Claire was still blushing when they sat in the car with Gabriel driving. She tried to focus on the landscape outside but all she could think about was their kiss. Somehow, it felt different to the previous ones. It felt as if it held so much more. More feelings, emotions, and unsaid words that lingered at the back of their tongues for so long. Or perhaps, it was because this time Claire felt different. She held her fingertips on a pendant that Gabriel repaired, feeling the unspeakable warmth spread through her. It wasn't a desire, at least not solely a physical desire, it was something else. She was yearning for something else. It was the first time that Claire felt Gabriel's love and care so clearly through his touch as if through that kiss he was able to tell her of his pains and sorrows, and his love for her.
And the necklace was a reminder of his attentiveness towards her. Seemingly worthless necklace, at least considering its monetary value in comparison to anything that Gabriel owned, but he still took enough notice to realise how meaningful it was to Claire.
Gabriel put some music on - Tiersen, the composer they both found out they liked. A simple beat of instruments filled the car, somehow matching the atmosphere. Gabriel hummed along to the melody, driving carefully. He was in a good mood.
For Claire, this was the moment she wanted to hold onto forever, as she sat beside him, listening to some of her favourite melodies and his cheerful humming, watching the sunset from the car, and feeling the comfort that she needed so badly. It felt like a glimpse of hope for the future, that maybe she'll be able to go through it all and that she'll be alright in the end.
Claire nervously held onto her clutch, feeling a lump in her throat as they entered the restaurant. Now, remembering the purpose of the evening.
"I'm just going to pop to the ladies' room," Claire said quietly. "Go ahead. I'll be there in a moment."
"I'll wait for you by the bar." Gabriel stated as he smiled at her.
"Okay." Claire nodded in agreement watching Gabriel make his way towards the bar. She had an instant urge to run away but she told herself off for even considering it. She might've been a coward but not over something so seemingly trivial.
Claire sighed as she made her way to the bathroom, glad to have a moment to compose herself before meeting Gabriel's friends.
She made sure that her make-up was spotless, and as soon as she walked out she was welcomed by an enthusiastic shriek.
"Claire?!! Is that you?!!!" A familiar voice welcomed her and before she was able to respond, she was lifted off the ground and twirled around. "I haven't seen you in ages! What was it? Five years now?"
"Alex?" Claire asked in disbelief looking at a man that was slightly taller than her, with dark blonde hair and brown eyes. "I didn't expect you here."
"I've tried calling you and your parents but had no response. Where were you hiding? I was well worried when I found out your home was demolished."
"We've moved," Claire said honestly.
"Are you meeting anyone?"
"Well…" Claire looked towards the bar where Gabriel was chatting with two men, probably his friends that must've arrived as she was in the bathroom. She hesitated, unsure whether it was a good time to introduce Gabriel to Alex as she wasn't ready for her family to find out yet.
"I'm meeting some of my buddies. Let me introduce you to them. They are all good fellas. Maybe stay away from one of them as he can be a bit neurotic." Alex grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the bar. "Hey, guys! Long time no see! I've managed to bump into the best girl in the world so I thought I'll introduce you all." Alex spoke fast as three men, including Gabriel, turned towards them. Claire's heart stopped. This evening was turning into a nightmare very quickly as she realised that somehow her cousin, Alex, knew Gabriel. If Alex were to find out about their marriage, it was a matter of minutes before the entire family knew as Alex was unable to keep his mouth shut. Never mind the fact that she couldn't piece it together how Alex and Gabriel knew each other. Gabriel raised his brow and watched the situation before him with intrigue. "Claire, this is Matthew, Jacque, and a guy who you should stay away from - Gabriel." Alex quickly introduced her. Claire didn't like that her cousin seemed to warn her of Gabriel, making her even more anxious about the reaction he might have if he finds out about them. "This is Claire. As previously said, the best girl I've ever come across. I'm sure you'll love her." Alex pushed her in front of him. "Let me get you a drink. Still a fun of smooth rosé?" He asked her. Claire gave him a nod.
"Hi, everyone ." Claire shook their hands, including Gabriel, who looked at her in confusion, unsure what was happening and why Claire acted as if she just met him.
