MARIEL

Chapter 2 Section (1) ~Date Night~

"Babe!" Gabe's voice sounded panicked.

"What?"

"Don't drink from the bottle like that, we just passed a cop!"

It was early Friday evening. Date night. Comfortable in Gabe's toasty truck, Esther lowered the liquor bottle and glanced out of the window as they crept along the city streets towards the parking garage. Indeed, a bundled police officer with a reflective traffic vest stood directing people across the street. He directed zero interest towards them.

Esther raised the bottle to her lips again and turned her eyes to Gabe with a coy smile on her lips. "It's fine."

"I don't wanna go to jail. You're still a minor."

Esther lowered the bottle again, capped it, and slipped it under the seat. Smiling, she brushed a finger over the young man's solid jaw. Dear God, she loved muscular men. Damn it, she was tipsy already. "You just like using the term minor with me, don't you?"

"Naw." But, he blushed. He looked towards the oncoming car. He seemed perplexed, and he was clearly trying to determine in his head if he should turn left or wait for the car to pass.

"Just turn."

"Eh..."

"Do it, Gabe. Impress me. Make me horny with your driving skills."

With that, Gabe slammed his foot on the gas and screeched towards the entrance ramp. The driver of the oncoming vehicle blared their horn as their headlights flickered at the passenger side, where Esther sat.

She opened her middle finger.

Gabe shook his head, and the engine's roar echoed in the parking garage as he drove up the dimly lit ramp.

"I'm really happy your dad's important and can buy reserved parking spots," Esther said, leaning her head back. The orange-yellow garage lights flashed across her face.

Gabe stopped, reversed, and then pulled into a reserved spot. "You only like me because I'm rich, don't you?" He grinned, turned off the ignition, and looked at her. "You're beautiful."

She was, and she knew it.

For their date, Esther had convinced Gabe to take her swing dancing, and they both dressed accordingly. She wore a green, v-neck, polyester dress with snug sleeves that cut off at her elbows. The material formed against her waist and hips, emphasized her slender form, and then softly flowed outwards from below her hips to her knees. Her green high heels were lace up, their height just above her ankles to keep her feet warm. Her hair had been styled in a thick, intricately braided bun at the back of her neck.

She looked at Gabe, who wore a full gray suit with a business vest. Beneath the vest, he wore a crisp, white dress shirt he had left unbuttoned at the neck and chest to expose the well-built chest muscles he so often called 'his gains'.

"And you're hunky," she said, realizing it sounded less sincere than his sweet comment towards her.

Gabe reached into his pocket. "I got something for you. And don't freak out, it's not an engagement ring." He lifted his hips, digging for the item, realized it was in the other pocket, and switched sides. Finally, he withdrew a black box and handed it to her.

Cautiously, Esther took the velvet box and eyed him. "Gabe. What did you do?"

"Just open it."

With trembling fingers, Esther opened the box. It was a silver necklace, with a small solitaire pendant of a dancing girl in white. 'How expensive was this?' she thought, and she felt guilty, because she knew that he (well, his parents) could afford this and she almost didn't care how much it had cost. It was beautiful.