"Gabriele! What are you doing?" A woman asked, stifling back giggles as she was pushed up against a wall.

Gabriele grinned, a charming grin that made any woman's heart melt at the sight of it. He chuckled as his hands slipped onto the hips of the woman in front of him, pushing her against the wall behind her. She was tall, but not quite as tall as the man hovering above her and as she bit her lip, her silken blonde curls fell around her face. She was cute in an attractive way, she was the kind of girl who could easily worm her way into any man's heart. His hands dragged down along her waist, down over her hips, his fingers running across the dark blue material of her dress that was just a little too short.

"What does it look like, hm?" Gabriele hummed, a smooth tone to his voice, thick in an Italian accent as he grew closer to the woman, his breath warm against her ear. Giggles erupted from the girl as he nuzzled against her neck, his lips grazing along the soft, delicate cream-colored skin. His fingers stopped just above the hem of her skirt before his hands dared to venture further, brushing across the smooth skin of her thighs. He could hear the gasp escape the girl as she tilted her head, inviting his lips to wander and explore. His placed gentle kisses along the curve of her neck and he could feel her tense under his touch.

The girl, Lydia by the name tag on her dress, moved slightly after a few moments as her hands pressed against his shoulders, though it was in no shape or form to push Gabriele away. She cleared her throat, bringing them both slightly out of their daze. "It's late..." She breathed, tilting her head lightly against the man, "I should really be getting home," she added a moment later, her voice returning to her, "and you mister, have to get some sleep tonight." Lydia purred, her hands running over his broad chest and over his shoulders before a hand caressed along his cheek. Gabriele rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh through his nose as he began to release her.

Lydia brushed her fingers through the thick short beard that littered his face before her fingers combed through his deep chocolate curls, relishing in how soft his hair felt through her fingers. She brushed strains of hair out of his face, smiling warmly at the man, who returned the warm smile wholeheartedly and she looked into those big, brown eyes of his, how much care they held behind them, but also how much worry and concern filled the void.

She loved spending time with her boss, she knew this was a game to the both of them, a way to blow off some steam when life got too stressful. It was never something that was going to be serious, even with how it felt sometimes. She was sweet and tender and caring to the man, but she wasn't what he needed. He was falling apart and didn't even realize it.

"You're such a tease." He joked, grinning that same charming, heart-melting grin.

Lydia giggled, shaking her head as she pulled her hands away from Gabriele and they moved to smooth out her dress. "Nah, I'm just realistic and I do want to sleep tonight," she teased in return, patting Gabriele on the cheek before wandering away to gather her things. "Get some sleep!" She called from the back, her tone causing him to flinch slightly.

As she returned, a slight frown crossed her lips as she looked around at the empty restaurant, avoiding his eyesight for a moment before looking up at him. "Shame that new girl didn't work out." She saw Gabriele tense for a moment before sighing.

"Can't blame her for getting the wrong idea though." Gabriele gritted his teeth.

Lydia closed the distance between the two, her hands reaching up, her fingertips soft and gentle on his cheeks as she turned his head to look at her. He sighed again. "I didn't do anything wrong, Lydia."

"I know you didn't, you big goof."

"My life is a complicated mess..." He nuzzled into her hand and she ran a hand through his hair.

"Gabe, I know you better than anyone. I know how messy your life can be. I just... think you shouldn't close yourself off entirely from the idea of having someone."

He opened his eyes, looking at her as a hurt expression crossed his face and he looked down, avoiding her eyes. He knew she was right, but he wouldn't admit it.

"I'm going to get going, Gabe. I'll see you tomorrow, alright? Don't beat yourself up, I never meant to bring up the topic to hurt you." She leaned up, kissing his cheek before wandering away.

Gabriele chuckled, smiling warmly at Lydia and watching for a moment before he glanced at his watch. It was pretty late now, the rest of the world safely tucked away into their beds. He ran a hand tiredly through his hair as he listened to the small jingle of the bell above the door, then turned his back and made his way to his office to take care of a few things before calling it a night himself.

As he walked through the pub, he looked around at the life that he had built himself. It was a good life, one that he enjoyed and was proud of, he loved his life. The pub was generally very busy with locals and people looking to escape the drag of everyday life. It was out-of-the-way, homey, somewhat quiet. Unlike many other places in the large, rather overpopulated city, the little community Gabriele called home was peaceful, serene. Rarely did anyone hear a ruckus besides for the loud yells and laughs of children playing in the street and everyone knew one another. Kept each other safe and sort of became one large family over the years.

The strip of businesses Gabriele called home had been there long before he was even born thirty-something long years prior and he had grown up knowing the people who ran them, watching as stores grew but yet never closed, aside from one of two fires that claimed a section of the strip. His little pub, a homey rustic place at the corner of the strip was now known to be the second home to a great deal many of people. Above the bar laid an apartment for one and Gabriele claimed it as his own, preferring to stay close to his business and not really desiring anything bigger for himself, as it had only ever been him and everything he needed was in the same building. It wasn't much but it was his.

Gabriele walked through the thin hallway and rounded the corner to face a locked door. He took out his keys and quickly found the key belonging to the door and pushed through it as he unlocked it, closing the door behind him. Exhaustion was suddenly hitting the man now that his adrenaline was wearing off and the toll of the day was looming over him. It had been a long, tiring day of dealing with drunken patrons but he had dealt with it the best he could. Now he had just wanted to sleep but instead would have to focus on his books for a few more moments before hitting the sack. He yawned widely as he tiredly rubbed at his eye, his hand searching the wall for the light switch and as his fingers met the smooth, cold plastic, he flicked on the switch with one smooth motion, the light above him flickering to life.

The office was small and cozy, filing cabinets lining one wall and a deep mahogany desk resting against the other, an old beat up green desk chair left facing the door. Papers were scattered across the desk, most just loose pieces of paper with numbers and letters scrawled across them, only making sense to the madman who had written them. He ran a hand through his hair as he let out a sigh and as he sat in the beat-up chair, his fingers loosened a few buttons on his now wrinkled button-up shirt. He leaned over a bit, ducking his head under the desk as his fingers skillfully moved across the dial of an old, large safe and it was a moment later that it gave way and opened with a loud thunk, the door pulling open with a creek. He pulled out everything he needed, the records book for the pub, some other documents and the pouch of money from that day's sales before sitting up straight, his foot nudging the door mostly closed.

By now the pub was quiet and dark, the only light coming from the clouded, old windows as the street lamps shone brightly. Gabriele could still smell the scent of the wood burning even with the old pizza oven long cooled. He loved the smell of embers, how comforting they were. It was his childhood and such a nostalgic feel. He shook his head and as one hand flipped through the pages of the worn pages of the records book, his other pulled open a drawer and pulled out a half drank bottle of rich brown liquid. He then placed the bottle on the desk then withdrew a glass as well, the glass clinking as he placed it on the desk before his hand wrapped around the neck of the bottle and his fingers unscrewed the cap. He poured himself a glass, not too full but not too empty, just enough to get the job done then placed the bottle in its place once more.

He brought the glass to his lips, taking a long but slow sip, the taste of whiskey washing over his tongue, coating it. As he placed the glass down once more, his eyes wandered the page, numbers flooding his mind. He was used to this lifestyle, it was all he knew. He was good at it and it paid the bills, made people think he was responsible, and he was well respected for it. He had everything he could have ever wanted, yet he always felt so empty. So incomplete.