Who: Gaby Teller & Max Evans What: Literally bumping into someone new When: Early april [backdated] Where: Michael's place of work Rating: PG Warnings:
Gaby had swung by Michael’s workplace at lunch, as she did once or twice a week to make sure that he had something substantial to eat but also because she was doing her best to make sure that the two of them saw each other in a setting outside of a bar. Though she would be hard pressed to say that either of them had an actual drinking problem, it was hard for her to think about times that they met up that didn’t involve alcohol.
So she had started trying to make changes. One of those changes was that she grabbed lunch and demanded that Michael actually take his lunch break - since she had done the same - and eat it with her. Now that lunch was over and he had to get back to work, Gaby had figured she should take her leave and let him get on with his day. He didn’t need her snarking in the background as he worked, offering her opinion on how he was doing things.
Having shut the shop early - the perks of being the owner and having nothing in there that needed her attention and nothing booked in for the afternoon - Gaby had been intending on enjoying a rare afternoon off. She thought she could visit a library, or maybe finally call her mother and have a conversation though the thought of that made her stomach clench uncomfortably so perhaps not. Maybe she could see if she could find that Napoleon gentleman again.
Phone in her hand, Gaby was scrolling through her contacts looking for her brother’s name, she wasn’t really paying attention to where she was walking which meant that by the time she realised that there was someone tall standing directly in her path it was almost too late for her to miss him. Of course, knowing he was there and stopping her momentum were two different things and she stumbled to the side, catching herself on his arm and dropping her phone in the process.
“Scheisse!”
Max had intended to go see Michael as well. He had felt protective of the other man from the moment he’d stopped a fight on the playground in elementary school. Michael’s pride had demanded he insist he hadn’t needed Max’s help and Max’s easy response had helped smooth ruffled feathers. They’d orbited each other since then, friendship taking up exactly where it left off every time they met again, even if years had passed.
Sometimes that sense of duty led Max to feed Michael, too. Invite him to dinner or out to lunch. And sometimes, like today, he just wanted to stop by and see how his friend was and maybe an invitation to a night out.
For the second time recently, Max managed to run into someone, though at least this time neither went sprawling to the ground. Her hand shot out to catch his arm, his other hand found her waist, keeping her from stumbling any further though he didn’t manage to save the phone.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I should have moved.”
Gaby looked up, brown eyes wide and embarrassed, straight into an equally apologetic, sharp-featured face. She could feel his hand against her waist, warm through the fabric of her dress and her breath caught.
“No,” she muttered, dragging her gaze away from him and down to the floor where she saw her phone and felt a sense of frustration and loss at the sight of the cracked screen. “I wasn’t looking where I was going, I am sorry.” Her accent always thickened a little when she was feeling a particularly strong emotion and embarrassment was definitely one of those.
Belatedly, she realised she was still holding his arm and she let go (albeit a little reluctantly), moving to pick up the broken phone. She was quite glad actually that she didn’t have her overalls on, and she would have asked him if she had hurt him but he was much taller than her, and she felt that if they had collided properly she would have been the one that ended up worse off.
For a moment they stood frozen, Max still tense and adrenaline racing through his veins. But as she stepped back he realized that she’d regained her balance. Definitely a good thing and not as serious a collision as it could have been. He could have done some real damage.
The accent registered at least superficially but Max was more concerned about the woman he’d nearly mowed down. “Are you okay, though? No pulled muscles or anything?” Gaze darted to the phone and her rueful expression. “I’m sorry I didn’t manage to catch that, too.” Because he would have had his reflexes been just a bit faster.
Gaby shook her head, one hand lifting to pat his chest in reassurance that she really was okay. She wet her lower lip, “Honestly, I should be the one apologising. You were standing still and I walked right into you. Are you alright?” He certainly seemed it.
She tilted her head, holding out her hand now she was steady and they were both more or less confident that they hadn’t done the other any harm. “This is not the impression I usually try and make on people,” she confessed, “Gaby.”
