Free Gabriel's Promise (A Romantic Comedy) by Jordan Silver Page A

be coming out of his mouth if he caught us.

Chapter 23
    GABE
    We're here, finally, the ride home in the limo was a trial in patience ; the chief was in rare form with the innuendos and
eye rolls I'm guessing he hadn't been as asleep as I thought.
He was being more of a pain in the ass than usual; thank heaven my flower petal
was too buzzed to catch on to half of what he was saying.
And why was she buzzed? Because after our hot and heavy make out session I had
to excuse myself to the bathroom, at which time she finished the last glass of
bubbly.
To top it off Prince Charles had finally had it with being cooped up all day
and was letting his displeasure be known.
"Come on baby we're here." I tried helping her out of the car, my
baby was blitzed.
"We are? Oh Mylanta, Gabriel you live here alone?" She was gaping at
my home.
"Yep." And if I have my way you'll be living here too very soon, I
kept that little tidbit to myself for now though, one thing at a time.
"What are you, the country cousin come to town?"
"Chief!"
" Wh .. . at ?"
"Cut it out."
"Yeah pop, cut it out, we're about to meet Gabriel's family, have to be on
our best behavior." She put her finger up to her lips in a silencing
motion.
"Whatever you say Mata Hari , it's too late for
you not to embarrass me, sloshed out of your mind and it's not even noon
yet."
"Oh shush you I'm not, what's that word, oh hey where's Prince Charles?"
"He's in your hands Mae West."
He turned to me after his last insult to her, I guess it was my turn now.
"See what you've done? I told you not to give her any fancy champagne, but
do you listen noooo , now we all have to take a ride
on the crazy train, if you think she's a handful when she's sober, wait until
you get a load of this mess. You better tell your family not to come here today
unless you want to ostracize every last one of them."
"How do you know, you've seen her like this before?" She was singing
to the dog now and swaying from side to side.
"Once when she got into the cherry brandy, I think she was fifteen, Lord
love a duck, I had to call Geoffrey over to see to her."
" She seems happy enough to me."
He snorted.
"Okay, don't say I didn't warn you."
Just then I saw my dad's car pulling through the gates, I should've known mom
won't be able to wait.
Oh well how bad can it be?
"You got a video camera in that mausoleum boy?"
Now he was insulting my house.
"Yeah, why?" what the hell's he up to now.
"Because I want to document this for prosperity, because sure as spit it's
gonna be one for the books."
"I doubt it'll be that bad, especially if you leave her alone." I
gave him a warning look but who am I fooling? The irascible old goat won't
listen to me.
I turned back to Sam who was now trying to braid the dog's hair. Alrighty then.

Chapter 24
    GABE
    My family pulled up and came towards us, I thought I saw a worried
frown pass over the chief's face for a brief second before it was gone, I
wonder what that was about?
My little sister Jennifer made a bee line for Sam and the dog, I started to
intervene but was interrupted by my parents.
I made the introductions to the chief and turned to Sam just in time to see her
giving Jennifer a very weird look. Oh Lord, what now?
"Are you on something?" Sam was looking Jenny over like there was
something wrong with her, my sister can be a bit exuberant, a little high
strung if you will and I’m not sure that that’s a good mix right now not with
Samantha sloshed as she was.
"Excuse me?"
"I asked if you're on something."
"No why do you say that silly?"
"Because you can't stay still and you're talking a mile a minute."
Dad started to laugh I don't know what the hell he found funny about this. I
glared at chief when he started humming the theme song from twilight zone. If
my mom wouldn't have a fit I would've kicked his chair. So I just leaned over
and whispered in his ear.
"I'll lock you in the attic I swear."
" Good luck with that, who's going to help you with the happy drunk then
huh?"
"You'll