"I did bring some wine." Alex said remembering about the bottle on the table. "It's some fancy Château Lafite." Alex picked it up. "Well, fancy on my standard. It's probably nothing…"
"Thank you, Alex." Gabriel cut him off, disliking that his friend was underselling his gift.
"And I wanted a relaxing night…" Claire grumbled.
"Claire, dear, why don't you go and get that bath?" Gabriel asked as he walked up to her. "Again, I'm sorry." He whispered in her ear, leaning towards her. Alex coughed, bringing attention back to him.
"It'll be alright." Claire sighed. "But I demand more details about…" Claire waved her hand unsure how to even put it in the words.
"That's a conversation for a weekend if that's okay with you? I promise you that I haven't done anything THAT bad."
"And I'm supposed to believe you?" Claire asked in a still disgruntled tone.
"Come on, Claire." Gabriel said sweetly.
"Do you want help with the dinner?" Claire offered to change the subject.
"No, I think I can manage. Now, what do you think this wine will go with?"
"Probably red meat." Claire answered.
"I'll have a go." Gabriel said with a keen smile.
Claire chatted with Alex in the kitchen, as Gabriel clattered around. Alex was keen to share his endeavours over years, then sharing all the trouble he caused Gabriel whilst at uni.
"You blamed Gabriel for missing your final?" Claire asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, and it worked." Alex laughed. "Gabriel was so confused about the call he received the following day asking about his surgery."
"What accident did you come up with?"
"Testicular torsion." Alex laughed hysterically at his own stupidity.
"Asshole." Gabriel grumbled. "He went as far as telling them that I needed my testicles removed."
Claire joined Alex in laughter.
"I can't believe it worked!"
"It did. I was allowed to retake the final without a cap."
"And then there were thousands of rumours that we were together." Gabriel added.
"I received so many sympathy cards because my partner lost his testicles." Alex poured Claire a glass of wine, he went to pour some for Gabriel but he shook his head at him.
"I'm going to abstain tonight."
"What's up?" Alex looked at him curiously.
"I've cut down on alcohol."
"Honestly, what have you done to him?" Alex asked Claire.
"It's because of the meds, Alex." Gabriel explained quickly. "They really don't mix with alcohol."
"That's fair."
"I may have a sip when dinner is ready though as it does look like a fine wine." Gabriel added quickly.
"Now, I think it's only fair if I share some of Claire's embarrassing stories." Alex decided at which Claire scowled.
"I'm sure there's not much on that front." Gabriel said as he chopped some potatoes up.
"Oh, there is." Alex put on a mischievous smile as if he treated it as a dare.
"Before we get into that, let me share a story. It was a summer holiday when I was like fourteen or fifteen. Alex decided to be a dickhead that time. The day I arrived he checked through my luggage and went shopping." Claire started quickly.
"I don't like where this is going." Gabriel said quickly.
"For the entire week, he matched every single outfit with me to piss me off. EVERY SINGLE DAY, FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK. And I mean, he went to the ice cream parlour wearing a tank top, shorts, and flip-flops. I never was this embarrassed before."
"Hang on, how old was he then?" Gabriel asked trying to do maths.
"Seventeen?" Claire looked at Alex.
"Something like that." Alex laughed.
"Uncle Adam was having a laughing fit every morning, because five minutes after I came down, Alex would come down matching my outfit in the most outrageous way. He took a photo every morning of this. I think they're at my parents'." Claire said. "I have photographic evidence of his stupidity. I'll try to get them for the next get together."
"How did he match your outfits?" Gabriel asked, unable to imagine it.
"I really mean, match my outfits. Shorts, crop tops, bikinis, dresses, even headbands, and once a set of pigtails."
"Why would you do that?" Gabriel asked Alex with amusement.
"My job as an older cousin was to embarrass her." Alex said with a laugh. "Dad was switching from being outright ashamed of me, to laughing his ass off. But even I felt a little embarrassed when I rocked up to the lake in a bikini and pigtails. Everyone moved as far away from me as possible."
"Oh God, yes!" Claire remembered it.
"Don't say a word!" Alex warned her.
"Oh no. What happened?" Gabriel asked, watching Claire roar in laughter and Alex turn red.
"Look, I didn't realise that bikinis can come undone when the wave hits you!" Alex said defensively which made Gabriel laugh.
"A memory I wish I didn't have ingrained in my brain." Claire said.
