Infiltrating Your Heart (20 page)

“If you were my daughter, I’d have
thought he just wants to get in your panties.”

Crude way to put it, but true.

“By the way, what were you doing at
your father’s? Didn’t you ask Gabriel to take you to your apartment? It’s much
closer to school!”

I suddenly become self-conscious.

“I didn’t want him to know where I
live just yet.”

Nadine blinks.

“You can be quite weird sometimes.
Don’t you like to show off? Your apartment’s top-notch.”

I laugh, shaking my head.

“I’d love to see your new beau
again.”

“We can get together again whenever
you like. I plan to ask him out on a date this week.”

“That sounds good! Just tell me
when.”

“Okay. Just promise me this. Don’t go
falling in love with Patrick.”

Nadine laughs. Then we continue
talking about Gabriel and other stuff. At one point, Nadine checks the time on
her phone.

“We better start preparing to leave,”
I say. “Today I’ve got the first of my final exams.”

“You do? Oh, then I won’t keep you.”

We finish eating, and then head back
to the school.

Gabriel

Absentminded, I wonder what Mercedes
thought when she realized I splurged on her car repairs. I took the liberty to
get top-quality tires and a new paint job. The color I chose is close enough to
the old one. I also told the mechanic to polish the headlights, and to change
the oil and the battery.

Looking back, I’m not sure why I did
it. I hope she doesn’t read too much into it. Better quell the sparks before
they grow into a fire. I’m meant to be with Evelyn, not Mercedes.

Before going to work, I drive to the
jeweler’s. I can’t put aside picking up the ring anymore. This week, I
will
propose
to Evelyn. I’ve already made arrangements at a fantastic restaurant. She will
love it.

With an odd feeling of apprehension,
I walk into the jewelry store. One of the employees looks to the door when I
enter. She smiles.

“Good morning, sir,” she greets when
I stop in front of the counter.

“Good morning. I’m here to pick up an
order.”

“Okay. Your name?”

I give the lady my name, and she goes
to a back room. I look at the jewelry while I wait. Then I look around. There
are more customers than the last time I was here.

The woman returns after a few
minutes. She’s holding a bag with the business name on it. I can tell a small
box is inside. She sets the bag on the counter.

“That’s going to be fourteen thousand
and five hundred dollars.”

Nodding, I pull my credit card from
my wallet. I hand it to the woman. She swipes it on a POS machine, and then
returns it to me. The machine prints out a receipt. The woman tears it and
gives it to me.

“Thank you for your purchase, sir.”

“Thanks.”

“Have a good day,” the lady tells me.
I walk back to my car and drive straight to work.

When I get to the Silver Crest, I walk
to my office before meeting my first class. I open a file drawer and put the
box with the ring in there. Then I toss the plastic bag into the trash.

I’m glad that I teach my class in
another area of the gym. If it was close to my office, nerves would have me
keep peeking toward it. As it is, I’m already looking that way too many times.
I just need to get over it and pop the question to Evelyn pronto. As for
Mercedes…I think I’ll just have to stop seeing her.

I’m a little tired after class, so I
retire to my office. My expanded functions as Luke’s business associate won’t
begin until next week. I’m glad for this promotion. It means I’ll be busier.
Plus, it will also make me look better to Evelyn’s parents.

As I walk through the gym to ensure
the equipment is in good condition, I sense someone walking toward me. I turn
and see Patrick.

“Hey, brother,” he says, stopping in
front of me. He leans with his arm against a treadmill.

“What’s up?”

“I heard from Roderick that you and
Evelyn are going to move to a house together.”

“Yes, we are. This is the next
important step in our relationship.”

Patrick nods, pondering over it.

“How do you feel about living with a
woman to whom you’re not married?”

“I don’t see anything wrong about it.
We just want to test if we’re suited to living together. As you know, I don’t
believe in divorce. If we’re married, and years down the road we realize that
we’re not made to live under the same roof, it’ll be too late to turn back.”

“Fair point. On that subject, are you
sure about what you’re about to do?”

“What is that?”

“Proposing to Evelyn. Are you sure
about that?”

Patrick’s question seems odd. Still,
I think about it.

“Yes. I love her, and she loves me.
We’ve been together for years. I want to marry her.”

“I’m just asking, because you appear
to be crazy about the woman you met.”

“What?”

“Mercedes. See? Your eyes shine
whenever anyone mentions her name.”

I shake my head.

“That’s ridiculous, Patrick. A woman
I just met can’t possibly be a contest for Evelyn. I’ve known her for so long.
It’d be an insult to break up with her.”

“I disagree, brother. If you fall in
love with someone else, it’s completely understandable.”

“I see why you haven’t found a woman
yet,” I snap, not liking where the conversation’s going. “You don’t have a clue
what love is like.”

“Do you, Gabriel? You’ve only had
three serious relationships in your life, including Evelyn. How are you so sure
she’s Ms. Right?”

I want to answer with
“You don’t
necessarily have to date every woman in the city to find Ms. Right.”
However, I pause to consider the question. It’s a fair one.

“She makes me happy. I make her
happy.”

