All is Fair in Love and War

5

Gabriella was exhausted. She leaned against the shopping cart and slowly walked through the produce section and chose out vegetables and fruits. She looked ahead and saw Taylor with a basket in hand looking through the vegetables. She turned and saw Gabriella and smirked.

"I thought we agreed you would leave me alone." Gabriella glared. "I agreed to leave you alone at the gym if you sparred with me." Taylor clarified. "So you're stalking me?" Gabriella questioned. "It's a public grocery store. I'm just shopping and we just happened to be here at the same time." Taylor replied.

Gabriella stared at her unamused. "Just leave me alone." She muttered and pushed her cart away. Taylor watched her walk away and couldn't help but check her out as she left. One thing was for sure. She never had an opponent who played hard to get on a fight the way Gabriella does. It only made her more intrigued and eager to get her in the ring.

The cashier was ringing up Gabriella's groceries and she was waiting to pay. "That will be one-hundred thirty dollars and eighty-nine cents." The cashier said. Gabriella was about to take out her card when Taylor stepped up. "I got it." She said as she swiped her card and signed. The cashier nodded. "Would you like a receipt?" He asked. "No thanks." Taylor replied. He bagged up the groceries and set them aside.

"You didn't have to do that." Gabriella replied. "I wanted to." Taylor said. "Well thank you." She said and put her grocery bags in her cart. "Have a nice day." The cashier said. "You too." Gabriella faintly smiled and made her way out of the store and to her car. Taylor quickly followed her out and watched her open the trunk. "I got it." Taylor said grabbing the bag in Gabriella's hands.

"Thanks for the gesture. But I don't need help." Gabriella said pulling the bag toward herself. "I insist." Taylor said pulling the bag toward her. Gabriella glared and tugged the bag out of her hand and put it in the back of the car. "I'm trying to be nice, but you're making it hard when you're this obnoxious." Gabriella glared as she and Taylor put the bags in the car. Gabriella shut the trunk and put her cart away.

Taylor leaned against her door waiting. "Can you move so I can leave?" Gabriella asked. "Why won't you fight me?" Taylor asked. "I don't care to." Gabriella replied. "What if I increase the pay and offer you more for the fight?" She asked. "No." Gabriella replied. "I'm one of the top fighters in the league. Do you know what a win like this could do for you?" Taylor asked.

"There's more to life than just winning." Gabriella replied. "Then why are you even in this sport in the first place?" Taylor questioned. Gabriella moved her away and opened her door. "I asked you a question." Taylor said as Gabriella got in her car. "And I'm done talking with you. Bye." Gabriella shut the door and started up her car.

--
Gabriella was out shopping with Mateo. "Mommy, can I get this?" He asked picking up an art kit he found in the toy section. "Of course." She softly smiled. He held his art kit in one hand and held her hand with the other. They walked around the store looking around at everything.

"Mommy, can we go get ice cream after this?" He asked. "I'll buy you ice cream if you eat dinner first." She said. "Okay." He smiled. "That means finishing your vegetables." She said. "Vegetables suck." He replied. "They're good for you." She softly laughed. "Then why do they taste nasty?" He asked. "You get used to it." She replied.

She looked ahead and stopped walking down the aisle. Taylor was standing at the other end staring. She didn't have that same smug look she normally did when they ran into each other. She looked just as surprised as Gabriella did to see her. Mateo looked to see what had his mother's attention and stared at the woman ahead of them. She looked familiar.

"Mommy who is that?" He asked. Gabriella stayed silent and tightly grabbed his hand. "Let's go baby." She said tugging him along. She took the art kit from his hands and set it somewhere random, eager to leave the store. "Mom my art kit!" He frowned and looked back. "We can find you a better art kit somewhere else." She said as she made her way out of the store and toward her car.

She got him in the car and buckled him in. She shit the door and turned to see Taylor standing behind her. Gabriella was startled but silently stared at her. Taylor held out the art kit they left behind. "You forgot this." She said. Gabriella stared at it and up at Taylor. She silently took the kit from her hand. "You have a son?" Taylor asked. "What, are you gonna use this against me so I agree to your stupid fight?" Gabriella glared.

Taylor shook her head. "No." She replied. Gabriella was skeptical. "What do you want?" She asked. Taylor stared at her for a moment and didn't respond. "Have dinner with me." Taylor said. "What?" Gabriella questioned. "You and your son. Have dinner with me." Taylor replied. Gabriella glanced back at her car and back at Taylor. "Just dinner?" She asked. Taylor nodded. "Okay." Gabriella agreed.