GABRIEL
After having a drink with Jo last night, I excused myself and went to my room. Talking to her is addicting and I can't stop looking at her gorgeous face. But I promised her I wouldn't be in her way. And after that talk we had over dinner, I know I'm the last person she would be interested in getting involved with.
Not that I'll ever make a move, anyway. She's off-limits. Has always been. Will always be.
My mind kept screaming at me I should tell her about the guys arriving in a couple of days, but as we've already established, I'm an asshole who wants her all to myself. As fucked up as it is, I want to enjoy this little time we have just for ourselves, without the band's shit hovering over our heads.
In my defense, I want to at least prove to her I'm not like her ex. Not that I need to prove anything. But you know by now how crazy I am when it comes to this girl.
It goes without saying that I slept like shit yesterday. I've gotten used to being up all night while touring, but I know need to start forcing myself to be awake in the mornings to bring some sense of normality back into my life.
It's now ten a.m. and the smell of coffee lures me into the kitchen. Jo is scrambling some eggs and humming to whatever song is playing in her eardrums. The sight of her curves so beautifully exposed makes me halt. She's wearing a white tank over a bikini top and a pair of cut-off jeans.
My brain is telling me to leave and find somewhere else to have breakfast, but my eyes are glued to the easy sway of her hips. She's humming to the song now, and it's completely adorable. A smile plays on my lips when she closes her eyes and uses the wooden spoon as a microphone. God, she's beautiful.
"Cause I ain't never loved a man..." she sings and I lean on the door frame; my arms crossing as I enjoy the show.
"Ain't never had a man hurt me so bad..." She stretches the last note, spinning around and opening her eyes just in time to see me chuckling. "Holy shit, Gabe!" she shouts, her breath hitching as she clutches her hand to her chest.
"Don't let me stop you," I wink, laughing when she rolls her eyes.
"Aretha has a way to make me forget the world around me..." she murmurs, turning her back to me so she can keep cooking. "Are you hungry? I'm making enough for the two of us."
"Starving." I walk to the cabinet to get two mugs. "How about we eat outside?"
"Sounds good," she says, walking to the toaster as she opens a bag of bread.
A jolt of awareness runs through my veins at the sight in front of me, making me freeze. I've never had this with a woman before; us getting ready for breakfast together with no other expectations. The urge to protect it, to savor it, scares the hell out of me. A surge of confusion invades my heart, hot, unfamiliar, and so fucking fast it feels like a punch.
"Are you okay?" Jo touches my shoulder, walking around me and pushing on her tiptoes to get a bowl on the shelf by my right. It's too high for her, so without thinking much, one of my hands touches the small of her back as the other goes up to get her bowl.
The citrus smell of her hair combined with her own delicious floral and fresh scent catches me off guard. I speak without thinking. "You've got the same perfume since you were seventeen."
"What?" she whispers, her head turning so she can look at me. Something I can't recognize passes behind her eyes. I immediately want to take back what I said.
"Uh..." I clear my throat, walking to the coffee pot so I can put some distance between us. "The perfume. I have an olfactory memory. Some scents are just stuck in my head." Shit. I cringe the moment the words are out of my mouth. I never talk about this with anyone.
"Oh, I didn't know that was a thing..." I hear her say as I blow out a quick breath.
"Yeah... I guess everyone experiences it at some level, but the actual olfactory trigger can vary enormously from person to person." I get the coffeepot and mugs and head outside to put them on the table.
"So you're saying you actually memorize some smells?" She meets me outside, putting the eggs on the table, too.
"Come on, think about your childhood. Don't you remember the smell of a good childhood memory?" My gaze locks with hers for a second before I walk back to the kitchen to get the toasts and the rest of the things.
"I remember how good my grandma's cookies smelled. She would bake them every time we visited." I hear her say. "They always brought me a sense of comfort."
"See." I walk back outside, pulling a chair for her to sit. "We all have it." I shrug, ignoring the way she studies me.
