Miss, Do I Know You?

20 - Friday, December 25

Being the first one up and having nothing better to do, I moved about the kitchen, trying to distract myself. Lost in my own dance, I spun around, my heart leaping with surprise as I nearly collided with Gabi. She stood there, amusement sparkling in her eyes, her laughter filling the air.

"Sorry," she chimed, "for interrupting."

"I don't mind an audience." A smile graced my lips as I caught my breath, the rapid rhythm of my heart finding its steady pace. "Good morning. I hope you like French toast?"

"Oh, I like all things edible." Her smile widened, an expression of delight on her face. "What are you doing up so early? I thought it was Lex and her habit of washing dishes at the first crack of light. That woman can't sleep if she knows she's got one dirty spoon in the sink."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I think she was fully ready to have me sign an NDA when I saw the crumbs under the toaster."

Gabi let out a snort of laughter. "I've signed my fair share of those."

"Really? About what?"

A ripple of feigned horror passed through her features. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

Unexpected thoughts intruded, straying into strange, forbidden places, making me shudder as I fought the images that threatened to invade my thoughts. It was obvious Gabi was aware of what she had seeded in my mind, her smug grin taut with satisfaction at my momentary unease.

"Anyway," she said, her laughter fading into a smile, "for how long did you two stay up last night?"

I shrugged. "A few hours."

"Yeah, you might have kept us up for a little while with your laughing," she confessed. "So, what did you talk about? I did try to eavesdrop, but Tony called me a nosy bitch, so I cried myself to sleep."

A burst of laughter escaped. "What didn't we talk about? Benji, school, her work, my work, her dislike for Christmas."

Surprise flickered across her eyes as she savored a mouthful of toast. "She told you?"

"What exactly?"

"Um, you tell me."

"About her being kicked out, all that," I said, a little confused, Gabi's demeanor indicating that she had meant something else. "And that her birthday was four days ago. Wish I'd known sooner."

"This is some good ass toast," she groaned, nodding in appreciation. "But don't take it too personally. She's always been like that."

"Secretive?"

"I think she's just cautious. But it may sometimes come off as secretive. I know what you mean."

"She's the same way with you?"

"She's the same way with everyone. I'm actually surprised she told you about it. I usually have to drag these things out of her. I don't know how she does it. I'm always spilling my business to everyone willing to listen. And sometimes even the unwilling ones."

A tinge of concern seeped into my consciousness as I contemplated the intricacies of Alex's guarded nature. It was familiar territory—the burden of secrets, the battle between retreat and revelation. It perpetually baffled me how she could act like two different people, depending on where we were.

"But don't take her to heart," Gabi continued. "She's the only person I know who can be so awfully serious and bitingly sarcastic all at the same time. She has let you in, and it usually takes a lot to get past that stage of her, that's why I'm so surprised."

"Stage?" I chuckled. "You're talking about her like she's a video game or something."

"It's the closest analogy I have. But hey, she has never taken any shit from anyone. I've always admired her for that. Though she always went against the flow, she ended up doing exactly what she wanted, not what everyone else wanted for her," she explained before her eyebrow creased with worry. "By the way, are you okay? You seem kind of . . . antsy."