“Max,” he answered, shaking her hand, firm yet with an inherent gentleness. “And I’m fine. It’d take a lot more than a knock to take me out.” Not that he would mention her size.
“You seemed preoccupied. Hopefully I didn’t just manage to make your day even worse.”
“Believe it or not you managed to make my day a little better,” Gaby told him with a smile that grew a little as she spoke, “though it’s frustrating to have a broken phone, it is a good excuse not to call my mother.”
She waved her hand, “I have just had lunch with a friend,” because that was definitely what Michael was. Granted, they tended to keep their friendship limited to snarking at each other and drinking beer in a bar halfway between her garage and his, but today had been at least an attempt to make something more of it. She tucked her hair back behind her ear. “So I can take bumping into a stranger on the chin. It’s nice to meet you, Max.”
“Yeah, I know the feeling.” It was said with the smile still firm on his face but he and his mother didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye on most matters. In fact, she seemed to laud Isobel for taking the money route instead of Max for trying to make a real difference in the world.
“Well I’m glad I didn’t completely ruin your day.” And then her comment resonated as he realized she’d been leaving the very place he was intent on going into. “You’re friends with Michael?” And yet somehow they’d never crossed paths.
Gaby recognised the tone of a kindred spirit and she just offered him a nod with her brows raised. Other people’s family business was not hers to get involved in unless she had a good reason, and she thought that nosiness was likely not a good reason at all.
Recognition crossed her face a second later when Max mentioned Michael and it was clear to see how things were falling into place. “Ah, you’re Max. It is nice to finally meet you.”
“You have me at a bit of a disadvantage then,” he answered, teasingly. “Yeah, I’m Max.” Apparently Michael talked more about his private life with others. It didn’t bother Max too much honestly, at least Michael had someone to talk to. “Dare I ask exactly what Michael has told you about me?”
Gaby grinned up at Max and lifted her shoulder. “Terrible, terrible things,” she replied, the deadpan expression staying on her face for only a moment before she shook her head, “All good things, I promise.” It was good that he’d had a friend for so long; she was glad that he was so lucky. “He says you’re a good friend, and that you’ve been friends for a long time.”
Tipping her head, she added, “And I’ve only known Michael for a couple of years but it’s good he has a friend like you.”
“Grade school,” Max confirmed, nodding. “Though we didn’t really stay in touch until middle school.” And Michael had been shifting from foster home to foster home the entire time.
“Good he has a friend like you, too.” For all that he’d neglected to mention her. But then Michael always had been a bit enigmatic. “He needs all the friends he can get.”
Gaby laughed softly, “He does. I feel like I’m probably a bad influence though since most of the time we spend together is spent in a bar.” She waves her hand behind herself, then crouched to pick up her broken phone. “Today was an attempt to see him during daylight hours.”
“Nah, I wouldn’t say you’re a bad influence,” Max shook his head. “He’s not drinking alone. That’s a good thing.” And as petite as she was he doubted she was drinking anyone under the table. “I’m sure he appreciated it.”
She glanced up and carefully curled her fingers around the phone, wishing for the first time that she was wearing jeans because then at least she’d have pockets to put it in. The screen was beyond repair, so she couldn’t use it, she just had to be careful not to cut herself on the glass.
“Well, at the very least he has had lunch today,” she tipped her head and stood again, brushing the skirt of her dress down. “I suppose I should let you go so you can see him before his lunch break finishes. It was nice to meet you, Max.”
“It was nice to meet you, too, Gaby. And next time I promise I won’t be so clumsy and you can leave with your phone intact.” He was going to feel bad about that for a very long time.
Gaby chuckled and smiled up at him, patting his arm. “I’ll hold you to that,” she told him as she started moving away. “Until next time,” she said over her shoulder, hand lifting to wiggle her fingers in a parting wave as she left Max to go and catch up with their mutual friend. What an afternoon.