Chapter 4 - Gabe
It had been a week. One whole week since Nate gave me the cold shoulder. What do I have to do to get close to that guy?
Tonight was meant to have been my night off from the club but I was in no mood to do anything. Matt was too busy with his wife and Nate was…. Well, I had no idea what he was doing. He said we would talk later but I guess to that man, later meant never.
When he'd called me that night for help I had hoped that it meant I could finally be there for him. To show him I wasn't as bad as he originally thought. However, he'd spat that opportunity back in my face.
Seriously, what was that guy's problem? Was it so hard to allow me to look after him for a few days? Was I really that terrible?
I shook my head, ridding myself of those thoughts. Of course, I was, at least to him. Nothing I did, said or was would ever be good enough. Maybe it was time to start looking for someone else. Maybe it was time to let my feelings for him go.
With a huge sigh, I got out of my car and walked into the back entrance of my club. Many of the staff greeted me but only Millie stopped me.
"Hey Boss, I thought it was your night off?" she said cheerily.
I wasn't in the mood for cheery. Sensing my mood she stopped looking over some paperwork and came over to me. The club hadn't opened yet, so it was eerily quiet and empty. Though I loved my club filled to the brim I also liked these quiet times.
Millie walked around the bar and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. When I'd opened the bar she had been my first hire and my quickest friend. Everyone had assumed at one point we were dating because of how close we were, but then she walked in on her night off with her girlfriend and tongued her face off in the middle of the dance floor. That stopped all the whispering and rumours.
Millie had instantly discovered my secret crush on Nate around the first time he came in. She had taken one look at my face and put it all together. At first, she teased me about it until she saw my expression after he brushed me off again.
I had offered to give him a ride home and he chose a taxi instead. Riding with a stranger was more appealing than riding with me.
"Gabe, what's wrong?" she asked.
I shrugged her hand off and moved to head upstairs.
"I'm going to my office. Call me if you need me, but only if you really need me. Got it?" I called back to her.
Millie sighed before giving me a one-handed salute.
"Got it, Boss. Don't call for you unless we are all dead, dying or the place is on fire," she quipped back.
Smiling slightly, I turned back to let her know her joke had cheered me up a little. She blew me a kiss and returned to what she was reading.
---
After a few hours in my office, I had caught up with the paperwork I'd been putting off because it was accounting and stuff. I could do it but it made my head hurt. Once, I'd contemplated asking Nate to take a look but voided that idea, he definitely wouldn't help.
I was vaguely aware of the sound of my office door opening but I assumed it was Millie just poking her head in to make sure I was still alive or conscious. She did that often, especially after the night I got wasted when Nate brushed me off. Millie found me passed out at my desk and drove me home, cleaned me up, put me to bed and then borrowed my car to get home herself.
I was pulled out of my reminiscing by a pair of soft hands on my shoulders moving down my chest. Jumping up off my chair caused whoever it was to stumble back.
"Christie?"
Once she recovered from her surprise she sent me what I'm sure she thought was a sexy smile. However, it made her look like an evil Disney villain who had just thought of a dangerous and stupid plot.
"Hey Babe," she cooed at me and I groaned inwardly. "That wasn't fun the other night you know."
"What are you doing here? It's for staff only," I told her, keeping my voice calm and even.
Christie walked up to me and I moved around my desk to put space between us. However, that didn't deter her, she followed me around.
"Oh baby, I'm practically family here. Everyone knows I'm your girl," she tried to touch my chest but I moved back.
"How is that possible when you've never been my girl, and never will be," I asked.
She opened and closed her mouth unsure of what to say.
"Get out Christie, you're not allowed up here. Whilst you're leaving, go to the bar and get a shot of reality. You and I will never happen, you will never be my type," I growled.
"Seriously Gabriel, when are you going to stop playing hard to get? I get you want me to chase you and make me work for it but it's gone on long enough. I'm here, I want you and I know you want me," she really sounded deluded.
"Playing hard to get? Are you kidding? I'm not playing hard to get! It's more like impossible to get!" I was practically yelling. "Now for the last time get out!"
"Oh come on baby, you know we can have fun together."
