Life is a Soap Opera Act 01

She and Gabriel stood awkwardly in the driveway.

"Thanks for having us over last night," she said quietly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Morgan and April watching them from the car.

"It was my pleasure," he returned. There was a brief pause. "Would you like to go out again sometime this week?"

"I would love to," she replied. "I don't know when I work this week, but I usually don't work more than one or two nights."

"Will you know later today?" Gabe asked. "Why don't you call me when you find out your schedule?"

"I will," she promised.

He stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Bailey decided she needed to take the initiative.

Her hand reached for his and she tugged gently. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes. After a first quick peck, Gabe pulled back as if he didn't want to make a scene in front of April and Morgan, but her hand went to his neck and she pulled him close.

Gabe's lips were soft and warm. She felt deliciously light-headed as she planted a series of soft kisses on him, resisting the urge to stick her tongue down his throat.

Finally she let go, a devilish smile on her face. He stood there, bewildered, for a moment. She thrust out her chest just to tease him and winked.

"Thanks again, Gabe," she said and got in the car. April and Morgan were both grinning like Cheshire cats.

"Ummmm, sure thing," he stammered.

She closed the door, put on her seatbelt, started the car and backed out of his driveway. As they drove away, she honked the horn. He waved and in her rearview mirror, she saw that he hadn't moved.

The drive home was full of teasing from Morgan and her sister, but Bailey didn't care.

***************

Gabe hit the pause button for the DVR and reached for the ringing phone.

Over the past two weeks, he hadn't seen as much of Bailey as he would have liked. She was working a lot and then classes started at the community college. They went out on a couple more dates, each ending with him dropping her off at home. He spent a little bit of time with her parents, and it seems that they had accepted—and welcomed—him as a fact in Bailey's life.

If he would admit it to himself, he really wanted her to stay over with him, this time without her sister or friends there. But neither of them seemed to have any inclination to rush things, and for that, he was happy. Gabe found that once Bailey began to open up to him, he was more and more interested in her, and not because she got his heart pounding.

She was a smart girl who simply had the misfortune of growing up in a poor, rural town. Her graduating class was all of 126 kids and she was third; April was twenty-fourth. The small high school wasn't big enough to offer a lot of AP classes and electives, but in the classes she took, she excelled.

Many of the people in the area were "provincial". That is, they didn't see much beyond their small community. The small towns were good enough for everyone's parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, so folks tended to stay in one place. Even the people who went away to college or the service often returned, sometimes from higher-paying jobs, just to be close to their families and "home". In many cases streets like Napier Road were named that because everyone who lived there was a Napier.

Gabriel sensed that Bailey was destined for something more, and she knew it. But she just didn't know how she was going to get there. Her family was proud and well-to-do by the standards of their community, but a college education was going to be a stretch. On top of the expense, he knew that coming from a small, rural high school didn't prepare her for college in the same way that one of the larger high schools in the city would have. They simply didn't have the resources, technology and staff.

But she was smart and determined, and while it might mean that she would have to study a little harder than some of the other kids, she would certainly succeed at anything she set her mind to.

He wondered who would be calling him on a Wednesday night. "Hello?"

"Gabe? It's Bailey." Immediately, he knew something was wrong. He reached for the remote control and flipped the TV off.

"What's wrong?"

"We were in a car accident—"

Gabe was on his feet and already hunting for his keys. "Are you okay? Where are you?"

There were tremors in her voice. "We're okay, I think. We're at the corner of Call and Phillips Highway."

"I'll be right there," Gabe said as he bounded up the steps. "Have you called 911?"

"Yes," she breathed.

"Hang on, honey," he said. "I'm on my way."

Gabe drove like a mad man. When he got to the accident scene, he wondered how either of the girls could be unhurt.

The back half of their car was a mangled mess. The passenger's side was collapsed in from the B-pillar back. Another car sat along the side of the road, its front bumper almost in the driver's seat. Both of that car's airbags were deployed. An engine block sat in the middle of the road. Coolant, oil and other engine fluids leaked out all over the pavement.

Two police cars, an ambulance and a fire truck lit up the night sky with their lights. An EMT crew was securing someone on to a gurney. Gabe desperately hoped it wasn't one of the girls.

