Gabriella Ch. 02

"Can I come?"

"No." He grabbed the duffel bag full of workout clothes and rushed out of the house. Distance was his only defense against her.

Simon made it to Steven's condo in record time and spent the first twenty minutes gulping down beers.

"Jesus, dude, slow down. I haven't seen you drink this much since the Giants won the Superbowl."

Simon ignored his friend and continued to chug his drink.

"Women problems?"

He pulled the bottle from his mouth. "You have no idea."

"Well, no man should drink alone. Pete and Tek will be over later. And just so you know, I plan on getting shit faced tonight, so you will need to cab it home."

Simon gave him a half salute then twisted the top off another beer.

A few hours and several beers later, loud knocks sounded at the door and his other good friends came barreling through with food and more importantly, alcohol.

They settled in to watch a boxing match on pay-per-view. It wasn't anyone really big and Simon didn't even keep up with boxing, but the action kept his mind from the two women in his life, each driving him crazy in their own way.

"Patterson is fucking tired, man," Steven announced, placing his feet on the coffee table.

"Are you kidding me? You know nothing about boxing," Pete argued, staring incredulously at Steven.

They were all used to Steven spouting out shit that didn't really make sense. And the man had no filter. It didn't matter if it was a kindergarten class, a boss or an eighty-year-old next door neighbor. Most people found him obnoxious, but it just made him endearing to their group.

"Because it's not a real art form. It's just punching someone in the face and abs. Oh, that takes a lot," Steven mocked before he got up to grab another beer. "Now mixed martial arts, see there, art is in the fucking name because it's an art form. Liz is always trying to get you to get into the arts, take her to one MMA match. Show her a man's art."

"Yeah, and my wife would more than likely divorce me," Pete answered. Pete's relationship with his wife Liz had always been a hot topic of conversation. No one in their group could understand why he married her. She was, well, in no other terms, a bitch. She had his schedule on lock. He had exactly fifteen minutes to get home from work, or else he wouldn't hear the last of it. She had the passwords to all of his email and voicemail accounts and he was only allowed to hang out with his friends twice a month. Today counted as day number one.

"Even still, chicks secretly dig that shit. I bet you Liz would be all over your package if you played a couple of those videos for her," Steven insisted.

"It's surprising that you're still single, Steven," Tek chimed in.

"By choice."

"Bullshit," Pete yelled.

"Fuck," Steven said when a knock sounded at the door. "This better not be Angela."

Pete hopped up to grab another drink as well. "Who's Angela?"

"Don't ask," Steven grumbled as he walked to the door.

Simon chuckled and stared back at the TV. Being here was definitely doing the trick. He wasn't sure what he could do tomorrow to occupy his time, but he was thinking.

"Well, surprise, surprise gentlemen," he heard Steven say behind him. Simon looked upside down over the back of the couch to see caramel legs. His eyes scanned up to Gabriella's face. He must've sat upright too fast because he felt a jolt to his brain. He shook it off and turned around to make sure he had seen what he thought he had.

"Hey guys," she waved before she looked right at him. Simon's eyes quickly drank in her outfit, which wasn't the same one that she had worn earlier that morning. Instead she opted for another short dress that exposed too much skin.

"Ella, it's been a while." Pete walked over to give her a hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck in the same flirtatious manner she always displayed.

"I know. How are you?" She pulled back from him and smiled.

"Oh, well—"

"What are you doing here?" Simon interrupted. Gabriella and Pete turned toward him.

"I was bored. And I knew you were over here. I hope you guys don't mind."

"Actually, we do."

"Have a heart Tin Man. I'm cool with it. Nice to have a lady join us, especially if it's not Pete's wife," Steven joked.

"Screw you," Pete said, as Tek laughed. "Oh, pardon me Ella."

"It is true man, your wife, I swear, she makes me never want to get married," Tek teased.

"And screw you too." Pete apologized again and sulked as he turned his attention to the match.

"But I just hope we're not too vulgar for you," Steven said, leading her towards the sofa.

"I'm sure I can handle it."

Simon kept his eyes on her as she walked over and sat down beside him. He took another sip of his drink and shook his head.

"So, what's new Ella?" Steven asked.

"Nothing really. School is boring."

"Simon's class too?"

"Sadly, yes." She turned to smile at him.

