15 October 2010

"House-Fishing - A Love Story" #Fridayflash

I can't not write stories and I love to share what I've done. For those of you familiar with Crooked Fang, here is Xan Marcelles as a human Gabriel Nez and very vulnerable to Jessica DiGiovanni, Realtor...Just a sweet slice. Smile with your coffee and see why Gabriel Nez/Xan Marcelles has stolen my head and heart for ten years. - C.C. 



She kind of gave me the eye as her lips mouthed the real estate words a buyer wanted to hear: Spacious walk-in closets, garden tub, ceramic tile. I don’t think I ever heard ceiling fans said in a sexier breath before. After the short tour (and every other stalling tactic I could think of) we found ourselves standing on either side of the bar in what I’d already decided was going to be my house. I’d buy anything if she came with it. Her first name rolled around in my head and I wondered what it’d feel like to say it in her mouth as I kissed her.

“Mr. Nez?” I blinked. She’d been talking to me for a few minutes and I’d completely not heard her.

“Please, call me Gabriel or even Gabe,” I said, my heart twisting in my chest, wanting to burrow deeper. She smiled, brightening the entire kitchen. I couldn’t help but return the gesture.

“Gabriel,” she said in the same voice that had just described the sexiest ceiling fans in the world. “You seem distracted.” She tilted her head in question. God, she was cute. Cuter than cute, like fine-cute. That smile again. She had me figured out. Had to. I couldn’t be standing there not-red.

“Sorry,” tumbled out of my mouth, “I just…”

Say it. You’re Beautiful. Say it Idiot.

“I just think the house is great,” I managed to finish, kicking myself in the mental balls for lack of the same.

She straightened her shoulders. I had to congrat myself for snapping her back into business mode. “So you’re interested in making an offer.”

“I am,” I said, “Let’s go get a drink. I’ll buy.”

Her eyes widened then narrowed. “Mr. Nez, I am on the job. And I drove you here.”

I licked my lips. I’d already stuck my neck out. Might as well go for the gold. “After work then. Please say yes.”

She blinked. “Yes.” Abject horror. “I mean—“

“Nope, I got a yes out of you.”

Her look of surprise slowly melted into a smile, reaching her turquoise eyes. They had little gold flecks in them. Sigh. “Alright.”

“And call me Gabriel, or even Gabe.”

“What does your girlfriend call you?”

I snorted. “You’re fishing.”

She turned on her heel, her spun-silk ponytail swishing a fresh breeze of Jessica-perfume over me. I swayed on my feet and followed her back outside to the Cadillac.

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” I said as she unlocked the doors. The door handle was scalding to the touch in the sun. I opened the door as fast as I could and we both backed away from the opened car to let the heat escape. She met my eyes.

“I find that really hard to believe Gabriel.”

I loved the way she said my name. It was like a breath with sound, but a Jessica-breath. I was Jessica-smitten. She could’ve taken me in an arm wrestling match because my knees felt like jelly.

“It’s not so hard to believe,” I countered. “I work two jobs, and spend the rest of my time either sleeping or fiddling with things in the house. Aside from a drink after work sometimes, I just don’t get out much.”

“You’re an artist right?”

I laughed. “You know all this stuff about me already. No fair.”

She grinned and dropped into the driver’s seat to turn on the car and I got in on the passenger side. “I know your credit score,” she said, sticking out her tongue.

“You gonna tell me?”

She shook her head and I felt that stupid smile creep up on my face again. The whole goddamn car smelled like her. I just wanted to kiss her all over.

“It’s against the law.”

“I bet you tell your boyfriend his.”

She bit the inside of her cheek to hide the smile. “Now you’re fishing.”

I shook my head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, crazy house-lady.”

Our giggles died down and we were just kind of staring into one another’s eyes, faces drawing closer together until she blinked hard a couple of times and jerked away to back out of the driveway.


Photo credit: EmmiP from morguefile.com

15 comments:

Marisa Birns said...

Oh, Xan as human Gabriel is just so adorable!

This piece made me smile happily on a morning where it's not that easy to do so.

Thank you, Gabe!

Anonymous said...

Think I'm going to have to invest a good deal of time catching up with Xan.
Clever tete-a-tete between the characters.
Adam B @revhappiness

Sam said...

I absolutely adored this, and I agree with other commenters, Xan as the vulnerable Gabriel is excellent. I can see why you love writing him so much. :)

Tony Noland said...

This is a great flirtation scene. Perfect feel.

Eric J. Krause said...

A very cute beginning of a relationship blooming it looks like. Well written. I enjoyed it a TON.

Icy Sedgwick said...

Oh, it's lovely to see Xan before he became the larger-than-life rock star. He's so sweet as Gabriel! But don't tell Xan I said that.

John Wiswell said...

Your affection for them is obvious. The awkwardness between them is cute and you can see it going on a long time.

Pamila Payne said...

You weren't going to flash this week, I almost missed this. Very sweet. I believed him. Hope she's worth it.

A. S. Boudreau said...

great chemistry. :) loved the wit and the banter of these two.

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

Lovely and adorable, Carrie. No wonder you love this Xan guy so much. I'd show him a house any darn day but, sigh, my ponytail isn't spun silk and I don't smell like Jessica.

Dorothy F. Shaw said...

There's my sweetie!!! Love this. Glad you posted it Carrie. =)

Deanna said...

I knew all along Xan had a sweet side Carrie. :) I just love him as Gabe, he's so adorable.

I hope we'll see more of him in this mode.

Anonymous said...

You know I love these. Fantastic stuff.

Heather said...

I loved this. It just feels like it comes from a happy place.

Joanie Rich said...

Awww! Great short! Everyone loves a bit of fluff - I'm sure if Xan saw this he would flip out and try to hide it or burn it! ;D