He let out a sigh of relief when he saw April and Bailey standing over on the side of the road. April's eyes were wide and she looked like she had been crying. Bailey was talking to a police officer.

"Excuse me, sir, can I help you?" a second officer asked him briskly.

"I'm with them," he pointed to the girls. "What happened?"

"They got hit by a drunk driver," the officer replied. "He ran the red light. The tall one's lucky; if they were going five miles an hour slower or the other guy's going five miles an hour faster, we'd be life-flighting her to a hospital."

Gabe ran over to the girls. He wrapped them both in his arms. Everyone began to talk at once.

"Are you okay?" he asked as the girls chattered on. Both nodded. "Have you called your folks?"

Bailey shook her head.

April burst into tears. "No. Daddy's going to kill us."

"No, he's not, miss," the police officer said in a firm but compassionate voice. "That other guy was drunk out of his mind. We just ran his tags; he's driving on a suspended license after two other DUI's. He'll be going to jail for a long time."

"But we wrecked our car," April wailed. "We don't have—"

"I'll take care of that," Gabe said as Bailey tried to comfort her sister. He scrolled through the numbers on his phone and dialed Bailey's house. Her mom picked up the phone. "Hi, Joanne?"

"Hello, Gabriel," she said. "Bailey's not here; the girls had class tonight."

"I know, they're with me," he paused for a second. "Joanne, the girls were in a car accident tonight."

"What!?!?!"

"They're both okay," Gabe said calmly. "A drunk driver ran through a red light and hit them. Neither was hurt, but the car is going to be totaled."

"I . . . Is?" she stammered.

"I think we're about done here," Gabe said, glancing over at the officer who was writing the report. "I'm going to take the girls home with me. If you'd like to meet me at my house, you're welcome to come over tonight or I can bring them home tomorrow."

"We'll come to you," she said. "They're both okay?"

"Yes, they're going to be fine," he said confidently.

"We'll be there in an hour," she said and Gabe closed up his phone.

He went over to one of the police officers. "Do you mind if I take some pictures?"

"Be my guest," the policeman said absently.

With his pocket camera, Gabe took some pictures of both cars where they had stopped. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the girls were only a fraction of a second from either being dead or seriously injured.

When the wreckers arrived, Gabe gave them the name of a body shop where he had some work done in the past. The other car was going to be impounded as evidence; it was apparently loaded with empty bottles of beer and tequila.

April and Bailey retrieved their purses and bookbags out of their car then climbed into the backseat of Gabe's Lexus. He drove them back to his house. No one spoke.

He led them inside and gave them each a glass of water. A few minutes later, Andy and Joanne arrived. The girls rushed into their parents's arms. This was the first accident for any of them.

Gabe mostly stayed out of the way as the girls recounted what happened.

Andy was upset, mostly because his daughters's lives had been endangered. The girls had thought that he would be mad that the car was destroyed, but when he saw the pictures Gabe had taken, he was singularly thankful that the girls were okay.

"Cars can be replaced," Andy said firmly. "My little girls cannot."

"Thank you for everything tonight, Gabe," Joanne gave him a warm hug.

"You're very welcome," he said with a smile. "Listen . . . it's late. Why don't you guys stay over here tonight? We can take care of everything in the morning."

"We don't want to impose," Andy said.

Gabe waved him off. "I've got lots of extra bedrooms. If you leave now, you won't get home until after midnight anyway."

"We've got work tomorrow—"

"Andy, you own the garage," Joanne interrupted. "I'll call off tomorrow and you just let the guys know that they have to open without you. We can spare a day to take care of our kids."

The girls's father knew she had a point.

"Are you sure?" Joanne asked Gabe.

"I insist," he replied. And that was that.

He showed everyone the extra rooms that he had. Upstairs, there were three bedrooms, plus a fourth room he had converted into a home office and place to store his show business mementoes.

Gabe found a stack of clothes for everyone to sleep in, then he retreated into his bedroom. All night, he had wanted to take Bailey in his arms, thankful that she was okay. Like her parents, he knew how close he had come to losing her. One of the officers had estimated that the drunk driver was going between sixty and seventy miles per hour. The speed limit on Call Street is thirty-five.

