Resolution (Saviour #2)(40)
I lean forward and say to Jo, “Be sure to let her know the shots are from me.”
Jo nods as I put the drinks on the tray that she’s carrying, “Jo?”
She turns back to me, “Will you at least tell me her name?”
“Shit, you have got it bad!”
We both turn and look at shorty, who is looking right at us, busted again. Jo shakes her head.
“I loves ya Gabe, but no can do, she’s my girl and my job is to keep her away from boys like you. Thanks for the drinks. Mwaaaah.”
Boys like me? What the f*ck does that mean and who the f*ck is she calling a boy?
I watch Jo walk back to her girlfriends and they all seem to giggle and chat amongst themselves. Shorty looks up and right at me and my chest does that weird thing again, what is that? I try to think back over what I’ve eaten today, it must be indigestion of some kind; it’s the strangest sensation. All the while, my eyes are locked to hers; I want to go over and introduce myself and ask her why she looks so sad when she thinks no one is watching her. No I don’t, what am I even thinking? Before I can take a step, Jo passes her the shot I bought her and she suddenly looks devastated. I watch intently, puzzled by her reaction, it’s just a shot. I didn’t send a note over asking for a root. She knocks back the shot, looks at her mates and bursts into tears. What. The. Fuck?
My brothers being the slippery pair that they are suddenly reappear now that Jo has left the scene.
“You still perving over the ranga with the big tits bro?” Zac asks from beside me.
“Fuck off Zac, she’s not a ranga, and stop looking at her tits.”
The three of us stand and watch as the four women huddle together. Then all turn together and head outside to the decked area. I watch until I can’t see her anymore, which doesn’t take long because of her lack of height. I suddenly become aware of the fact that my brothers are standing either side of and staring right at me. I look from one to the other; instinctively I wipe my hand over my mouth and chin, making sure I haven’t actually dribbled over them. Then through my hair.
“What?” I look from one to the other, puzzled.
It was one of those nights. They look at each other and laugh, they high five each other right in front of my face, then shaking their heads, they both say “Nothing, nothing.”
Zac walks over to the bar just as I see Paige walking towards me.
“Shit.” I turn to follow Zac to the bar but I’m too late.
“Hey Gabe…Wait a sec, how ya going?”
My eyes meet Coopers.
“Fuck,” I say quietly.
“Busted,” Cooper laughs as he walks away and joins Zac at the bar.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an arsehole to women, I like women, a lot, but only to have sex with and I always make that clear before I have sex with them, I don’t do relationships, I like my life as it is and I have no room in it for a woman. Apart from my daughter, my sister, my two sister in laws and probably my Mum, although I can’t be sure on that score because I can’t really remember her but I am assuming she was a good person. Apart from these women, any other women I have had any kind of relationship with have been sly, devious, manipulative, abusive, liars and I have no room in my life for any of that shit, I have been used and abused by women and I will never let that happen again; fortunately, I have never fallen in love, I love my daughter. God do I love my daughter, she is my life and I love my sister, I love Sam in much the same way; Jen, I care for, we have had a bit of a strained relationship since I caught her cheating on my brother but she has been a part of my life for a long time and Coop loves her and I have to respect that, but that is as far as it goes, any other women in my life are either in the ‘just friends’ zone, or the ‘f*ck buddy’ zone, the problem is, no matter how clear I make it, they always want more, they always tell me they are totally cool with a one night stand but then they start turning up at places that I wouldn’t usually see them, or they start kicking off if they see me in the pub with another Sheila and I am seriously over it and Paige is one of those who has tried to make herself busy and get involved in my life after I banged her in my Ute a couple of months back; I never give out my mobile number but she knew the name of our company and had managed to get a call redirected from our office to my mobile about two weeks ago and asked me to see her again, I declined and she chucked a tanty over the phone at me until I hung up on her and I thought that was the end of it, but here she is, again.
“Paige, how ya going?”
She moves in for a cuddle but I step back and avoid her, as Ava would say ‘Awkward’
“So you trying to avoid me Gabe?”
“Why would I be trying to avoid you Paige?”
“You tell me? You hung up when I called you and I haven’t seen you around in a while.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“I heard you were busy with Alyssa a couple of weeks back, what ya wanna be hanging with that skanky moll for?”
“Because she likes uncomplicated sex Paige, she likes to f*ck and walk away, she doesn’t stalk me at work and trick my secretary into putting calls through to me and she doesn’t piss me off when I see her in the pub.”
“Fuck you Gabe.”
“Yeah and f*ck you too Paige. You knew exactly what you were doing with me, that it was a f*ck and nothing more and you told me that’s all you were after, I didn’t lie to you, I was upfront from the start now if you don’t mind, I’ve just called in for a few beers and a catch up with my brothers; see ya around Paige, and don’t call my work again.”