"Like, I've put a lot of effort that week. I've shaved all of my body hair and whatnot." Alex started explaining. "So, the wave hit and my bikini bottoms vanished. I've had to come up, cupping my, well, special area with hands, running across the beach butt-naked to get a towel to cover up. Dad will never forgive me for that one."
"Oh my God." Gabriel gasped at the thought.
"Actually…" Claire laughed. "Jack was also getting annoyed with you so we swapped your bikini for the one that dissolves in water." She laughed so hard that tears started to escape her eyes.
"What?" Alex asked in disbelief.
"Yeah." Claire nodded. "We had enough of you and we wanted to teach you a lesson."
"Why am I finding out about this just now?" Alex asked, stopping to laugh momentarily.
Gabriel wiped his own tears away, trying to contain his laugh but failing.
"Okay, but…" Alex started putting his mischievous smile back on. "Claire, do you remember the time we played football and the ball was kicked into the stall barn?"
"Oh no." Claire blushed in embarrassment.
"The issue was that we kicked the ball in through the window and the doors were shut close. Claire was the smallest so we helped her up through the window…"
"No…" Claire shook her head.
"What we didn't realise was that grandpa had a pile of literal cow shit there." Alex laughed. "Claire landed in it face first."
"Ewww…" Gabriel couldn't contain his disgust.
"Why do you have to remind me of it?" Claire asked Alex angrily. "Grandma was fuming when we've rocked up with me being covered in manure from head to toe. She took a hose and sprayed me with cold water until she was able to wash the worst of it off. But I'm sure that I stank for days after."
"You did." Alex nodded while laughing.
Gabriel dished out soon enough with all of them sharing stories of each other reminiscing over the past, laughing hysterically over the most outrageous stories.
Once Alex left, Gabriel looked at Claire with a warm smile.
"I've joined one heck of a family." He laughed. "Also, did Jack really swap his bikini for a dissolvable one?"
"I did." Claire laughed. "Jack distracted him enough so I could do it."
"God, you're astonishingly evil." Gabriel laughed.
"Still, if my parents find out about us, you're getting testicular torsion surgery." Claire said with a mischievous smile. "For real this time."
"Oof, what's that stench?" Gabriel pretended to wave away the smell. Claire scowled at him.
"That's not funny." She grumbled as she started walking up the stairs.
"Did you take a bath in manure again?" Gabriel teased her. Claire started laughing at his exaggerated facial expression as he scrunched up his nose.
"Oh, you little…" she said as she turned around.
"You little skunk." Gabriel laughed. Claire gasped in disbelief. Running up to him, and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Now, is my smell that bad?" Claire asked teasingly as she rubbed her cheek against his.
"Astonishingly bad." Gabriel whispered in her ear. Claire bent backwards with laughter as Gabriel accidentally tickled her neck, still holding onto him. "You used to be such a bad girl." Gabriel muttered. "Poor Alex."
"Used to?" Claire asked with an evil smile.
"You are a bad girl." Gabriel corrected himself as he lifted her, kissing her cheek. To his surprise, Claire wrapped her legs around his waist.
"You are a bad boy…" Claire said in a calmer whisper into Gabriel's ear, holding onto his hair. "I was in custody only once." Claire said as she buried her face in Gabriel's warm neck, she laugh slowly dying down. Gabriel tightly gripped her back as he started walking down the corridor towards the bedrooms.
"Only once? Amateur." Gabriel chuckled.
"It was Zoe and you know that." Claire said holding him tightly.
"Well, for me it was mostly Alex." Gabriel admitted.
"Mostly?" Claire raised her brows, still unsure whether she could go past it without knowing more.
"I'll explain over the weekend, okay?" Gabriel asked. "It's a long conversation and a chunk of backstory that's needed to explain it." He walked into Claire's bedroom but she didn't show a sign of wanting to let go of him. He held her up with her legs still wrapped tightly around him.
"Am I going to be angry? Or upset?"
"I don't think you will. Maybe disappointed, but not any more than I am in myself."
"Why are you disappointed in yourself?" Claire asked straightening up, now looking down at him. Putting her hands on his cheeks.
"I've made many, many bad decisions." Gabriel said in a serious tone, his eyes showing a depth of emotion, beyond the first glimmer there was still so much pain.