Her sickly sweet voice almost made me want to throw up but I pushed it down. There really was no talking to this woman. What kind of fun does she think I want?
"Oh really?" I asked with a smirk.
Did she think she could compare to him? She had a snowball's chance in hell and that was being kind.
"What fun could we have together, huh? You don't know anything about me and I don't want to know you. You don't even know my favourite band. You don't know what I like to read. You don't scowl at me the way he does. You don't wear glasses or clothes two sizes too fucking big like he does. You mean nothing to me compared to him!"
I could see the wheels in her head spinning but before she could argue or say anything I walked to the door and opened it.
Before I turned to order her to leave I froze. There, standing on the other side of the door, was Nate. He looked just as surprised as I was. His dark eyes were wide and his fists were clenched.
Unfortunately, our staring contest was interrupted by the very reason I had opened the door.
"Baby, come on," she whined before she noticed Nate.
"Don't call me baby, I'm not now nor will I ever be your baby," I snarled.
I moved around Nate who was still frozen to the spot and called down to Benny. My security man was meant to stop people from coming up here. I could understand him letting Nate up but why did he let Christie?
Benny bounded up the stairs and stopped in front of me. His eyebrows crossed after looking from my pissed-off face, to Christie then back to me.
"Everything ok boss?" he asked.
"Why the hell did you let Christie up into the staff-only area?" I demanded in as calm a voice as I could muster.
Benny scratched his head and looked around.
"She's your girlfriend, isn't she? Why wouldn't I let her up?"
"When did ... I ... say she was my girlfriend?" I asked through gritted teeth.
"Well… well you didn't, but she's told almost everyone that she is, and we've all seen you two together a lot so…" he shrugged his shoulders like he wasn't sure why he had to explain anything.
Angrily, I turned to Christie who looked like she had been caught stealing from the cookie jar. I groaned and rubbed my eyes before turning back to Benny.
"Listen very carefully, Benny. That woman and I are not together, we never have been or will be…"
"Gabriel!" Christie tried to protest.
"She is never allowed back into my club, if she gets in she is to be escorted out immediately. Do I make myself clear? Make sure everyone else knows too!"
My voice held an ice-cold warning that Benny instantly recognised. He stood straighter and nodded before grabbing Christie and pulling her away.
She called out my name as she struggled to get free but I tuned her out. Instead, I turned to Nate who was now looking at the floor. He looked adorably shy at that moment and I knew the plan I'd made to get over him wouldn't be even possible or attempted.
"Nate?" I called out.
He jerked his head up to look at me and blushed. At first, I wondered what had made him blush when I remembered he'd been standing behind my door when I opened it. How long had he been standing there? Had he heard everything?
"Do you want to come inside?" I gestured to my open office door and he nodded.
My office wasn't anything fancy but it was functional. I had my desk that sat facing away from the glass wall that looked down onto the main floor of my club. Huge curtains provided privacy when I wanted to block everything out.
Nearest to my door was a small sofa and chair with a coffee table. I often lounged on them when I wanted to relax whilst working, or when I had a guest. Which was usually only Mattie, Mia or even Millie when she was on her break.
Opposite the sofa was a small drinks caddy so that I didn't have to go down to get a drink if I wanted one. Beside it was a door that led to my private bathroom.
"Would you like a drink?" I asked.
Nate shook his head and sat down on the sofa. He fidgeted with his fingers as I took a seat on the chair. It looked like he wanted to say something but didn't know how or what to say.
"Is everything ok Nate?" I asked, concerned when the silence continued.
His head shot up and his eyes went wide.
"Yeah… yes, everything's fine," he mumbled quickly.
I desperately wanted to flirt or tease him but I didn't think that would bode well for me right now. So, instead, I decided to be serious with him.
"Why are you here, Nate?" I asked.
"Well, I… I…" he stuttered.
"You what?" I urged him.
Eventually, he took a deep breath and turned his face to me. His eyes held such determination. I anxiously waited for him to start talking.
My mind reeled off lots of possibilities. All of them included him confessing he felt the same as me, then kissing him passionately and then having my way with him on this very sofa.
I hoped that at least some part of that would come true. A man could dream, right?