Josef had let himself into Mick's apartment again, he was holding onto Pongo who in fact Josef had gotten close to with the previous hours he spent with the dog. Maybe I should get a dog too. He thought to himself as he placed Pongo onto the floor gently and sniffed the air, smelling Gabrielle's sweet honey scent and another male's. Someone with smoke and expensive cologne. Josef didn't know why but he growled from within his throat.
Pongo had noticed his new friend growling and looked over from his bowl of water. He sniffed and ran up the stairs that would lead him to his owner. He stopped and whined smelling an unfamiliar scent with his owner. Pongo saddened by the fact he couldn't greet her straight away went back down the stairs with his tail between his legs.
Josef watched the dog as he walked back over to his bowl. He heard the door of Mick's bathroom open and looked over to that direction hoping Mick could explain what was going on upstairs. Mick came out with a towel around his neck and a tired expression on his face.
"Hello Josef," Josef nodded at his friend and went to sit down on the couch along with Pongo who was curled into a ball on the armchair opposite him.
"Who's upstairs with Gabrielle?" Josef asked trying to sound casual and not seem like he cared at all who Gabrielle was spending her time with. "And why do you look so tired, Mick?" he asked wiggling his eyebrows up and down in a suggestive manner but Mick rolled his eyes and rubbed his eyes tiredly with a sigh.
"Gabrielle and her friend have been doing it for at least hours into the afternoon. I didn't get much sleep you see," Josef clenched his fists and felt a constraint in his chest. He breathed in deeply and breathed out. Mick watched his friend interestingly and spoke again, "She said we have a dinner party today, did you know anything about it?" Josef shook his head still strange about the information he just received.
"Morning boys," Gabrielle spoke tiredly with a yawn as she walked down the stairs. This time instead of wearing Mick's shirt, Gabrielle was quite revealed. She was just wearing her red lacy lingerie. Josef gulped trying to think of other things instead of a hot looking woman walking around almost naked in front of him. Mick rolled his eyes not intrigued by Gabrielle's behaviour. Josef frowned doing his best to contain his friend downstairs. "I'm getting a shower when he wakes up tell him he can leave," Mick frowned but nodded.
"You really shouldn't do that. You're breaking so many hearts with your one night stands," Gabrielle turned to face Mick and smiled faintly. Josef could have sworn he saw her wince at Mick's words but he believed he was just seeing things, "Just go take your shower Gabrielle," she nodded not uttering anything and closed the door to the bathroom. Josef looked at his friend and narrowed his eyes. His fists clenched tightly at his sides.
"You hurt her feelings Mick, I would have never imagined you to speak to anyone like that Mick," Mick sighed and fell to the armchair as Pongo jumped off and over to Josef's side. "Why?" Mick rubbed his temples tiredly and frustrated at his actions.
"She's like my younger sister Josef, I don't want her to do things like this, it makes her look like a--" Mick couldn't finish his sentence as Josef cut in and leaned back to the couch comfortably.
"A whore right?" Mick reluctantly nodded. "And how long has she been doing this?" Mick shrugged but he remembered her visit a few years ago and she had started acting like this. He wasn't sure what was going on in her mind but he didn't want to ask in case he hit a sensitive nerve. "Ask her Mick. Really talk to her,"
Mick stared at his best friend who had always been the playboy and now here he was teaching Mick a life lesson. How ironic was that? He blinked a few times trying to let everything sink in properly. Mick nodded at Josef slowly and Josef grinned. His eyes shifted over to the male walking down the stairs looking quite doped up. He frowned at Gabrielle's choice of men.
"Oh hey," the male slurred from the drug and alcohol still in his system. Josef grimaced and rolled his eyes trying hard not to lash out at the poor human standing there. Mick smiled gently and nodded standing up, "Thanks for letting me crash at your place," Mick nodded again. The bathroom door opened and out came Gabrielle in a towel wrapped tightly around her body, "Oh hey Gabrielle," she grimaced slightly again. Josef smirked to himself knowing she was never going to meet him again.
"Hey..." Gabrielle spoke but trailed off as she had forgotten his name, or did she not even get it? She shrugged mentally and continued, "Yeah, I had fun last night but...I don't think things will work out for us." The guy although looked crestfallen nodded and left quickly. Josef chuckled at the devastated human. He smiled at Gabrielle who returned it widely, "Thank God. Anyway, I am going to change and you two better get ready for our dinner party tonight," she said before dancing her way up the stairs again.
Josef sighed quietly but was heard by Mick who turned around sharply on his heels and raised his eyebrows at Josef. Josef cleared his throat looking away, trying to act innocent but Pongo barked at him. He looked down at Pongo and tried to shush the dog.
"Josef, whatever you're feeling for her don't," Mick said seriously before he walked up the stairs too. Josef sighed and looked down at the dog wanting to ask it so many questions but he knew it would make him look insane and stupid so he didn't voice them. Josef knew he had a reputation. He slept with girls at least a different one every few days or even every night. He didn't blame Mick for pleading with him to not choose Gabrielle as the next girl in his bed.
"Josef?" came her timid voice. He looked up to see her dressed in a beautiful silky gold dress with golden heels on. She smiled at him and it lightened up the atmosphere quickly. He smiled widely at her and cleared his throat seeing how beautiful she looked in that simple dress and very little makeup. "What do you think?" she asked twirling around once for him to see her properly. He smiled and nodded walking closer to her.
"Very beautiful Gabrielle," her cheeks were graced with a pink colour as she blushed from hearing Josef's comment. Gabrielle felt so shy around Josef, it was like High School all over again. She looked up at Josef as he looked down at her slightly. He wanted to reach out and hold her face while he kissed her hungrily but passionately. However, Josef controlled his inner beast. He cleared his throat and Gabrielle looked at him strangely, noting his strange behaviour this evening, "Well, I should head back home to change and get something to drink,"
Gabrielle nodded reluctantly and watched as he left the apartment. She didn't want him to leave but he did. She didn't want to be alone anymore but she was. And Gabrielle knew that she would be, for a long time. She couldn't commit herself to another long term relationship anymore. She just wasn't ready for one even if that had happened so many years ago.
Gabrielle Sawyers was forever scarred from the past and she couldn't let it go.