The Fate Date (Glengarry Curse #1)

14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Gavin

“ G av, wait up.” Alfred’s footsteps echoed against the concrete pillars in the parking garage.

A few weeks ago, someone trying to talk to Gavin outside of work hours would have earned his finest glare. However, his change in engagement with Alfred had yielded a strange growth in their rapport—he found he actually liked the guy. So much so, that he knew if Alfred was chasing him down at the end of the day on a Friday, it was likely important.

“You forgot your laptop, boss.”

Gavin looked at the device Alfred held in his hand. Shit. Had he really been that distracted? He’d had to run down to the graphics department before he left, which had altered his end of day routine. The deviation must have caused the lapse. That’s all it was.

“I didn’t know if you meant to leave it there. I was surprised considering it’s the weekend…” Alfred explained.

“Thanks, it was an oversight on my part. I appreciate you running it down to me.”

“No problem, boss bro.” He clapped Gavin on the back as he handed over the laptop.

“Have a good weekend,” Gavin remembered to say, before getting into his Civic and storing the laptop in his secure bag tucked behind the driver’s seat .

He’d been preoccupied ever since the drive home from Ian’s earlier this week. The word kept bounding around his head like an earworm squirming about in Sabrina’s singsong voice.

Opposites.

Sabrina couldn’t be his opposite. They had plenty in common. And tonight, he’d prove it.

Unfortunately, when he walked into the Pink Cactus in the Byward Market, it looked like things had already veered from the plan. Sabrina glanced up at Gavin with an apologetic look as he strode over. She and her friend sat at a table next to the long bar which was decorated with a confused mix of sombreros, cacti, and dried hot pepper husks. Sabrina was rubbing the back of a beautiful redhead with puffed eyes.

“Hey, everything alright?”

The redhead slurped the bottom of what he assumed had been a pitcher of margaritas.

“Are you my date?” she asked.

Oh God. Gabe was never going to forgive him.

They’d hatched this plan over text this week. Since Sabrina already had plans with Véro for her birthday, they’d decided to turn it into a double date. The only problem was, Gavin didn’t have a lot of single friends—or friends, period. He’d hated the idea of involving Gabe in this scheme, but he knew Gabe, out of all his brothers, would be the most understanding about the deception should it ever come to light. Sabrina had run some “synastry chart” on the pair and was convinced that “their compatibility was amazeballs”, which had sealed Gabe’s involvement in their charade.

Their goal was two-fold—Véro worked in communications for the government, so it would give Sabrina a chance to ask her questions about her job. Additionally, if they could convince both his brother and Véro that they were a real couple, they would be ready for the retreat.

Sabrina stood and came over to Gavin. She popped up on her tiptoes, lost her balance, and grabbed his shoulder for support. What was she doing? She gave him a frustrated look and then whispered, “I’m trying to kiss you, quit being so weird.” Gavin bowed his head and attempted a smile. He felt a dry peck on his cheek. Jesus Christ, he was bad at this.

Sabrina recovered quickly. “Véro this is my…boyfriend, Gavin.”

Her boyfriend. Gavin rubbed at his chest where that warm feeling was gathering again.

“Damn, Sabrina. Is his brother this cute too?”

Gavin winced. Véro’s eyes were not only puffy but a little droopy, her speech slurred through her slight French accent. She didn’t seem fully drunk, but he wondered if she’d had that whole pitcher of margaritas to herself.

“The whole Glengarry Clan could be on a calendar,” Sabrina said, waving her arm absently. Did that mean she found him attractive? Other than the “kiss” the other night, she seemed so unaffected by him, maybe she was better at hiding it than he was? Or maybe his personality tipped the scales against him?

“Véro lost her job today,” Sabrina said, resuming her conciliatory pose next to her friend.

“I was fired,” she said.

Gavin sat down across from them. “Oh, do you want to talk about it?” He prayed she said no.

Véro’s hands came out to grasp his. “Yes, you’re just the sweetest.”

Gavin looked at Sabrina, who had to look away not to laugh. No one had ever accused him of that before.

