It was funny to him to see someone else to speak so freely of his best friend. Of course, there was his sister who had been in her company just as much, if not more than him, but Gabriel knew that the fraternal bond between siblings was completely different between that between two friends, at least that’s the way he had always felt towards Georgina and Ava. While with Ava he had unlimited freedom to be himself, with Georgina he had that and added to it, he had the companionship of someone who had grown up just the same as he had and little managed to beat that. Georgina was his back and call and by the way Cleo was talking about her sister, he didn’t doubt it was the same way for them either. Instead of becoming jealous, Gabriel was curious to hear all the stories about their upbringing and most of all, if the fact that they shared only half their DNA impaired anything between them. “Please don’t doubt that I haven’t tried before, your sister is just a pie maniac and there is no getting rid of her. One time she legit called me while I was eating pie, I swear she has a sixth sense or something,” he laughs, observing just how carefree Cleo looks. He wonders if they feel like that often, or if it’s only reserved for a few people. In all honesty, Gabriel is surprised at how many things he wonders about the blonde considering how long they had known each other and how little they actually knew about the other. It felt ridiculous to just have been brought together by an advertisement, maybe otherwise they wouldn’t have thought to spend time together.
Her next words caught him by surprise and his eyebrows shot up all the way to his hairline. He had never thought of himself as someone flirty. Maybe that came from years of being unlucky at love just because other women considered him to be stupid before he managed to rope himself in golf. He didn’t have the best conversation, instead of being smooth, he had always been rather awkward when it came to women he had crushes on or that he just liked. He remembered the first girl he had offered to be her boyfriend and it had gone terribly, with half the people in school laughing at him for speaking his feelings out loud. When it came to love, it always seemed like something was against him, even when he had thought to get himself someone good, someone who would love him forever. He remembered standing at the end of the aisle waiting for Rebecca to show up. He remembered how excited they had been about planning their wedding and their future together. He remembered just how it felt when she didn’t show up. 40 minutes he waited, because people said it was normal for brides to be late, 40 minutes before her friend came through the door and delivered him the note that had ended it all. Gabriel had never been smooth at love, but he had also promised never to lead anyone on to somewhere it wasn’t leading to, and he didn’t think he could never get himself to hurt someone like Cleo, both because Ava would castrate him and also because they were a hurricane. They deserved the best and for now, Gabriel had only been thinking about bonding with them, since they were bound to work so closely together.
“I am the worst at flirting, you should know that,” he tells them, with a light smile to his lips as always. It’s normal for Gabriel to smile so freely, he has plenty of reasons to, “not only it would be painfully obvious, but you’d also be laughing at my ass,” his smile is crooked which makes the left Livingston dimple show up easily. He feels that he doesn’t mind Cleo’s insinuation, maybe because he wouldn’t mind flirting with them, but he also didn’t want to push any buttons to bite more than he could chew. After Rebecca, his love life had been dull at best, and while he had been more than certain he wasn’t ready to go back into what it was, even if he had been shamelessly flirting with Marion knowing she was out of her league, someone like Cleo also was. It had been hard for him to feel confident again after being left at the altar, so he had been just letting things happen naturally. It was the best he could do for himself. It made him thankful that Cleo had brushed it off so quickly, otherwise he would start blushing and it would be a whole thing. “You, tackling me?” He raised one eyebrow in defiance, “I have to completely disagree with you, because I would very much like to see that. Do you know how much I have been poached to the football team in high school? Or the hockey team? I had to tell them they were making a fool out of themselves because no way I was ruining myself being tackled by other men,” he said in jest, “but, we can always see how far your tackling business goes.”
Jesus. What was he getting himself into?
He did not mean to sound like he was flirting with Cleo. He didn’t. The last thing both of them needed was for him to complicate their business arrangement and possible friendship with flirting, but it was like he couldn’t help himself. They were cute when they blushed as he had witnessed not five minutes before, and beyond that, they were just damn beautiful. Ava would definitely have a talking down with him when she heard about it, and that’s when he wished that his best friend never heard about the light banter he was trading with her sister. Maybe that’s just what it would be, after all. A light banter. Still, there was something about Cleo that was purely magnetic, and he could not deny it. The invitation of spending the afternoon together had come before he knew what he was even speaking, but their acceptance had been welcomed. Gabriel couldn’t remember the last time he had been across the “pond” and he couldn’t wait to be in LA again, of course he didn’t have any further important engagements like physical therapy that needed him for long and he hoped that would be the case for the rest of the day. There was something in him that didn’t want to cut their day short and it had been a while since someone caught his attention so much. He knew that it was partially because he had seen Cleo in their natural habitat, calling the shots, but there was also a curiosity that spanned years now, from always seeing them on the back whereas her sister occupied the forefront in his life. Always had. He knew Cleo was there at his almost wedding and maybe even some competitions their parents had been invited to by Gabriel’s parents, but the fact that they never had the chance to properly meet the other boggled his mind.
