Chapter 11

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Natalia was even funnier in text than she was in person, Gabe couldn't explain it but her deadpan humour brought a smile to his face despite his team's massive loss in their away game. She was witty in a way that was refreshing and not at all hurtful. She didn't do crass humour and she was more likely to make fun of herself than others.

They had been exchanging texts since the day before, it had escalated to memes and selfies. Innocent ones despite things heating up the last few times they had been in each other's presence. He had learnt a lot about her via texts, her favorite shows, pet peeves and her family structure. He still hadn't taken her on a date and that bothered Gabe a lot. He was traditional in that sense.

He actually couldn't remember the last date he had been on, it must have been way before he had met and married Alice. He was so out of the game he didn't know what was appropriate or acceptable. There was still a lot that he needed to work out with Natalia. They didn't yet have that talk that he had promised, he wasn't even sure that she liked him enough to have that talk. They had an attraction, it was mutual, he could gauge that from the kisses they had shared. But he didn't know if this was going to be just a convenient fling to her. Gabe was done with flings. He wanted a genuine connection with someone. He was tired of feeling like he was on the periphery; with everyone and everything moving on around him.

The question was did she want the same things? He had baggage. He was a war veteran and a widower with some unhealthy coping mechanisms. He was white and from a completely different background to her. They were as different as you could get. But still, she was the only person in a long while that had the ability to disarm his defences. He was confused and uncertain. Two unfamiliar feelings that he did not like. All he knew for certain was that he liked Natalia and wanted to spend more time with her.

They were driving back to Manor in the school bus after staying overnight, the game had been in the neighbouring county about a five-hour drive away. The boys were tired so the bus was unusually quiet, letting Gabe have some downtime. He tried to nap but was interrupted by his vibrating cell phone. Gabe was a little bit ashamed that he had assigned a special vibration sequence to Natalia already. With three quick vibrations in succession, he knew it was her and an involuntary smile spread across his face.

How was the game?  — N

It was an innocuous enough question but the fact that she had asked spoke volumes.

We lost  :(     — G

I'm sorry :(   —N

She was the most empathetic person he had ever met, not just because she always apologised for things that weren't her fault, to begin with, but because the short time he had known her she always tried to help or make things better for everyone she came across.

Make sure you're at our next game, I think you're my good luck charm — G

I will make myself available, can't have another L on my conscience — N

He had been a bit nervous about her answer, but her response had put him at ease enough for his next message.

What are you doing later? — G

Going out with Porsha, why?  — N

He was disappointed. He hadn't seen her for a couple of days.

Thought we could grab dinner — G

I would love to but I can't cancel on Porsha. She will actually kill me  — N

Now that, I can't have on my conscience  — G

Tonight's look — N
(Tap to Download)

Gabe tapped the picture to download it, watching the loading circle spin around on the blurry square. They were on a rural highway and of course, his data would choose this moment to be slow.

It was a selfie with her smiling like she had a secret at the camera. She was wearing more makeup than he'd seen her wear since the staff barbecue. Dark smoky eyes that highlighted the light brown of her irises. Glossy dark pink lips that he wanted to be smeared all over his and that gold thing women loved to put on their cheeks. She glowed like a delicious glazed doll.

She was wearing a green blouse, loose with a long v-neckline that was tucked into a pair of tight skinny jeans. He groaned wishing that he could see her in the full outfit.  A long gold necklace with a locket sat nestled between her ample cleavage. She looked like a fantasy and Gabe found himself jealous that she was going out dressed like that without him. He saved the image, for future perusal, when not surrounded by nosy teenagers.

You look stunning — G

Thanks — N

Are you sure I can't interest you in ditching your plans? — G

No, sorry... — N

Ouch — G

The bus made steady progress to their destination, flying past the rugged Texas landscape. Gabe lost in his thoughts, half lucid and half almost dozing off. His thoughts flitting between his plans for the team, overcoming their first loss, when he was going to next see Natalia and what they were going to do on their first date.

Gabe arrived home in the mid-evening, he had a light dinner and laid on the sofa semi watching a show on Netflix. He wondered if he should hit up one of his army buddies to go grab a drink but at the end of it, he decided that he was tired and went to bed.

He was woken up by the buzz of his phone. It was ringing. He picked up sleepily, "Hello." Not having enough awareness to look at the caller ID.

"Hiya!" She was drunk, her voice sounded too cheery and it was in a different register but he recognised it as Natalia.

"Hey...where are you?" Gabe asked peering at the time. It was one am in the morning.

"Bed," She said. "That is to say in my own bed. At home," She clarified.

Gabe laughed, she must be the only person he ever met that got more verbose and articulate when drunk. "Yeah? Did you have a good time?"

"Mmm, yes," she hummed happily. "Porsha and her friends are so much fun."

