Watch Me Take Your Girl (2 page)

Chapter 3

Tyson
took a
bottle of Dasani from the fridge then flicked the switch to turn on the coffeemaker. After chugging down the water, he tossed the bottle in the recycle bin and began taking off his sweater and sweaty tank top on the way to his bedroom. Once fully naked, he stepped in the shower, standing under the rainfall shower head while the water pattered on top of his head and ran down his lengthy body. He was getting a head start today since he would be going to Padma’s Food House to cook a batch of desserts. But first on the agenda was doing something he should’ve done weeks ago – visiting Gabrielle. He had to make things right between them and it had to be done before he checked off anything else on his to-do list today. She took priority.

He’d
be the first to admit that he jumped to conclusions the night he found out she went to dinner with Dilvan. He was upset; furious at the thought of her reuniting with that abuser. But when he sat alone and meditated on the situation, he realized that Gabrielle was a grown woman who made her own decisions. If she wanted to get back with Dilvan, that was her choice.

In the midst of it all, though, Tyson also had a choice
. If he was really feeling her, instead of taking a step back, allowing her to rekindle what she had with Dilvan
if
that’s what she wanted to do, he could take the appropriate steps to make her his, to pursue her aggressively.

Tyson smiled.

Once he made up his mind that he wanted to do something, it was as good as done and he would stop at nothing until he hit his target. He was aiming straight for Gabrielle.

~~~~~

When he pulled up at her apartment complex a feeling of nostalgia hit him. He’d only been to this place once, and that was when he leased it for her. Now, he was back again, but for something totally different. He was back to claim her.

He felt nervous and excited about seeing her again
. He looked forward to having a one-on-one discussion with her this time, not a one-way conversation. It wouldn’t be a repeat of the last time they saw each other.

Parking
in a stall near her apartment, he got out of the car and sauntered to the door, pressing the round doorbell twice. He waited a moment, with his hands tucked in the front pocket of his khakis, kicking a small rock then looking around when he heard another car pull up – a woman headed to an apartment about five doors down.

He took his right hand from his pocket and pressed the doorbell with his index finger once more.

Still no answer.

Maybe she ran out
, he thought. Padma had told him that Gabrielle had a vehicle now, a burgundy Kia Sportage. He turned around and scanned the parking lot for it but didn’t see a car that came close to that description.

“Excuse me, s
ir, can I help ya?” the voice of an older man said.

Tyson loo
ked around to find its owner and saw a gray-haired Caucasian gentleman approaching him. He looked to be the maintenance man for the property, wearing a pair of filthy, jean overalls with a dingy, white shirt underneath. From the looks of it, he hadn’t shaved in years. He had enough hair on his face to donate to a hairpiece charity. “I was just looking for someone,” Tyson told him, “But it doesn’t look like she’s home.”

“You’re looking
fur
the young lady that lives in 4-B, eh?”

Tyson
glanced at the door, then back at the creepy maintenance dude. Was it not obvious that he was looking for whomever lived in 4-B? He was standing in front of apartment 4-B. He rang the doorbell at apartment 4-B. Maybe the maintenance guy needed an official confirmation. “Yes,” Tyson responded. “I’m looking for the young lady that lives here.”

“She left ‘bout two
airs
ago.”

“Oh...okay,” Tyson said,
wondering why the nosy man was keeping tabs on the tenants. And the way he pronounced the word ‘hours’ sounded more like ‘airs’.
‘She left two ‘airs’ ago.’
Tyson smirked. What kind of place did he move Gabrielle into?

“She turned in the keys
, too,” maintenance man extraordinaire added. “It’s a shame she had to leave
like-yat
...from what I gather from management, she’d already paid up the lease
fur
a year.”

“Wait...are you saying she no longer lives here?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying, chap. I’m scheduled to clean out this here place today.”

Tyson frowned and scratched his head.
Gabrielle moved out? Where the heck was she?
“Okay. Thanks man.”

Sitting in his car now,
Tyson scratched his head. He then dialed Gabrielle’s cell phone number and listened to it ring four times before going to voicemail. Frustrated and worried, he called Padma. If anyone knew where Gabrielle was, it was her.

“Hi Tyson,” Padma
answered, sounding downcast.

“Hey
Padma. Um...have you spoken with Gabrielle?”

“Yeah. She was just here and—”

“Where is she now?” he asked with urgency in his voice.

“That’s what I was just about to
tell you. She’s gone...said she was moving back home.” Padma’s voice trailed off in a whimper. “Tyson, what happened between you two?”

Tyson
closed his eyes and let out a long, aggravated exhale. He didn’t know what to say. He’d never told her why Gabrielle moved out. Deciding it was time, he said, “Two months ago, I found out Gabrielle secretly went to meet Dilvan for dinner and it bothered me, Padma.”

“Bu
t Gabrielle doesn’t want Dilvan, and he’s been following her around like a lost hound, trying to get her to talk to him when she’s made it very clear to him that she’s done.”

“I
didn’t know she was done with him then...I mean, she went to dinner with him and didn’t tell me...made me think she had something to hide, but I guess she didn’t. Now she’s gone and it’s all my fault...I should have never gotten that apartment for her. I should’ve just talked to her instead.”

“
It’s not your fault, Tyson. I’m the one who brought her here and now...”

Tyson frowned. No, it
wasn’t Padma’s fault and it wasn’t his...it was Dilvan’s fault. He’s the one who mistreated Gabrielle and now, the one stalking her.

“Tyson, I don’t know
what happened between you two, but I do know that you care for her, don’t you?”

“I do care for h
er, and I need to talk to her.”

“You’ve tried calling, I’m sure.”

“Yes. She won’t answer. Hey, when you get a moment, could you text me the address to her Father’s house?”

“I sure will.”

“Thanks, Padma. I’m on my way to the restaurant right now.”

“Okay. I think Heshan and Prasad are there today
as well.”

“Al
l right. I’ll see you later, then.”