Leaning back on his chair, he let them speak, Cleo’s life being completely different from his made for a compelling story and he nodded along while they explained. He could never imagine having his life so out there like their was. Gabriel was essentially a private person, he enjoyed going outside and not having cameras following him left and right simply because golf wasn’t much of an interesting sport and other than Tiger Woods, he couldn’t be really considered one who brought much drama into the game. He enjoyed living in comparative freedom to someone who actively once had cameras following them around and filming their every conversation. He had not ventured himself into watching the reality show, he needed to admit that he knew more about it from friends than anything, but it wasn’t something he would ever judge Cleo for doing, simply because sometimes you just needed to take opportunities and run with them. He could understand that. It’s just that after the whole enhancement drugs scandal, he never wanted to be looked under a microscope like that.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said when he heard about her accident, it wasn’t his fault, but it didn’t keep him from empathizing with it. “It sucks to be kept from doing something you love, right? Sometimes our bodies just betray us more than we’d like them to,” he offered a small shrug, his tone left it open for her if she wanted to discuss more about it, but he didn’t want them to feel pushed to lay out their heart for him. There was a certain trauma a person couldn’t get over and Gabriel would be the first to admit he was damn well scared to never be able to play again because of his shoulder, he literally did not know who he was outside of golf at this moment. “So you just went about and made a whole ass lemonade out of the lemons life gave you right? I’m not a stranger to your accomplishments, your sister is very proud of you and shoves your website in my face whenever possible,” he smiles kindly at Cleo, reaching for a sip of his iced tea. “So, what’s next? I mean, you have the jewelry line, but you don’t seem like someone who would just stand still like that. What do you have cooking that will render the world at your feet again?”
Cleo finds it peculiar at how right, yet how much solace they’re currently feeling being around someone who’s been an enigma to their azure rims. From the way Gabriel has handled himself over the years, winning his victories on the greenway down to the way he took control of the situation of Rebecca leaving him at the altar, has caused the platinum blonde to think highly of him from a distance. There are very few people in this world who can pick themselves from the lows that misfortunes grants them, let alone realize everyone will remember the sight but not once, in all of these years of being background noise and fleeting image to Gabe’s life did Cleo think anything ill about him. Not only does it say a lot for her to believe this, given the young demi woman tends to keep people at arm’s length to avoid heartbreak. Essentially, for this reason, she worries once people get to know them… they’ll want nothing to do with them anymore or lose interest entirely ─ which others have done in past dynamics: platonic and romantic. It’s why they rarely break their protocol and allow themselves to grows affable with someone as they still have a business proposition soon to be completed.
Yet with Gabriel Livingston, all of their rules get broken and cause the platinum blonde not to care, for once. This change of pace makes them feel exhilarated, feeling as if the wind gusting off Avalon Bay supports everything that will be happening this afternoon: lunch, then an eventual trip to Los Angeles, which is something she’s looking forward to. More of a reason to get them to learn about the other, mainly to make them comfortable with the upcoming photo shoot, and to know their observant nature comes from a place of care ─ as words often fail to be their strong suit in the declaration. As another puff of the warm, growing summer breeze passes through their seated position at Bluewater Avalon, their mouth corners have remained upturned from the moment hues latched onto each other. It further enhances its positioning because seeing how Gabe speaks about her sister, given the lighthearted nature of the topic, shows how much of an impact Ava has had on others over the years. If Cleo could have Ava here right now, specifically to see how loved and how people cherish her, all of the remarks her sister makes about being undeserving of love would fly right out of the window at once. “Sometimes I think she’s a witch, or those horror films somehow got to her head and is playing tricks with her.” Froliciness drizzles throughout her singsong falsetto, aware this isn’t how motion pictures work in the end. For once, they’ll be able to enjoy and pretend that’s the case when it comes to Ava, as these two have an initial stepping stone they can use to grow close to each other.
But, in the inquisitive nature and the wear-off of the vibrant pink from the apple of their cheeks, instead of feeling the pulsing of their heart, the woman finds a way to divert entirely. One is to avoid the possibility of him having a quick enough chance to poke lightly at her response of him being cute ─ as she further thinks about it in the silence, realizing that he is attractive and anyone would be lucky to be sitting opposite of him right now, in which they can relate to . He has a refreshing way of leaving her speechless already, though the blonde herself frequently inhabit that trait. He’s a rare breed of man to exist. The kind that would never hurt you purposefully or with intention, let alone make you feel less than, as he would provide his undivided loyalty and wouldn’t even turn his head to look at another figure: even if it was Gisele Bündchen, in the flesh. He’s everything that a woman could want, as oddly enough, it’s a blessing that Rebecca didn’t make an effort in following through with the wedding because the former flame didn’t deserve him. Because if Cleo can see all of the possibilities he has, others should be able to see the same.
