28: Poker Face

adult language

The mayor was furious when Gabby called him earlier in the day. However, there was nothing he could do about her quitting her job without notice other than the almost-expected 'you'll never work in this town again' threat.

She spent the rest of the day up in what was now becoming her study. Nate steered clear of her, but he was also ever watchful of any sudden hair-brained escape attempt. He hated feeling like a prison warden, but he would hate himself more if anything happened to Gabriella.


Near future.

Gabby came downstairs famished at dinnertime, realizing she hadn't eaten all day.

"Care to go out?" Nate asked her tentatively from where he sat.

Her head snapped over to him like she only then noticed his presence. "I ... guess that would be fine." She looked down at her dusty clothes and said, "Let me go change first."

On her way up the stairs, a naughty idea occurred to her, she reminded herself of an earlier threat she made to him. She picked out a relatively-new dress with a very short skirt and pulled her hair up to show off her swan-like neck.

She knew he knew what she was doing, but she still got a little satisfaction when she saw the split-second, wide-eyed reaction to her in the dress before he could hide it.

Damn you, Gabby! You in that short skirt and those legs can just... Nate's mind actually went blank as he watched Gabriella bend over to pick up a discarded newspaper and place it neatly on the coffee table. She's doing this on purpose! The little minx! Two can play at this game.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked, his poker face on.

"Ready." she said simply as she straightened.

No matter how peeved he felt towards her, he still could not deny his upbringing and opened the door for her to exit.

You want to know how I'll react if you wear something like this? Well, you're about to find out. Nate thought as he walked up behind her and placed his hand on the small of her back as they went towards the car. His hand didn't stay there long before it moved to her butt.

Gabby jumped a little, predictably, and asked, "Pawing the prisoner?"

"Only if she dresses like this." he responded and ran his hand along the short hem of her skirt. As he did, he let his fingers reach out to run along the skin on the backs of her legs just under the hem. She brushed his hand off nervously.

After they pulled out of the driveway, Nate put the car in drive and immediately reached over to put his hand on Gabby's knee while seemingly keeping his eyes forward. He refused to let himself smile victoriously as he heard her heart rate increase.

Such nerve! Gabriella thought angrily as she worked at getting Nate's hand off of her. She looked over and glared at him, but he wasn't paying any attention. Hah! she thought as she succeeded in removing his hand from her leg. She quickly moved farther away. Then she became filled with dismay when his hand returned, only this time much higher up on her thigh.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing." she warned as his hand moved towards the hem of her dress.

"Oh, I know you know what I'm doing. You're asking for it by wearing this thing to torture me. And since you're so sweetly asking, I'll oblige you and give you just what you're asking for." he said in an overly calm voice as he simultaneously hit the gas and moved his hand the rest of the way up her leg. He congratulated himself on not smiling as he heard her gasp.

They arrived at the restaurant parking lot with his hand still between her legs. He leaned over and said, "Have I ever told you you have fantastic legs, Gabriella? Because you do. I do so love that women's fashion had brought about the mini-skirt. So much more convenient." He leaned over to place his other hand on her knee before sliding it up as well. He said to her shocked face, "Yes, convenient that there's nothing in my way."

"Nate..." she warned him, but he ignored her.

"If you weren't so hungry I'd satisfy this aching desire I have to run my tongue along the inside of your thighs." he used a single finger to trace a trail along her inner thighs. "Right here. A little like this."

She gasped again and tried unsuccessfully to stop his hand's motion. His touch was so feather-light that she couldn't decide if she wanted him to stop or get him to add more pressure.

"But, since you're hungry, let's not dally." he said quickly and got out of the car. He allowed himself a small smile while she wasn't looking as he walked around the car to open her door.

Gabriella sat in her seat trying to gather her wits. She wished she could stop the shaking. Good grief, Gabby! He just touched your leg. Get a grip! Her car door opened, and she looked up to see Nate politely offering her his hand to aid her exiting the car.

"Gabby?" he asked with false concern. "Everything alright?"

She put her hand in his, and as he helped her out, she hissed, "You know damn well everything isn't all right!"

"Anything I can do to help?" he asked with both eyebrows raised.

"Yes." she answered. "You can stop with the seduction crap." she said as she stormed off in the direction of the restaurant's entrance. "It won't work."

"If you expect me to not behave in this manner after denying me then you shouldn't provoke me like this by dressing this way. You've done it on purpose to torture me, so it's only fair I torture you in return." He leaned in and spoke low in her ear, "And oh, Gabriella, many are the ways I could choose to torture you in return."

He glided in front of her, his lips brushing hers as he spoke again, "Remember who you're dealing with here. Before engaging in any battle is it wise to understand one's enemy."

She waited for him to kiss her, and she felt surprised when he didn't.

"Humph." she made as her only retort.

They chose to dine outside since the temperature felt pleasant. When the waiter asked Gabriella what she wanted, she told him she wanted the blackened salmon with garlic mashed potatoes. Nate refused to rise to her bait and react in the incensed way that was his first inclination when she ordered the garlic.

Curious, she asked, "So is it true about what they say about vampires and garlic?"

He decided to just answer truthfully and let her have this small victory, "In a way, yes. Garlic is the most disgusting thing on the planet, and sometimes it can take days to get out of your system." He closed the wine menu he'd been perusing and asked her, "Did you order it simply to annoy me or is garlic mashed potatoes a particularly favorite side dish of yours?"

She sat and considered her answer before she spoke, "Both, actually." she grinned, enjoying her victory.

"Well, that's one sure-fire way to get me to stay far away from you, if that's what you're going for." he warned, subliminally reminding her that that may not be exactly what she wants.