He had brushed his teeth and changed in to a pair of workout shorts when there was a knock on the door. Gabe hurriedly pulled a nightshirt over his head.

"Come in," he called.

The door opened and Bailey tentatively stuck her head in. She smiled shyly.

"Thanks for coming to get us," she said softly. Bailey stepped into his room, leaving the door open.

Without any prompting, she seemed to instinctively step into his arms. Gabe reflexively pulled her close, thankful to feel her close to him.

"You're welcome," he replied. There was so much more he wanted to say, but instead he simply held her.

The events of the night now passed, Gabe savoured the smell of her hair and the softness of her skin against him. He wanted to lead her to his bed and hold her until morning, but he knew that it wouldn't happen. Not tonight. Not with her parents in one of his bedrooms.

She reluctantly withdrew from their embrace, but she didn't let go. Her hands went to the back of his neck and she lifted up on her tiptoes. Their lips met in a desperate kiss.

Gabe's hands went to the small of her back. Through the haze of the kiss, he realised that she wasn't wearing a bra; her breasts were pressed against him through the thin material of two t-shirts. He wanted to tear her clothes off and ravage her body. He wanted to be as close to her as possible.

Instead, he settled for a deep, wet, passionate, sloppy kiss.

They pressed their foreheads together. The tips of their noses brushed.

"Good night, Gabe MacKenzie," she said quietly.

His hands framed her face and he gave her one more gentle kiss. "Good night, Bailey Crawford."

Against everything he wanted that night, Gabe let go and watched the sway of Bailey's hips as she walked out of his room. As she closed the door, she turned and winked seductively at him.

It was then that Gabe realized just how hard his cock was. And that he had spent the last few moments poking a girl half his age with it.

He climbed into bed and fell into a fitful sleep, dreaming of Bailey's soft body.

***************

The next morning, Gabe woke to the most wonderful smell. He recognised it instantly: biscuits, sausage gravy and eggs. He stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom. Once refreshed, he went out to his kitchen and found Joanne and Bailey in his kitchen, skillfully preparing breakfast.

"Where did you find all this food?" he asked.

"We're used to waking up early," Joanne explained. "Andy and I ran out to the store while the rest of you were sleeping."

"Where is he?"

"Outside," Bailey flashed him a secret smile. "Talking to the insurance company."

Gabe glanced over at the clock. It was almost nine.

"You have a wonderful kitchen," Joanne said. "You should use it more often."

"Is it that obvious?" Gabe said sheepishly.

"Yes," Bailey and her mom said in unison. The three of them laughed.

"I'm a single guy," he shrugged. "And I never was much of a cook. Mom always did that for me. Besides, it's kind of pointless to make a whole meal when it's just me."

"Excuses, excuses," Joanne chided him. "Honey, can you get our host something to drink?"

"What would you like?" Bailey asked.

"Um, orange juice?"

"Coming right up." As she dug into the fridge, Gabe had to consciously avert his eyes to avoid lingering on the young woman's rear end. Once she had poured him a glass, she surprised him by walking around the counter and giving him a good morning kiss on the cheek. Joanne winked but didn't say anything.

A few minutes later, Andy came in from the patio.

"Bailey, breakfast is almost ready," Joanne said. "Why don't you go get your sister up?"

The girl nodded and bounded up the steps.

"How did it go?" Gabe asked.

"They're going to total the car," Andy said with a sigh. "They're going to send an adjuster out to look at it today, but it's too old to bother fixin'. I don't know what we're gonna do . . . the girls have got to get to school somehow. And we don't have the money to buy them a new car. I guess I'll see if Brad still has that Oldsmobile he's trying to get rid of."

"We'll work something out." Joanne looked like she wanted to chide her husband for worrying out loud, but she didn't go there. Not in front of Gabe.

It didn't take him more than half a second to make a decision. Gabe knew the Crawfords were good parents who tried to look out for their kids. They worked hard but didn't have the means. He did.

"The girls could stay here," Gabe blurted out. "I mean . . . I've got five empty bedrooms. And an extra car."

Andy and Joanne exchanged glances.

"We couldn't—"

"It's no problem at all," Gabe said, thinking quickly. "Look, this house is way too big for me. I haven't gone upstairs in months. It would save the girls two hours in the car every day. Heck, even Morgan and Kimmy could move in, too."