"And you're working on making better decisions. You can't change what you did. Just keep trying." Claire pressed her forehead against his. "Please keep trying." She closed her eyes before she kissed him deeply.
Gabriel's fingertips dug into her thighs and he held her tighter. His breath became faster as he felt her bare skin where her skirt rocked up, revealing her legs.
He put his knee on the end of the bed, leaning forward and laying Claire down gently, bending over her. She still held onto him.
"If you want me to stay, say so." Gabriel said in a raspy voice.
"I haven't decided yet." Claire mumbled before she kissed him again.
"If you don't let go, I may misread your intentions." Gabriel said into her ear. Claire chuckled before loosening up her legs. "That's still not letting go, Claire." Gabriel said. His eyes were closed as he tried to fight himself.
"I haven't decided whether I want to let you go yet, either." Claire laughed as she pulled him closer. "You need to smell your skunk! That's your punishment."
"God, Claire…" Gabriel grunted. "Do you even know what you're doing?" His hands started shaking as he felt his body burn up, yet his mind fought it. It took him every ounce of self-control to not want to rip her clothes off.
"What am I doing?" Claire moved up, whispering into his ear seductively, and then gently nibbling it. Gabriel turned all red, still having his eyes closed.
"You're doing it purposely?!" Gabriel exclaimed in surprise.
"What am I doing?" Claire repeated into his ear before kissing his neck. Gabriel bit his lip to not say anything or let any sound out.
"You're torturing me." He uttered at last.
"Oh, am I?" Claire asked with pretend innocence. "You were the one that called me a skunk…" She ran her fingers down his back. "And the one who called me a bad girl…" She gripped her fingertips into his shoulder blades, trying to pull him closer. "I think you're the one that deserves punishment."
"Are you trying to seduce me?" Gabriel asked with a nervous laugh.
"Is it working?"
"Way too well." Gabriel still tried to stay still, too focused on shutting down his temptation. Claire loosened her grip and put her legs down, laughing devilishly.
"That's good." She said satisfied.
"You truly are bad…" Gabriel groaned before reopening his eyes and moving away.
"Am I though?" Claire asked with an innocent smile.
"No, Claire." Gabriel shook his head as he sat up on the edge of her bed trying to compose himself. "You are the best thing there is." He turned to face her with a genuine smile. He reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly. "I'll try my best to be the man you deserve."
"Try to punch fewer people and that'll be enough. And maybe stop screaming into people's faces that I'm your wife." Claire smiled as she sat up and hugged him from behind, placing her face on his neck. "Other than that, it's all good. Keep going. Keep working on what's in there." Claire pointed at his head. "Not for me though. I want you to be happy. For yourself."
"Honestly, I haven't laughed this hard in years as I did with you and Alex tonight." Gabriel smiled. "I am thankful to you for making it feel like life can be okay."
"Don't say that…" Claire said with a whine, worried over the upcoming lawsuit that she was filing. "Saturday… let's talk properly on Saturday…" She decided.
"Of course. I'll make sure that I have no other commitments and I'll be ready. I'll also try to come up with a proper way of explaining my imprisonments."
"I really don't like that its plural…" Claire grumbled. "But seeing as you didn't actually get past the custody, I suspect that you haven't killed anyone."
"No." Gabriel laughed. "It's not quite like that."
"That's good." Claire said softly, kissing his cheek. "I think I can bat my eye at a few other things."
"I'm sorry about losing my temper with Alex. I didn't like how he spoke to you." Gabriel said as his smile vanished.
"You've been warned about what's going to happen if he spills the beans." Claire said as she pouted. "But I think I can forgive you. After all, he is your best friend. It's not really fair if my friends know and yours don't. I don't mind Jacque or Matthew knowing now, if you want to share it with them."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. I was only wary of Alex." Claire shrugged. "How long will they stay in the city?"
"Matthew until next week, and Jacque until the end of the month."
"Okay." Claire nodded.
"I think you need a good rest, Claire. You have your mental breakdown scheduled for tomorrow, you'll need the energy for it."
Claire laughed.
"I can't sleep." She whined.
"What do you mean?"
"I can't sleep without you." Claire admitted.
"I thought I only saw you have a glass of wine." Gabriel furrowed his brows in suspicion.
"Why do you always suspect that I have to be drunk out of my mind if I admit to something like this?" Claire pouted.
"Because, in my mind, you still hate me." Gabriel said honestly.