"Let's sit down," Alex said leading the way towards a private room. Claire was about to sit down next to Gabriel, hoping to clue him in on the situation, assuming that he didn't already know, but Alex pushed her one seat over so that he was seated between them. Claire ended up being sat by Alex and Jacque. "Don't worry, Claire. I'll be your shield tonight." Alex pointed at Gabriel as he passed her a glass of rosé. "Now, tell me what you have been up to. I've heard you were working as a designer. Where are you working at?" Alex was spewing the volcano of words barely letting Claire speak.
"Diamond Corporate." Claire replied with a smile. Alex went silent, looking over at Gabriel.
Claire took that moment of his inattention to quickly text Gabriel: 'DO NOT SAY THE WORD ABOUT US!'.
Gabriel looked at his phone as soon as it pinged furrowing his brows again. He gave her a silent nod that no one else noticed, agreeing to play along with her, even if it were at his own expense.
"Hey, are you 'the' Claire?" Jacque asked her eagerly. "The infamous Claire Thompson?"
"Indeed, she is." Alex nodded on her behalf, speaking with pride as he put his arm across the back of her chair. Claire didn't even notice it, used to Alex's behaviour through years of essentially growing up together. She looked at Jacque with an arm smile, still hoping that she can make a good impression on Gabriel's friends. Jacque was tall, with longish dark hair that fell into perfect waves, grey-blue eyes, and a slightly pointy chin. Her first thought was that he reminded her of a blue-eyed Dorian Gray. He wore a navy-coloured suit with a blue-ish striped tie. Claire quickly glanced at Matthew who wore a black suit but he didn't bother with a tie, leaving his top button undone. He was a brown-haired man with brown eyes.
And then there was Alex, who had a wide smile on his face showing off his teeth. He still had that mischievous grin that he didn't grow out of. He wore his smart trousers and white shirt, which had two top buttons undone, very much like how Gabriel was dressed in the mornings before tidying himself up for work.
"I've been recommended you by at least three different people. If it weren't that we have an unspoken rule of not dealing with each other professionally, I'd be right in your office." Jacque pointed at Gabriel. "But I've heard a lot of good about you. You're the talk of the town."
Claire looked at him attentively, unsure how to respond to the praise. She was secretly thankful that Alex did it for her.
"She's great, I'm telling you," Alex said with a wide grin. "She's been on top of her class at uni and she's always the best at everything. Really proud of her." He smiled at Claire who wasn't as thankful anymore that he also praised her. "And even outside of school, she's always been beyond exceptional. She can play the piano, draw, sing, dance, and she's an athlete - she's a runner." Alex started listing all of which he knew that Claire was good at, which made her turn all red in embarrassment.
"Sounds like you really have your shit together." Jacque chuckled. "You must know Pierre Martin then. We have been doing business on the French Coast for some time now. Actually, he was one of the people to recommend you." Jacque was keen to continue, whilst Gabriel seemed to observe the situation in silence from the side, increasingly fidgety and uncomfortable. Claire didn't show any tension or distress so he decided not to step in. Her body language was very different from when she met Guildford. She was relaxed, smiling, and keen to chat with Alex and Jacque. Matthew, being his usual self, was rather quiet. Gabriel decided to sit back for now. He was glad that Claire got along with his friends, but he wasn't too enthusiastic about her rather close relationship with Alex which implied their previous connection, not realising what type of relationship it was.
Part of him wanted to break Alex's arm in half already for holding it so close to Claire's back, and part of him wanted to interrogate him about how he knew his wife. Alex was barely in the city over the past few years, and Gabriel didn't know if Claire even left the city before for longer than a few days at a time. Although Alex was his best friend, it didn't mean that he was comfortable with an idea that his best friend might've dated his wife. If anything, this seemed like a nightmare. He didn't want to hang out with his wife's ex or bring someone who has a crush on her near her. It just didn't feel right to him. As much as he knew that Claire wasn't a thing to possess, right now, she was his.
"I do know Pierre!" Claire said excitedly which made Gabriel flinch at a reminder of Pierre's previous open flirting with Claire. "We went to university together. He reached out to me a few months ago and we have been working together on a project since." Claire nodded. "He's going to open a new office near the city, which is quite exciting."
"How was he at uni?" Jacque continued whilst Matthew tried to strike a conversation with Gabriel, who in return responded in monosyllables and unenthusiastically.
"Oh, I'm not too sure." Claire blushed. "I can't say too much about him as he mostly avoided me back then. But he was always kind and I thought that he was rather shy."
