The Second Week in August

Chapter 12: Mutual

I stepped back, completely thrown off seeing Gabe in my building. No matter how many times he had been there in my dreams, seeing him framed in the elevator doorway had my stomach in my chest.

"What—?" I started to say.

"Lou?" he questioned back, looking just as shocked to see me.

Behind Gabe, there was an older woman standing with her white Pomeranian, just back from a walk. I had shared an elevator ride with her before and knew she wasn't a particularly patient woman. I stepped out of the elevator so that she could get on. Gabe moved to the side as well.

She looked towards him, questioning whether he was going up.

"I'll get the next one," Gabe responded.

The elevator doors shut and we stared at each other. I noticed myself still fiddling with my engagement ring. I quickly dropped my hand to my side as if the diamond had turned scorching hot.

"So, you live here?" I asked, gesturing around, unable to keep the incredulous, irritated tone out of my voice. It had been a long day. Pleasantries weren't exactly on my list of priorities at this point.

"Uhh yeah," Gabe said. "Well no, not permanently," he corrected. "I had been renting a spot further north, but the commute was brutal, so I jumped on this spot when one of my mates needed someone to take over his lease for a couple of months."

I nodded tersely.

"Look, Lou, I know you weren't too happy with me back there. I thought about it, and honestly, you probably had some right to be upset," Gabe said, shuffling from side-to-side. I got the sense that he wasn't used to admitting he was wrong, which was why I wasn't surprised when he continued.

"I said my peace earlier. I truly do think there might be something better out there for you, and I'm not going to take that back. Even if we haven't known each other very long, it's just a gut feeling, and I had to tell you, okay?"

Again, I nodded, feeling myself soften. I already knew that everything he had said was true, and he hadn't meant any harm by suggesting I could find work that was more tailored to my talents.

Hell, at least he recognized that I had talents and opportunities beyond fulfilling the needs of Gloria. While I still wasn't remotely convinced that I had any place in the food industry, I did know that I always felt most comfortable in the kitchen. What if Gabe was right? What if I could expand my interest into a passion that carried me in a way that I never thought possible?

I tucked the thoughts into the back corner of my already very crowded mind, feeling some sense of comfort knowing my brain was slowly becoming a bit more receptive to the idea.

"So, what floor do you live on?" I asked, wanting to change the subject. Gabe looked relieved.

"Ten," he replied.

"So one above me. I'm on the ninth," I told him, feeling awkward. While I may have become accustomed to having Gabe around the office, I wasn't used to seeing him in the foyer of the building that Ben and I lived in.

"Well, then I'll probably be seeing you around even more then."

"Yup," I said in response, feeling unsure how to continue the conversation. I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my jeans.

"Where are you headed now?" he asked, gesturing outside.

"Oh, just for a walk. Needed to clear my head," I said.

"Want company?" Gabe asked.

I hesitated.

"That was dumb," Gabe said, lightly smacking himself on the forehead. "You just said you needed to clear your head. I'll let you go," he said, already moving towards the elevator.