The Divorce

Chapter 11

"Why are we doing this? Why am I being dragged to this?"

"Do you do something other than complain Rodriguez?" Gabriel asked as he walked ahead of me.

"Sorry, I'll try not to." I muttered as I reached up to press a finger against my temple, I definitley had a hangover, but of course I said no when Gabriel was pounding down my door this morning. He had told me to get ready and be downstairs in ten minutes, so of course, I followed his orders.

He could have told me we were exercising, because I felt super silly in another black work dress, following him. I was just glad I wore flats, I shifted the iPad to the other side, for some reason I had brought the iPad thinking it was a meeting of some sort.

I brushed back my hair, that was falling out of it's disheveled two minute bun. 

"How many more laps do you plan to do?" I asked, holding in a breathe as he turned to look at me, and then releasing it after he looked away. I couldn't let him know how out of breathe, and puffing I was.

"Why?"

"Nevermind." I muttered as I struggled to keep up. I probably should continue walking behind him, rather than sitting on one of those picnic benches we passed. I should work off all the junk I ate and drank last night. My head was throbbing, every step I took was like a jab to my head. I wish I brought my sunglasses, I groaned and then I realised he was right. I did complain, a lot, even if it was just my inner thoughts.

Why did every thought now sound like a complain? Does that mean I need to stop thinking? I wasn't thinking out loud, I was thinking out quiet.

"Oh pfft." I rubbed my nose, not realising Gabriel had stopped and I had walked straight into his back, not realising that i was so caught up in my quiet but loud thoughts. 

"Damn it." I muttered patting the tip of my nose.

Gabriel didn't even turn to acknowledge me or yell at me, which I was grateful for. He was too busy looking at the screen of his phone, before starting to walk again. I waited five seconds, putting more than enough distance into me, and followed suit, making sure I was paying attention to him stopping.

"Rodriguez." Gabriel said, stopping till I caught up, once again I held my breathe so I didn't seem too out of breathe and nodded. 

"Yes sir." I said in between breathe, it was a talent breathing, and not letting the other person know that you were out of breathe. You take a deep breathe in, hold it and then eat it all up and then speak and then take another deep breathe in. I think it was working, but I wasn't sure.

"You're getting a bit mouthy."

"Me sir? What did I say?" I asked confused. 

Gabriel turned to look at me, his grey eyes almost having a twinkle to them. 

"You don't remember last night do you?" He asked.

"Oh no, what did I do?" I remember bits of it. I remembered his grandmother sucked like rotten fish, but I wasn't going to tell him that. Then I remember leaving dinner early, politely excusing myself and bidding everyone sweet dreams. I remember coming back to my room, drinking water, and then sleeping.

"Nothing." Gabriel shrugged, and he was back at it, walking. I sighed racing to keep up. Surely this earned me all the chocolate croissants this morning. I followed Gabriel few another two laps before I decided I had enough and I sat down. Surprisingly he said nothing, containing with his laps, now that I wasn't following him like a lost child, he was running. 

I stretched out my legs in front of me, letting my head fall back and staring at the crystal blue sky. It was surreal that we were in another country, yet nothing have changed, making it seem like just another day. 

The sun was out, and I was pretty sure I was going to end up with a tan after this short trip. My head was still banging on to its music, my hangover that was, it was like I could hear every single step Gabriel was taking as he ran, loud and clear which was impossible as he was half a kilometre away. 

I opened my eyes watching him for a bit, wondering when he would get sick of running yet he didn't seem to. He had put his earphones in and I wondered what type of music he would listen to. I couldn't really see him as a mainstream man, listening to Taylor Swift of Ariana Grande, I was definitely a mainstream person listening to whatever was on the Top 100 Nova hits. 

I couldn't see him as a rap person either, or a metal person and definitely classical. This was going to bug me, maybe I need to go through his phone next time he asks me to set something up. 

Gabriel finally seemed to be tired, finally, I thought for god knows how long we had been out here, at least over an hour. He stopped, drinking out of the water fountain and I shuddered thinking how many random people would touch that fountain, surely that was gross. He stood up, wiping his mouth with his hand as he tilted his head up to the sky, soaking in the sun.

The sunlight highlighted the thick fluff of hair he had on top of his head, I wished my hair was that thick. No, instead every time I combed through it, I lost more than a Golden Retriever and Kyle had to point out that my hair was everywhere in the house. 

I watched as Gabriel made his way back, walking towards me, his eyes once again focused on his phone, he didn't need to look where he was going as there was no one else in the hotel's gardens except us.

His longer fingers were typing furiously against the screen and I wonder who was on the receiving end of that email. He came to a stop in front of me, his sneakers right next to my black ballet flats I was wearing. I was surprised he didn't purposefully step on my feet.

He was still typing as I looked up, I slightly moved on the bench so his head was blocking out the sun. It was then that I noticed the semi smooth skin.

"Did you shave?" I asked.

"Yeah." Gabriel said, his eyes still focused on the phone, once again a scowl on his face. I really wanted to tell him to stop scowling so much, if he didn't scowl he might actually be attractive. He had the perfect face structure, I remember when I first met him I wondered if he was really a boss. He had those bright big eyes when he didn't have them scowled at someone, they were a beautiful light grey, sometimes charcoal when he was mad or annoyed. Today in this bright light, they were almost a bluish grey.

His hair was always a little bit messy, almost like he attempted to comb it but then just ran his hand through it in frustration too many times since he couldn't pull someone else's to shove them against the wall.

"Ok, we can go now. It's ready."

"What is ready?" I asked getting up.

"Breakfast." Gabriel placed his phone into his pocket, raising his arms above his head stretching his long arms, I heard something have a satisfying crack.

"Your grandmother isn't there, is she?"

"She is why?" He asked casting me a look.

"Can I eat in my room?" Why was I asking him this, he wasn't my dad he can't say no.

"No."

Damn it, I guess he was my boss, "I don't really like her. Did you tell her something about me?"

"Of course not." Gabriel said walking ahead of me.