Dawn love

épisode 2

POV of Gabi

The shower water was still running down my shoulders when I opened my eyes. The steam filled the whole room. I reached out to turn off the faucet, then grabbed the towel. Stepping out, the silence of the bedroom hit me like a slap.

He was gone.

The bed was a mess. His clothes had disappeared. No note. No sweet note. Nothing. Just the empty space and the faint smell of him still lingering on the sheets.

I stood there for a few seconds, towel wrapped around my body, staring at the void. Weirdly, it wasn’t anger rising first. It was something else. A strange emptiness. Like something had been ripped out of me too fast.

It had been more than a year since I made that vow of chastity. A whole year of protecting myself, saying no, telling myself I didn’t need it anymore. And last night, in one single night, I had broken everything. With a complete stranger. A man whose real name I didn’t even know. He had called himself Sammy, laughing, completely wasted. I had called him Samir without even thinking why. And now he was gone.

I got dressed in silence. Panties, skirt, top. Every movement was precise, almost mechanical. I grabbed my bag, checked my phone, took my keys. Before leaving, I took one last look at the room. Hotel Normeau. The first time in forever that I had felt real pleasure. Intense. Almost too much.

In the taxi heading back to my place, my mind was a mess. My body still remembered his hands, the way he held me, that calm and precise dominance. At the same time, shame flooded me. Shame for having given in so fast. Shame for loving it.

As soon as I got home, barely put my bag down, the doorbell rang. Clara. Of course.

She walked in like always, that smirk on her face, eyes already digging.

— So? How was it last night with that guy?

I played dumb.

— What are you talking about?

She rolled her eyes.

— Don’t play that with me. I saw you. At the bar. You left with him. I saw you leave, Gabi.

Heat rushed to my cheeks. I looked down. Shame hit me hard. I didn’t answer right away. Clara stepped closer, softer but firm.

— Come on. Tell me. You know you can talk to me.

I finally let it out, voice low.

— He was… amazing. I mean… different. He told me his name was Sammy. Even though he was wasted. I don’t get why he attracted me so much. We ended up… sleeping together.

Clara nodded without judging. Then she tried:

— See? It’s good for you to go out a bit. We should hit the clubs more often. Maybe it would help.

I shook my head immediately.

— No. For now I’ve had my dose. I don’t want more. Men are all the same. f*****g pervs. They just want to get what they want from you. And the second they have it… they disappear.

Clara didn’t push it. She just looked at me in silence.

And me, sitting on my couch, arms crossed, I realized something that almost hurt.

No matter what… no matter the departure, the emptiness, the shame…

I had f*****g loved that moment with Samir.

POV of Samuel

I was still smiling when Bernard pulled out his wallet. He didn’t even need me to remind him. The 500 dollars were already on the table, folded in half, like a defeated loser accepting his fate.

— You won, f**k… he growled, sliding the bills toward me.

I took the money without hurrying, staring straight into his eyes. Bernard wasn’t the type to lose with class, especially not when it came to women.

— Of course I won. You knew I was gonna win. From the start.

He exhaled, ran a hand through his hair, and dropped into the chair opposite me. We were at his place, late afternoon, the sun slanting through the window. The vibe was calm, almost too quiet for two guys who had just been talking about getting laid.

— It was her, huh? he finally asked. The blonde from the bar. The one in the little black dress.

I nodded.

— Yeah. Gabi. Well… that’s how she introduced herself. Or how I called her, I don’t remember anymore. I was pretty wrecked.

Bernard looked away for a second. I saw him hesitate. Then he dropped, voice lower:

— I was watching her the whole night from the start. You noticed, right?

I chuckled softly.

— Of course I noticed. You had your eyes glued to her like a kid staring at a candy store. But you did nothing. As usual.

He gritted his teeth.

— Because I’m not like you, Samuel. I can’t just… throw myself at someone like that. There’s always that thing in my head. The looks of people. The fact that I’m too… well-educated, too proper. I feel like if I approached a girl like her, I’d look like a f*****g pervert. Or a desperate guy.

I put the 500 dollars next to my glass and leaned forward.

— And that’s exactly why we made this bet. Because you knew you’d never dare. And I would. You bet against me hoping I’d f**k it up once. But I never f**k it up on this field.

Bernard shook his head, half amused, half bitter.

— You’ve always been like that. Since we’ve known each other. Too comfortable. Too fast. Too… efficient. Girls look at you and they already know you’re gonna f**k them. Me? They look at you and they think you’re gonna talk about books or your job.

— That’s not an insult, I answered. It’s just that you’ve got a brake. A f*****g tight brake. And that brake stops you from taking what you want. Even when the girl is clearly interested.

He stayed quiet for a moment. Then he went on, calmer:

— When I saw you leave with her, I felt two things at the same time. The first… joy. Because you’re my best friend and you just proved again that you’re the best at this. The second… real disappointment. Because I would’ve loved it to be me. Even once. Just to see.

I nodded. I got it. Bernard wasn’t jealous of my conquests. He was jealous of the ease. Of that lack of fear that was always glued to my skin.

— You don’t need to be like me, I said. Me? I f**k, I leave, I move on. You need something else. A real thing. A girl who looks at you differently.

He raised an eyebrow.

— And you think that exists for a guy like me?

I smiled. Slowly. The smile I pull out when I already have an idea in my head.

— Exactly. I need to introduce you to someone.

Bernard frowned.

— A chick?

— Yeah. A chick who looked like she had a serious crush. A girl a bit frustrated. The kind who held out for months… without daring to say anything because she’s too busy with her job. Too serious. Too in her head. But the body… f**k, it’s tired of waiting.

He gave me a suspicious look.

— And you know how to get that one for me?

— Because I track women better than most guys. I see what they hide behind their polite smiles and tired eyes. That one… she needs a hand extended. Not just a quick f**k and a getaway. She needs an official date. A guy who takes his time.

Bernard stayed quiet for a few seconds. Then he asked, almost against his will:

— And you really think I could…?

I shrugged, grabbing my glass.

— I’ll bring her to you. I’ll put you two face to face. After that, it’s on you. No more excuses.

He exhaled a long breath, then let out a nervous little laugh.

— You’re really a f*****g gold-digger, Samuel. You track them, you understand them, you set them up… and then you disappear like nothing happened.

I raised my glass toward him.

— Exactly. So… what do you think?