"Why?" Claire furrowed her brows, still having her head resting on his shoulder.
"Because I feel like everyone hates me." Gabriel looked down.
Claire straightened out in surprise.
"Why would everyone hate you?"
"Because I'm useless. Pretty much just getting in the way of everyone, and messing everything up."
Claire gently placed her finger on his chin and pulled it so that he faced her.
"That's the depression talking." She said with confidence. "Don't let it tell you that again." She hesitated before kissing him again. "You're not useless. I sleep better with you next to me. And you're a bloody good kisser." Claire hugged him again. "This is as far as my compliments go tonight."
"That's more than I ever hoped to hear from you." Gabriel admitted with a chuckle. "If you'd like, I'll quickly refresh myself and get changed and I'll be right back?"
"Sure, if my bedroom isn't too bothersome for you."
"Not at all." Gabriel laughed as he stood up, leaving Claire briefly.
Once he came back, Claire was already asleep in her nightie. He hesitated but he laid down on the free side of the bed. Claire mumbled something turning around and hugging him. Gabriel felt an overwhelming glee, realising that Claire used him for her comfort.
Gabriel was surprised to be woken up with a gentle kiss on his cheek. As he opened his eyes, he saw Claire get up in her nightie and move around her room, before she vanished into her bathroom. Gabriel was surprised that she didn't kick him out straight away, but instead, he laid down in bed, curiously watching her morning routine.
More so, he was surprised that she didn't mind him driving them both to work, but instead she sat down in the car with him with a wide smile, eager to suggest the next CD.
"I'll drop you a message later to see how you're getting on if you want to drive back with me." Gabriel offered.
"I might be later today, so don't feel like you need to wait for me." Claire said with a smile, clenching her briefcase, feeling nervous for the day.
During her lunch she left the office, ensuring that she wasn't followed, leaving all of the tracking devices behind, and taking extra precautions in making her way just outside of the city, towards a fairly large and elegant house.
"Claire!" Adam said excitedly inviting her in and leading her to his study.
"Uncle Adam…" Claire started cautiously as they hid in the privacy of his study. "I am here to ask you for help, and I know that this is the biggest ask…"
"I've said that I'll do it." Adam nodded eagerly. He was a middle-aged man, wearing a fine suit and a pair of glasses with a thick frame. He had brown eyes, just like his son Alex, but his hair started to lose its colour, with many grey strands shining through eagerly.
"You don't even know everything." Claire said anxiously.
"Show me what you have." Adam said encouragingly. Claire opened the briefcase and showed him a document she prepared.
Adam went silent, looking at a document and then back at Claire with silent disbelief, but he continued reading before he commented on it.
"Uncle…?" Claire started as he finished.
"Are you sure?" Adam asked her as he rubbed his chin in thought.
"I am going to do it, whether it is with you or anyone else. It's just that I trust you…"
"I am going to represent you, but I hope that you're aware of the consequences of this."
"I know the media coverage…"
"I meant him, Claire. He will use any means to stop it."
"Uncle, I don't want you in danger…" Claire said with worry.
"Oh, stop it." Adam waved his hand. "I'm worried about you."
"I have been followed already and he is going to kill me with it or without." Claire said carefully.
"Fuck." Adam uttered. "Okay. I may need to sort the evidence through."
"I've already done it." Claire admitted passing Adam the USB stick. "It's all referenced according to this." Claire passed him another printout.
"I see that you have prepared yourself."
"I've tried." Claire smiled sadly.
"I'll file it tonight. It'll be in the system by Friday, and it'll be reviewed in court in about two to four weeks. I'll try to act as quietly as I possibly can."
"Two weeks?" Claire asked in worry, feeling her chest tighten.
"At the earliest." Adam nodded.
"Thank you, uncle." Claire said with a weak smile.
"It's not going to be a civil case." Adam said carefully.
"No?"
"I think we need to push for the criminal case with this evidence. I'll message you when it's don't and I'll keep you updated on the progress."
"Thank you." Claire said again, looking at the file on Adam's desk with capital letters saying 'Thompson v. Moore'.
She left her uncle's house feeling heartbroken, knowing now how little time she had left with Gabriel.
She went to work, but she could barely focus, her mind drifting away. Then her counselling session exhausted her further. Although she was ecstatic that she managed to get successfully get in a pool and submerge herself with help from her therapist. Once she did that, she felt like she could do anything, and by the end of the hour, she swam the length of the pool, coming out and laughing hysterically as her heart beat fast, with slight signs of panic but nothing that felt as debilitating as before.