"I don't think he's shy anymore." Jacque laughed. "To be honest, I don't think I can imagine him being shy. He's been a right chatterbox ever since I've met him."
"He definitely is more confident nowadays," Claire replied, quickly glancing over at Gabriel to check on him. Gabriel looked down at a table, listening to Matthew, but the way he tapped on the table with his fingertips made Claire realise that he felt anxious about something. "Which is good. It's been great to work on a project with him as he really knows what he wants. He has been very foregoing and he has been very keen on all of the suggestions I've made."
"What he told me was that you're a design genius and all your suggestions met and exceeded his expectations. Not to mention the prices you've managed to negotiate from the contractors. He showed me the cost breakdown and I couldn't believe it!"
"Well, it all boils down to knowing who you work with. Many contractors give me a great offer because they know our department is reliable and they want to maintain our working relationship."
"It takes one heck of a skill to build that relationship though." Jacque was visibly keen to talk to Claire about work and the business. Alex leaned back listening to her conversation with Jacque, smiling in such a way as if he was showing her off. "I'm looking to expand my company towards the Midlands and we have been working with a firm there, but…" Jacque laughed. "They're good, don't get me wrong. They're meeting all the requirements. But they're not exceptional."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Claire said quickly, her eyes glistening in hope that she can get yet another project on board if she gets to play it right. "What are you looking for?"
"Oh, we're looking for an IT base there. We want an office space that can also be used for our marketing."
"So, you want something modern, sleek, eye-catchy, and obviously practical for the IT equipment, so probably a good ventilation to keep a steady temperature in all of the rooms, especially the server room." Claire started listing requirements, which made Jacque smile.
"Exactly."
"It'll have to be a king of building that is associated with the best computers: clean, lots of open spaces, professional but also a little bit fun?"
"Yeah."
"I think I have some ideas." Claire leaned forward.
"Sure. I can pass it onto the firm I'm working with." Jacque moved forward in his seat, ready to listen. Claire gave Gabriel a cautious look before she took her business card out.
"I know you agreed not to deal with Mr Moore, but my department has been working independently in the past few months. And I'm sure I can fit you in if you'd be interested, especially as we had a sudden opening this week." Claire said carefully, passing her card to Jacque who took it with excitement.
"Gabriel?" Jacque looked at him for approval.
"As Claire has said, her department is independent of me," Gabriel said honestly, which raised a few eyebrows.
"What?" Alex said loudly. "Claire has full autonomy over the biggest department in your company?"
"Yeah. I don't see why not. Since she took over, she brought more profit than ever before. She secured a one billion revenue contract just the other week."
"What did you do to him?" Alex asked Claire in surprise.
"I didn't do anything." Claire laughed at an accusation.
"Yes, you did." Gabriel said with a smile. "She tried to resign and go to the X6 Group."
"Holy shit." Alex laughed, followed by Jacque's and Matthew's light chuckles. "And you gave her full autonomy over the department to retain her?"
"Of course." Gabriel shrugged.
"I need to know how it is planned out." Alex said to Claire. "I'll need your full story someday. Maybe over coffee during the week?" He offered. "Then you can tell me all the details without your boss hovering over your head and eavesdropping."
"Maybe." Claire nodded.
"I know it must be odd to sit around the table with your CEO, but don't worry. As grumpy as he is, he's a gentleman. He isn't going to bother you tonight." Alex said quickly giving a warning look to Gabriel. "Right?" He asked him as he raised a drink to him.
"Right." Gabriel responded raising his own drink back.
"Let's order something to eat. I'm starving." Alex announced as he moved his arm away at last and passed Claire the menu. "Is your dad still making that amazing ricotta ravioli?" He changed a topic as Claire opened the menu and started reading it, unsure of her order.
"He is." Claire nodded with a smile. "And he still refuses to share the recipe with me."
Alex laughed.
"Is it the same old excuse?"
"Yeah, mostly. It's still the old: 'it's the only reason you visit anyways'." Claire nodded with a chuckle.
"He hasn't changed one bit then."
"Well, recently he added that he will only pass it to a man I bring back home so they get to cook it for me, as I'm already fussing too much in the kitchen. I think he might be a bit too hopeful on that front." Claire laughed at a thought of Gabriel trying to roll out the fresh pasta to make ravioli for her, but Alex understood it differently.