~~~~~

“What’s up, Tyson?” Prasad said, after watching Tyson come in the back door of the restaurant.

“Hey, man,
” Tyson replied with a strained breath, carrying a heavy cardboard box filled with utensils.

“You got more stuff in the car?”

“Yeah. There are two big Tupperware containers in the back seat. Can you bring ‘em in for me?”

“Sure thing.”

Tyson continued on to the kitchen with the box, setting it on the countertop.

Hesh
an was there, in a back office busy typing on the computer. He’d usually order supplies for the restaurant, and now that a second restaurant was opening, he was making sure to double the orders on everything.

After Tyson was settled in the kitchen,
he peeped around the door and said, “Heshan...how’s it going, man?”

“What’s up, Tyson? I didn’t know you were coming here today.”

“Yeah. I’m making raspberry croissants.”

“And what are you making for the grand opening next weekend?”

“Um...not sure yet. Anyway, let me get to work.”

“Al
l right.”

Tyson got busy with the dough for the croissants, but he couldn’t focus
. The restaurant was not crowded on this cold, Friday morning in January and he thought without the added distraction of the waitresses coming in and out of the kitchen so frequently, it would help him concentrate. Still, he couldn’t focus. His mind was elsewhere. His mind was on her. Gabrielle. He was worried about her, traveling alone. Was her car okay to make the trip? The tires? Was she well-rested? Was she in good spirits or was she angry and weeping, her vision blurred as she sped down the highway? He wondered and worried...

“Tyson, you good
, man?” Heshan asked after he stepped out of the office, noticing Tyson’s hands buried in a batch of dough but he was just standing there, motionless, staring blankly.

“Oh, uh...yeah. I’m fine.”

“You sure? Looks like you’re just daydreaming.”

“I’m fine, man. Just thinking about everything I have to do
today.”

Just then, Dilvan came strolling in
to the kitchen with an air about himself like he owned the joint and was coming to collect rent. Tyson glanced up at him, noticing he had on a pair of shades on top of his head. He wore a black sweater and jeans.

Tyson kept on working and hadn’t said a word to him. The men hadn’t been in the same room together in six months, mostly because Tyson didn’t want anything to do with him. Dilvan was his cousin, but he couldn’t
tolerate the man, especially after what he did to Gabrielle.

Tyson chest rose in and out with a quickness and he told himself to calm down.
He wanted to knock the daylights out of Dilvan, but he fought to keep his cool, deciding he wouldn’t say a word to him. He was there to make pastries and that’s what he would do.

“Dilvan, what ar
e you doing here?” Heshan asked. He was surprised to see his brother there as well.

“
Nice to see you too, bro,” Dilvan quipped. “Mother sent me here to pick up some leftover supplies to take to the new restaurant,” Dilvan answered. He’d been trying to get on the right track with his Mother, especially after mistreating Gabrielle. He even quit modeling, so he could have a hand in the company businesses with a focus on the charity portion of it. Padma wanted Dilvan to excel at being a giver, especially since he was so selfish. And Dilvan knew he had to do whatever it took to secure his stake in the family fortune. Getting back on his Mother’s good side was priority.

“If she’s
referring to the extra paper towel dispensers and toilet paper holders, they are in the back storage room,” Heshan told him.

“Okay. I’ll find it,” Dilvan said. “
What are you doing? Ordering more supplies?”

“
Yep, and food.”

“Oh, okay, cool.” Dilvan looked over at Tyson, flaring his nostrils.
“If I knew the
woman stealer
was going to be here, I would’ve came a lil’ later.”

Tyson frowned, still kneading dough
. To him, Dilvan wasn’t worth arguing with and he wasn’t going to say a word at first, but then, deciding not to bite his tongue any longer, he said, “Dilvan, you couldn’t keep a woman even if you had her in your back pocket.”

Dilvan sucked his teeth. “Yeah, I know, because you would pick my pocket
, right? That’s your method of operation.”

“Dilvan
chill, bro,” Heshan said, trying to stop his instigating brother from biting off more than he could chew. Tyson was a mild-spirited man but when you got on his bad side, the old Tyson, the ex-Marine-Tyson would appear and cut a man right down to size.

“Nah it’s cool, Heshan
,” Tyson said. “Let pretty boy run his mouth. That’s all he knows how to do. Anything else and he might break a nail.”

“Is that right?
” Dilvan inched closer to Tyson like he was going to sucker punch him.

“Dilvan, don’t come up in my face.
I didn’t come here for this,” Tyson grunted.

“Dude, you got some nerve,” Dilvan said
, still walking in Tyson’s direction. “You try to steal
my
girl and now you got beef with me.”

Tyson
looked at Dilvan, not paying attention to what he was saying, but watching his mouth move. Dilvan just kept on yapping, going on and on about how Tyson stole Gabrielle from him.

Meanwhile,
Tyson was having flashbacks of Gabrielle naked on the bathroom floor, sitting in a pool of blood because Dilvan had pushed her there. She was cold, shaking, crying and scared. Dilvan did that to her. She was damaged. Dilvan did that to her. She was broken. Dilvan did that to her. Certain parts of her body were covered with bruises. Dilvan did that to her. Now, Dilvan was in his face, issuing threats and being rowdy and aggressive.