Baggage & Buttons (31 page)

I started to feel a bit woozy from the combination of drugs
and dried my eyes and found myself drifting off.

Tuesday

When my alarm woke me at seven, I was on Gabe’s side
of the bed, still clutching big boy. It was my longest night’s sleep in weeks,
a solid nine hours. I wondered how Gabe had got on without me and if he’d woken
up in a better mood than yesterday. I decided to dress down in my sweats and
trainers and made myself a coffee. There was a bowl of untouched fruit on the
dining table, so I had a banana before putting my purse and phone in my zip up
pockets. I grabbed my keys and headed down to meet Gabe. As I opened the door,
I just had a feeling that he’d already be there waiting.

‘Morning baby,’ he beamed. God his smile was radiant.
He looked so happy to see me that it washed away my fears that a confrontation
was going to occur. He was dressed in his sweats too, yet still managed to look
like a hot young male model.

‘Morning. Are you ever late to anything?’ I asked as I
smiled back.

‘Rarely. God I’ve missed you, I hardly slept all
night. Can I kiss you?’

‘You never have to ask me that Gabe, come here.’ I
remained on the step as he stood below me on the pavement. We were perfectly
height aligned to kiss and we did, we were hungry for each other after 15 hours
apart. When we finally pulled apart I felt like I’d just had a shot of
morphine. I was groggy, but really high and happy and he looked the same.

‘How are you feeling? Are you happy to walk?’ he
asked.

‘I’m not too bad this morning thanks, besides the
fresh air and exercise will do me good. How did you get here?’

‘I ran through the park, figured we could get a taxi
if you weren’t up to it.’ He grabbed my hand and we started walking as he
filled me in on his swimming practice and I updated him on my conversation with
mum.

‘So I’m a total babe am I?’ he laughed. ‘I have to say
it’s every teenage boys dream to have a cougar fancy him.’

‘O gross Gabe,’ I said pulling a face, hoping he
hadn’t been with any older women.

‘She’s a looker Mia, besides you’re the one that went
all stripper on my dad and started it,’ he replied with a smile.

‘How is he? Is he still away?’

‘Yes, he’s not due back for a couple of months. New
York’s pretty much his main base now.’

‘You must really miss him.’

‘I have you now, usually,’ he added with a quick
glance at me. ‘We’re here, after you.’ He held the door open for me and we went
in.

There was only one vacant chair in the waiting room.
Gabe automatically sat down and pulled me onto his lap, put his arms around my
waist and kissed the back of my neck, to the amusement of some of the other
patients. We were called in a few minutes later and Gabe immediately took
charge of the conversation, insisting on a same day referral for me to
Riverdale private hospital.

‘If Mia’s in agreement then I’d be happy to do that,’
replied the doctor looking a little taken aback at Gabe’s direct approach. I
nodded and smiled. ‘You do understand that being seen privately will prove
costly, do you have medical insurance to cover the bills?’ he asked.

‘Not necessary, I’ll cover all of her expenses. So
you’ll see to it that the referral gets done today?’ Gabe asked and flashed me
a look as I went to object.

‘Leave it with me and I’ll see that it gets done as a
priority.’

Gabe thanked him and took my hand and we headed out. He
checked his phone for directions to the clinic and we started walking.

‘Gabe, I’m really worried about the expense of this
private appointment.’

‘You don’t need to worry.’

‘But it’s not fair for you to pay, we’ve only been
dating a few weeks, these are my problems not yours.’

‘Are you seriously going to argue with me about this?’
he said shooting me another warning look. ‘I want you healthy and free from
pain. You agreed to let me do this, so end of discussion.’ His mood had
suddenly changed and I could sense an argument brewing so decided to fight my
corner another time, a time when I wasn’t likely to get my head bitten off.

‘Then thanks, I appreciate it.’ He looked at me again and
gave me a quick smile and we walked for a few minutes in silence. ‘Are you ok
Gabe? You seem really tense all of a sudden.’