She was surprised to find that Gabriel was still in the office when she was leaving, but she was somewhat happy to get a little bit longer with him while she could.
She fell asleep in the car, and she went to bed straight after dinner. Gabriel noticed how quiet she was, but he didn't question her, instead, he was eager to hug her to sleep again.
Gabriel woke up first on Wednesday. His heart stopped as his phone started pinging angrily. He quickly escaped Claire's arms and started getting ready for the day. Mark messaged him ten times within the first five minutes. Gabriel followed the link that he was sent only to realise that it was news.
'Gabriel Moore In The Relationship?' The first headline hinted, each getting more in-depth over Gabriel's personal life. Gabriel swore as he opened the latest 'Breaking News' and he found a picture of him and Claire walking to the philharmonic over the weekend. The image of Claire was too clear for his liking. He didn't want her to be meddled in by the media and paparazzi.
As Claire woke up, Gabriel tried to act as casual as he could. Even though Claire noticed that he was particularly tense, she didn't quiz him either.
It wasn't until Claire was in her office that she started receiving messages from her friends and Breaking News started flashing on her phone.
Claire paced angrily and nervously around her office. The news flickered on her screen repeatedly, and her phone pinged with breaking news updates.
She decided that it should be Gabriel that dealt with it. He had better means and more authority than she did.
At the same time, as she was making up her mind, a young woman with black shoulder-length hair and green-blue eyes entered the forty-second floor. She dressed elegantly and professionally.
"Pattison!" She called out cheerfully at the sight of Mark.
"Miss Moore!" Mark stood up giving her a respectful bow, smiling widely at her.
"Is Gabriel in?" She looked at the closed door of his office.
"Yes, but he is currently not seeing anyone." Mark said carefully. He knew that Gabriel was expecting Claire all morning, and he knew that it wasn't going to go down easily. Knowing them two and the news that was flashing across his screen, he knew that they'll blow up at each other. The situation was made worse by everyone else whispering in the office and gossiping.
"Surely not?" Miss Moore looked surprised at Pattison as if it were the first time she was denied entering a place, which it was. "Really?" She asked in disbelief.
"I'm sorry, Miss Moore. It shouldn't be long though." Mark checked his watch. It was almost 8 am and Claire had already some time to brew.
"Why?"
"I don't think it's my place to comment on it."
As Mark said it, Claire stormed through the office, fuming. She walked straight into Mr Moore's office, without even bothering to knock, not noticing Miss Moore or Mark, too fixated on her target - Gabriel.
Miss Moore looked back at Pattison.
"And she can just walk in? You didn't even try to stop her."
"I'm sorry, ma'am. Mrs Thompson cannot be stopped, and besides, Mr Moore was expecting her this morning."
"What's going on, Pattison?"
"I cannot really say much, it's beyond my comprehension." Mark said truthfully.
Claire gave Gabriel a death stare as she walked in.
"Claire, dear." Gabriel looked up at her with a weak smile.
"What are you planning to do about it?" Claire asked directly.
"I was going to wait it out."
"You're kidding, right?"
"No." Gabriel shook his head.
"It's a fucking scandal, Gabriel."
"Well, not really. It's hardly a scandal for a man to be caught with his wife." Gabriel leaned back in his chair.
"Release the official statement and clarify things." Claire demanded.
"You want me to tell them that you're my wife?"
"No. That we have a professional relationship."
"But that's a lie, Claire. I've said before that if anyone asks me, I will not lie about this."
"Then stretch the truth."
"Again, no." Gabriel said decisively.
"How did they even get the photo?!"
"I don't know. I have people investigating it."
"It wasn't you, was it?" Claire asked in an accusatory tone.
Gabriel took a moment to respond as he was too stunned to speak at the ridiculousness of it.
"No, it wasn't me." He replied coldly.
"Gabriel, please deal with it." Claire said stubbornly.
"I've made my decision." Gabriel said in an equally stubborn tone.
"Change it." Claire said while stumping her feet. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this situation anyways so get it all cleared up!" She raised her voice, feeling her tears welling up, but before they escaped her eyes, she stormed out of Gabriel's office.
"Look, you can't blame me for that!" Gabriel followed her out, raising his voice.