"Well, you found yourself one heck of a company." Alex laughed. "We're all miserably single." Alex looked at Gabriel. "Actually, apparently Mr Grumpy is seeing someone nowadays, but let's leave that topic for another day." Alex leaned it to Claire and whispered in her ear. "I think he might've gotten stood up so we better avoid that topic."
"Oh." Claire glanced at Gabriel who still didn't say anything to defend himself from that accusation. After all, he didn't get stood up and his very wife was sitting beside his best friend.
"Now, what are you having? I've heard pasta here is good but that's never going to match your cooking, so… maybe steak? Hang on, you're not that keen on the meat." Alex mumbled to Claire. "Turnip? That sounds rather unappealing. Truffle and beetroot crunchy salad?" Alex pointed at the menu.
"I am tempted by the goat cheese and passion fruit salad." Claire said as she pointed at a different section of the menu.
"Do you wanna share?" Alex asked her openly.
"Get your own food, Alex." Claire grumbled.
"But I want to try the salad and I want the venison."
"I don't want your venison though." Claire looked up at Alex, giving him a slight scowl.
"Can I have a bite of yours though?"
"Have you ever eaten here before? Your bite will be over half of my portion." Claire joked.
"Alright." Alex gave in. "I'll get myself salad and venison." He announced to the rest.
"In years of knowing you, I don't think I once saw you order a salad." Jacque laughed.
"Claire knows what's good so if she's having the goat's cheese salad, then I'm having it too." Alex decided. "I'm not passing on venison though."
They ordered the food and chatted, Matthew with Jacque, and Alex with Claire, whilst Gabriel seemed to be quieter.
"How's Aunt doing?" Alex asked Claire with concern.
"She's fine."
"I've tried calling for her birthday but couldn't get through."
"Oh yeah, she doesn't have a phone at the moment," Claire answered.
"Oh, by the way. Dad mentioned that you asked for his help. Do you need some help from a proper lawyer?"
"You're not talking about yourself, are you?" Gabriel asked with a sneer.
"I'm okay, Alex. Your dad was a great help." Claire answered, ignoring Gabriel's remark. "Besides, it's not really a conversation for tonight."
"Of course. And I did warn you. He can be a bit of a jerk." Alex laughed, poking fun at Gabriel. "He's just a grumpy kind. Just stay away from him and you'll be fine."
"And why should she stay away from me?" Gabriel asked coldly.
"Because you tend to ghost any woman after the first date or two? Never mind your temper." Alex said honestly. "Like, I know you're not that bad but it's not really fair on Claire, is it?" Alex said sternly, putting his arm around Claire in a very protective manner, which only infuriated Gabriel further. "As your best friend, Gabriel, I only have your best interest in my heart. You're not for each other."
"What?" Claire furrowed her brows.
"See, Claire, you're such a soft-hearted creature." Alex started explaining. "Gabriel can be a bit of a hot-headed jerk. It's better to stay at a safe distance from him, especially outside of work. But surely, we can chat about that over that coffee."
"How did you guys meet?" Claire asked Alex curiously, changing the topic, feeling the increasing tension in the room
"Kayaking club at uni." Alex answered. "He was my mentor there. And somehow, as the typical extrovert I am, I adopted him and made him social. Jacque was in the same student halls as me, and Matthew did law school with me."
"Kayaking club?" Claire looked curiously at Gabriel, shifting her gaze back at Alex. "Hang on, the kayaking club that you ditched me for?" She scowled at Alex.
"Yeah, Gabriel was our team captain." Alex nodded. "He was both cruel and sympathetic. I don't think I ever was as fit as back then. We did win several medals but it's long gone. My body is not like it used to be. Years went on, and it's slowly deteriorating." Alex said with disappointment. "And I didn't mean to ditch you."
"What?" Gabriel looked at them curiously.
"Claire came to visit during varsity and I went out with you instead," Alex explained to Gabriel. "She still hasn't forgiven me."
"You ditched me for him?" Claire asked with annoyance, now scowling at Gabriel too.
"He was miserable. I knew you'd be fine." Alex said quickly changing a topic. "You still look fit. Still running?"
"Not much." Claire answered honestly. "With mum being ill and lots of work, I think it slowly fell to the bottom of my priority list."
"Understandable." Alex tapped Claire's back before turning to Gabriel who was sulking in silence. "What's with you tonight? I haven't seen you this quiet ever before."