“I have a Bookstagram account,” she started, “speaking of which…” She released Gavin’s hands, which he quickly stuffed in his pockets, and pulled out her phone. “Selfie!” she exclaimed, pulling a stunned Sabrina over for a picture, which Gavin assumed was for some social media account.

“Bookstagram?” he asked .

“Well, and BookTok too,” she elaborated, face pointed down at her phone as she posted the photo. “I use social media to rate, review, and recommend romance and erotica books.”

“Oh,” Gavin replied, unsure what to say. It needn’t have mattered, as Véro continued.

“So I put together this guide on pegging in romance novels—”

“Pegging?” Sabrina asked.

“Pegging is when one partner uses a strap-on to penetrate another partner anally,” Véro clarified.

“Ohhh,” Sabrina said, nodding, unfazed.

“Anyway, we’re allowed to use some of the graphics accounts for personal projects at work, as long as we delete them afterwards and…well, I forgot to delete this particular graphic.”

“Oh,” Gavin said.

“One of the interns at work accidentally posted it to our government social media accounts. People were outraged that Minister Gloucester had an image of an eggplant dildo on his Threads.”

Gavin nodded. “I can see why that would be confusing.”

“ Bon bien, I got the sack and now my dad’s going to kill me.” Her eyes welled up with tears again.

“It’ll be OK, Véro,” Sabrina said.

“No, it won’t—he threatened to cut me off after my last debacle with how I painted the car. This will be the last straw, I know it.”

“You can come live with me,” Sabrina said. “You can help at the shop.”

Gavin gave her a sharp look. As her business coach, that wasn’t a smart idea.

He tried another approach. “Are your social media accounts popular? Could you find a way to monetize them in the interim?”

“Gavin’s really good at business,” Sabrina gushed. “He’s been helping me with the shop and it’s getting better. We’ve had an uptick in sales recently. ”

“I usually get free books.” Véro shrugged. “But maybe you’re right?”

“A Tower moment for sure,” Sabrina said. “There’s only up from here. Maybe losing your job will open up new ideas that you’d never considered before.”

Sabrina looked at him meaningfully and Gavin recognized the advice he’d offered her the other night in his arms. Before he thought better of it, he reached out his hand to give her a little squeeze. That’s what boyfriends did, right?

Véro noticed. “Aren’t you two the cutest. I already like you better than Dull Duncan.”

“ Véro ,” Sabrina said warningly. The reference had Gavin sitting up straighter in his chair. Who the fuck was Duncan? His brother’s familiar voice broke into the conversation, eliminating the opportunity to clarify what – or who – Véro had been talking about.

Gabe hugged Sabrina. “Good to see you.” It was odd to see these two worlds coming together. And a little disconcerting.

Gabe pulled back from the hug. “I’ll admit I was a bit surprised when Gavin told me about this evening. You two are so opposite ,” he said, giving his brother a teasing look.

Gavin returned it with a “fuck off” one of his own. They were not. Opposite.

Before either of them could retort, Véro stood and pulled Gabe into a hug herself, her full height and curves on display. Gabe froze at the abrupt contact.

“Hi, I’m Véro.” She surprised him with a French bisous . His cheeks turned an embarrassed shade of pink. Gavin’s guilt evaporated and he found himself enjoying Gabe’s discomfort after his earlier dig.

“Looks like you’re empty.” Gabe motioned at the pitcher. “Another round? ”

“I like you,” Véro said before she sat down. Gabe’s cheeks flushed darker. After putting in their order at the bar, he took his seat next to Gavin.

“So, what did I miss?” Gabe asked the table politely.

“I got fired today because I posted an eggplant dildo on an MP’s social media that was meant for my bookstagram account,” Véro summarized.

“Oh.” Gabe nodded. “Do you like to read?”

Gavin and Sabrina exchanged smiles.

“I love to read.” Her hands came to the table excitedly.

“What genre?” Gabe asked.

“Right now, I’m really into monster porn. Alien smut to be specific.”

Gabe turned to Gavin and asked, “Did I hear that correctly?”

Gavin smiled and nodded.

“Interesting,” Gabe said. “I’m deaf, by the way.”

