I am done with love

Cats in the cradle

"I really would like to be able to tell the same, but I....damn you, I still am not sure, if I can really trust you. What if you are still just playing with me?  Or playing with my feelings? The Mayor was right, this all feels to much like 'Pretty woman'! Did you think you could just buy you some cute, little singer from a down worked bar, who is desperate enough to do whatever you want? I.....stop laughing at me, I am serious! You.....you are....I can't....I don't know what to do....everything is different, when I'm with you....you......I TOLD YOU TO STOP LAUGHING ABOUT ME!", Nathalie was now yelling, because she still didn't believe his words. How could someone start loving her after a couple of hours?

Gabriel sighed deeply and patted the seat next to him.

"Would you like something to drink? I'm going to take something strong, as I feel, that's gonna be a long conversation!", he jokingly stated.

"So, now you're trying to get me drunk?"

"Nope! I'm trying to get myself drunk. But I am fine, if you want to join in. I'm also fine, if you won't. So? What's your choice?"

He stared into her eyes as he spoke and made her blush immediately.

"Fine", Nathalie gave in, "I'm having, what you're having!"

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, but nodded. A moment later he returned, carrying two glasses and a bottle of Scottish Single Malt Whiskey. He poured a little bit into each glass, to then hand her one and say:

"Here's to us!", he proclaimed and held his glass out for her to meet it with hers.

"You mean to us working well together?", she asked him carefully.

"No, for fuck's sake, to us, Nathalie. You and me. Whatever we are or will become. I want to drink to us!"

The young woman sighed again.

"To us it is!", she then mumbled quietly and poured the drink into her mouth. Despite hating the taste, her face showed not the slightest sign of it. Neither did she make any sound of all. She just gulped it down and smashed her glass back on the table.

Gabriel smirked. Though she had tried to hide her disgust, he had seen her squeezing her eyes shut, while she was drinking and he had also noticed the tears, she had barely been able to hold back. He took the bottle and quickly refilled both vessels.

"Well, darling, this one is to you and my son getting along very well, as I hope!"

He held out the glass to her again. Sighing she hit hers against it and poured the second portion into her mouth. This time she held her eyes shut for a moment, fighting the burning sensation in her throat for some time.

The designer giggled, as he watched her, while he poured a third drink for both of them.

"Do you like children at all?", he now asked, "I mean, have you ever taken care of any?"

"I've done a bit of babysitting. But your son is almost seventeen, as far as I know, so I think I can deal with an almost adult!", Nathalie scoffed.

Gabriel now bent over to her and whispered seductively into her ear:

"I wasn't just talking about the son, I already have, my love!"

Now he raised his glass and blurted out:

"Here's to all the children, we are going to have some day, my dear Nathalie!"

She took a sharp breath and turned her head to give him a stern look. He narrowed his eyes and stared into hers, those magical sparkling eyes.

"Please don't look at me like that. I didn't say we have to try for it right now. I just wanted to make you see, that you can trust me, and show you, what I would love for our future to turn out. But if you rather wouldn't think so far, I....I 'm sorry, I wasn't planning on cornering you like that!"

Gabriel buried his face in his palm, when he felt her hit her glass against his own with a loud sound.

"I drink on the possibility that this might happen one day!", Nathalie whispered with blushed cheeks. Then she inhaled deeply and gulped the drink down as fast as she could. She shook in disgust and put the empty glass back onto the little table.

"Please, stop!", she begged, as he reached for the bottle again. "I don't think, I can get another one down right now."

Gabriel smiled at her lovingly. He then took her hand and pulled her towards him. Just a moment later, she was sitting on his lap, while he was holding her tight, telling her about his greatest fear.

"You know, I've neglected Adrien over all those years, I am scared to introduce you to him. I could imagine him to reject you, just to hurt me. And he would have every right to do so! It's like the song, I'm sure you know it, 'Cats in the cradle?' The father who's always too busy...", he told her wearily.

And to his surprise, she started to sing that song quietly:

"A child arrived just the other day, came to the world in a usual way, there were planes to catch, bills to pay, he learned to walk while I was away, he was talking before I knew it and as he could he said: 'I'm gonna be like you Dad, you know I'm gonna be like you!'

My son turned ten just the other day, he said thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play, can you teach me to throw, I said: 'not today, I've got a lot to do', he said: 'that's okay' and he, he walked away and he smiled and he said: 'I'm gonna be like him, yeah, you know I'm gonna be like him'

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon, little boy blue and the man on the moon, when I'm coming home son I don't know when, we'll be together then, you know we'll have a good time then!"

"I'm sorry", Nathalie said, as she stopped singing after seeing tears run down his cheeks, "I didn't mean to make you cry!"

"Don't be", he cupped her cheek and smiled at her warmly. "It would feel much worse, if you weren't here with me right now!"

The young assistant glanced back at him, her cheeks still red, a slight dizzy feeling in her head from the alcohol.

"Would you mind, if I kissed you now, my love?", the crying man questioned her softly.