Blackbourne Investigations 01 - Introductions

Chapter 9 - Gabriel

Monday morning.  My first full week of work.  I approached the offices feeling sick in my stomach.  I couldn’t eat any toast this morning as I didn’t want to make the feeling worse. 

I was wearing a similar outfit as I had worn on Friday; a black pencil skirt with an ivory scoop necked top.  Kota had said that payday would be Tuesday so I hoped to go and bargain hunt to fill out my meagre wardrobe with office wear.  My black ballet flats were silent on the pavement as I walked.  My handbag softly thumped against my hip with every step I took closer. 

Ever since I heard Nathan say those words they seemed to ring in my head.  A stray dog.  I was unwanted.  I had known this for years and thought I had stopped the foolish girl in me who wanted more.  Obviously all it had taken was someone to offer a hand and I was imagining friendships in my head.  I had spent the majority of the weekend with a pounding headache, resting and analysing every interaction I had had with Kota, Victor and Silas.  Their words had warmed me.  Their touches had brought me alive.  Had I imagined a friendship?

Had I pushed myself onto Kota for a job?  They didn’t seem to need a receptionist. What did I have to offer really?  Had I made him feel he had to offer me something?  I felt an embarrassment. 

It had come down to this.   Whether or not I had pressured him, I now had a job there.  I would try my absolute best to help them in every way.  I would do everything I could to not be a burden to them or make them feel obligated in anyway.  It was better this way.

Opening the office door I quietly walked through to the staff lounge.  Relief flooded through me when I saw it was empty.  I put my bag away and sat down, replacing my shoes for low black pumps.  I had worn my ballet flats on Friday but the height of everyone made me feel that I needed the any boost I could get.  Straightening my shoulders, trying to channel confidence, I made my way out to the reception.  I could hear the soft sound of fingers tapping keyboards, the soft murmur and occasional chuckle of deep voices.  I wondered if it was Victor and Kota or someone new.

I settled into the reception desk, flicking on the computer.  Picking up my duplicate message book I started working my way through the answering machine of messages left over the weekend.  My mind was half concentrating on the messages and half on what additional things I could try to do to fill in my day. 

The last message clicked off and I looked down.  There were five messages.  Four of them were for Kota and another one for the mysterious Gabriel.  Silas hadn’t mentioned any other girls working here but the message was something to do with a shopping trip.  I gazed down at it.  Maybe I had misheard it.  Putting the headset back on I clicked replay for that message.  No, definitely a shopping trip. 

So far, no one I had met was fat or balding.  There wasn’t greasy untucked shirt in sight, more like fitted t-shirts, gun holsters and suits. Now shopping trips?  Every preconception I had of private investigators was officially smashed.   I felt myself begin to enter a daydream about tight shirts and being pressed against chests when I remembered my mantra for today.  Work hard and head down, not pressed against a chest.      

I heard an office door open and the quick steps of footsteps.  Work hard and head down I repeated silently.  The vague, mildly friendly smile I had perfected over the years slipped into place.  I straightened up and turned in my chair to look down the hall.   Coming out of Victor’s office was angular hotness personified.  He stood about Victor’s height, though maybe a little slimmer around the hips.  His hair was brushed away from his face but looked to hang long around his chin with two locks of blonde tucked behind each ear.  The rest of his hair was a rich brown.  He had stud earrings in each ear and three black rings going up the lobe of his right ear.  My eyes dropped taking in his neon green polo top and black fitted jeans.