The Only One He Wants

Chapter 4

It was pitch black. A blue kind of light came from the windows. And Gabrielle was sleeping. She was obviously having frightening nightmares, because she restlessly pushed at the sheets and the blanket.

A harsh wind suddenly blew, making the curtains dance. And with the wind appeared a male figure. He didn’t go in through the door nor did he hop in from the windows. No. He just materialized in the room like a shadow or one of those monsters parents warn their children about.

He didn’t have a shirt on, only black pants that ended in equally black boots. Licking his lips, he took a few steps towards the bed. Towards Gabrielle. Soundlessly he climbed into her bed. Gabrielle didn’t even notice; she was deep in her sleep and unaware of her surroundings.

He kissed her nose first. And then her lips.

Gabrielle’s eyes shot open. She was staring at Michael.

“Mike?” She said, to which he responded by putting a finger on her lips. He kissed them passionately, then, slipped in his tongue in and touched her body.

It was such a nice feeling. To be with someone. To have someone in the dead of night.

And then she woke up.

It was morning. A few hours after dawn and the colors were all bright and shining. As was the sun, climbing its way to the sky’s summit. The windows were closed and the curtains weren’t dancing on the wind because there wasn’t any.

Gabrielle was drenched in sweat. Her nightgown was stuck to her body as if glued when in fact it was the sweat doing that job. She put a hand on her forehead and exhaled. That had been one intense dream. One her daughter or anyone else must never find out about.

Her head was splitting because she had opened her eyes so suddenly, chasing away the sleep. She was still groggy, but her mind was already awake and reviewing the previous night. The dinner. The kiss on the cheek. Michael.

Everything had been so magical that she didn’t even know if it was truly real. What if she had made it all up? But another part of her brain knew that it was a hundred percent real, there were selfies to prove it.

As a matter of fact, she reached for her cell even now. With shaky fingers she went to the photos and saw the picture. She had taken it while Michael had been smiling his trademark smile, his shiny teeth gleaming. The both of them were so gorgeous.

Gabrielle placed the phone on her chest. And there she was again—acting like a schoolgirl with a crush on the captain of the football team. She was acting silly, but that was her feelings’ fault. They were making her all emotional and swoon-y.

A couple of minutes later she was on her feet, stretching and yawning. It was a new day and a new beginning. And it was Saturday. No work, she thought joyfully and headed for the shower.

She still had a mild headache, but after the hot shower she was sure that it was going to recede. It happened whenever she woke up too fast.

After the shower came coffee and breakfast on the to-do list. On her way to the kitchen, she pressed the ON button on the radio, instantly filling the room with pleasant, cheerful notes. Whistling, she put the coffee machine to work and made a couple of sandwiches. In a short period of time, they found their place in her stomach and she washed them down with a delicious coffee.

Yeah. Now the day could start.

She remembered that Michael had a flight today. Taking a look at the clock, she figured that he was surely already on board and flying toward the Caribbean islands.

In that moment her cell made a bink sound. Puzzled she grabbed it and saw that she had received a message. Did they need her urgently at work? Was it from her daughter? A friend? A colleague? A thousand possibilities ran through her mind. She decided not to punish herself any longer and clicked the messages icon.

The park across the street, now.

It was the only thing that was said. However, there was something else at the bottom.

M.G.

Seriously? Was someone making a joke on her? Was she the butt of a prank?

Michael was flying on a business trip and he was the only one with those initials. At least she thought so. Did she know anyone else whose name began with an M and whose last name was on G? Her list of contacts flew across her mind. She couldn’t find anyone. Nothing. Nada.

She put on something quickly and with growing anticipation in her heart. Deep down, she knew that she couldn’t possibly obey the message. That was the first wrong move in thriller/abduction movies.

Nevertheless, dressed in a black sweat suit she grabbed her keys and was out of her modest apartment. She was nervous, all right. And she couldn’t even remember how she had gotten to the park. She was walking down the sidewalk and the next thing she knew, her feet were on a stone path surrounded by the greenest grass.

She looked warily at the people on the benches, measuring them and seeing if some of them were going to do something unexpected. Deep in the park, she had absolutely no idea why she had been foolish enough to walk there. Suddenly the benches around her were the deserted. The birds were chirping what in an ordinary situation would be a happy tune, but now was creepy like a soundtrack in a horror movie. Gabrielle was frozen to the spot.

Then a pair of hands covered her eyes. Her heart sank and her pulse began to increase. Cold sweat dampened her hair and washed over her whole body. This was it. She was going to end up dead in a ditch without any kind of fuss or fanfare.

“Who is it?” Her voice was tiny like a five-year-old’s.

“Who do you think?” another voice asked back and moved the hands.

Gabrielle’s vision was a bit blurry, but after she grew accustomed to the light she immediately turned on her heels only to stare at Michael Good. The Michael Good.

“You scared the crap out of me, you know that?” She hit his chest playfully.

They both laughed whole-heartedly. Gabrielle was immensely glad that what her heart was hinting at came true. She couldn’t put it into words, but she had sensed him. His presence. His aura.

“I’m glad to see you and everything, but you seriously frightened me. And that message was so cryptic I didn’t even know for sure that it was you. I thought you were on a plane, but there was something telling me that it might be you. I don’t know, I can’t explain it,” she said and smiled wanly.

“Oh, come here. I feel so terrible that I terrified you. I am so, so sorry,” he said and hugged her. Her face was buried in his chest while his chin was propped on the top of her head protectively. She could hear his heartbeat, which was oddly soothing. Like someone was playing heavenly drums.

Then she went on her toes and kissed his cheek the same as he had done the previous day. “I’m so happy to see you. What happened with the trip?”