‘I didn’t sleep well, I’m worried about you and I’m
about to get a giant cotton bud shoved up my penis, so yes I’m feeling a little
tense.’

‘Seriously, they do that?’

‘So Doug tells me. I resisted the urge to check it out
on You Tube.’

‘O my god, they have that on You Tube?’ I asked, amazed.

‘Who knows. They seem to have everything on there. O
god we’re here already,’ he sighed looking really uncomfortable, so I stroked
his arm.

‘Gabe I trust you, you’ve used condoms. You don’t have
to do this for me.’

‘Yes I do. Will you wait for me? I’d imagine I’ll be
longer.’

‘Of course I’ll wait.’

‘Ok, let’s get this done,’ he said with a deep
exhalation.

We walked in and I was hit by the smell of
disinfectant and hospital like cleanliness. I actually felt nervous too, so I
could only imagine how bad Gabe must be feeling. He was called in first and I
squeezed his hand and whispered ‘
Good Luck
.’ I was called a few minutes
later and was warned that I was about to be asked some very personal questions.

‘So why have you come today?’

‘I’ve had unprotected oral sex.’

‘With a male or female partner?’

‘Male,’ I answered firmly, trying desperately to shake
off the image of female oral that had just entered my mind as I recalled Lexi’s
comments about bare beavers the other night.

‘How many partners have you had?’

‘Only this one.’

‘How about intercourse?’

‘Yes I’ve had that,’ I nodded vigorously.

‘Unprotected?’

‘No, with condoms.’

‘Did any break?’

‘Not that I know of.’

‘Anal Sex?’

‘Not with a penis,’ I whispered, wondering if that
counted. Shit she wasn’t wrong, it
was
personal, I was so embarrassed.
God Gabe with his hundreds of bloody partners would be getting a grilling.

The lady continued with more questions and concluded
that I only needed a throat swab and told me that the results would be back in
a few days. She smiled and gave me a handful of condoms to take with me. I went
and sat in the waiting room, deliberately keeping my eyes on a spot on the grey
ridged carpet tiles, too embarrassed to look at anyone else. It was at least
ten minutes before I got a tap on the shoulder and looked up to see Gabe. He
held out his hand and I took it and we walked outside.

‘Are you ok?’ he asked me.

‘Yes apart from embarrassed. I just had a throat swab
and they’ll call me in a couple of days with the results.’

‘You’re embarrassed? Christ the questions were bad
enough, without having a man handling and inspecting my privates, but when he
pulled out that Q-tip I nearly passed out.’

‘God Gabe, I’m sorry was it really bad?’

‘It wasn’t pleasant,’ he said with a grimace.

‘Are you hurting now?’

‘I’m uncomfortable, they told me it might hurt when I
pee for a few days.’

‘So what now?’

‘I asked for a HIV blood test just to be sure, as well
as usual bloods and swabs for STI’s and they said a couple of days as well. They’re
pretty confident I’ll be fine.’

‘Do you want to want to grab a Starbucks?’

‘Sure.’

‘Then I’m paying and treating you and that’s the end
of that discussion,’ I teased. This time he gave me a full smile, let go of my
hand and put his arm around me and kissed the top of my head.

We carried our coffees back to my building and I
turned the key and stepped in and looked around to see Gabe was hanging back on
the pavement.

‘What are you doing? Aren’t you coming up?’ I asked.

‘Am I allowed?’

‘Of course you are, it was just overnight stays I was
trying to have a break from.’

‘So tonight’s still off as well?’ he frowned.

‘I thought that’s what we agreed.’

‘No. That’s what you told me,’ he retorted petulantly
as his eyes narrowed.

‘And you said if it would make me happy to have a few
nights off you’d do it,’ I reminded him.

‘Are you happy?’

‘Gabe, my coffee’s going cold, are you coming up or
not?’

‘Fine, but you didn’t answer my question Mia.’