Patrick stares back at me, as if
waiting to hear more.

“That’s it? No sizzling chemistry, no
‘she makes me kiss the ground her feet touch’?”

I can’t help laughing.

“Evelyn’s curves make me crazy, I
admit. I just didn’t think you had to know.”

“Okay. It’s just that your answer was
so insipid it’d make women yawn instead of hyperventilate.”

I scoff.

“I adore Evelyn, all right? And this
week, I’m going to propose to her.”

Patrick’s eyebrows furrow.

“What?”

“Yes. I can’t let Mercedes keep
making me go crazy. I’ll lose myself, and that’s not fair to Evelyn.”

Patrick purses his lips.

“I’d be hard-pressed to give the boot
to a woman like Mercedes. If she’d taken an interest in me, I’d have asked her
to marry me by now.”

“What’s stopping you?”

“Too much woman for me. But you, my
brother, should consider her. You might regret giving up the chance to be with such
a fine lady.”

“Sex appeal isn’t all there’s to
love.”

“No. But
it adds spice, doesn’t it? How else are you going to stand each other for life?”

~*~
Mercedes

I’m not sure if I should start to worry.

It’s been two days, and Gabriel
hasn’t replied to the text I sent him. He hasn’t even asked how I’m doing. I
don’t know if we’re both busy, or if Gabriel is deliberately ignoring me. The
guy did more than repair my car. Why wouldn’t I hear from him by now?

Maybe I can’t blame him. I’ve been
too preoccupied on other things lately. I’m taking my final exams, so I’m
buried inside books these days. Graduation is approaching, so “Project
Infiltrate Gabriel O’Hara’s Heart” has landed on second place in my priority
list.

Once my last class is over, I leave
the school. The exam was hard, I admit, but I didn’t have trouble. I’m glad
that exams week is over for me. That’ll give me more time to search for jobs
tomorrow. I’ve only been able to do that on my spare time lately.

Today, I have a job interview at a
bar I found while driving around the city. I head to my apartment first to
freshen myself up. I look too intellectual for the job.

When I get to my place, I’m surprised
to see Patrick’s car parked in the vicinity of the building. Frowning, I give
my keys to the valet and then head inside the building.

In the foyer, I scan the area. I spot
Patrick talking to Clint, most likely asking for directions. I walk toward them
and clear my throat. Patrick turns to see me.

“Patrick, what—?”

“Where have you been?”

Patrick looks like he’s been chomping
at the bit waiting for me.

“I’ve been busy doing important
stuff. Gosh, Patrick. This was final exam week.”

“Nothing’s more important than making
sure your dreams don’t go down the drain.”

I frown, concerned.

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s go up to your room and talk,
sweetheart.”

I clamp my jaw, and shrug toward
Clint. He gives me a sympathetic smile. Then I walk forward. Patrick and I get
into the elevator. I press the button for my floor.

As soon as we’re inside my room,
Patrick speaks.

“Gabriel is proposing to Evelyn
very
soon. Most likely, next week.”

I gasp. That just added more stress
to my already screwed-up head. I’ve barely got enough energy to go to the job
interview as it is.

“Well,” I say, thinking about it.
“They’re not getting married, at least.”

“Small comfort,” Patrick says with a
scoff. “If Gabriel and Evelyn become engaged, she’s lost to me. I’m not dating my
brother’s almost-wife.”

“What are you doing to attract her,
anyway? We’re attacking on both fronts.”

“Yes, I’m doing my part.
You
haven’t
been doing yours lately. I won’t win if I’m the only gun in this fight.”

I grab my chin, thinking about a
plan.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Anything. Go to Gabriel and seduce
him.”

“He’s been avoiding me.”

“Then don’t let him avoid you! If you
don’t care enough to chase after him, he’ll think that you’re not truly serious
about him.”

“Can you tell me where he lives?”

“No. That would be too suspicious.
Wait until he tells you himself.”

I nod.

“What’s Gabriel been doing these
days?”

“He’s been visiting the best
restaurants in the city. And he’s already bought a ring.”

“Gabriel’s serious, then,” I mutter
to myself. “And I thought he wanted me. He went overkill that day when someone
vandalized my car.”

Patrick says nothing. He sits back
down on the couch and grabs a bottle of water he’d left on the coffee table. I
sit down as well.

“I want you to see Gabriel this
evening.”

I turn to Patrick, frowning at him.

“I’m super busy today. There’s a job
interview I must attend in an hour.”

Patrick’s eyebrows rise.

“You’re on the verge of losing
Gabriel, and all you care about is an effing job interview?”

I try not to look perturbed.

“I have to keep appearances. If
Gabriel finds out I lied to him about my job, he’ll leave me.”

Patrick calms down a little.

“What job are you interviewing for?”

“Waitress.”

There’s silence for a moment. Then
Patrick speaks.

“Okay. I know where Gabriel will be
tomorrow. I’ll let you know, and you can ‘bump’ into him.”

“Sounds good. I admit that I miss
him.”

I watch Patrick’s lips turn up in a
subtle smile.

“You miss him?”