Ella had taken the sight of Gabe and Natalia together much better than he could have ever hoped. She didn't say much when she saw them, nor did she ring him or send him messages demanding a call back. He still had to face her at work so he didn't get too ahead of himself, thinking that he had escaped her reach.
Normally, Gabe would have been content to avoid speaking to Ella altogether. For once she was minding her own business and he was a firm believer in not messing with things that weren't broken. Until he had found out that Ella's meddling had taken a different direction. She was bothering Natalia; hounding her for insight instead. Natalia, who was already incredibly skittish about the relationship that was forming between them. Gabe couldn't have that at all.
Gabe had been busy inducting his new hire into the football programme, he didn't have a chance to check in with Natalia that day. He liked that in whatever form it took, they had at least one form of contact in the day.
The new hire, James "Jimmy" Lawson, was going to be the assistant football coach and it would mean that Gabe would get more help training for specific plays, analysing game tape and focusing on certain players and hopefully the effects would show on the field. Otherwise it would be one hell of an expensive experiment that he would have to justify.
Ella was hovering outside the science faculty office, after school. She was peering inside through the circular window opening on the door.
She was as subtle as a brick. Gabe guessed that she couldn't go inside to hound Natalia some more because she shared her office with three other science teachers, all of them old men, nearing retirement. For being the only woman in the department she handled it remarkably well.
"Ella," Gabe said loudly making her jump about ten feet into the air.
"Oh, Gabe you scared me!" Ella exclaimed pearl-clutching dramatically.
"Can we talk?" Gabe asked foregoing his initial plan to briefly catch up with Natalia.
"Sure," Ella said breezily, in fact she looked a little guilty.
They stood there for a beat before Gabe added, "In your office," pointedly.
"Oh of course, excuse me," Ella said walking towards her office at the end of the corridor. Gabe followed naturally.
"What can I do for you, Gabe?"
"It's more like, what can you not do for me," Gabe hedged, trying to ease into what would no doubt be a difficult conversation. "I need you to back off, Natalia."
"Oh? How so?" Ella asked.
"Look I know, you saw us together and that you have questions. You should ask me those questions, not her."
"Aw, Gabe! You really do like her!"
Gabe blushed deeply, nobody had the ability to embarrass him like his sister-in-law. She sometimes acted like a real sibling, had they had grown up together they would have no doubt bickered endlessly.
"I, um..." Gabe, like the majority of men, hated talking about his feelings.
"Gabe, Gabriel?" Ella interrupted.
He sighed and stopped pacing. "Yes?"
"I'm okay with it. I'm happy for you. God, come here." She beckoned with outstretched arms. Bestowing a hug on his reluctant shoulders. "Don't hurt her, I mean it. She's been through a lot." Ella warned and Gabe wondered how she knew that. Did she know about Natalia's twin too or was it something else?
"I won't." Gabe said solemnly and he meant it. He would sooner hurt himself than have to hurt Natalia.
"I'm glad we had this talk," Ella smiled like a Cheshire Cat and it was then that Gabe knew that he had been played.
He had to laugh, that's all he could do. Ella was some sort of evil genius when it came to manipulating others, his only solace being that most of her schemes were well intentioned and that she used her talents for good. Mostly.
On a rare night where he didn't have practice, Gabe decided to make an appearance at the bar and restaurant most of the teaching staff frequented in the evenings for food and happy hour. Teaching was one of those professions you absolutely needed a vice to survive. Bill's bar and grill was their collective vice.
"Fancy seeing into you here," he said to Porsha pulling up a chair, "Is the yin to your yang around?" he teased referencing her newfound friendship with Natalia.
Whilst he and Porsha weren't the best of friends, he did prefer her to a lot of the other teachers they worked with. She was funny and easy to talk to and wherever you found her, Natalia wasn't usually far off.
"Yes, she's just in the bathroom," Porsha answered looking at him with suspicion. "Why?"
"Just asking." Gabe looked away from her prying eyes. He didn't know how Natalia wanted to play this, was she open to others knowing about them. The other day she hadn't even wanted him near her at school, did they have to act like complete strangers around each other. He wasn't sure, but he didn't know how convincing he could be.
Natalia soon appeared in his line of vision, looking radiant in a relaxed sweater and jeans. Her hair like a dark halo in the low light of the restaurant. She was laughing loudly at a comment another teacher from the science department had made at another table before she came and resumed her seat.
She didn't notice Gabe until she had sat down and looked to her left. "Hey," she greeted shyly, biting her lip. Gabe took his cues from her, greeting her back in an equally muted tone, though he ached to kiss her, settling for admiring the curves of her lips and Cupid's bow instead.
