” Why don’t you sing a Christmas song for us, ehn friend?”
Gabriel clutched the knife he used to cut into his turkey a little bit tighter.
Gil had been getting on his nerves since he served Dinner and sat a couple distance away from him.
” Oh, I forgot, you mix auto with tenor and soprano with bass.” Gil chuckled on the glass of water placed in his mouth. ” We don’t want your bad voice ruining Christmas Eve.”
Sofia intervened quickly. She grabbed Gil’s face in her palm and made him look at her ” Why are you being such an a**hole? Stop it. ”
Gil didn’t look at her. His eyes were fixated on Gabriel’s angry ones.
They looked like they were ready to jump on each other.
No one spoke again. There was a foul aura around the dinette. It was like everyone had beef with each other except Gil and Sofia. Sydney made sure to avoid eye contact with Gabriel who wouldn’t stop passing glances at her.
She felt like a pile of rubbish after what she’d done. She didn’t want her and Gabriel’s friendship to be ruined. He was the only person aside from her kids who made her happy.
” I… Um, excuse me, I want to use the bathroom.” Sydney said but Gil was the first to get up.
” Thank heavens it isn’t only me who wanted to get out of this place.” He was gone at his last word.
Sofia’s mouth hung; she looked at the swinging dinette door and at Sydney, whose face matched her shock.
Sofia quickly went after Gil. She saw him in one of the cabinets, running a hand through his hair and pacing around the room. Sofia was too busy overcome by concern to be dumbstruck by the beauty of the cabinet till she did.
The cabinet was transformed into a cozy oasis, bathed in the soft glow of candlelight. Fresh sunflowers and violets adorned the tables, filling the air with their sweet fragrance. Plush carpets and comfortable seating invited relaxation. The dim lighting and peaceful atmosphere made it feel like a serene escape from the world outside, a magical haven where time stood still.
Her jaw fell slightly and Gil caught her shock.
His eyes widened and he immediately walked to her, trying to block her from what she’d seen.
” Why… Why did you follow me?” His forehead was creased. He was rubbing his elbow, something he’d imitated from spending all day every day with her since they became a thing.
Sofia’s eyes were a reflection of a star-coated sky. ” You are… stressed. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come in without knocking.”
Gil shook his head dismissively. Hands on her elbow. Squeezes. ” Hey, baby, don’t apologize. You don’t have to knock anytime I’m somewhere…” His lips lifted. ” Especially the bathroom.”
He laughed and drew her inside. He was pulling her to take a seat, but she held his hand, stopping him.
He looked at her with a raised brow.
Sofia put her hand around her waist, a serious look on her face. Gil eyed her from head to toe making her nearly lose focus.
She hid her blush. ” What’s wrong between you and Gabriel?”
Gil was frowning. His shoulders lifted. He wasn’t looking at her again. He was sitting on the bed.
” Nothing, just a minor disagreement.”
Sofia was in front of him.
” How long has it been going on?”
“… For some weeks now, I’m not sure.” He looked at her feet.
Sofia let out a gasp. ” You shouldn’t argue with a friend for so long.”
” I don’t want to, but he has the face of an A-hole, and it’s really tempting not to hate it.”
Sofia sighed. ” You are the one who has the face of an A-hole and who is an A-hole.”
Gil was looking at her. His left eyelid is slightly lower than the right. His head leaning one side.
” So you are taking his side now?” He accused.
Sofia shrugged, ” Maybe.”
Gil ground his jaw. ” Might as well go rub his a** instead of talking to me.” He wanted to stand, but her hands were already on the bed, by his sides, with her legs still on the floor.
Gil didn’t realize his mouth was open. His elbow was on the bed. His face was a mass of red.
” I’m taking no one side, Blake; I don’t even know what happened, so why would I be taking sides?” She exhaled. ” I don’t like seeing you restless. Same goes for Gabriel. I wanted this Eve to be fun and-”
” Maybe the yacht idea was a bad idea.”
” You are making me mad.”
He released a frustrated breath and pushed himself up. Arms on her waist, he pulled her on top of him.
