After taking one last look at Josh's therapist rubbing his leg while they sipped champagne, Gabi turned around in defeat, retrieved her bag and got off the plane. She went home, got her blue blanket she made for Josh, her favorite picture of the two of them and moped for hours on the balcony. She woke up on the balcony the next morning when Sofia got home from her date. "Gabi? Are you home?"
"Yes..." Gabi was not cheerful in the slightest.
"Did you stay here all night or did you go after Josh?" Sofia asked.
"Both." Gabi slumped onto the couch and was grateful it was comfier than the balcony chair.
"Both? Then why are you here?" Sofia was starting to get worried.
"I bought a plane ticket to Sydney to surprise him. I had just put on the pink lip gloss when I opened the curtain and there was his therapist fawning all over him. So I got off the plane and came home."
"Oh honey..." Sofia hugged Gabi tight.
"I've decided I'm not waiting anymore. And while he's gone for the week, with her, I'm going to find another job." Gabi said with confidence.
"Oh Gabi. I want you to know I'm always here for you." Sofia responded.
The next morning Gabi picked up her knives from the penthouse and took one final look at the place that had become her kitchen, a home. Within a few days she had several promising interviews with one trial dinner set for Friday night. Feeling more confident about her skills, she nailed it. She got the job.
Back at the apartment, Gabi returned with a satisfied smile on her face. "Well I'm employed. I kept repeating to myself 'I got this!' and it worked!"
"Great job Gabi. I knew you could do it. At least we can still pay our bills too." Sofia replied.
"Ain't that the truth! Cheers!" Gabi and Sofia celebrated with a glass of wine.
When Monday morning rolled around, Gabi got up and went to her new job, happy for the first time all week. She was also a bit worried about what was going to happen in the penthouse.
"Yolanda have you heard from Gabi?" Elliot asked.
"I haven't. Those sleeping pills for the flight made me pass out and I only woke up because all my alarms were going off at the same time!" Yolanda said.
"Good morning! How was your week?" Josh smiled his way to the barstools.
"We went to Hawaii! It was awesome!" Elliot excitedly replied.
"Hawaii? That is awesome. Almost as awesome as Sydney. Where's Gabi? Did she forget I would be back today?" Josh guffawed.
"Maybe she did. I'm sure we can make something." Elliot said.
"Yeah. You know some fruit sounds good. Let me cut some up." Yolanda replied. She looked for Gabi's knives, "Uh, guys, have you seen Gabi's knives?"
"No, they're usually right here..." Josh trailed off as he saw they were gone. "Hmm. Let me call her. I bet she's asleep."
Josh pulled out his phone and called her. After it went to voicemail three times he said, "She's not picking up. I'm going to go over there. It's not like her to not answer her phone."
Gabi was in the middle of making breakfast when she felt her phone buzzing. She wasn't allowed on her phone while she was working, but she snuck a peek at the screen to see who was calling. When she saw it was Josh she started to get nervous, but she didn't want to get fired on her first day so she didn't answer.
Josh arrived at Gabi's door a little nervous. He knocked. Sofia answered the door. "Josh? What are you doing here? I'm about to leave for work so you better make it quick."
Confused, Josh asked, "Quick? Isn't Gabi here?"
"She is not." Sofia carefully answered.
"Where is she then? She won't answer her phone and her knives aren't in my kitchen, and neither is she!" Josh howled. "Wait. Is she avoiding me? Did something happen? Is she mad at me? Sofia! Please tell me!"
"I can't tell you. I'm not allowed to. Frankly I'm surprised you expected Gabi to work for you after this..." Sofia trailed off.
"We're over yes, but I didn't fire her." Josh responded.
"That's not what I meant." Sofia quietly said. "But now I have to leave for work. So, bye." Josh left the apartment with Sofia behind him. "Oh and Josh? Make sure your 'seatbelt is fastened' on your way home."
Josh was more confused than when he arrived, but grudgingly left. He remembered to pick up some breakfast on his way. He kept playing back in his mind everything Sofia had said, searching for clues as to where Gabi could be.
Sofia decided to text Gabi to tell her what happened. She knew she couldn't be on her phone but would appreciate the update when she could read it.
Later that afternoon after Elliot and Yolanda both went home, Josh couldn't get Gabi out of his mind. There was something about the way Sofia said a few things but he couldn't figure it out. "Why would she tell me to make sure my seatbelt is fastened? What do I drive an airplane? Whoa! The plane. Dr. Rounds. Gabi. Oh mahgawd. She must've been there! Oh dammit! She probably thinks I'm sleeping with my former therapist! I gotta see Gabi NOW!"
Josh ran out the door, down the many flights of stairs and straight to his car in the parking garage. He went all the way across town, back to Gabi's apartment building, hoping she was there. He ran up the steps to her door and knocked wildly. "Gabi! I need to talk to you!"
"It looks like you're talking to a door, but okay," Gabi nonchalantly replied as she walked up the last step and put her key in the door.
Gabi set her knives down on the table, "What did you want to talk about?"
"Did you just come from a job? Did you quit and not tell me? Why?" Josh was upset.
"I did quit. I couldn't be around you anymore." Gabi coldly replied.
"Is it because you were on the plane to Sydney?" Josh wondered.
"Did Sofia tell you?!" Gabi heatedly asked.
"No she didn't. She made a point not to. But I figured it out about five minutes ago. First of all, I got on that plane alone and intended to be alone. Then, Dr. Rounds showed up. I had NO IDEA she was going to be there. She and I talked about why you and I were over. She took the blame for that and apologized. But she kept hitting on me the entire flight and I realized that I didn't want to throw away what I have for you for someone I barely know. You mean more to me than anything or anyone else in this world." Josh was now standing in front of Gabi holding her hands as tears welled up in her eyes.
"I feel the same way. That's why I bought the plane ticket and was going to surprise you but..." Gabi wiped away a few tears.
"But...instead you saw Dr. Rounds throwing herself at me. Gabi, I'm so sorry." Josh hugged her. "I can't imagine what you went through."
"I got off the plane. I made it home and I was numb. I fell asleep on the balcony with that blanket I made you..." Gabi was crying but Josh wiped away her tears.
"Gabi. I don't want you to feel like that ever again, especially since I was the reason for it. Because I want to be with you. Being apart from you is making both of us miserable. When we're together all I feel is happy." Josh smiled.
"Do you really mean that? What about your commitment issues?" Gabi asked.
"I think I just solved them. With you I'm happy. Without you I'm miserable. How's that?" Josh smiled really big.
"That's wonderful." Josh leaned in and kissed Gabi. "Mmm that's better." Gabi said as they kissed again.
AN: Slight throwback to a Rachel Greene who also got off the plane ;)
