Gabe
Page 14
"I know but we need to talk. It's important."
"Were you able to get anything from the enhanced images?" The original shots were too dark and slightly blurry, probably from my haste in getting the pictures taken before I was caught. There aren't many people that I trust enough to confide in but luckily one of my best friends is a photographer. Josie was able to enhance the images enough for us to read the top part of a document in the drawer and to get an image that was on the bedside table in a frame.
"Yeah, I did. I ran the names on that letter. Can I come over?"
I glance around. I told Zack that I was involving Luke but we haven't mentioned it to anyone else. Tank and Finn have no idea and I definitely don't want it coming out in the middle of Finn's engagement party.
When I look up, Sasha's watching me and suddenly I'm regretting my candor on the roof. Is she wondering if I'm involved in something shady right now? But she's not looking at me with judgment in her eyes, merely interest. That doesn't mean I want her to know what we're talking about though. For some stupid reason I want her to see me as I am now. The man I've worked so hard to become. Something about the way she looks at me makes me want to be better.
"No, I'm not at home. I'll come to you." I glance over at Sasha again. Her fingers are wrapped around her champagne flute and as I'm looking, she crosses her legs, one shapely limb twining around the other.
"I'll come to you in a while. A long while." I hang up and put my phone back in my inner pocket.
"Problem?" Sasha raises her glass to her mouth and I can't look away. I watch every moment as her lips purse and she takes a small sip. Then she licks her lips.
Jesus.
I need to diffuse this situation carefully. I don't go after women who know my brothers or friends so that puts Sasha squarely in the off limits column. Not that she'll have a problem with that. She's made it pretty clear that she doesn't trust me and isn't impressed with my usual methods of charm and flattery.
"No. I just got something I wanted, actually. But it does mean that I need to leave a little earlier than I expected."
I'm probably imagining it but she looks a little disappointed.
"That's probably for the best." She lowers her voice. "Look, I would have never said all that stuff to you up on the roof if I'd known you were related to Finn. I'm still completely embarrassed by it all and also mad at myself that I didn't realize who you were. I knew you looked familiar but maybe if I'd spent more time around Tank lately, I would have seen the resemblance and figured it out."
"I'm glad you didn't." At her shocked look, I laugh. "You would have never told me all that stuff and I would have never confided in you either. And I needed that. I haven't felt this good in a long time. I guess confession really is good for the soul."
She doesn't look convinced. "Maybe that's true but it's still really awkward that I just told you that I'm a jealous shrew who envies her loved ones happiness and now I am going to have to see you whenever Tank or Finn has a party."
"You see, that's why I like you. I told you that I was a bad person, the kind of bad that usually results in jail time, and you actually think you're the one who has something to worry about here." I chuckle softly and finally she does too.
"I guess that's true. But you told me about stuff you used to do. Things that you've moved on from. I told you about things I'm feeling right now."
The music changes to something slow with a low, throbbing beat. I stand and shuck off my coat, leaving it draped over the barstool. I extend a hand.
Sasha raises one elegantly sculpted eyebrow. "Are you asking me to dance?"
"Yes. Just one dance."
"Why?" She honestly looks confused.
"Truly, I don't know. There are so many reasons why I should just walk away and pretend tonight never happened but you know what? I don't want to. I liked talking to you. And even if it's only tonight, I'm not ready to let it go just yet."
"You aren't?" she whispers. When I shake my head, she takes another long sip from her glass. Then she puts it back down and puts her hand in mine.
"Oh, why not?"
* * * * *
I tug her after me to the center of the floor and then pull her into my arms. She's so much shorter than I am, so the top of her head barely reaches my chin. If it weren't for the ridiculously high heels she's wearing she'd be dancing with the front of my sweater.
"So do your brothers know about, you know… what we talked about?" Sasha asks in a low voice.
She looks around us and she's so cute that I'm hit with the completely unfamiliar sensation of wanting to protect her. But from what? The thing she needs protection from most is me, especially since she already admitted that she has a tendency to fall for the wrong guys. I'm one of those guys that she needs to stay away from, the commitment phobic type – a skilled liar with questionable motives.
"They do but no one else knows. Most of that was before I hit eighteen and my juvie records are sealed. I was arrested once in college, totally not my fault by the way, but somehow the charges were dropped and the whole thing was buried. At the time, I considered it a lucky break but now I'm pretty sure that was my father's doing."
We dance in silence for a while and I have to fight to keep my hands in place. Her coat was hiding a clingy red wraparound dress that emphasizes her hourglass figure. And every time we move, her thighs slide against mine. I'm not sure why I thought dancing was a good idea. It's more like torture.