"It's nothing," Gabriel grumbled.
"Do you need a smoke?" Alex offered. "I've brought some fancy cigs from my business trip if you want a pack?"
"I don't smoke anymore."
"Well, that's an update I didn't expect to hear tonight." Alex shifted his attention to Gabriel. "So, how have you been? Haven't seen you in months. Surely, a lot of exciting things have happened." Alex was firing at Gabriel now.
"I mean, few things happened." Gabriel said carefully looking at Claire.
"Hey! Eyes off her. She's off the limits for you!" Alex said teasingly, which made Claire snicker. She hid her chuckle in her hand, finding the situation truly bizarre.
"You've said you're bringing a girl tonight. Is that why you're in a sombre mood?" Alex asked Gabriel openly.
"Well..." Gabriel leaned back in the chair, biting his lip.
"It happens, mate." Alex patted his back as the food was placed before them. "Maybe next time. Actually, I ought to tell you that I'm staying around for a bit."
"Really?" Claire asked with her eyes wide open.
"Yeah. I'll be joining dad in his business." Alex nodded.
"Didn't take you for someone who will join the family business." Claire said as she dug into her food.
"I know, right?!" Alex laughed. "Well, he is taking on some big projects and needed a hand. What better lawyer is there other than me?"
"Literally any." Gabriel, Jacque, and Matthew said in unison which made Alex laugh.
"And they call themselves my friends. Isn't that sad, Claire?" Alex turned to her again.
"Well, Zoe is the same to me. You surely must remember her." Claire said with a smile.
"Oh God, yeah. Are you still friends?"
"Yeah, but we almost didn't make it." Claire laughed. "Not after that New Year's at yours."
"Oh." Alex turned red.
"What happened?" Jacque asked curiously.
"My best friend tried to sleep with him." Claire answered honestly.
"I mean, how could I sleep with your best friend?" Alex asked her with a frown.
"She didn't like being rejected," Claire added which made Jacque even more curious. "She thought that I've made him reject her. We had a huge argument then, and I'm pretty sure some things were said that shouldn't have been."
"Is she still crazy?" Alex asked directly.
"Depends what you mean by crazy?" Claire asked as Gabriel answered "Yes" at the same time.
"Oh, you had a pleasure too?" Alex turned to Gabriel.
"Zoe and Gina work in my department." Claire explained. "I think that Gabriel had more than enough encounters with them to make up his mind." Claire smiled at Gabriel.
"I always liked Gina. Zoe… it's not that I don't like her, I just rather avoid her." Alex said.
"Don't worry. She's dating someone now." Claire said with a smile which made Gabriel look at her curiously.
"Whom?" Alex asked.
"She's dating Mark Pattison." Claire said as she looked at Gabriel.
"Isn't that your…?" Alex turned to Gabriel.
"Yeah, my assistant." Gabriel nodded.
"Well, it sounds like a lot of drama." Alex chuckled.
"They do seem like a perfect fit. Mark is rather mellow and he kind of dampens Zoe's crazy. The only issue is that Gabriel seems to be in a closer relationship with Mark than anyone else., so Zoe is like a third wheel in that relationship."
"Yeah, I do feel a little bad for her." Alex nodded. "All things considered. The most important question is, Jacque or Matthew?" Alex whispered in her ear loud enough for Gabriel to hear.
"What?" Claire widened her eyes.
"I'd say Jacque is much more your type. If I remember correctly, you had a particular weakness for tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed, and intelligent men." Alex spoke to her, quietly enough for Jacque and Matthew to not hear. Claire looked over at Gabriel. "No. Don't look in that direction." Alex said with a laugh. "He might be pretty but he's an asshole."
"Why are you friends with someone you consider an asshole?" Claire asked him.
"It's complicated. Again, conversation over the coffee."
"I haven't agreed to that coffee yet."
"Are you really going to say no to your favourite person?" Alex made pretend puppy dog eyes at her which made Claire burst into laughter.
"I'm busy." Claire said shortly.
"Gabriel, are you really overworking Claire this much that she won't even go for a coffee with me?" Alex asked Gabriel. "I'm sure you can help out with this issue, right?"
"I'll think about it." Claire sighed before Gabriel managed to utter an answer.