"You guys are acting so weird." Porsha broke the thick tension with her statement. "I'm going to find some other company," she huffed gathering her drink and handbag.
Both Gabe and Natalia stared at her retreating back before bursting into spontaneous laughter at the same time. Natalia laughed till there were tears in her eyes and Gabe enjoyed watching her usual restrained self, let go.
"Wow, we need to be more subtle."
"I hate to break it to you, Natty, baby but that was me being subtle."
"Let's work on that," Natalia said with a chuckle, patting his warm, stubbly cheek.
"Food is a good start. I am starved." Gabe said once she had pulled away and his senses weren't being assaulted by her nearness.
"When are you not starving?" Natalia said perusing the menu.
"Hey, I'm a growing boy, I need my nutrients." Gabe lifted the menu easily from her fingers.
Natalia snickered, her eyes raking over his form and suddenly it wasn't so funny. Gabe could see the change from amusement to lust in her eyes, she wet her lips, pupils fully blown and Gabe had to shift in his seat to adjust himself.
The change in her energy was as sudden as it was potent. If she'd let him, he'd show her the exact effect she had on him over and over again. But he knew she wasn't the type to fall into bed that easily. He didn't know what barriers she needed to overcome, but he had long ago resigned to the fact that he would put in the needed work.
Natalia ordered a chicken salad to Gabe's surprise. "I need to stop eating out so much," she explained, patting her stomach area.
Gabe rolled his eyes. "I think you're beautiful."
Natalia stared at him, a little dazed. Jesus, what kind of idiots had she been dating that didn't let her know she was beautiful at every opportunity?
"You're so good for my self-esteem. I'm going to keep you around." She grinned.
"Just let me know when you need a re-up."
Gabe ordered a classic burger with double the portion of sweet potato fries. It was his favorite and he wasn't going to be robbed again.
When other school staff started trickling into the restaurant, they joined them at their table, since it was one of the bigger ones at the establishment. Porsha made a return with Agnes in tow. Ella materialised too from where she had been gossiping all night with the school nurse and the deputy mayor of their town.
Gabe just happened to sit sandwiched between Natalia and Agnes. He didn't know why, but that put him at edge. His knee bouncing relentlessly in nervous energy. Natalia stilled it, with a hand. The warm touch of her hand seeping through his jeans, as she casually partook in conversation around the table. Blissfully unaware of the effect her casual touch was having on him.
Agnes was the definition of relentless since the summer barbecue. She emailed him questions that she could easily ask anyone else, which he ignored. She showed up at his office with barely concealed excuses to speak to him. Gabe lived in daily fear of giving her the smallest false perception that he had any interest in her. He didn't even maintain eye-contact when they had to speak in the staff common room or in staff meetings. It made him feel uncomfortable, she was a younger girl, in her mid-twenties, he had to navigate this carefully.
Gabe was right, when her salad was done, Natalia started picking fries from his plate, even having the cheek to tell him that he had over salted the fries. Gabe shook his head amused, but didn't comment as he sipped his beer.
"Oh, Gabe. Do you mind if I have one? They look so good and I haven't had carbs in so long," Agnes said her eyes zeroing in Natalia's actions.
"Sure," Gabe said awkwardly, not wanting to embarrass Agnes. But also could she not read social cues? Natalia claiming his food was the human female version of pissing all over your mate.
Natalia gave Porsha a look across the table that Gabe couldn't decipher, but he knew that she was not a happy bunny. He tried to avoid directly addressing Agnes, without seeming rude to no avail. Natalia pursed her lips every time Agnes spoke to him or in general.
"Gabe, do you think I can get a lift home?" Agnes asked at the end of the night, her cheeks red from being buzzed, she was giggly and languid, in a drunk flirty fashion.
Gabe blinked in surprise when Natalia plucked his keys out of his grip. She had been drinking soft drinks all night, not wanting to trigger a migraine from drinking on a school night. While, Gabe had indulged in a couple of beers. It had been kind of an unspoken agreement that she would drive them home at the end of the night since she had ridden with Porsha on the way there.
"Sorry, Agnes, Gabe's had a few. I can call you an Uber though?" Natalia lips pulled back in a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
Gabe followed her out to the parking lot. "You know how we discussed being subtle? That was not subtle but it was...hot."
Natalia laughed at his observation as she started the car.
"Can you even handle driving a truck, your car is tiny." Gabe asked sceptically. He was in no position to drive but also he was fond of his car, his F-150 was barely a year old.
"Yes, I'm a big girl and I can handle big toys."
"When can I start replying to all the innuendos you walk into because..." He left the sentence hanging.
"After the third date,"
"I'm starting to think all my wildest dreams will come true after this third date."