Clay's Hope

Eight

Gabby was deep in thought as she read next to me on our bed. Since bringing me the books on mechanics, time with Gabby had become more special. She had seen right away that I couldn't turn the pages on my own and told me to nudge her when I needed a flip. She'd unknowingly given me permission to touch her. And over the past week, I'd read fast and brushed my nose against her bare leg as often as I could.

Tonight, her scent clouded my senses, and I swam in my own paradise as she sat beside me. I didn't mind that she didn't seem to notice me because I knew what was happening. She was accepting not only my presence but me, too.

Though I'd already decided to learn more about mechanics to help her, her acceptance pushed me harder to learn faster. I needed a way to show her what she meant to me. What her acceptance meant to me.

So I absorbed the information on the pages. The basics of an engine were easy to grasp, but the practical application was a bit harder. I couldn't work on her car during the day, mostly because she was gone at school, and partially because I knew she wasn't yet ready to see me as a man. So at night, I carefully used her car as a test subject with the tools I'd procured here and there from the neighbors.

Soon, I moved from the engine basics to a deeper understanding of the subsystems and the hi-tech tools needed to troubleshoot them.

I was reading about those tools when I heard a car pull into the drive and another pull in front of the house. Lifting my head, I listened to Rachel's familiar step as she walked down the drive. Then, she was speaking to someone.

I nudged Gabby, and she automatically turned my page for me. I smiled and was tempted to kiss her for her consideration but decided to nudge her again. The second nudge broke through her concentration. She finally looked up and met my gaze. I looked pointedly at the closed bedroom door. We both heard the front door open and Rachel speaking.

"...and this is where I live. Please have a seat, and I'll change quickly. My roommate and our dog should be around here somewhere."

"No rush," a man answered. "Our reservation isn't until six."

Gabby looked at me, her eyes wide and her scent clouding with worry. Why would it worry her that Rachel brought a man home? I didn't care for it either; but after seeing the way Rachel dressed when she went out, I'd known it would be inevitable.

Rachel knocked on Gabby's door, and Gabby jumped slightly. Her behavior puzzled me. Gabby rushed to close the book in front of me and called, "Come in."

The words were barely out of Gabby's mouth when Rachel walked in still wearing her clothes from her job at the hospital. She reeked of chemicals and sickness. Though she smiled, her flushed cheeks had me worrying. Gabby wasn't like me; she could get sick. I hoped Rachel stayed back until she washed.

"There you are," Rachel said, closing the door. "Come meet Peter." She walked closer to Gabby and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Don't kill me, but he has a friend without a date tonight, and I said I had a friend without a date tonight...please come with."

A what? I turned to stare at Gabby, who groaned. Anxiety drifted from her. I didn't know what a date meant, but Gabby didn't seem to like it. The fact that Rachel had brought a man home and now wanted Gabby to leave with her, worried me.

"Don't do this to me, Rachel. This won't end well, and you'll probably never forgive me."

"Come on...please?" Rachel said as she sat on the bed next to Gabby. "I really like this one."

Frustratingly ignorant, my confused gaze bounced between the two women.

"That's the problem. Remember what I said? It's always a guy who ruins a friendship."