"Yeah, I guess," she murmurs, her eyes still on me as I take a seat in front of her.
"Mom and Maria have both stuck with the same perfume for years now, too." I blurt, unable to keep the verbal diarrhea inside.
"Oh." Her brows raise, and I clear my throat.
"I was thinking about stopping by the store to get some more food." I pour us some coffee, desperately wanting to change the subject. I've memorized everything about her over the years. But how do I say that without sounding creepy? "Is there something specific you're in the mood for?" I ask, wondering if we can get in and out of the store without people recognizing me.
"I was thinking about cooking some dessert for our dinner at Ed's tonight, but I'm not sure it's a good idea because of his diabetes."
"Let's google some recipe ideas." I get my phone from my pocket, grateful for the distraction. "Well, let's see... It says people with diabetes can absolutely include sweets and desserts in their diet, as long as they're part of a healthy eating plan and they don't overindulge."
Her eyes light up as she gets her phone. "Maybe I could cook him something diabetic-friendly."
*****
The rest of our morning goes by smoothly after we had breakfast and cleaned the kitchen. I learned Jo is thinking about writing a new book but is still on the fence about how to go through the entire publishing process. I talked about how I'm looking forward to this summer break and now we're both getting into the car I rented so we can go to the market. Jo's car is acting up funny, and I promised to look at it when we get back.
The moment we step inside the market, I question my judgment. I see a group of women near the fruit section eyeing me up, and my back stiffens. I've grown a beard and got a cap, but somehow they seemed to have figured out who I am. Damn. The last thing I need is a commotion or word getting around that I'm in town.
Jo is clueless checking the berries in front of her, and I'm trying to act as normal as possible as I carry a basket by her side. Don't get me wrong, I love interacting with fans and I've become used to having them asking for photos and autographs. But after all the shit that has been going around lately, I'm really looking forward to just being Gabriel - a twenty-eight-year-old, enjoying the summer at his parents' beach house.
"Excuse me," I hear a woman say from behind us, but before I have time to say anything, Jo is already speaking.
"Hey, Eric. Can you get us a carton of chocolate ice cream?" Jo looks at me, her eyes dancing with mischief.
"Sure." I nod, walking a few steps away.
"Uh..." The woman lets a quick breath and I bite my lower lip to contain my smile.
"Can I help you?" I hear Jo say.
"Oh... Uh... I swear I thought he was Gabe Morales..." The woman says, and I pause, getting a gallon of milk from a shelf so I can hear the rest of their conversation.
"Who? Eric?" Jo laughs. "Trust me, if Gabriel Morales was here, I'd be all over him myself, hun."
"Right..." The woman shoots me one last look, and I take it as my cue to leave and head to the ice cream aisle.
A moment later, I hear Jo's voice. "Come on, Eric." She entwines her arms with mine, catching me by surprise. "Let's hurry. The blondies on your left are ready to come after you."
Sure enough, two young women are walking in our direction. "Hey! Are you Gabe Morales?" One of them says, and I don't know why I look at Jo instead of answering them.
"Damn it!" Joe chuckles. "If we get a dime every time someone mistakes you for Gabe Morales..."
"I'm Eric." I smile. "Sorry to disappoint."
"Oh! Right! Uh... Sorry." One of them says, and I just shrug before touching Jo's lower back and guiding her to the next aisle.
In the next twenty minutes, we have everything we need and soon we're loading the car. As crazy as it might seem, I loved the little trick she pulled with those women.
Opening the car door for Jo, I try to keep my eyes off her sleek, toned legs. I don't even remember just the two of us spending time, but I have to confess I'm really enjoying it.
"Thanks for earlier," I say, my hand resting on the open car door.
"I got you, Gabe." She winks at me before fastening her seat belt.
And fuck it if doesn't go straight to my heart.
She got me all right. I just need to keep reminding myself she's just a friend and completely off-limits. And not this gorgeous woman who got me easily under her spell.
_____
A/N: Right... hehe
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Celeste