Steven slapped his leg. "I told him back in college all that history shit was boring."

"As opposed to running numbers all day," Simon said, poking fun at Steven's accountant job. Although he was the lead accountant for the largest law firm in the entire state and made more money than all of them.

"What can I say, I'm about quantity."

"Oh, we know. The women you bring here show us that much," Tek joked.

As their banter continued, Simon felt uneasy with her so close. He feared she'd say or do something that would awaken suspicion in their group. Or maybe he feared he'd give himself away with a look or touch. People usually saw the thin line between lust and loathing.

Simon grew restless as the match was no longer enough to keep his attention. Even after Steven put in a DVD of an Ultimate Fighting Championship, he felt his mind was slowly unraveling. And Gabriella's less than subtle glances weren't helping.

He stood up and wobbled in a semi-straight line down the hall to Steven's second bedroom turned game room to round out the ultimate bachelor pad. He snatched the darts from the board and walked backwards.

In college he had won several bets with this game. Everything from money to girls making out with each other. It really wasn't as hard as everyone thought. It just took concentration and consistency, two things he used to have in spades. Gabriella had fucked that up.

He fired all of the darts, just missing the bull's eye each time. He went back to the board to remove them again, when he heard Gabriella clear her throat. Is God punishing me?

She walked into the room and leaned against the wall. "You're pretty good at that."

"I'm alright." Simon refused to look at her. Each look would be tempting his fate.

"Hey, there you are," Steven said, barging through with two beers in his hands. "Oh shit, he's got the darts going. Ella, we made so much money hustling dummies in college. Do you play?"

"No, I've never thrown a dart."

"What? Not even one of those awful Nerf darts?"

"Nope. There weren't many games when I was growing up."

"Oh, well we have to correct that right now. Simon, you game? Although, to make this fair, we have to give him a handicap. What's it gonna be?"

"Shots!" Pete called out as he and Tek entered the room. Simon glanced at them and then at Gabriella who was smiling from ear to ear.

"Shots it is," Steven said, walking out of the room.

"Are we at a frat party?" Simon asked, shaking his head. He seriously needed to leave.

"Why, are you scared you'll lose to a girl? No offense Ella," Tek said.

"None taken. Besides, I'm about to kick his ass."

Simon turned to her and raised an eyebrow. This might very well be a trap, but she'd challenged him and he'd never been one to back down. "I'm not going to be easy on you just because it's your first time."

She smiled even bigger and he mentally chastised himself for phrasing his threat that way.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," she replied.

When Steven returned, he handed Simon the first shot which he tossed back. He aimed the dart and nailed it close to the center ring. He took another shot and threw again, getting even closer. By the third shot, he hit bull's eye.

"Fu—damn, how do you do that?" Steven asked in amazement. "I'm pretty sure you'd blow way pass the legal limit."

"Piece of cake." Although everything had gotten blurry.

"Okay, Ella, your turn." Steven handed her three darts and pushed her closer to the target.

"What the hell? I'm taking shots and standing further back," Simon complained.

"Ah, quit being a pussy—shit, sorry Ella. Anyway, just aim and throw."

The first dart landed nowhere near the center. The second one came a little closer and the third one hit right near Simon's first dart.

"Oh, good job. But clearly Simon needs another handicap. Hmm..." Simon watched as Steven scratched his head.

"Make him close his eyes," Pete slurred.

"I know one," Gabriella said.

She approached and stood directly in front of him, so close she had to tilt her head back to look into his eyes. He could have sworn that no one was breathing in that exact moment. Or at least he wasn't. And that is what he feared, that she would go too far and give them away. Pete and Tek chuckled behind him, likely oblivious to what Gabriella was doing. But Steven, who stood off to the side, watched with a curious gaze and a smirk. Shit.

Simon shook his head, grabbed another shot from the table and downed it. This entire night had become a train wreck.

With the top of Gabriella's head only reaching his chin, he had a clear view of the target. But her presence was making his head throb and his dick rise. His thoughts raced. His concentration waned. The room shrunk and his skin was on fire.

He bent his neck to the right then left until he heard a crack, hoping to relieve some tension. Without another thought, he glanced at her again just as she crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. A chuckle escaped his mouth throwing him off balance as he threw the dart.

