Page 19 of A Table for Two
“Brownies.” And he had four more in the kitchen waiting for him. That brought a smile to his face.
Glenn chuckled. “Well, have you gotten anything else thrown at your head since then?”
“No. We’re past that and decided to be friends. We had dinner together last night.” Gabriel wanted to snatch the words back as soon as they were out of his mouth. That’s all his friends needed to hear. They’d been trying to hook him up with one woman after another to “help” him get over his heartbreak. This would be all the ammunition they needed.
“Dinner, as in the get-together thing like before?”
“Just the two of us. And before you clowns start, she invited me to dinner because I mowed her lawn. The company she hired no-showed on her twice.” He crossed the room to the terrace and reclaimed his lounger.
“Aw, look at you out there being all neighborly,” Brent said. “How long were you over there?”
“Why?”
“Just answer the question.”
Gabriel sighed. Reason number twenty-five to keep personal businesspersonal. “A few hours,” he finally mumbled.
“Well, that settles it. I do believe it’s time for another trip out West, gentlemen,” Darius said.
“Agreed,” Brent said.
Glenn, always the level-headed one, said, “Sounds like she was just returning the favor.”
“Thank you, Glenn. At least one person has some sense. That’s all it was. Besides, there’s no reason to start anything with Serenity when I don’t plan on being here long.” Gabriel said the words but knew they weren’t completely truthful. He did want to start something with Serenity. Just what, he didn’t know.
Darius snorted. “Nah, bro. Nice try, but we know you. You’re feeling this woman.”
Why do I even bother?“And if I am?” Like Darius said, they knew Gabriel. Knew how devastated he’d been by his ex’s betrayal and how he’d used work as a cover-up, a substitute for what was missing in his personal life. Though he no longer thought of it that way, the long working hours filled the void whenever loneliness came calling. Yes, he’d finally put that chapter behind him, and the pain no longer consumed him day and night, but his version of dating now didn’t involve anything remotely close to an emotional entanglement. Dinner: check. Movie: check. Sex: maybe. Love: absolutely not. But if he were being honest with himself, Serenity did stir something inside him. And not all of it was physical, which would typically send him running in the opposite direction. Why wasn’t he running this time?Maybe because I know I won’t be here long.
“Then it’s a good thing, and I hope it works out with her.”
“Darius, I don’t know how you and Brent are deep into my business when the two of you don’t even have your own relationship issues straightened out.”
Darius laughed. “Hey, I told you I’m looking for that one woman, but if I don’t keep dating, how am I supposed to find her? It’s not like she’s going to appear out of thin air and announce she’s my one.”
“He’s got a point,” Brent chimed in. “At least we do date. You, on the other hand, have gone out what…four, five times in the past two years?”
Gabriel didn’t appreciate having his love life or lack of one analyzed so early in the morning. “Did y’all call for something else? If not, can we be done with this conversation?”
“Sure, but we’re still making that trip. And before you start again,” Darius said, “we’re not coming to interfere with your love life. We rarely get out to the West Coast and want to check out San Francisco, Oakland, and maybe even Napa. And since you’re there now, it gives us a reason to fly out.”
He had been to the Bay Area only a couple of times years ago, and it would be cool to visit again. “Sounds like a plan. Let me know when you’re coming and we can make it a weekend.”
“You all will have to count me out of this one,” Glenn said. “I don’t think Toya wants to hang out for a guys’ weekend. Once you three stop playing around and get married, we can take a group vacation.”
“On that note, I’ve got to go,” Gabriel said with a chuckle.
Brent’s laughter came through the line. “Yeah. Gabe, we’ll let you know when we’re coming and will probably have it worked out by the time we meet next week.”
“Sounds good. Later.” Gabriel disconnected and smiled. He relished the friendship with his boys, even if they got on his nerves sometimes.
Swinging his legs over the side of the lounger, he stood and checked the weather on his phone. Seventy degrees was perfect for running.
The drive to Seaside Meadows Park took less than ten minutes. Natasha hadn’t lied. The beauty of the area took his breath away—flowers blooming in every color, majestic tree-lined trails, and a tranquil lake perfect for just about anything. He saw a few couples strolling along the paths hand in hand and imagined bringing Serenity here.
Gabriel took a few minutes to stretch, set his watch for three miles, then started a slow jog. He kept the easy pace for the first few minutes, then gradually increased his speed. While he ran, he thought of new ideas to deal with the technical issue he’d been having with one aspect of his program and how he was going to convince his grandmother to leave her home. But mostly, his mind kept straying to Serenity and why she had captured his attention the way she had.
His watch buzzed, letting him know he’d reached his goal. He reversed his course and, instead of jogging back, opted to walk and take in the scenery. At the end of the trail, he detoured to the lake and stood at the water’s edge, enjoying the slight breeze and the gentle ripples across the surface. Gabriel inhaled deeply, allowing the sweet air to fill his lungs, and exhaled slowly. After a few minutes more, he made his way back to the car and drove home. This time he took a different route and came upon another business district, this one with a bank, a few more shops, and an upscale steakhouse. A smile curved his lips. He noted the name and street for future reference.