So when he responds to her question, which is a viable question in getting to know someone, a part of the blonde feels…. special. Aware that he won’t go to someone else later in the day, pull the same cards, and have a round of women launching themselves on them. It’s nice, all too nice, that she doesn’t quite know what the pool of warmth and flutters circulating in their chest means. But, rather than dismissing it and turning a switch to their glacial, business-driven stance Gabe saw in the meeting, they relish in this side that Cleo forgot existed within her. “I don’t know, Fabio,” A nickname that she just pulled out of their ass, not in offense but because Gabe has this allure they’re growing attracted to. Her arms rest on the edge of the table before they begin to lean closer to him. There’s a strange, sultry tightening of their expressions in an indication they are willing to accept the challenge of the other flirting with them. There may be plenty of other blushes along the way, but they’ll prefer to be the judge of actor on what his flirts entail. “I probably would like it, especially if they were punny flirts because those are always the best, and I like unconventional things,” she informs with dancing brows. It’s wrong to provocate him. Not because the platinum blonde has dreamt of digging their freshly coated nails into his pale flesh and of ruining him left, right, up, and down to feel anything, but everything besides that. It’s like all of these years, something was depriving in their world, and they couldn’t quite figure out why: until they got to speaking and their conversations flowed from one point next to the other. Finally, someone who heard them, saw them through the mist of their appearances on the people’s television, to see a human being on the opposite side.
Retrieving back from their leaning stance, aware she was now flirting with him, Cleo lifts the glass of water to their petals for a quick sip of water. At the same time, his story of being poached by football and hockey team doesn’t astound her, though it doesn’t stop her from continuing with their spontaneity. “You think your story will scare me away, Livingston?” A tilt of their head as an inquisitive brow hots to the other before a pitted sea of laughter escapes. “How about we try it out one day…. You, me, twister, and paint one afternoon?” They’ve seen a plethora of pictures of this activity unfolding between people, and it would go hand-in-hand with Cleo’s attempt to tackle Gabe in a space where they might have the upper hand: in a game with physical skill. It is a fun way for them to spend more time together, as no part of her wants these dynamics growing between them ever to end. “Whoever wins this tackling attempt, the other is allowed to hold it over the other’s head for the entire day,” she suggests with high spirits. “And the other has to drink their least form of liquor.”
After all, when she wants to prove herself, for the greater good of a laugh, a memory of instilling a further bond, or just because sometimes people need to have fun, they’ll pull off the stops necessary to make it worth it. Though, to think of it, maybe he’ll come to regret making the suggestion and allowing the possibility of wanting to spend time with them. Oh God, somehow in this thought pinches a worry because it wouldn’t have been the first time Cleo has ruined something good or came off as too passionate since pandora’s box unraveled itself due to good company.
So, laborious gratitude overtakes when they’re able to shift the topic that still manages to tug on her heartstring. Still, it’s something they’ll always appreciate even if she didn’t achieve much nor had a chance to showcase their ability on the big stage, just like Cleo dreamed of. “Certain things are beyond your control, you know?” The blonde reasons in a returned tranquil tone, shoulders shrugging that it could’ve happened to anyone. Or the circumstance of her accident could’ve been worse. Either way, she’s here, reflecting even with despondency brawny in its midst, before shifting in her chair. “Did you know that I’ve trained for ballet since I was 6?” Partially why there could’ve been a smidge disconnection in them, having only made an effort now. “My mom hired me a private instructor, Tamara Rojo. I didn’t know how much Tamara would mean to me… like a mother figure I didn’t think I needed,” she smiles halfway through the story, “She gave me infinite courage and support. So when my dreams came to an end, she didn’t leave me behind or make me feel less than. Instead, she got me back on track, told me to take every opportunity ahead of me without a second thought because it can be something beautiful and unlike before,” sighing happily, “Ava and her did everything for me.”
Pausing for a moment, mainly to catch her breath because it felt like Cleo’s been talking the entire time, corners of her eyes crease in delight to share this with him. Hopefully, it didn’t overwhelm him, but there’s a lot people didn’t know about them. “And to answer your question, I have my wine brand, Essence of Petra, which has an upcoming sangria flavor release in next month or so, but other than that… I’ll see where it goes.” Optimistic, hopefulness, and willing to see what the universe has in store for them. She’s already planned her life out before, and it crumbled before getting a chance. It isn’t worth it to do the second time around. “Now, I have to ask you something ─” Humming, licking her lips, before lightbulb goes off, “Do you think you’ll go back to golf once arm is clear to swing again or will you turn into another horror, funeral connoisseur like my sister?”
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