He saw the gears turning in their heads. He knew what Andy was thinking.

"Besides, I'm going back to New York next week after Labor Day." Translation: I won't be around to prey upon your teenage daughter. No matter how much Andy liked him, a boy—no matter what his age—was a threat to his little girls. And they would always be his little girls. "They're bringing me back to the show full-time. Plus my agent is lining up some publicity junkets for me. Conventions, guest spots and such. The girls are all welcome to live here and keep an eye on the place."

"Are you sure you're willing to turn your house over to four teenage girls?" Joanne asked with a smile.

"I have a feeling that they'll take care of the place." Gabe replied. That much was true. He sensed that the girls were prone to making good decisions and their families seemed nice enough. "Also, do you really want them driving home at night five days a week? And what about when winter gets here? If it's snowing or icy out, the roads out to Washington County aren't exactly kept up very well."

Gabe could see that there was something else eating at Andy. He didn't want to seem like a freeloader.

"Let's do the math," Gabe said. "It's, what . . . thirty-five miles each way? That's seventy miles a day. At three-fifty, four bucks a gallon. Even in a high mileage car, that's eight, nine bucks a day in gas. For twenty days a month. And that doesn't count wear and tear on the car. . . . I'll tell you what: The four girls can move in here for four hundred dollars a month. That includes the utilities. They will be responsible for keeping the place up. It will save me from having to pay someone come by and check on things and mow the lawn."

Andy started to reply, but the girls coming down the steps put their conversation on hold. The five of them sat around the kitchen table and ate while the food was hot. The girls asked about the car and wondered what they were going to do.

When they were done, Joanne told the girls that they had to get ready for class; car accidents didn't mean that they could cut school. They started to protest, but were told by all three of the adults that missing classes at the beginning of the semester wasn't an option.

"Are you sure?" Andy asked quietly once the twins were out of earshot.

"Positive," Gabe replied, trying not to sound too eager. Whatever lecherous thoughts he had were back-burnered by his honest desire to help out some people who deserved it. "And they have to be doing well in school or it's back home they go."

Joanne only smiled at her husband.

"I guess it will be okay," Andy said, reason prevailing over all of his other misgivings. "If the girls want to."

"Should we tell them now or when they get back from class?" Joanne asked.

Both Andy and Gabe chuckled.

"How are they going to get home tonight?" she asked, this time all serious.

"They can take my car," Gabe offered. "I'll drive Mom's old car. If it's okay with Morgan and Kimmy, they can all move up this weekend."

The other two exchanged a knowing look. The girls came back downstairs a few minutes later.

"Who's taking us to school?" Bailey asked.

"Take my car." Gabe tossed her the key and she almost didn't catch it. Her eyes were wide.

"We'll talk when you get home tonight," Andy said. Although he was smiling, there was a sadness in his voice, as if he knew that his little girls suddenly weren't so little any more.

**************

The next night, Gabe was on the elliptical and watching TV when the doorbell rang. He went upstairs and found his four prom dates at the door.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, opening the door. Only Bailey stepped inside. She was carrying a duffel bag.

Gabe noticed that his car and two others were in his driveway.

"We just wanted to thank you for giving us a place to live for the next semester," Morgan said. "We couldn't afford anything else."

"It's my pleasure," Gabe said with a smile. "Where are you guys off to?"

"We're staying over at Morgan's house," Bailey said sheepishly. "At least that's what Daddy thinks."

"I don't want to get you guys in trouble," Gabe frowned. The last thing he wanted to do was piss off Bailey's father.

"It's okay. Mom says you can call her if you want. We'll see you in the morning." April winked at her sister. Bailey blushed.

With that, the other three girls piled into one of the cars and drove off leaving Gabe and Bailey standing in the foyer of his house.

"What was that about?" Gabe asked.

Bailey smiled innocently and walked towards his living room. Gabe hurriedly shut the front door and followed her. She dropped her bag on the floor next to the island then turned and stepped into Gabriel's arms.

"Why are you here?" he whispered.

"Because Mama said we needed some time to talk." Before he could reply, she gave him a gentle kiss. She nibbled on his lips as he wrapped his arms around her.