"Hang on, pass me your phone." Alex demanded. Claire looked at him puzzled but she gave him her phone. "That's my current phone number, and now I have yours too." He smiled as he send himself a text message. "You can't evade my messages now."
"Alex, please stop." Gabriel said coldly.
"What?" Alex turned to him confused.
"What you're doing is shady. You're pressuring Claire into complying with you even though she seems to be saying no. It's coercive and it's not okay." Gabriel said calmly as he put his drink down. Alex looked at him with his eyes wide open.
"But… it's Claire." Alex said defensively. "I wouldn't do that to anyone else, and you know that."
"Do you understand how bad this sounds right now?" Gabriel asked back.
"Well, I do. But… it's Claire?" Alex looked back at Claire who wasn't sure how to respond. She was used to Alex's behaviour and she didn't find it threatening. It was what their relationship was like. But indeed, if anyone else treated her like that she'd be uncomfortable.
"I'm calling you out on your dodgy behaviour. That's our deal." Gabriel said as he leaned in his chair, as he just finished his meal.
"Claire?" Alex looked at her for help.
"I don't mind it. I'm used to you." Claire said with a shrug. "But yeah, I get where he's coming from. If I didn't know you, this would make me feel very uncomfortable." She added in hope that Gabriel will understand that she was taking his side.
"Yeah, but you do know me and it's okay, isn't it? You're my baby Claire." Alex said in despair.
"If you're sticking around, I'll see you some other time." Gabriel decided as he stood up. This was his breaking point. He wasn't allowed to call Claire pet names but she seemed unbothered by Alex. "I've got the bill so enjoy yourselves."
"God, you're so serious and such a damper on the mood today. Get someone to suck your d*ck." Alex uttered under his nose. Gabriel looked at his friend in disbelief, then shifted his gaze at Claire, unsure of what to do or say. Claire tried not to laugh as she remembered that she said exactly the same thing to Gabriel a few months prior.
"Well, I don't see how that's going to happen." Gabriel said coldly.
"You have enough money to just pay someone to do it if you still can't grasp social cues enough to find a date," Alex said teasingly. Gabriel felt his rage build up inside of him. Claire didn't take Alex seriously knowing his sense of humour was based around teasing others, just like hers could be.
"Excuse me." Gabriel said as he left the room. Claire looked worriedly at the door that closed behind Gabriel.
"What got into him?" Alex asked the company.
"It's probably because of me." Claire said to Alex quietly, feeling guilty for destroying the night and Gabriel's reunion with his friends.
"Don't be silly." Jacque and Alex said quickly. "He's probably jealous that you brought someone and he didn't." Jacque answered Alex's question honestly.
"He's jealous because I've brought my cousin?" Alex asked in disbelief.
"Aaaahhh." Two men said in unison, things finally clicking in their heads.
"What?" Alex looked at them.
"Well, you did call him a jerk and made it clear that he wasn't good enough for Claire, without specifying your relationship. I think he took it a little personally." Jacque explained. "And without knowing that you're related, it does seem like you have a very close relationship from the outside."
"God, I'm an idiot." Alex facepalmed. "I will have to talk to him and clarify things. I'll have to get him a good bottle of wine for when I get to see him next." Jacque and Matthew nodded in unison at that idea.
"Actually, I think it's time for me to go, too." Claire decided as she stood up. "Thank you so much for the meal and I'm so glad to have met you." She said to Jacque and Matthew. "Not so sure about you." She joked to Alex.
"It's been a pleasure." Jacque and Matthew said as they stood up and both kissed the back of Claire's hand as a goodbye.
"I'll walk you out." Alex said quickly.
"Thank you." Claire smiled as they left the room.
"So, I'm not saying anything but it seemed like you and Jacque really clicked together," Alex said with a smile as he walked beside her with his hands in his pockets.
"I'm not interested. But thanks for your concern, Alex." Claire said rather coldly.
"Is that ricotta ravioli not worth it though?" Alex joked.
"Maybe." Claire nodded. "Where did you really meet Gabriel?" Claire asked again, still suspicious of their relationship. Her mind was keen to question it, suggesting the most outrageous scenarios, including the possibility that Gabriel was a psychopath and that he paid Alex to pretend to be his friend to get at Claire for something.