"I'm glad. What's got you up this late?"

"Oh no, it is super late. I didn't realise how late it was. Did I wake you? I'm so-"

"It's okay, I'd rather be up talking to you." Than dreaming of you, Gabe thought.

"Really?" She asked her voice dropping as if she was being let in on a big grand secret.

"For sure," Gabe reassured her. "I'll deny it if you ask me in the light of day, but I kinda missed you."

"Aww, you did Gabs?"

"Don't call me that." Gabe said sharply, "Or I have to take back what I said."

She giggled, to herself mostly. Gabe had never heard her make that sound. It was adorable. "Don't you have any nicknames?" She asked him.

"Literally, Gabe is a nickname," he pointed out amused.

"Okay but that's boring," Natalia explained. "You need something fun like Gabs."

"That will never fly with me, you got any nicknames?"

"I do occasionally answer to Nat or Natty," She said dryly.

"Natty, I like that."

"So I can call you Gabs?" She asked brightening up.

Gabe sighed. "Do I have a choice?"

"Nope." She said quickly, popping the 'p'.

"Wow, I see how this relationship is gonna to be," Gabe said in mock bitterness.

"Relationship? You're getting way ahead of yourself there, Gabs."

"Oh, so you go around kissing men you're not in a relationship with?"

"First of all..." she started and he knew he was in for a long tirade. "If I did, it would be my choice. Don't slut-shame. And second, you haven't even taken me out?"

"So I just need to take you out on a date?"

"No," she said flustered. "But you should take me out on a date."

"I should, huh?"

"Yes," she whispered. "You should also know that I am a relationship girl. So if this is just a fling or..."

"You're most definitely not a fling," Gabe said with steely conviction.

"Oh okay."

"Are you free tomorrow?"

"Mmm, I wash my hair on Sundays."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes—it's an actual thing," she defended. "Have you ever dated a black woman before?"

"No. Have you ever dated a white guy before?" Gabe shot back.

She laughed. "No, I can't say that I have."

"So, washing your hair takes an entire day?"

"Okay, maybe I can be free in the afternoon," she admitted with a giggle.

"Why was that so hard?" Gabe smiled into the phone.

"Because you've had it too easy so far."

"Why do I feel like you're going to make me work for it?"

"Because I will," Natalia said with another girlish giggle. The sound curled in his ear.

"I ain't opposed to some graft." Gabe said with a chuckle of his own. "Especially for you."

"Good," she said and then yawned loudly, her yawn interspersing with a long sigh.

"Bedtime."

"Mmm, good idea." He could hear rustling.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting changed for bed,"

"With me on the phone?" Gabe sat up in his bed, looking out of his bedroom window and across the road into hers. The lights were on and he could see her silhouette once again. The outline of the swells and dips of her figure visible against her see-through curtains.

"Yes, not like you can't see me."

"Confession time, you've been giving me quite the show for weeks now," Gabe informed her casually in passing.

"You what?" He winced at her tone.

"I can see - "

Natalia yelped loudly when she realised what he meant, and jumped to switch her lights off. He could hear her heavy breathing and see the sudden darkness her room had been plunged into. "You're a massive pervert."

"And you should get heavier curtains."

"It's the first thing on my agenda, believe me," she muttered. He could hear more rustling and figured she had settled back into her bed.

"Don't rush on account of me. I enjoyed it."

"I'm glad you did because you might not ever see the real deal,"

"I have my memories to keep me warm."

Natalia giggled again at the ridiculous turn their conversation had taken. He was glad because for a moment he thought that he had offended her.

"I've got practice in the morning but I'll come around in the afternoon and we can do something,"

"Okay. Night, Gabe."

"Night, babe." The endearment escaped him before he could overthink its usage.

Drifting back to sleep was hard after that. He had missed her, he knew that now for definite. The last few days had been especially slow and torturous. Being in the same building as her and missing her often by a few minutes or seconds felt like a cruel karmic joke. He felt her presence everywhere. Sometimes her perfume lingered, long after she had left in the staff room, taunting him. He had taken to leaving her trinkets in her office, just to have a form of contact with her and when that wasn't enough he had started texting her.

He was glad that she had taken the initiative to call him. He was still getting used to dating boundaries, and what was too much and too little. He liked that she had her own standards of how she liked to be treated and that she was comfortable in vocalising them to him. It took the guesswork out of the situation.

Drunk Natalia was a revelation. She was shy, less controlled and infinitely less mysterious. Gabe felt like that phone conversation had revealed so much about her and not enough at the same time. He was insatiable when it came to her. He wanted to know everything there was to know, each layer she showed him only made that desire stronger.

I was experimenting a fair bit with dialogue in this chapter. Would love to hear your thoughts! :) Thank you again for all your comments, reads and votes.

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