"Nice job!" Steven clapped and high-fived Gabriella when the dart didn't even hit the board. Instead it was buried an inch to the left in the wall. "In my book, that's an automatic DQ."

"Funny face will do it every time," she responded.

Simon stared at the wall for a few seconds longer before he turned to grab a beer from the table. "Nice," he said to her. The others congratulated her on distracting him as he walked out. It wasn't that he was being a bad sport, although he hated to lose...but he had to get away from her. It was too obvious how much she affected him and no doubt at least one of them had picked up on it. He just prayed that they were all too plastered to care.

Simon walked out onto Steven's balcony that overlooked the city. Very different from the quiet suburbs where he lived. Above, stars lit up the sky's dark canvas. Several people sat around the pool below laughing and drinking. He hadn't given it much thought, but since he moved to North Carolina years ago, he had preferred its contrast to the hustle and bustle of New York. The fall air provided a welcome chill against his sweaty skin.

He plopped into a reclining chair and popped the top off his whatever number beer. He sighed when he heard Steven shout his name. He just needed some peace and quiet right now; something his good friend was incapable of providing.

"There you are." Steven leaned against the railing and peered down at him before he burst out laughing.

Simon didn't bother asking him what was so funny. He knew Steven would tell him whether he wanted to know or not.

"Man, I don't envy you being a step-dad to that girl," Steven said, pulling out a pack of cigars, offering him one. "She's um, definitely a handful. Doesn't really take after her mother much, does she?"

"Not really," Simon said, accepting the cigar and lighting it.

Their ritual had always been to smoke cigars during a 'guy's night out' type of thing, a tradition they started in college. He assumed it was some fascination to look cool, which turned into something they actually enjoyed. But since Simon had met Patricia, he had lessened his participation since she didn't like smokers. Never mind that her daughter smoked.

"Speak of the devil," he heard Steven whisper. "Hey Ella, come on out here."

She leaned against the banister beside Steven. She stared at Simon and he stared back, no longer caring who was watching within this smaller group. It was amazing how uninhibited alcohol made him. When she finally broke her gaze, she turned to Steven.

"Can I try?" she asked.

"Sure, as long as your dad is okay with it." Steven joked, removing another cigar from his case, when she pulled the one from his mouth and placed it between her lips. She inhaled and blew out, before smiling back at him.

A slow grin appeared on Steven's face. "Well, fuck me. Seems like you're a pro."

"I'm good at a lot of things, Steven," she said. Simon squeezed his bottle.

Steven gave a sideways glance to him. "Like darts."

"Exactly," Gabriella answered.

"See, you would have been a good friend of mine back in college," Steven said. "Or Simon's."

Gabriella shook her head and blew out a cloud of smoke before she looked at him. "I doubt Simon and I would have gotten along."

"Oh, you'd be surprised. Sure he's all uptight and stuff like Mister Rogers now, but back then—oh shit! I need to tell you a story." Steven's drunken laughter crackled around them, making Simon's stomach twist and turn. His buddy had way too many stories of him from school. "Seriously, I swear I almost pissed myself. Okay, it was our senior year and I came back to my room after this crazy party. I mean the kind where you don't even remember going, that's how fuc—messed up I was."

"Oh, fuck me. Shut the hell up. Don't tell her that," Simon said.

"Anyway, I came back to my room and when I opened the door I noticed his cover was pulled up and over him. But I also noticed blond hair hanging over the side of the bed. I was like, yes, my boy is awesome, he always scores."

"Seriously Steven, I really want to kick your ass right about now. Will you shut the fuck up?"

"No, I want to hear." Gabriella smiled at him and turned her attention back to Steven.

"So anyway, the blonde wakes up, naked I might add and starts putting on her clothes. Me, I'm trying to camouflage myself while this hottie is dressing. But when she walks out, I'm about to open my mouth and what do I see?"

Simon stared at his friend who was completely cracking up, while he was cringing. "Dude, I swear..." his threat trailing off as he covered his face.

"I see a brunette lift her head from the other side of him! I was like, 'I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy'. He became a legend in my eyes that day," Steven said.

Simon shot his friend a glacier look. "Asshole. Thanks for telling my stepdaughter about my colorful past. That's just great."

Steven chuckled. "Ah man, quit trying to be so fucking perfect and have some fun. Kids today have done everything and more that we did in college. Hate to break it to you, but you're no angel and I bet she's not either, are you Ella?"

