Chapter 23.

**Narrator’s POV.**

Going on another dinner date with another O’Connell brother meant want thing to Tessa- more money to waste on an expensive dress that she would probably never wear again. At first, she had wanted to wear the same dress she had worn on her date with Alex but she figured that it would be extremely wrong to do so, so she hauled her ass to the boutique and got another dress.

After searching through multiple price tags, she had finally found an outfit that soothed her pocket and also her body. Just like the one she had worn on Alex’s date; this dress was also as snug as a glove but the design and color were completely different.

Date night finally came around making her nervous and hesitant- the last time she had seen Gabriel, she had made a complete fool out of herself and had acted like a horny bitch on steroids. Hopefully, he had forgotten or rather, he would not bring that day up but knowing Gabriel, he would never let it go and would find every single way to bring it up whenever he felt like.

While she was putting on her make up, her cellphone’s screen brightened up, signaling that she had a call and knowing who it was, she rolled her eyes and answered, “What do you want?”, she signed into the speaker,

“Where the fuck are you? I have been waiting here for the past five minutes, I am getting pretty impatient”, Gabriel’s voice blared furiously through the phone. Tessa pursed her lips and moved her phone away from her ear to check the time, an incredulous scoff left her mouth,

“It isn’t even seven yet”, she pointed out, remembering him vividly saying in a text that he would pick her up by seven p.m. sharp.

“I do not fancy tardiness so stop whatever you are doing and come downstairs, now”, that entitled little dick! She finished up her make up and rushed outside, not sparing her mother who was seated on the living room couch a single glance. She was not in the mood for bickering and had no time for their usual back and forth.

Tessa could see Gabriel’s slick black Mercedes Benz parked at the other side of the garden and she began to hurry, holding her heels in her hands, looking like a cooperate mad woman- the things Gabriel did to her where seriously unthinkable. She finally made it to his car by seven on the dot and placed a hand on her chest, heaving out heavily after the mini marathon she had run.

Once she caught her breath, she knocked on the tinted window of his car, “Open up you jerk off”, obviously, he had heard her knocking but he had chosen to blatantly ignore her just to annoy her and keep her waiting like she had done to him.

Finally, he rolled down the window and feigned a frown, “Now, that’s not a nice name to call your handsome date, is it?”, at this point, Tessa wished that the ground could just open up and swallow her whole- anything to avoid actually spending any more time with the egotistical Gabriel O’Connell.

“Seeing as you are not a gentleman, I would get the door myself”, she pulled the door open and slipped into the passenger’s seat while he let out a loud laugh,

“Maybe I would do that, if you were actually a lady”, he teased as her ears went pink with embarrassment. She did not know why she found the fact that he had not gotten down to open the door for her attractive- was that even normal? He was a complete jerk but yet, she could not her mind of him- especially after that day. Just thinking about it made her stomach twist and her heart rate increase rapidly.

She had spent all her nights after that day wondering how her life would have turned out if they had finished what they had started. She would have gladly lost her virginity to a hunk like Gabriel- there was no doubt about that. She could still feel his hand roaming her body in a very sinful way and his kisses on her neck felt inspirational.

Surprisingly, she did not want her first time to be magical if it was ever going to be with Gabriel; she wanted it fast and rough- something she knew only he would have no problem in doing as he was far from being a gentleman.

The atmosphere in the car was tense but she enjoyed the feeling of not being able to predict his next move. By now, Alex or Kevin would have been holding her hand over the glove compartment or telling her how beautiful she was that night but Gabriel did not even take a second glance at her- he was serious about wanting to make her work for it.

She had to admit though, his bipolar, hot and cold attitude confused her to the core. She could not even tell whether he wanted this date or not and she could have sworn that she was his mortal enemy a week ago but now, she was in his car on a way to a fancy restaurant. Her dilemma was that she could not tell whether he keeping her in this wave of frequent confusion was a good or bad thing; he surprised her every single time.

“I have no idea of what you have been thinking about but we are here. Now, you can get your wide ass off my leather seat”, he thought her ass was wide? That was a good thing, right?

She got out of the car and was finally able to take in her surroundings, “Oh shit”, she muttered, wide eyed, “Gabriel you fucking pussy sucker! Why the hell did you bring me here?”,

“Was I not supposed to?”, for the first time ever, he looked genuinely confused, like he did not know the memories she had in this place,

“No you weren’t, this was where I had my first stupid date with Alex”, Gabriel’s eyes widened in realization although he was not surprised- it was so classic of Alex to bring his next victim to an expensive restaurant just to make her think he was actually going to be serious with her feelings, it was all bullshit.

“Well…”, he began, “You are here with me this time so-”, Tessa had to cut him off,

“That’s the fucking problem Gabriel, I will look like a whore-”,

“Which you are”, he smirked,

“Very funny”, she said sarcastically before plastering on a serious face, “I don’t want them to think that…”,

“To hell with what they think Tessie. The only person’s opinion that should matter to you right now is mine and nobody else”, the words were actually supposed to sound soft but Gabriel being himself found a way to make them sound as harsh as possible, “Now, walk your two left feet and your flat ass into that restaurant now”, Tessa cocked up an eyebrow,

“So is my ass flat or wide?”, it baffled him how that was the only thing she got out of all he had said, but all he could do was roll his eyes and fold his arms over his chest,

“An ass can be wide and flat at the same time Tessie, learn that”, without warning, he smacked her ass and walked into the restaurant crackling like a witch and leaving her dumbfounded.