“Just what I wanted you to say.” He flashed his eyes at Gabriel. “I assume that you are free? The single life, as is your calling, means that you can do what you wish, when you wish it, yes?”
“I can…”
“Wonderful.” He clapped Gabriel on the shoulder again. “I met some young women just yesterday, true beauties the likes of which you have never seen. I told them I would meet them today in London for a drink, and I promised to bring friends.” He grinned wickedly. “Shall we go to them? See if we can’t have some fun like old times.”
“Fun?” A lump appeared in Gabriel’s throat again and he tried to swallow it, but the way his stomach rose made that difficult.
“Yes, fun,” he confirmed. “Two bachelors, a couple of single women, some drinks…” He looked suggestively at Gabriel. “I can’t help but think that you need it most.”
“That sounds… that is… right now?”
“Better now than never at all.”
Was this a few months ago, Gabriel would not have hesitated to say yes to Sommerton’s offer. In fact, was this a few months ago, it would have been Gabriel coming to Sommerton with such terms as these. Drinking. Philandering. Debauchery. These were synonymous with Gabriel’s name and reputation, and he rather liked that about himself.
Now…nothing could interest me less.
It wasn’t because he was tired. It wasn’t because he was not in the mood. It was because when he thought of doing as Sommerton suggested, Gabriel felt sickened to his core. Dammit, he felt guilty!
He had no desire to meet other women, and he shuddered to think of what Sophia would say was she to hear about it.
He couldn’t tell Sommerton this. If he did, his friend would know the truth, and that would be the end of Gabriel’s reputation. So, he searched for an excuse, reaching deep inside of himself to retrieve anything he might say to turn Sommerton away without him growing suspicious.
“I would love to, Sommerton…”Think! What can I say?“And was it another day, you know I would be the first one out the door. But you have… today is… I had planned on…” He stammered through his excuse.
“Gabriel…” Sommerton looked flatly at his friend. “Did you really think I would not see it?”
“See what?”
“You and Sophia. Did you truly think that me, your best friend, would not know the truth? That you could lie to me?”
“I don’t know what you are saying.” Gabriel looked away as if in shame.
“You care for her, Gabriel. In fact, a part of me thinks that you might love her.”
“That’s a lie!”
Sommerton laughed. “And that is an extreme overreaction to an obvious observation. Gabriel…” His face softened, almost with pity. “It is not so wrong to care for someone. And it is certainly not so wrong to fall in love –”
“I am not in love.” He sputtered laughter. “I… I… Sophia and I, our marriage, it was for convenience.”
“And that clearly changed.”
“It did not.”
“It did,” Sommerton said rightly. “You may lie to me. You may lie to Sophia. But do not lie to yourself, old friend. Remember, I have spent my life watching you, seeing what excites, what upsets, what changes you…” He raised a knowing eyebrow. “Andsince you married your dear wife, there have been many changes indeed.”
“No…” Gabriel took a step back and shook his head. “You are wrong, Sommerton. I might… I do care for Sophia. But as a friend only. And the two of us no longer being together is for the best.”
“Do you really believe that?”
He hesitated, for just long enough so that his answer rang as false. “I do.”
“As you say.” Sommerton exhaled deeply and smiled in a way that did not reach his eyes, because those still reflected his pity. “Shall we, then? The girls await. And as you have not changed, as you do not love Sophia, there should be no reason that you cannot join me.”
Gabriel knew what his friend was doing. It was so obvious, so damn clear, that Gabriel might have laughed at the absurdity, did it not strike him in such a way that felt as if something loose inside his head was rattled and knocked into place finally.
The world suddenly became clear.