“Do you know sign language?” Véro asked.

“Some,” Gabe said, catching Gavin’s eye. It was a common assumption people had about him. “I’ve been learning it so I can communicate better with my Deaf friends. My family knows a little but not much, mostly just fingerspelling for when I get stuck on a word.”

“That’s so fascinating.” Véro stared at Gabe like he was the equivalent of her alien smut, causing Gabe to blush again. “I studied communications and linguistics,” Véro explained, “I speak ten languages, but I don’t know any signed ones. Can you teach me?”

“Again, I don’t know that much–"

“Let’s start with the dirty words first.”

Gabe grimaced. “A lot of people do that and then stop learning—it kind of trivializes a whole language and culture.”

Véro reached out and grabbed Gabe’s hand. “I hadn’t thought of it that way. I’m so sorry. I didn’t intend to be disrespectful. I really would like to learn.”

Gabe looked down at Véro’s hand. He quickly hid his small smile, but Gavin knew his brother— it spoke volumes. Gavin caught the glint in his brother’s eye when he lifted his head and said, “Why don't I teach you how to fingerspell them?”

Véro was bumped by the happy hour crowd and released Gabe’s hand.

“It’s so busy here. Let’s go to the back of the bar,” Gabe suggested.

Gavin and Sabrina watched the pair depart, along with their fake dating practice goals for the evening.

Sabrina swapped chairs to take the spot next to Gavin. “I’m so sorry, Véro is very extra . Usually, she’s more of a chaotic good. She’s all fire signs—fun, but sometimes a bit self-destructive. But she seems to have gotten her sparkle back.”

Gavin watched Gabe fingerspell a series of vulgar words, Véro beaming at him.

“It seems like Gabe is having a good time too. I’m glad he pulled Véro somewhere quiet. It’s more challenging for him to hear with all this background noise and he doesn’t always mention it.”

“Why not?”

“He doesn’t like drawing attention to himself. It drives me nuts. But it’s kind of on me.” Gavin scrubbed the stubble prickling his chin. “I didn’t think the bar would be this busy right now. I should have requested a quieter spot when making the reservation.”

“It’s sweet, you know, how much you care about your family.”

The comment caught him off guard. “I think they might describe it more as pestering.”

“That’s not how I see it. You’re always so hard on yourself.”

“Sorry?”

“Nothing, sorry. Forget I said anything.”

She retreated back into her chair.

“Spill it.” It irritated him when she did that. Like she was trying to make herself physically smaller, hiding her true thoughts away. He’d rather take whatever criticism she was about to dish out than watch her close in on herself.

She sat up. “It’s like you’re always trying to be so perfect that you become stiff. You always assume the worst of a social situation, that people aren’t going to like you, and it’s that prickly assumption that gets people’s back up.” She was looking at him, direct in the eye, like she was looking into his deepest, shadowy corners. “But I know your secret.”

Gavin swallowed. “And that is?”

“You’re actually a big softie. And a lot more fun when you relax. And you make a great Kleenex.”

“Gross,” he responded, wondering why the waitstaff hadn’t come over for their order yet. He needed a distraction from those big hazel eyes and perfect bowed lips that spouted such adorable nonsense.

“I’ve been thinking about the other night, when I said those things about us being opposite. I’m not sure that’s the case anymore.”

His breath stuck in his throat, his eyebrows turning caustic. What did she mean they weren’t opposite? She couldn’t just take it back?

“We both care a lot about our family. I’m starting to appreciate the importance of being on time. And you’re getting a lot better at not scaring people. In general, this little experiment of ours has had some other unexpected perks, hasn’t it.”

It was amazing, that as a full-grown man of thirty-two, his mind still acted like he was thirteen sometimes. He nodded at Sabrina, but the word perks had reminded him of perky. And before he could stop it, he found himself staring at her breasts, wishing he could put his mouth on them. Make her nipples harden by flicking them with his tongue and tugging with his teeth.

“I’m going to get a drink,” he said, before standing and approaching the bar .

He ordered a soda water, and a vodka cranberry for Sabrina. Yet when he turned around to head back to the table, there was a man there with his back to him with very familiar sandy curls.

“Sabrina, what are you doing here? And all alone? I came to meet Gabe, but I’d rather buy you a drink. You’re much prettier to look at,” Gilbert said in that syrupy voice that women somehow found attractive.

“Oh no, I’m actually here with someone,” Sabrina squeaked out.

Gilbert glanced side to side. “Oh yeah, who?”

“Me.” Gavin brushed past his middle brother to sit next to Sabrina.

It had come as no surprise when Gilbert had announced, at the age of four, that he was destined to be an actor. He had one of those expressive faces that depicted every thought on his face in microscopic detail. Gavin saw the initial shock, then Gilbert’s eyes narrowed in disbelief, as if to ask whether Gavin were serious. He held his brother’s gaze.

Next came the laughter. “Oh, this is too good, Gavin and the lady astrologer.” Another fit of laughter followed before he said, “That’s hilarious.”

Sabrina shifted next to Gavin and he grabbed her hand, lacing her fingers with his on the table, still maintaining his defiant glower.

“Shit.” Gilbert stopped laughing.

“What are you doing here?” Gavin asked.

“I skipped out on work to avoid the Thanksgiving crowd on the train. Gabe said he was here.” Gilbert looked Sabrina up and down suspiciously. She sidled closer to Gavin. He knew it was for show, but it still sent those hot shivers through his body.

“Did the Good Witch Sabrina give the Tin Man a heart?” Gilbert said. Sabrina laughed obligingly.

“Didn’t the Wizard of Oz give the Tin Man the heart?” Gavin asked. Gilbert’s joke wasn’t even funny if the reference wasn’t correct.

“How did this happen?” Gilbert asked, gesturing his hands between them, and taking a seat opposite. Gavin’s hand, entwined in Sabrina’s, tensed. She must have noticed because her thumb stroked him lightly. She didn’t stop there though. Her other hand came to his thigh in a searing protective gesture.

“We hit it off when I drove her home after Mom’s party,” was Gavin’s practiced reply.

Gilbert waved it away and turned to Sabrina. He leaned forwards, gaze lethal. “What, did he recite the daily gains on the DOW Jones? Take you to a fancy restaurant?”

Was this some sort of misguided brotherly support? Gavin didn’t know if he should be flattered that his brother was trying to protect him from gold diggers or offended that he thought women would only date him for his perceived wealth.

“N-no,” Sabrina said, taken aback.

“Back off, Gilbert.”

“He’s not some meal ticket,” Gilbert said plainly.

“I’m not dating him for his money.” Sabrina took on what Gavin now knew as her battle stance. Eyes focused, shoulders back, chin high. She used it often enough with him.

Gilbert smirked. “Why are you dating him then?”

“Because I see the thoughtful soul underneath his prickly exterior. Because he’s supportive and understanding and I…enjoy hanging out with him. And because he lets me be myself,” she added, her voice going a little soft at the end.

Gavin fought to keep his body still and face impassive, though it felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest. Ironic, since the pressure was being caused by the tiniest of people. No one ever said things like that about him. He hid his underlying devotion to the important people in his life beneath his cold exterior—yet she saw through to it. Her hand squeezed his thigh and he let out a ragged breath.

Gilbert stroked his chin. “Shit. Well, sorry, Sabrina. I’m happy to see someone appreciate Gavin for once. God knows I don’t.” Gilbert gave him a little smile. “I’ve antagonized one brother, where’s Gabe?” He looked around the bar. Gavin nodded in Gabe’s direction.

“Damn,” Gilbert whistled. “Good for him. I keep telling him to shoot his shot with the ladies. He’s just so shy.” Gilbert’s eyes scanned over Véro. “I’ll go say hi.” He motioned to the bartender as he stood.

“Leave him alone, Gilbert.”

“I’m not going to cockblock him, bro. Why do you always assume the worst?”

Before Gilbert could leave them, the couple in question stood up. Véro studied the doorway as they crossed back over. Gavin heard a hushed, “Shit,” come from beside him.

“Um, I need to say hi to someone,” Sabrina explained.

She wrestled her hand from Gavin’s and walked over to greet a man in the restaurant doorway. He had a bouquet of flowers in hand.

“ Calice , can’t he leave her alone?” Véro said from behind him.

“What did you say?” Gabe asked, moving to position himself so that Véro was in his line of vision.

“That’s Dunderhead Duncan. Her ex-fiancé,” Véro responded.

“Fiancé. Shit. What happened? I’m Gilbert by the way.” Gilbert shot a seductive glance at Véro. She didn’t notice, as the whole group huddled at the table to watch Sabrina greet the blond, curly-haired man with a hug.

“Duncan dumped her after her mom died,” Véro explained.

“Did you say after her mom died?” Gabe asked.

Véro nodded at him.

“Ouch. Poor Sabrina.”

Gavin watched as the man touched her arm. Sabrina tried to brush it off, but he gripped her tighter.

“Downnnn, Gavin,” Gilbert said. Gavin hadn’t even noticed he’d tried to stand. “You gotta let her sort this out, man. Besides, I ordered shots for the table. ”

“I’m driving,” Gavin snapped.

“Me too,” Gabe said.

Gilbert dropped another sultry glance at Véro. “Looks like it’s only the two of us…Véro was it?”

She looked him up and down. “ Voyons , Sabrina wasn’t kidding about the family genetics.”

Shots appeared, which Véro and Gilbert shared, but Gavin blocked out the rest of the conversation. His gaze was fixated on Sabrina and the blond, sitting cozily together next to the window. Duncan reached for her hand. Gavin wanted to rip the man’s arm off. He didn’t want Sabrina to “sort this out” because he knew what the outcome would be.

She wasn’t his. This was a fake relationship. God, what had gotten into him. Those words she’d said about him before—that he was thoughtful, supportive, pleasant to be around—that wasn’t him. It was all pretense.

She’d been engaged to this man, had a history that probably didn’t include scowling, growling, and all-round unpleasantness thrown at her every two seconds. Gavin had never considered the validity of the curse before—until he met Sabrina. And now, all those silly childhood longings from his father’s recitations were making a mockery of him.

“…I curse these babes to a fated love

Where opposites attract.

A mirror, an inverse, always the reverse

Duality comes with the pact.

The first child will be marred with secrets aplenty

The burden too big for one person.

He’ll learn to share, or forever despair.

Instead of love, his condition will worsen. ”

Gavin had never hated the stupid verse more in his life. He’d been burying his head in the sand like a fool, which only allowed the jealousy to course through him with a venomous grip. In all his careful planning he’d only calculated the risks to his career, his finances, his ego. But his faulty analysis hadn’t considered the fatal flaw in this “business arrangement”: his heart.

Véro bumped Gavin’s shoulder, rousing him from his attempt to maim Duncan with a death stare. Her head lolled over towards Sabrina. “Why is she still talking to him? Tabernak , she always does this. I know she sees the best in people, but she’s way too nice.”

“What are you talking about?” Gavin snapped at her.

“Oh, come on, you haven’t noticed? It’s like she tries to mold her personality to the person she’s dating. The girl would probably describe Voldemort as misdirected and passionate.”

“She’s not like that with me.”

Sabrina spoke her mind about her business and how she expected to be treated. She was the only person outside his family who didn’t back down from him. It was only further proof that he’d misinterpreted the situation.

“ Sacré le camp, Duncan, ” Véro cried out towards the couple.

“You feeling alright, Véro?” Gavin asked.

Her head swivelled to look at him, her eyes unfocused. “No. Not even a little bit. I think I need to go home,” she said, her voice low and uneven.

The men exchanged looks—and a plan materialized in Gavin’s head. “Gabe, you and Sabrina should take Véro home. Gilbert, you can stay with me.”

“Sabbbrriiinnnaaaa,” Véro hollered at her friend, who said goodbye to the blond. This “Duncan” kissed her on the cheek and Gavin’s hands balled into fists. Sabrina crossed back over to the group, cheeks flushed, a concerned look on her face as she saw Véro .