Gabriella stubbed out the cigar. "No comment."

"Yeah, we would have been good friends," Steven said with a smile.

The splashing sounds coming from the pool spared them an awkward silence. Just barely.

"Okay, I'm heading in. If by chance I'm passed out on the floor when you two leave, don't wake me." Steven stood up and stretched. "A pleasure as always," he said, kissing the back of Gabriella's hand. "Make sure Mister Rogers gets home safe."

"Likewise and I will," she answered.

And now Simon was alone with her again.

"I didn't know you smoked cigars. Or had threesomes."

"There's a lot you don't know about me." He openly gazed at her legs and up her body to her eyes.

"Like what?"

Simon stubbed out his cigar. "I'm going home." He stood up and walked back into the condo.

"You can't drive," she said, following behind him.

"I'll call a cab."

"Why? I'll drive you."

"Because, I don't want you near me." He hadn't meant for it to come out so harshly. "I just mean, I think it's best if you drive my car and I catch a cab." Even in his mind, it sounded like a hassle, but he just wasn't thinking clearly, or maybe he was thinking too clearly.

"Or, you could lie down in the backseat while I drive you home." She reached around him and grabbed his keys from his pocket, her hand lingering there a little longer than what he felt comfortable with.

"Fine." His brain finally shut down.

**********

Gabriella

When Ella finally pulled into their driveway, she glanced in the back seat where Simon lay sprawled out and snoring. When she woke him up he got out and stumbled to the front door, dropping the keys twice before she intervened.

Once inside he took off down the hallway.

"Simon," she called after him.

"Leave me alone, Gabriella."

"But—"

"Leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone," he repeated as he entered his bedroom and shut the door.

Ella sat in the living room, wondering if she should check on him. She removed her shoes and folded her legs underneath her, Indian style. It was only ten—way too early for bed. She thought of calling Nolan to come over, but figured Simon wouldn't be in the best mood after a hangover and seeing someone else there would only worsen it. He might still be trying to ignore her, but she didn't want to piss him off. At least not with everything so fragile between them.

She tried to watch TV, but boredom got the best of her and she headed towards his room. She didn't bother knocking. Instead, she quietly opened his door and smiled. He lay across the bed on his stomach, his clothes and shoes still attached to his body.

"Simon?" she whispered. No answer. She walked into the room and switched on the bedside lamp. His face was turned away from her but she wanted to touch him. She hadn't felt his touch in a week. She removed his shoes and crawled up the bed to straddle his back.

"What the hell?" he groaned, looking back at her. He dropped his head back down and sighed. "Gabriella, get the fuck off me." His voice was thick with sleep.

She rubbed her hands together to warm them up before she slid them underneath his shirt. He jumped at her touch. "I wanted to give you a massage."

"I don't want a massage and you know how I feel about you being in our bedroom." He tried twisting around, but she clenched her thighs together, keeping him in place. His inebriation was no match for her.

"Everyone wants a massage, Simon."

"I'm not everyone. Move."

She ignored his command as she continued to rub over his shoulders and down his back. His muscles felt tense and hard beneath her hands, bringing back memories of when they had made lo—well had sex. She would wrap her arms around him, caressing his strong back while he rolled his hips between her legs.

"Gabriella?" she heard him ask.

"Yeah."

"Would you do this for your dad?"

Ella's hands froze. "Ew! God no, that's disgusting."

"Okay, that gag reflex you just had...think of me that way too." But then he moaned. She had finally gotten him to relax.

"Well, you and I both know I don't have a gag reflex."

He tensed again.

"Son of a bitch," he muttered.

"I'm kidding, Simon. Besides you're not my dad so lighten up."

"Sorry, I find it hard to see the humor in this situation. You know, hurting someone who doesn't deserve it."

Ella began kneading his lower back, concentrating on particular muscles. "You don't know my mom like I do."

She heard him chuckle. "Oh yeah, the evil conniving bitch that you seem to think she is."

"I don't think that about her. It's just that you make her out to be some perfect being and she's not. I mean...nevermind." Ella continued to apply just the right amount of pressure to his body, drawing more moans from him. "Anyway, did you know I had taken a massage class? Two in fact. I was thinking maybe one day I could be a masseuse. What do you think of that?"