Chapter 9

                                    

                                          
Gabe was exceptionally busy on Monday morning, he was hiring an assistant coach so had interviews much of the day and practice in the afternoon. The  highlight of his day was going to be his meeting with Natalia. If not only to see her, but it would also be the one meeting where his brain didn't have to be so busy and analytical. 
                          
Her attendance at the game last week had been unexpected, but entirely welcome. He didn't think she'd follow through with his invitation. It left a pleasant warmth, quietly unfurling in his chest. He'd seen her through the crowd before the game, she had been wearing that familiar observant look on her face. So many things had to be new to her in Texas, but she was flexible with an unflappable attitude. Gabe liked that about her. 
                          
Their brief conversation at the sideline of the field had left him wanting more. He was almost ready to ask her out before he had been interrupted. The impulsive decision had formed between watching her blush, a dark crimson under her beautiful brown skin at his gentle teasing, and her nervous apology. Being around her gave him a freedom he hadn't felt in several years, decades even. He felt like himself around her. 
                          
She hadn't been home much of the weekend. Her car was gone, and the lights had stayed off. Gabe wondered, casually where she could be. She was a grown woman, her whereabouts were none of his business but he wondered where someone new to Texas would stay overnight on their first week. 
                          
Gabe's stomach rumbled incessantly, he ignored it as he sat in the second interview of the day with the PE teacher as the second interviewer. The candidate had the necessary qualifications but he had never worked in a school with a student makeup like theirs before. Gabe would have to keep that in mind when he compared them all later. 
                          
Straight after the interview, he headed to the science faculty office, he didn't have time to grab a snack from the cafeteria. Maybe there was an apple or something in this office he could eat between interviews later. 
                          
Natalia was already there, sitting by the desktop computer. She was wearing a pair of black rimmed glasses, with an oversized white shirt tucked into black slim fit trousers. She had a unique dress sense that was distinctly European. He tried not to notice how well the glasses suited her and how much they reminded him of every adolescent sexy nerd fantasy. 
                          
When she saw him she locked the screen and brought some papers to the meeting area. It was a shared office but she had already put her own touches to the room. 
                          
"Do you want some tea or coffee before we start," she offered and at that very minute, his stomach rumbled loud enough for both of them to hear. 
                          
Natalia disappeared to the back of the room before Gabe could get embarrassed and re-emerged moments later with a foil-wrapped tubular object which she offered to Gabe. 
                          
"Shoot —I can't take your lunch," Gabe protested despite being hungry enough to devour a cow. 
                          
"No, it's fine, I always bring an extra lunch and snacks in case I have hungry students. Take it." She forced the foil-wrapped sandwich into his hand. 
                          
Gabe was one of those people that couldn't function once hunger struck, so he had no choice but to accept. 
                          
"Tea or coffee." Natalia prodded watching him unwrap the sandwich.
                          
"Coffee please."
                          
"How do you take it?"
                          
"Just black," Gabe answered and a look of distaste settled on her features, she poured the steaming black liquid from the cafetiere into a cup and handed it to him. 
                          
She then made herself a cup of coffee, lacing it with sugar and creamer, the reason for her distaste becoming clear. 
                          
"Mm, it's real good, what is it?" Gabe asked after taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully.