The Awakening

front of her.

Without looking at either one, Gaby said to both men, 'I'll be back when I'm back,' and she shoved her way around Luther.

He let her pass, but damn it, Gaby saw the disappointment on his face, and she saw the damn gift bag in his hand.

A gift. For her?

Never in her twenty-one years had anyone given her anything before. What could it be? Gaby racked her brain for gift-type items, but she was as clueless in that as she'd been in other matters that involved normal people. She couldn't see Luther buying her clothes, and the small bag couldn't have held flowers or chocolates.

Even Luther wasn't lame enough to buy her any jewelry. Any fool could see she didn't wear it.

So… what?

Not that it mattered; whatever it might be, she couldn't accept it.

She didn't dare.

Legs stiff and stride maddened. Gaby went across the sun-baked blacktop street and down a few blocks until the apartment building was out of sight. The nerves in her face pinched and her eyes burned. They were unfamiliar feelings, and she didn't like them.

Heading toward an empty park bench. Gaby trotted on. She was too antsy to sit, so she dropped her shoulder against the metal lamppost in front of the bench, near the curb, and venomously crossed her arms.

The sun baked against her back, dust blew up on her toes, and she sulked in silence until she spotted a hooker. It was the same one she'd seen from her apartment window. The woman leaned into a car passenger window, and Gaby could see her thong underwear.

Disgusting.

The driver, pulled up beneath the shade of a large elm tree, kept the engine idling. Eventually, the hooker opened the door and climbed into the car. The man driving gave a quick look around, then adjusted himself—and pushed the woman's head down.

Gaby narrowed her eyes and, leaving the lamppost, crept forward. She looked up and down the street, darted around traffic, and gained the opposite sidewalk where the car idled.

Not bothering with discretion, she walked up to the driver's window and looked in.

Irritated, irked, and angry, Luther watched Gaby disappear down the street. He wouldn't chase her down. He'd done that enough already.

Mort came up to stand beside him. 'I'm worried about her.'

'Don't waste your time.'

'Can't help it.' Hemming and hawing, his hands in his pockets, Mort said, 'She's different, ya know? Most of the stuff she does isn't meant as an insult. It's just… she doesn't know any other way.'

Luther sighed. 'I know.'

'You scare her.'

Luther grunted.

'I do too, I think, but I'm not sure. Might just be that I annoy her.'

Glancing down at Mort, Luther felt compelled to say, 'She's lucky to have your friendship.'

'Nah. I'm the lucky one and I know it.' He stepped back from the door. 'You want something to drink? Some coffee? I can put on fresh. While it's brewing I can check the store to make sure the guy I hired is doing okay. It won't take me long.'

'Sure.' Luther came in and closed the door behind him. 'Do you lock this during the day now?'

'Yep.' Rattling a keychain that hung from a belt loop on his pants, Mort added, 'Gaby and I have keys, but if she forgot hers, we'll be here when she comes back.'

'If she comes back.' Luther flipped the deadbolt.

'She will.' Mort headed into his apartment. 'She hasn't eaten all day. Sooner or later she'll show up for food.'

Mort went about rinsing out the carafe and preparing more coffee. Luther drew out a chair. He put the borrowed graphic novel on Mort's table. 'I finished it.'

After glancing back to see what Luther meant, Mort grinned. 'Awesome, huh?'

Interesting plotline and characters, to say the least. It was a page-turner, an edge-of-your-seat reading adventure. The illustrations were incredible.

But on one level, elements of the novel had disturbed Luther. 'I wanted to talk to you about something, but I need your promise you'll keep it private, especially from Gaby.'

Mort went still, his hands hovering over the coffee machine, his shoulders stiff. Then he broke into inane chatter and nervous activity. 'Yeah, I mean sure. Let me check the store first and we can talk when I come back.'

He rushed off before Luther could decipher the crux of his anxiety. Surely keeping a secret from Gaby wouldn't send him into vapors.

And thinking of Gaby, as if he ever did anything else, what the hell was her problem?

While waiting for Mort to return, Luther simmered in his own discontent. How dare she rush off right before he was due to arrive? It couldn't have been more obvious that she wanted to avoid him, that she didn't intend to honor his wish to take her out.

Damned bothersome brat.

He should give her a taste of her own medicine and leave before she returned.

But she'd probably be relieved, not distressed, and damned if he'd do anything to assist her in her efforts to deceive him.

One way or another, he would figure out the elusive Gabrielle Cody.

Mort inched back into the room. 'So.' He cleared his throat. 'Everything's fine at the store. Lots of sales today. Everyone loves a good graphic novel.'

'Good. I'm glad your business is doing well.'

Tension eased from Mort's shoulders. He went to a cabinet and retrieved two mugs. 'Want a cookie? I bought some at the bakery yesterday. I thought they'd tempt Gaby into eating, but they didn't.'

'Tempt her?'

Mort filled the mugs. 'She hasn't taken a meal that I know of in two days. I don't know how she stays on her feet.'

'That's probably why she's so thin.'

'Yeah.' Mort set the mugs on the table and opened a drawer to get the cookies. 'Probably why she's so surly all the time too.'

Luther indulged a cautious sip of the coffee before looking at Mort over the rim. 'That's just her temperament and we both know it.'

Grinning, Mort shrugged. 'I suppose.'

'And that brings us full circle. Can I have your word that you won't share what I have to say with Gaby?'

'Yeah, I guess. That is, I mean, she won't ask me about it anyway, right? She won't know that I know whatever you plan to say?'

Luther took his measure. 'What's the matter, Mort? Are you afraid she'll beat it out of you if she knows?'

'She wouldn't have to. I'm a sucky liar. Guilt always shows on my face.'

Luther flipped over the Servant novel he'd borrowed. 'She won't know.' He turned the comic toward Mort. 'You say you've been reading these for awhile now.'

'Yeah.'

'Haven't you noticed any similarities?'

'To what?'

Suppressing his suffering at Mort's obtuseness, Luther sighed. 'To Gaby. The heroine in the graphic novel and Gaby share some unique personality traits.'

'No way.' Mort looked dumbstruck.