"Seriously?" Claire stopped in her tracks and turned back to face him. A dangerous glare rested on her face. "I can't blame you for making a decision that affects me without even consulting me?!" She roared back at him, taking a few steps towards him.
"Do I have to remind you that my say is the final say?" Gabriel asked. "It is my decision to make."
"And shall I remind you that you're a self-righteous asshole?" Claire said it through her gritted teeth before turning back around and continuing into the elevator. "Fucking twat!" Claire yelled as she turned in the elevator, just before the door closed.
Gabriel flinched at it, but overall he still felt that it went better than he expected.
Miss Moore looked at Mark in hope of an explanation but that one was not coming, as he was biting his lips, trying to work out how much shit he is going to get from Gabriel now.
Gabriel turned around to go back to his office when he noticed the dark-haired woman.
"Gabriel!" The woman shouted excitedly as his eyes laid on her.
"I need a moment, Eva." Gabriel said as he hurriedly returned to his office. He started turning it upside down in search of cigarettes, he definitely needed one now, especially with knowing that he was going against Claire's wishes and that she wasn't going to make his life any easier in the days to come, never mind his sister that picked the worst time possible to come back to the country, catching him in mid-fight with his wife that she knew nothing of yet.
"I am so confused." Eva leaned against Pattison's desk. "How much has changed since my last visit?"
"You don't even want to know, ma'am." Mark said with a smile.
"Who is this woman that called my brother an asshole? And a twat?" She asked curiously, furrowing her brows.
"That's Miss Thompson. She's the CDO and head of the Contracts and Services Department. She's definitely the best there is… but maybe not for Mr Moore." Mark snickered.
"I like her." Eva decided. "She has some guts."
"Yeah, she does." Mark nodded remembering every single time that Claire stood up to Gabriel from way before they even were together.
"Eva, shall we go for a coffee?" Gabriel offered as he walked out of his office.
"Are you sure that you have time?" Eva walked up to him as he still stood at the door. "What happened in there?"
"Nothing." He cut her off. "Pattison, get someone to clean it up. And get me some cigarettes."
"Of course, sir." Mark nodded.
"Well, that's not a welcome I've expected." Eva said with a smile, looking at her brother who looked tense and somewhat pale, his hair was all ruffled up meaning that he must've nervously run his hand through it for most of the morning already.
"There's a cafe across the square that's pretty nice." Gabriel decided to omit her comment. "We can try to sit down in there."
Eva nodded following him out of the building. Gabriel hesitated when he noticed reporters by the front door, but his security seemed to be dealing with them rather swiftly. He cautiously walked with Eva to the cafe, surrounded by his ten bodyguards, even more, aware of the impact that this situation will have on Claire.
"So, Gabriel… I know that I came at the wrong time but I feel like you owe me an explanation." Eva started carefully as they sat down.
"Not really, Eva. It's my personal matter." Gabriel said sharply.
"Personal?" Eva smiled mischievously.
"What about you? I didn't know you were coming back."
"I thought that it was time to come home. I thought I'll surprise you." Eva chuckled. "But instead I'm the one surprised."
"And it's only a coincidence that you came back when there's a scandal?" Gabriel asked directly.
"Well, considering the time difference, I saw the news before I went to bed and I took the first plane out I could get on."
"You shouldn't have bothered yourself." Gabriel said coldly.
"You haven't dealt well with the last scandal of this nature, I wanted to make sure that you're okay."
"I'm fine." Gabriel said shortly.
"Admittedly, even though I can see that you're stressed, you do seem to be dealing with it much better." Eva agreed with a nod. "Anyways, my return flight is booked for three weeks. I might as well use it to be of some help." She suggested.
"Where are you staying?" Gabriel asked, deciding not to argue against his sister that he didn't need any help. And despite the grudges he held against her, he still wanted to introduce her to Claire.
"My luggage is still in your company's lobby. I haven't checked in anywhere yet."
"Do you want to stay at mine?" Gabriel suggested biting his tongue before he said 'ours'.
"That's nice of you." Eva smiled. "Maybe for a night or two. If you're okay, I'll attend to other stuff whilst in here."
"Sure." Gabriel nodded. "I'll get Mark to get you a spare key."
"Mark?" Eva smiled.
"Pattison."
"I know. I'm just surprised that you're on a first-name basis." Eva leaned back in her seat. "Now, I am even more curious as to how much has changed."