"Kayaking club at uni. I've said that before. I signed up in my first year. He was a year above me. Why?" Alex furrowed his brows. "He isn't usually like that. I'm sorry about today. I'll drop you a message during the week and we can grab a coffee. We can talk about him then. Besides, we have so much to catch up on. Jack should be coming around in a few weeks too. We need a little family reunion."
"Okay." Claire agreed.
"Take care, baby Claire." Alex said kissing her on the cheek and a hug.
"I really would prefer you not to call me that." Claire said disapprovingly.
"It's an old habit." Alex laughed. "You're always going to be my baby cousin or my adopted little sister."
"Yeah, but I'm almost twenty-six. I don't think I like being anyone's baby."
"I'll try, Claire." Alex agreed with a sigh. "I'll see you around." He waved her goodbye by the entrance. Claire walked down the street noticing Gabriel staring at her coldly as he leaned against the car. He opened the passenger's side door for her and then silently sat in the driver's seat.
They were both completely silent on the way home, letting their thoughts brew during the ride. Claire felt the tension that wasn't there before, not a good kind either. Gabriel was anxious and angry.
However, as soon as they stepped into the villa, the tension between them was unbearable.
"Now, are you going to tell me what bothers you?" Claire snapped, feeling her own anxiety rising as she didn't know what was the reason for the change in Gabriel's mood.
"That's the stand you're taking?!" Gabriel scowled at her. "Pretending that you don't know what's wrong?"
"What?!" Claire frowned at his tone of voice which was sharp.
"You were outright flirting with him in front of me! How is that supposed to make me feel?!!!" Gabriel roared, his face twisting in anger and turning red.
"Flirting? What's wrong with you?!" Claire raised her voice almost as loudly as Gabriel.
"Oh, so am I blind?! Or am I supposed to pretend that I am fine with this?!"
"I knew that you're a manipulative psychopath!" Claire's anger was slowly becoming unconfined as she was outraged at a suggestion that she and her cousin might have some other relationship, disgusted by the mere thought of it.
"Me?" Gabriel was shaken. "Frankly, I don't think I like the perspective of my wife running off with my best friend. That story seems to be getting a little old now!!!" Gabriel continued screaming.
"You cannot be serious?" Claire asked in disbelief.
"I'm not giving you up that easily! The first time I was naive. This time, I am not going to let it happen. Baby Claire over my dead body!"
"Is that some form of delirium?! Seriously, are you really that kind of jealous?"
"Of course! I am not happy with my wife flirting with men in front of me. It's hurtful, Claire!"
Claire went silent, unsure how to approach it further, feeling confused as to why Gabriel would be jealous of her cousin. She was still slightly suspicious that he paid Alex to pretend to be his best friend to get at her, but that scenario didn't seem as feasible. "This is ridiculous," Gabriel said coldly lowering his voice. Looking at Claire's distress though he took a step back, his face softening a little. "Why did you want to hide our marriage from him?" He said coldly but at an almost normal sound level.
"If he knows, everyone knows." Claire said through her gritted teeth. "I don't want my parents to find out in that way."
"He's not like that. He keeps secrets to his inner circle." Gabriel said reassuringly.
"Exactly." Claire said slightly more calmly.
"What's your relationship with Alex?"
"Stop it! Don't play dumb!" Claire stomped her feet.
"I am dumb. I've told you that before. Spell it out for me."
"Don't tell me that you didn't know that Alex is my cousin!" Claire screamed. Gabriel was stunned into silence.
"Alex is your cousin?" He asked quietly, things slowly falling into place in his head."Alex is your cousin?" He repeated.
"Yeah." Claire looked at him in confusion.
"So, every time Alex spoke of his baby cousin he spoke about you? And I've been within arm's reach to you for years?" He burst into laughter, at last, realising his stupidity and his misunderstanding of the evening.
"Well, yes. By the way, he ditched me for you on at least several occasions. I have a bone to pick up on that too."
"I didn't know." Gabriel admitted still laughing. "My best friend is my wife's cousin. Unbelievable!"
"Gabriel…" Claire looked at him with worry.
"I really didn't know, Claire. I didn't know Alex's family was connected to Thompsons."
"My mother's maiden name is Best. Alex's dad is my mum's brother."
"I can't believe it." Gabriel uttered in amusement.
"You didn't know?" Claire asked in disbelief.
"No, I didn't." Gabriel shook his head.
Claire pulled up her phone and searched through her social media, and within seconds holding a family picture up to Gabriel.