"Were you able to get anything from the enhanced images?" The original shots were too dark and slightly blurry, probably from my haste in getting the pictures taken before I was caught. There aren't many people that I trust enough to confide in but luckily one of my best friends is a photographer. Josie was able to enhance the images enough for us to read the top part of a document in the drawer and to get an image that was on the bedside table in a frame.
"Yeah, I did. I ran the names on that letter. Can I come over?"
I glance around. I told Zack that I was involving Luke but we haven't mentioned it to anyone else. Tank and Finn have no idea and I definitely don't want it coming out in the middle of Finn's engagement party.
When I look up, Sasha's watching me and suddenly I'm regretting my candor on the roof. Is she wondering if I'm involved in something shady right now? But she's not looking at me with judgment in her eyes, merely interest. That doesn't mean I want her to know what we're talking about though. For some stupid reason I want her to see me as I am now. The man I've worked so hard to become. Something about the way she looks at me makes me want to be better.
"No, I'm not at home. I'll come to you." I glance over at Sasha again. Her fingers are wrapped around her champagne flute and as I'm looking, she crosses her legs, one shapely limb twining around the other.
"I'll come to you in a while. A long while." I hang up and put my phone back in my inner pocket.
"Problem?" Sasha raises her glass to her mouth and I can't look away. I watch every moment as her lips purse and she takes a small sip. Then she licks her lips.
Jesus.
I need to diffuse this situation carefully. I don't go after women who know my brothers or friends so that puts Sasha squarely in the off limits column. Not that she'll have a problem with that. She's made it pretty clear that she doesn't trust me and isn't impressed with my usual methods of charm and flattery.
"No. I just got something I wanted, actually. But it does mean that I need to leave a little earlier than I expected."
I'm probably imagining it but she looks a little disappointed.
"That's probably for the best." She lowers her voice. "Look, I would have never said all that stuff to you up on the roof if I'd known you were related to Finn. I'm still completely embarrassed by it all and also mad at myself that I didn't realize who you were. I knew you looked familiar but maybe if I'd spent more time around Tank lately, I would have seen the resemblance and figured it out."
"I'm glad you didn't." At her shocked look, I laugh. "You would have never told me all that stuff and I would have never confided in you either. And I needed that. I haven't felt this good in a long time. I guess confession really is good for the soul."
She doesn't look convinced. "Maybe that's true but it's still really awkward that I just told you that I'm a jealous shrew who envies her loved ones happiness and now I am going to have to see you whenever Tank or Finn has a party."
"You see, that's why I like you. I told you that I was a bad person, the kind of bad that usually results in jail time, and you actually think you're the one who has something to worry about here." I chuckle softly and finally she does too.
"I guess that's true. But you told me about stuff you used to do. Things that you've moved on from. I told you about things I'm feeling right now."
The music changes to something slow with a low, throbbing beat. I stand and shuck off my coat, leaving it draped over the barstool. I extend a hand.
Sasha raises one elegantly sculpted eyebrow. "Are you asking me to dance?"
"Yes. Just one dance."
"Why?" She honestly looks confused.
"Truly, I don't know. There are so many reasons why I should just walk away and pretend tonight never happened but you know what? I don't want to. I liked talking to you. And even if it's only tonight, I'm not ready to let it go just yet."
"You aren't?" she whispers. When I shake my head, she takes another long sip from her glass. Then she puts it back down and puts her hand in mine.
"Oh, why not?"
* * * * *
I tug her after me to the center of the floor and then pull her into my arms. She's so much shorter than I am, so the top of her head barely reaches my chin. If it weren't for the ridiculously high heels she's wearing she'd be dancing with the front of my sweater.
"So do your brothers know about, you know… what we talked about?" Sasha asks in a low voice.
She looks around us and she's so cute that I'm hit with the completely unfamiliar sensation of wanting to protect her. But from what? The thing she needs protection from most is me, especially since she already admitted that she has a tendency to fall for the wrong guys. I'm one of those guys that she needs to stay away from, the commitment phobic type – a skilled liar with questionable motives.
"They do but no one else knows. Most of that was before I hit eighteen and my juvie records are sealed. I was arrested once in college, totally not my fault by the way, but somehow the charges were dropped and the whole thing was buried. At the time, I considered it a lucky break but now I'm pretty sure that was my father's doing."
We dance in silence for a while and I have to fight to keep my hands in place. Her coat was hiding a clingy red wraparound dress that emphasizes her hourglass figure. And every time we move, her thighs slide against mine. I'm not sure why I thought dancing was a good idea. It's more like torture.
