twinkled and looked me up and down. “You’ve made me a very happy man, Mrs Robinson.”

“Don’t call me that here,” I hissed.

He released his hold on the door frame and wandered out to cup my face in his hands and kiss me. I hesitated because we were standing outside and Gabe laughed. “Come on then.”

I followed him inside. Drew and Stefan were sitting in the living room, drinking beer and watching TV. They raised their bottles in salute and nodded.

“Lauren,” they said, one by one, both with a varying degree of amusement.

Gabe tugged my hand and pulled me into his room. “Don’t worry, they won’t be dicks for long. They’ll get sick of it soon.”

“Are you sure?” I asked when I heard the distant sound of guitar music coming through the walls.

Gabe listened and his shoulders slumped. “Arseholes,” he muttered and shook his head. “I’m so sorry, Lauren.”

There was really nothing to do other than laugh as the words of Simon and Garfunkel surrounded us. I yanked open the door and took a bow as they hooted and wolf whistled. Gabe laughed, encircled my waist and dragged me back into the room, shutting the door firmly behind him.

Cupping my face, he kissed me firmly. “Thank you,” he said and pulled me onto the bed. “We should make them listen, just to teach them a lesson.” I looked at him sternly, but he laughed. “I was kidding. Sort of.”

* * *

“This is nice,” Gabe said, standing beside me. He rested his head on his fingers wrapped around the tip of his pool cue and leaned towards me. “It’s nice being here with you. In public.”

“It’s not bad.” I smiled cheekily and leaned over the table to take my shot. The ball sank into the pocket so I moved around the other side to sight up the black. “Just so long as—” I paused, squinting with one eye to gain my line.

Gabe held his fingers out from the pool cue and said a little sourly, “No touching. I got it. I wouldn’t want to ruin your reputation.”

I frowned at him. What was he getting at?

“I’m here, aren’t I? You should be happy.” I made the shot but my calculations were off so the ball stopped just shy of its destination.

“Oh, I’m happy,” Gabe whispered in my ear as he walked past.

Stefan had already deserted us for some girls at the bar, and Drew was playing someone else on the next table. Gabe sunk his ball and went for the black. He missed.

“So kind of you to give me another chance.” I smiled and wandered around to take the shot again. This time I sunk it. “That’s two nil. One more game and you’ll be walking around this table with your pants around your ankles.”

“Is that what you’re trying to do?” He walked over and stood in front of me. “Because all you needed to do was ask.” He smiled, bit his lip and wiggled his eyebrows. Gabe jumped when someone called his name and I backed away and took a sip of my drink.

“Shame on you, Gabe Thornton.” Haleigh ran her finger down his arm. “You never called.”

Gabe winced and his eyes flicked nervously to mine. “Hey, Haleigh,” he said, taking a swig from his beer bottle. “You remember Lauren?” He nodded to me.

Haleigh looked me up and down, dismissed me then turned her attention fully to Gabe. She leaned over him as he perched himself on the edge of the pool table and tried to look at the ceiling. “Are you having a good night?” She ran her finger down his neck. He gripped it tightly when she reached his collarbone and held her hand away from him.

“My night is fine, thank you,” he said tersely.

My blood was boiling. I wanted to look away but my eyes stayed glued, which was pure torture if I wasn’t going to allow myself to claim him in public.

Haleigh pressed against him and he awkwardly tried to slide away from her. “You're playing hard to get tonight, aren’t you?” she cooed.

Gabe breathed deeply and shook his head. “Drew is just over there.” He jerked his head to where Drew was glaring at them.

My heart was pounding. My hands, clammy, wrapped around the pool cue tightly as this girl basically rubbed herself over Gabe.

My Gabe.

I thought of that night that he kissed her in front of me. It looked like it didn’t just stop there. It had crossed my mind but it wasn’t something I wanted to dwell on. Until now.

“It didn’t stop you last time,” she breathed in his ear.

Gabe stood up abruptly and moved away from her, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Leave,” he said.

Haleigh cocked her hip to one side and pouted. “You know they all said you were like that. A one trick pony. Guess I should have listened.”

She strode away and Gabe slowly lifted his eyes to meet mine. I stood still, thinking, and chewing on my lip. I had no right to be angry at him. I wasn’t with him then. I was with Derek. But seeing her there with him, and the familiarities she took had my mind a little addled.

“You slept with her,” I stated when he came close.

“I was drunk.”

“And that makes it better?” I closed my eyes and tried to calm down. I really had no right to be angry. So why couldn’t I stop it?

“How could you do that to Drew?” I asked, only because I had no right to say what I really wanted to.

“To Drew? You’re worried about Drew?”

“Of course I’m worried about Drew. He loves that girl.”

“Well, he shouldn’t.”

“That’s hardly the point.”

Gabe sighed. “Drew and I had it out. He knows I regret it. He understands that I was in a bad place.”

“A bad place,” I scoffed. “It didn’t look like you thought it was that bad from where I was standing.” I was being petty and whiny. I realised it, I just couldn’t seem to stop.

“I was messed up over you.”

“You mean after you had finished sleeping with me for a bet?”

Gabe narrowed his eyes. “I mean after I came to tell you how sorry I was and how I really felt, and I found you basically being proposed to by Derek. You know, that time you said yes?”

“He was my fiancé!” I looked around and lowered my voice. “Well, I hope you enjoyed fucking her,” I threw at him, ashamed of my behaviour but strangely unable to stop.

“I thought of you the whole time,” he said, his voice dissolving to a growl.

“And that’s supposed to make me feel better? That you thought of me,” I leaned over and whispered, “While you stuck your dick in another woman?”

Gabe’s eyes turned to ice. “What about you? Did you think of me when you were letting your fiancé fuck you? Huh? Was it him you were crying out for when you came? Derek!” he mimicked, breathing deeply. “Or was he not able to make you come at all?” He grinned sadistically.

I flushed red then tossed, what turned out to be, a tiny splash of drink in his face.

Drew stopped his game to stare at us. Gabe simply glared at me with a cold hard stare, then wiped his hand down his face and stormed out the door.

I felt a little nauseated and turned to Drew who had come over to stand beside me. “Will he come back?”

He shook his head. “What happened?”

“Haleigh,” I said.

Drew frowned. “He walked off because of Haleigh?”

I didn’t want to tell him the truth. “Sort of.”

Drew shrugged and walked back to the pool table, throwing over his shoulder, “Best to just leave him when he gets like this. We’ll be done soon. I’ll give you a ride home.”