"That's a picture from almost ten years ago. It was the last big family gathering we had."
"You looked cute." Gabriel mused at teenage Claire. "I didn't see it on your profile page."
"Most of my social media is set to private." Claire said as she put her phone away.
Gabriel's face turned back to disbelief.
"You're not friends with me? I thought I'd send you an invite."
"And I didn't accept it." Claire scowled at him. "You have like ten Facebook friends and you follow like five accounts on Instagram. It's going to be weird if you add me, will it not?"
"From a professional standpoint, you're a CDO in my company, why would it be weird? Not to mention that it's weird that I don't have my wife as a friend." Gabriel took his phone out and quickly tapped on it. "Even if you don't accept my friend request, I'll follow you on Instagram."
"I'll block you." Claire declared walking past him.
"Why are you angry?" Gabriel asked.
"Really? You've just implied that I have some sick relationship with my cousin! Never mind that I feel like you're using my family against me now. Maybe you've paid him off to get at me?"
"Why would I do that?" Gabriel spread his arms open.
"Because you're a manipulative psychopath?" Claire suggested.
"I met Alex years ago, during our uni years. I really didn't know he was your cousin."
"Prove it."
"Okay" Gabriel agreed, trying to think of the best way to prove it. "I have photos from my uni years upstairs. Let's go." He grabbed Claire's hand and led her toward his room. Once there, he sat her down on the edge of the bed, disappearing into the closet. "Let's see…" Claire smiled as she heard him mumble under his nose. She recovered her neutral face as Gabriel brought several boxes out, laying them on the floor at the end of the bed. He flopped his bottom down and took the lids off. "I should've been more organised." He grumbled looking through the photos.
Claire got off the bed and sat beside him, trying to look over his shoulder. She smiled at pictures of young Gabriel. She picked a picture from the stack next to Gabriel carefully studying it and smiling widely. Gabriel noticed it and smiled at her. "Are you judging me?"
"Very much so." Claire nodded with a laugh. "You wore socks with sandals!"
"I was 12!" Gabriel said defensively.
"I didn't take you for a kid with braces."
"Those perfect pearly whites didn't just happen overnight." Gabriel smiled, showing off his teeth. "I'm surprised that you're not commenting on my matching outfits." Gabriel pointed at a picture he held in his hand.
"That's adorable!"
"And here it is, my awkward uni years." Gabriel showed Claire a few photos of him in swimming shorts standing with his kayaking team, right next to Alex. Claire chuckled at the picture. Back then, Gabriel was still handsome but much less refined. His hair was ear-length and in an intentional mess, styled with hair gel to point in all possible directions. The more Claire looked at it, the more fun she found it.
"I bet ladies were all over you." She burst into laughter.
"That's not funny."
"What happened to your hair?"
"It was stylish back then." Gabriel grumbled.
"Alex hasn't aged a day." Claire mused. She looked at the next picture that Gabriel passed her. She stopped laughing and looked at Gabriel in surprise.
"That was from our varsity win." Gabriel explained.
"I know. I was there." Claire said, pointing at the picture. There was a blurry image of her in the background. "Alex invited Jack, his brother, to come around. Jack dragged me across only for Alex to stand us up after the win as he wanted to celebrate with the team."
"I'm sorry. I never knew he did that." Gabriel said earnestly. "If I knew his family was around, I'd tell him to bugger off or to invite you two around."
"It's okay. I had a great time with Jack." Claire reminisced. "He took me to the Chinese restaurant and cinema."
"I've met Jack a few times. I keep telling Alex that I've picked the wrong friend." Gabriel chuckled.
"I mean, I love them both." Claire smiled. "But they are polar opposites. Alex is really the outgoing wild type, and Jack is more of a quiet one. But they're both like older brothers to me. We used to spend every summer together. Usually camping."
"I'm sorry, Claire. I really didn't know and I've accused you of something so ridiculous."
"Well, I've accused you of something equally ridiculous. I don't think we did our best today."
"No, we did not." Gabriel sighed. "Now, I think we may have to wait before my friends know of our marriage."
"I'm sorry, Gabriel. I want to tell my parents in person, and after that, I don't care." Claire said honestly, as she still looked through Gabriel's photos.
"I understand. I have no idea how to break it to Eva either. She's going to be so disappointed in me." Gabriel sighed, not realising how soon he will have to find a solution to that.