‘Can we go up to discuss this so I can climb on the
recliner and enjoy my latte?’

‘Fine,’ he sighed as he came in and closed the door. We
started up the stairs.

‘You knew tonight was off limits anyway, I warned you
from the start that Tuesday’s were my movie night with Lexi, remember? Besides you
made plans to play pool with Milo. What was that all about?’

‘You told me to make an effort with your friend. I’m
making an effort.’

‘As in be nice, say hello and ask how he was whenever
you saw him. I wasn’t expecting you to hang out with him and become best mates.’

‘I told you I don’t trust the guy. I figured it might
make me feel better if Doug and I spent a bit of time getting to know him.’

‘Well in the spirit of being honest and sharing, I’ve
agreed to meet him in the gym on a Thursday night so he can help motivate me with
my work outs.’

‘You’re not being serious?’ He sounded really annoyed
and I resisted looking around at him. I wasn’t going to let him bully me, not
this soon into our relationship.

‘Yes. I’m doing Pilates at six, then meeting him in
the Gym at seven and may have a drink after if that doesn’t mess up your plans.’

‘I’m not making any more plans Mia. We appear to back
to no strings attached. I have to wait for a call to say I can spend the night
with my own fucking girlfriend, in the meantime you’re making plans with the
Italian bloody Stallion who wants in your knickers.’

We’d reached the top of the stairs and I sighed as I
turned to look at his scowling thunderous face. This having a simple couple of
nights off was turning into a nightmare. He was either seriously pissed off, or
he was trying to goad me into giving in. I opened the front door and stepped into
the hall.

‘Many men have wanted in my knickers Gabe, so many
your head would explode if you knew. Do I
really
have to remind you that
you were the first? Or that I hope you’ll be the last? No? Good. Now for the
love of
god
can we go and sit down and drink our coffees?’

‘Only you could piss me off and turn me on at the same
time by giving me all this attitude.’ I looked up at him and he was all smiles
again, it was getting really hard to keep up with him this morning, he was
happy, then tense, then happy, then fine, then moody and now he was beaming again?
I tried to remember if any of my other boyfriends were like that in the course
of a few hours, then realised I never really spent long enough with them to
notice.

‘How do you go from getting all pissed off with me, to
smiling at me like that so quickly?’ I asked as I headed into the lounge.

‘Love I guess,’ he shrugged. ‘So you really hope that
I’ll be your one and only?’ he asked as he sank into the recliner.

‘Gabe, with the exception of Alex, every relationship
I’ve ever been in I was looking for the exit door the minute I started it. It’s
different with you.’ He pulled me down onto his lap and then tensed up and
muttered ‘
Fuck
’ so I quickly stood up again. ‘Shit sorry. Is it still
sore?’

‘Ermmm yes,’ he grimaced.

‘I’ll go and sit on the sofa instead then.’

‘If I only have a few hours with you we’re not sitting
on separate bloody seats,’ he grumbled.

‘Ok come over here then.’ I positioned myself with my
legs up on the shorter section of the L shape sofa, pulled a fat cushion onto
my lap and indicated for him to come over. He stretched out and lay his head
down on me.

‘O god,’ he groaned as he lay there.

‘Gabe is it
really
that painful?’ I asked, feeling
really guilty that he’d had to go through all of this for me.

‘No it’s just I’ve got a great view of your tits from
here and I’m getting aroused again.’

‘So go and sit back over there,’ I pointed. ‘I told
Lexi you were a walking bloody erection and I wasn’t wrong.’

‘I’m not moving now baby, the view’s too good. So you
imagine you’ll never have sex with anyone else? What else do you imagine?’

‘In what way? Positions and things?’ I asked as I
played with the top of his hair.

‘Well I’d be interested to hear any you’d like to try,
but I meant do you see us living together and married with lots of children?’

‘God Gabe, that’s a bit of a full on question,’ I
exclaimed as I tensed up.