Gabriella felt annoyed when she pondered her decision. Is this really what she was going for? Did she really want him to stay away from her? Yes. but ... days? Yes. She got distracted from continuing any further with her thoughts when the waiter came by with their food.

True to his word, Nate stayed away from Gabriella for the rest of the evening. He even appeared to hold his breath during the car ride home. When they got home, he still held the car and house doors for her, but then he fled to the safety of his bedroom.

Gabriella didn't know what to make of it. He was serious? What if she always ate something with garlic in it? Would he forever avoid her? Did she really want to test that theory?

Over the next few days, Gabriella rarely saw him. When she did, she felt mildly hurt when he'd immediately back away from her in disgust. Nobody wanted to stink, and Gabriella hated the thought that she stunk to him.

Nathaniel hated that Gabriella ate the garlic on purpose. Honestly, he didn't dislike it as much as he let on. It stank, but not unbearably. He wanted to test her to see how she would react to him avoiding her like she was something disgusting to him. So far, he was pleased with the results. She didn't like it.

Nate hasn't spoken to me since Wednesday. It's Saturday. Damn, he must really hate garlic. Surely it's out of my system by now. Still ... those looks he gave me. Was I really that bad? I bet I could get him to speak to me if I packed up and left. Shoot, I'll just put the stuff in my car. I doubt I can get the cauldron to fit, though. That's, of course, saying I can even lift the thing.

With that plan in mind, Gabby got up to get dressed. She put on a mini-skirt just in case. Nate had really pissed her off with the silent treatment. If he was not going to speak to her, he was going to regret it. She quickly filled a box with some of her books and walked out to her car with them.

Out at her car, she heard Nate inside the barn with the horses. Desi was giving him trouble again. Gabby thought for a second to offer to go help, but she didn't want to see the disgusted look on his face again. She walked back into the house to grab her suitcase.

When she walked out, she found Nathaniel casually leaning against her car, waiting for her.

"Gabriella, I'm going to shred that fucking suitcase into ribbons." he said, his voice ominously calm.

Gabby felt suddenly furious. She threw the suitcase at him. "Fine! Do it! I don't need that shit anyway! I don't need this! I especially don't need you saying I'm not leaving, because I sure the hell am! I only stayed because you acted genuinely concerned that I was in danger! But now you act like you don't give a shit! I'll go stay in a fucking motel! Now get out of my way!" she screamed at him since he'd walked up to her during her little fit. She hated the angry tears rolling down her face.

Nate stood there, feeling the same shock running through him that Gabriella felt about her outburst. Then he followed Gabby around to the driver's side of the car.

Finally he spoke as she tried to maneuver around him. "Why do you think I don't care?" he asked gently.

"Because you've been ignoring me! Okay, I'm sorry I ate the garlic on purpose!" She bent over and hugged herself. That action served dual purposes: to comfort herself and to ward him off. "I didn't want to make you hate me." she said quietly. "But if you're going to ignore me I might as well not even be here. So, I'll just take my smelly self away from you." She choked back another sob and tried to back away from him as he advanced upon her.

"Gabby..." he said as he tried to take her into his arms.

"No. Leave me alone. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you and make you have to put up with my odoriferous self." She held out an arm to push against his chest as she pressed her back against the car. "Nate, get back inside before you burn up. Don't be stupid."

"That would take hours, and I'll have plenty of warning before it happens." he said gently. "Listen to me."

"No." she replied stubbornly real quick before he could continue.

"Fine. Don't listen, but I'm going to say it anyway." He hid his smile as she closed her eyes like a child trying to tune him out. Then his expression became truly serious as he said, "I was mad at you for eating that crap on purpose even though I have no right to tell you what to eat and what not to eat. It was more the reason behind why you ate it. You wanted me to stay away from you. So, I did! Now I get the feeling that isn't what you wanted after all. Am I right?"

"I'm not listening." she responded stubbornly.

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Well, then I guess you won't hear my apology then. First of all, for the record, not even garlic could keep me from wanting to be near you. I acted like that on purpose. I'm sorry I ignored you. I'm sorry I hurt you by the way I acted." He reached up to wipe a few tears away before he continued, "Nothing could stop me from loving you. Please don't leave."

Her eyes flew open and she said, "So you did all that on purpose to get back at me?"

He could feel her mounting anger, but he responded, "Yes."

Her anger dissipated quickly and got replaced with sadness, "Why?"

He winced at the pain in that one word. "Gabriella, I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to act like you cared anymore. You're even still threatening to leave. Admittedly, this time I deserve it. But you keep sending me mixed signals."

"Like what?"

"Well, for one ... you say you're leaving yet you're wearing this skirt on purpose to drive me insane. You prancing around carrying stuff out to your car acting like you're going to leave yet at the same time subliminally begging me to be all over you."

"No, just to torture you." she admitted.

Happy with the direction their conversation was going, "Then why else would you want to torture me if not to get me all over you?"

"Vindictive pleasure?" she answered with a question. "You keep me here like a prisoner. You've locked me up in my room and prevented me from leaving on several occasions. Strutting around in a miniskirt is my best way of fighting back apparently. Like now, it got you to finally pay attention to me."

"We're going in circles. You wear those clothes to get back at me for keeping you here, even if it's for your own safety. I react just like you expect me to and can't keep my hands off of you. You don't like how that makes you uncomfortable, so you do something to get me to leave you alone. I leave you alone. You get upset that I'm leaving you alone. You wear alluring clothing again. .... Do you see how crazy this is?"

He closed his eyes as another thought hits him. "So, what I should do is keep the cycle from happening again. I won't stop you from leaving." He wiped the look of sorrow off of his face with a swipe of his hand, took a step back, and walked back into the barn.