CHAPTER 14
"Gabby, may I kiss you?".
"... We are only friends, remember...," she said confused.
"Yeah..., but sometimes friends kiss each other...".
"That's written in your manual either?", she stared at him, there is no denying she wanted to be kissed...
Matt leaned down slowly as Gabby closed her eyes, smiling at her, he kissed her on the lips...
For Matt's delight, she kissed him back...
Their movements started slow like they were tasting the waters...
Matt wrapped his arms around her gently, closing any space between them...
As Gabby put her arms around his neck, her fingers slid into his hair...
Their breath heavy, their tongues smacking,... They were moving their lips and tongues in synchrony...
A few meters from the... Shay was observing the couple, she nudged Severide beside her to witness the moment with her...
"After all they won't my help..." she giggled.
"It's about time...", Severide said and sipped his beer drink.
"They are bold, I'd say, you think they forgot they are not alone? I wouldn't like to ruin their moment...", Shay shook her head ready to pop the couple bubble.
"They are grown-up, Shay... Let them enjoy the hell of it...".
"I have to go there... They will thank me later...", Shay winked at him.
"Hmmm", Shay cleared her throat... They didn't hear her...
Shay tried again, "Casey, hmmm, ... Gabby...".
They continued to kiss each other, Matt greedily exploring Gabby's mouth with his tongue...
Speaking louder this time, "... guys".
Stopping altogether the kiss, Gabby looked down, as Matt watched her with a smile on his lips,... he was still rubbing her back...
"You are good?"
Gabby looked up, "Yeah...", she responded softly.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, but soon all eyes are gonna be on you two...".
"Thank you, Shay...", Matt's eyes were locked on Gabby.
"I have to go home-", Matt interjected.
"I take you, Anna has school tomorrow...she is at my sister...", Matt explained.
"I'll get my bag at your bedroom, Shay...".
"Of course... I go with you...", unable to contain her curiosity.
After 10 minutes, they were back, ... Casey and Dawson said their goodbye and left...
There wasn't much talking on their way to Matt's car. Getting there, he opened the door for her, then walking around he went to the driver's side.
"You still remember my address?" Gabby asked.
"I wouldn't forget even if I wanted...," he said.
Driving away... when they stopped at the red traffic light, he took her hand, gazing at each other, they intertwined their fingers. Matt brought her hand close to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
20 minutes later...they arrived at Gabby's address.
"Matt, listen-"
"Nothing changes and we're are friends... you can trust me...", Matt spoke up. Matt knew he couldn't ask for more... it wasn't the right time, not for her.
Gabby nodded, "... OKay, thanks for the ride".
"Good night, Gabby...".
Matt waited until she entered the building.
There was more going on with Gabby, Matt supposed, her resistance to giving herself to him, it wasn't related only to work, there was something much bigger, he felt it.
...
Dawson's Bakery...
Gabby was having breakfast with her parents...
"Good morning!" Gabby greeted her mother.
"Hi, my dear... good morning...".
Her father, Laura, Antonio, Eva and Diego were all there... Gabby sat next to her mother.
"Tell me about it...", Maria sipped her juice.
"About what, mamá?" Gabby frowned as pouring out some coffee for her.
"You know... the party... He was there... you two kissed?" Maria forked some bacon.
"Mom, you... please... can we not do it right now?", Gabby chose to eat some eggs.
"Answer me, then I leave you alone...", Matt informed her.
Gabby sighed, whispering, "yes, one time, it won't happen again...", Gabby sipped her coffee.
"Why not?"
"We're friends, co-workers, remember...", Gabby threw her brother a tight smile, he was observing them from across the table.
"So... When are you going to prepare that special meal at your apartment?"
"Wednesday is okay for you?".
"Great... what are we eating?"
"I have this recipe from Grandma's book... I've done it two or three times, I can't recall, it turned out great...".
"I can help you if you want."
"I'd love to cook with you, mom...".
Antonio had to go to the kitchen, his mother followed him.
"Antonio, I have a mission for you...", Maria uttered.
"Mission...What's up?"
Antonio was opening the cabinets looking for maple syrup...".
"Help me to meet Matt...".
Antonio paused his moves... staring at his mother not understanding her request.
"I leave in a few days before I need to see for myself if he is a good guy... She likes him, Antonio... I can't stand watching her suffering...".