Motioning to Gilbert, Gavin grabbed his jacket, realizing the birthday gift he’d gotten Sabrina was tucked underneath it. The sight of it made him feel an even bigger fool. He pushed the box into Sabrina’s hands unceremoniously before bidding the group a hasty goodbye, attempting to drag Gilbert out as quickly as he could.

“Gavin, wait—” she yelled after him, but he pretended not to hear. He didn’t need patronizing words or placating speeches—he needed a healthy dose of reality.

The one wrinkle in his plan was that the last person he wanted to be trapped in a car with right now was Gilbert.

“Damn, Gav, looks like you might have a little competition for our fair Sabrina. Don’t worry brother, I think she’s it for you. She’s your curse girl.”

Gavin ground his teeth together, wishing Gilbert would take a hint for once in his life and stop talking.

“I always hoped I’d be the first one to fall victim to the curse. Lord knows I’ve dated enough women to warrant the honour. But if it wasn’t going to be me, I’m glad it’s you and the lady astrologer—I like her.”

“She’s not my curse girl,” he bit out, silently issuing a warning with his gaze at the pedestrians trying to jaywalk as he navigated the system of one-way streets out of Byward Market.

“Of course she is. She’s your complete opposite.”

“Gilbert, please shut up.”

“She’s short, you’re tall.”

“Gilbert.”

“She’s pleasant to be around, you’re not. It’s a perfect match.”

“We’re not really dating,” he yelled at his brother, unable to contain the frustration and embarrassment needling him.

“Wait, what?”

“It’s a business arrangement,” he explained, trying to regain some of his composure .

“So…like a sex thing?”

“No. No sex.”

“I don’t understand.”

Gavin let out a deep breath. “She’s attending the corporate retreat next weekend as my date. Tonight was our ‘dress rehearsal’ in public as a couple. I’m glad to hear we were convincing.”

“She’s pretending to be your girlfriend for some work thing?” Gilbert looked at him with the same sort of suspicion he’d held earlier in the evening.

“I was under a lot of pressure to bring a significant other to this event—the board is making the selection for the promotion, and I thought she could help me. She makes friends easily. The board are idiots—they care more about feelings than tangible results.”

“Dude. If you needed someone to be a pretend girlfriend, I could have made arrangements with one of my acting friends—”

“Who you’ve probably slept with.”

“I thought it wasn’t a sex thing? Are you, or are you not sleeping together?”

“We’re not fucking,” he yelled back at his brother, before attempting to level his voice again. “I’m helping her out with some business stuff. It’s a mutually beneficial partnership.”

“Oh fuck off. She’s nice and you’re going to break that poor girl’s heart.”

Gavin scoffed. “Bit like the pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think?”

“Hey, at least I’m honest about my feelings, even if they are sometimes fleeting. You’re sitting here in flat denial if you think you’re not into her. I haven’t seen you smile like that in years, Gav, not since Dad died.”

“It wasn’t real,” Gavin said.

“Please, I got all the acting talent in this family. ”

“I can barely stand the woman. She’s constantly late, unable to make a decision to save her life, and dresses like a fairy grandmother. Not to mention there is not enough room in my apartment for all her cat artwork.”

“That’s taking it a bit far, Gav.”

“No, taking it too far would be to say that she’s a naive, delusional pushover, who I wouldn’t date if my life depended on it.”

Who he couldn’t date. Couldn’t love. Because his life really would fall apart.

“I can’t believe you would do something like this. Mess with that poor girl, for what? A job?”

No, not just for a job , Gavin wanted to scream. For you, Gareth and Gabe to go to school. For the upgrade on Gabe’s devices. Now it was for the roof. The furnace. Savings for mom’s post-op care. For the rent on your goddamn apartment.

“It’s for the money, yeah.”

“God, Gavin. I knew you were cold, but that’s just…ruthless. Honestly, you’re the delusional one if you can’t admit you’re in deep here.” Gilbert shook his head as he got out of the car, but turned for one final shot before slamming the door. “Perhaps it’s a good thing she’s not your curse girl, because honestly, she deserves a hell of a lot better than you.”