” He started it first; he should be the one who apologizes, not me.”
Sofia hit his shoulder. ” Stop acting like a child.”
Gil remembered saying the same words to Gabriel. Stupid. Stupid.
” Go talk with Gabriel or else you’ll stay in this cabinet alone and have a date with yourself,” Sofia warned, her face turned to the side.
Gil smiled. He couldn’t help it. She was a whole new different person when she was in charge. He loved both of her sides. At least he knew she was getting used to him. Introverts do that when they start getting comfortable around someone.
” Fine, but you didn’t even appreciate my efforts. I was breathing so hard like I was going to die putting all this together for us.”
Sofia looked around the room once again, making her eyes accumulate moisture. She looked at him. Brushed a mass of hair off his forehead.
” I can’t say how much I love it in just words.”
Her thumb rubbed the scar above his left eyebrow. She kissed him there. He felt like mustard on a hotdog.
” Thank you for giving me a chance. I’ll be the best man for you. I don’t know why I feel like I’m rushing it but I can’t get the thought of my mind. I love you, you know that?” His heart was beating quickly.
She was a motionless body. His words were a cool breeze on her skin. She wanted to feel the breeze again. She wanted to feel it over her.
” You… love me?” Her fingers traced the outline of his pink eriotic lips.
” A thousand times yes.”
” You love me?”
” A million times yes.”
Tears were falling. ” But I’m not a billion-dollar rich; I don’t dress the way those rich ladies at the galas do. I’m not nose pointed to the sky, jaw raised, two fingers holding bag, eloquent. I’m just a simple woman. ”
And he was no different. Gil didn’t want to imagine what would happen if she found out he wasn’t wealthy.
” My simple woman. Your simplicity attracted me to you. I could give two middle fingers to eloquent because it’s bullshit.”
Sofia laughed, her nose pink. ” Make it four.”
She leaned in and placed a short kiss on his lips. He held her head before she could move far away.
” Kiss me again- Again and again-“He groaned. ” God, you give me a boner every minute; you are so goddamn s**y.”
Sofia pulled away from him, panting. ” You won’t distract me.” She was standing by the door now. ” Run along. Click glasses with your friend and we’ll get back to this.”
Gil groaned as he stepped out of the cabinet. He went to the dinette and saw Gabriel staring at his food. Gil sighed and sat next to him. Gabriel didn’t spare him a glance.
” Do you need a hug?” Gil wanted to get on his nerves one last time.
” I have a knife.”
Gil laughed fakely. ” And I have a small d**k.”
Gabriel’s dark eyes shot to Gil’s. Gil flinched slightly and swallowed.
” Get out of here, Gilbert. I’m not in the mood for your stupidity.”
Gil’s face was rigid now. He couldn’t deny he missed his friend. They fought most of the time, but it never stretched to a day.
Gil sighed and leaned into his chair. He stared at Gabriel. He looked at his friend, who looked like he got his heart smashed by an anvil.
” Did you tell her?”
” Partially.”
” Stop hurting yourself, she belongs to another guy-”
” They divorced.”
” In love, yeah.”
Brown eyes meet gray ones. Softens. ” I’m sorry I hit you; I couldn’t help it. You have such an attractive jaw.”
” I always knew you were jealous of my jaw, that’s why you wanted to break it.” They laughed. Short.
” Looks like you finally decided to put the pains of the past aside. I saw the cabinet.”
Gil scratched the hairs on his neck, nervous. ” She’s a gem. I feel like I haven’t done enough yet to show her what exactly I feel for her.”
Gabriel smiled. There was nothing more amusing than Gil being in love.
Gil got up and stretched out his arms. ” Come on let’s hug it out.”
Gabriel grimaced. ” What are we? Pussies?”
” Shut up, I know you want it; come on, friend, hands around me.”
Gabriel couldn’t hold his laughter. He looked around before standing. Before he could hug Gil, he was kicked in the balls.
Gil watched him as he stumbled back and groaned. He laughed, ” Now, we are even.”
” Son of-”
” The most amazing woman, I know.” He walked to the door. ” If you’d excuse me, I have a woman to be with.”