"Mom, it's not a good idea to go behind her back, she hates when we step in her life".
"Antonio, get him to be there on Wednesday, trust me...".
He raised his hands in surrender, "...okay if you say so...".
...
Matt's house...
"What about going to the park this afternoon?"
"I'd love it. Can we invite Violet?"
"... I'll make a call to your aunt... drink your juice...", they were having breakfast.
A knock at the front door...
"Who is it?" Anna wondered.
"I have an idea," Matt said smiling.
"Uncle Sev and aunt Shay?" she asked excitedly.
"Stay here..., eat your pancakes...".
Casey came back...
"Where is my favorite goddaughter?"
"... Auntie Shay, I miss you!" Anna got up and ran to hug her.
"Where's my hug?"
Anna hugged Severide either.
"... Please, guys... have breakfast with us...".
They chatted away as and eating breakfast... Anna was the first to finish eating, then Matt let her playing in the backyard.
"Tell us, something interesting happened to you?" Shay sipped her juice. "Don't make me beg...".
"You know, Shay... just what you watched...", Matt put the milk back in the refrigerator.
"There wasn't a second part of the kiss? Nothing more after you two left together...?" Severide asked.
"No... that kiss was everything, we said everything through that kiss, however-", Shay cut him off.
"What?"
"We are friends. That's what she wants and I will respect that...".
"Look, you are weird...", Severide bit his apple.
"We kissed, there is no deny we wanted it, still I can't force her into more...".
"That kiss was hot... she is hot...", Shay blurted out.
Matt threw a cloth on her.
...
A couple of days later... Firehouse 51...
Connie was late to work, when she was walking over the apparatus floor, an unknown woman stopped her...
"Hi, excuse me. I'm Sophia Halls, I'm here to talk to Matthew Casey...".
Connie looked up and down...
"I'm Casey's girlfriend...".
"Please, wait here...".
Connie got into the hallway, before the common room, "Good morning, Lieutenant Casey, your girlfriend Sophia Halls is out there, she wants to talk to you," said Connie in the common room when everyone was having breakfast.
Surprised, Matt got up from his seat at the table. They were no longer on speaking terms since the incident in the restaurant. Why on earth did she call herself his girlfriend?
"Thank you, Connie."
He looked at Gabby who avoided his stare...
"She is no longer his girlfriend, Gabby... don't worry...", Shay said.
Gabby was unfazed, eating her food...
Casey was quite angry at Sophia., "What are you doing here? Why did you say that you are my girlfriend?"
"Hi..., Matt..".
"You never came to my work, why are you here?"
"I brought your stuff, CDs... I said I am your girlfriend because I thought it would be easier to talk to you...", she gave him a box with his stuff.
"You should have called me before coming here...".
"Would you meet if I did?".
"Is that all? I'm having lunch, so...".
"That's all... It was good to see you...".
Casey was unmoved by her words, then Sophia left...
Gabby spent the rest of the shift keeping busy... a few hours later...
"I love this movie, Julia Roberts is such a great actress...", Shay said before yawning... "I will lie down, I'm sleepy, are you coming?"
It was midnight and everyone had gone to bed.
"I'll stay a little longer here, I'm not sleepy yet...".
"Okay, good night, honey...", Shay tapped her shoulder slightly.
Gabby chose to watch the news...
"Still awake...?"
"Damn, Casey, don't scare me like that!" she said putting a hand over her chest.
"Sorry" he raised his hands, smiling softly.
"Don't do that ever again...", still shaking a little bit.
"Never again...", he sat on the couch a few inches from her.
They didn't talk to each other for long minutes...
"She's not my girlfriend, she was, but no more, I swear...", he gazed at her.
Gabby scoffed, "You don't owe me an explanation...".
"Good... you know that my heart is yours...".
"Casey...".
"What?"
"Don't make things harder...".
They were silent again.
Casey looked at her, "We're friends...".
"We are," she said looking at him. Then she realized what he was implying, "... we won't do it again...", suddenly she got up to leave.
He grabbed her hand and stood up, they were facing each other.
"I'll do then," he declared.
Gabby wanted to protest, but she felt weak being this close to him...
Cradling her face...
She'd regret it later... she knew it, but she didn't feel on her to resist him before she could think straight, Gabby smashed her lips against his...