with ... some things my father did. He refused to discuss it, or do anything about it. So – I quit."
"Was this a personal disagreement, or something at work?’
"Personal. Now stop it, Alice."
"Was there a huge explosion? Are you out of the will and forbidden to darken their doorstep again?"
Gabriel laughed wryly. "Maybe. I don’t know."
"You’re not speaking."
"Nope."
"To either of them?"
He hesitated. "I’m not quite sure how my mother feels about all this."
"So, what happens now?"
He shrugged. "I’m just taking it easy while I look for another job. Got a few options, and I’m thinking things through."
Alice frowned. "Gabriel – you are going to make up with your father, aren’t you? I mean – you haven’t always gotten along, but you’re more alike then you think."
He cast her a wry look. "Think so?"
"You’re father and son. You should make up!"
Gabriel threw his water bottle in the general direction of his gym bag and started doing stretching exercises. "That’s up to him."
"Up to him? No compromise? No meeting him halfway?"
"No. Not this time."
She waited, but in vain. "Gabriel, getting you to talk is like waiting for hot water in your shower."
He flashed her another one of those lethal smiles. "I’ve fixed it. Come over for a hot shower anytime."
The suggestion gave her goose-bumps, but she tried to ignore them. He was actually talking about himself. Admittedly she was dragging every word out of him, but still, it was a rare gift, and she’d better make the most of it before he clammed up again.
"So you’re not working at all now?"
"No. I’ve got a few job offers lined up, but I decided to take a couple of weeks off and not make any hasty decision about what to do next. In the meantime, I can work on the house."
"Why are you living in a house, anyway? It’s a family house, and you don’t even have a girlfriend. Not even a dog! Just a few dumb fishes. What are you up to?"
"None of your business."
"What’s your plan for the future?"
Gabriel smiled his ‘none-of-your-business’ smile, and she was about to pry further when a group of giggling young women, looking like a rainbow-hued commercial for sportswear, entered the gym. Gabriel straightened up and a look of almost fear crossed his face.
"You look terrified," she commented.
"I am," Gabriel growled. "With good reason, too."
"What in the world did they do to you last time?"
Gabriel shook his head. "You don’t want to know.
Alice grinned and touched his arm. "Don’t worry," she whispered. "This time I’m here to watch your back."
And any other available parts, of course.
Chapter 6
Alice limped around the offices the following day. Even an hour at the gym twice a week had never left her feeling this battered. On the upside, she’d discovered all sorts of new muscles in the most unlikely places, simply because they hurt so much.
The second class had been interesting. The college girls had ignored her, just as they would the broomstick she had replaced, and buzzed around Gabriel as a single-minded hive. Still he’d said this was nothing compared with the previous week.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to know just what they’d done to him then, but judging by the look on his face when he’d been surrounded by the giggling horde, the scars still hadn’t healed. She snickered at the thought, then winced at the pain in her stomach muscles.
"It even hurts just to suck in my stomach," she complained to Susan during lunch.
"Why are you sucking in your stomach for?" Susan asked, stirring her yogurt.
"I’m figuring if I do that enough, it’ll compensate for all those sit-ups I don’t do."
"Hm. Interesting idea. I should try that."
"If I get attacked at my date tonight, I won’t even be able to use any of my new tricks because I’m too sore to move," she grumbled. "Gabriel will have to come to my rescue instead."
"Yeah? Hot date tonight?"
Alice shrugged. "First date. Haven’t met him, just seen a picture. He
"Was this a personal disagreement, or something at work?’
"Personal. Now stop it, Alice."
"Was there a huge explosion? Are you out of the will and forbidden to darken their doorstep again?"
Gabriel laughed wryly. "Maybe. I don’t know."
"You’re not speaking."
"Nope."
"To either of them?"
He hesitated. "I’m not quite sure how my mother feels about all this."
"So, what happens now?"
He shrugged. "I’m just taking it easy while I look for another job. Got a few options, and I’m thinking things through."
Alice frowned. "Gabriel – you are going to make up with your father, aren’t you? I mean – you haven’t always gotten along, but you’re more alike then you think."
He cast her a wry look. "Think so?"
"You’re father and son. You should make up!"
Gabriel threw his water bottle in the general direction of his gym bag and started doing stretching exercises. "That’s up to him."
"Up to him? No compromise? No meeting him halfway?"
"No. Not this time."
She waited, but in vain. "Gabriel, getting you to talk is like waiting for hot water in your shower."
He flashed her another one of those lethal smiles. "I’ve fixed it. Come over for a hot shower anytime."
The suggestion gave her goose-bumps, but she tried to ignore them. He was actually talking about himself. Admittedly she was dragging every word out of him, but still, it was a rare gift, and she’d better make the most of it before he clammed up again.
"So you’re not working at all now?"
"No. I’ve got a few job offers lined up, but I decided to take a couple of weeks off and not make any hasty decision about what to do next. In the meantime, I can work on the house."
"Why are you living in a house, anyway? It’s a family house, and you don’t even have a girlfriend. Not even a dog! Just a few dumb fishes. What are you up to?"
"None of your business."
"What’s your plan for the future?"
Gabriel smiled his ‘none-of-your-business’ smile, and she was about to pry further when a group of giggling young women, looking like a rainbow-hued commercial for sportswear, entered the gym. Gabriel straightened up and a look of almost fear crossed his face.
"You look terrified," she commented.
"I am," Gabriel growled. "With good reason, too."
"What in the world did they do to you last time?"
Gabriel shook his head. "You don’t want to know.
Alice grinned and touched his arm. "Don’t worry," she whispered. "This time I’m here to watch your back."
And any other available parts, of course.
Chapter 6
Alice limped around the offices the following day. Even an hour at the gym twice a week had never left her feeling this battered. On the upside, she’d discovered all sorts of new muscles in the most unlikely places, simply because they hurt so much.
The second class had been interesting. The college girls had ignored her, just as they would the broomstick she had replaced, and buzzed around Gabriel as a single-minded hive. Still he’d said this was nothing compared with the previous week.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to know just what they’d done to him then, but judging by the look on his face when he’d been surrounded by the giggling horde, the scars still hadn’t healed. She snickered at the thought, then winced at the pain in her stomach muscles.
"It even hurts just to suck in my stomach," she complained to Susan during lunch.
"Why are you sucking in your stomach for?" Susan asked, stirring her yogurt.
"I’m figuring if I do that enough, it’ll compensate for all those sit-ups I don’t do."
"Hm. Interesting idea. I should try that."
"If I get attacked at my date tonight, I won’t even be able to use any of my new tricks because I’m too sore to move," she grumbled. "Gabriel will have to come to my rescue instead."
"Yeah? Hot date tonight?"
Alice shrugged. "First date. Haven’t met him, just seen a picture. He
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