her.
When I left David’s office, I took the files I was in the middle of reviewing with me, and I turned the lights out. Waiting twenty-four hours to see her, now that I knew for sure I would actually see her again, was going to be difficult.
* * * *
I watched her enter the restaurant the next night. The maître d’ helped her out of the light grayish-brown jacket she wore. It covered an equally light peach dress. It was a slip dress made of satin or silk, and it shimmered slightly in the overhead light. She wore a long strand of pearls knotted around her neck and a long silver necklace too. She looked eclectic but nice, and the light brown ankle boots she wore highlighted her slender legs. Her hair was parted down the center, and it hung straight and long over her shoulders.
She scanned the small restaurant, and the maître d’ ushered her my way. She paused mid-stride the moment her eyes took me in. She looked around, seemingly confused, and when her focus returned to me, her brow furrowed and she shook her head. The poor maître d’ was watching her concernedly as he now stood beside our small table for two.
As she approached, he pulled her chair out for her. She paused yet again, clearly deciding whether she intended to sit or not.
“Come on, Gabe. I don’t bite.” I smiled at her.
She finally took the chair. “You do actually.”
I chuckled.
“And David is…?”
“Traveling. I was afraid you’d get lonely without him.”
She hummed. “Did you?” She cocked her head coolly to the side.
“No, not really.” I smirked. “I did, however, think we should get to know one another better.”
She scoffed as she leaned back in her chair. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Well, we have all night to decide whether it’s a good idea or not, so how about you reserve judgment for the time being.” I studied her for a moment. “Surely you thought there was a chance it might be me contacting you, and yet…you came anyway.”
She said nothing, but her eyes flitted away for a moment. Busted.
When the waiter arrived, I ordered a bottle of wine, and we both started scanning the menu. It was thoroughly confusing. Nothing much made sense on the menu, just random ingredients, most of which I couldn’t identify.
I’d chosen the restaurant on the recommendation of David’s secretary. She called it “divine art on a plate.”
Looking around, that’s exactly what I was seeing.
I pulled an audible and pointed randomly at the menu when the waiter returned, and from the looks of it, that’s exactly what Gabe did as well. I gawked once the waiter was gone. It was all a bit pretentious for my taste, but I was all about the pretense. Pretense was my life, after all.
Gabe was studying me when I finally looked back at her, but she wasn’t smiling. She wasn’t even frowning; she was just watching solemnly.
“Tell me about yourself.” I opened the conversation, expecting nothing whatsoever to be handed to me easily. But it was surprising what you could learn about a person when they were trying to keep you from learning.
“No.”
A small smile tugged at my lip. “Tell me about your sister. Jessa, isn’t it?” I knew it was Jessa because I didn’t forget names, and I didn’t forget details.
“No.”
“No, her name’s not Jessa, or no, you’re going to be a defiant brat and not answer any of my questions?”
She stared at me, saying nothing.
“You’re going to make this difficult, aren’t you?”
“Very.”
“I’m not at all opposed to a power struggle, Gabe. I’m not even opposed to letting you have the power if that’s what you need. Of course, you already know that.” I smiled sweetly, lifting my glass of wine to my lips. “I’m just asking for a little conversation.”
She sighed, looking away for a moment.
“Do you have a job besides this?”
“What do you think?” She smiled tauntingly at me this time. She hadn’t said it sarcastically, though, and the
When I left David’s office, I took the files I was in the middle of reviewing with me, and I turned the lights out. Waiting twenty-four hours to see her, now that I knew for sure I would actually see her again, was going to be difficult.
* * * *
I watched her enter the restaurant the next night. The maître d’ helped her out of the light grayish-brown jacket she wore. It covered an equally light peach dress. It was a slip dress made of satin or silk, and it shimmered slightly in the overhead light. She wore a long strand of pearls knotted around her neck and a long silver necklace too. She looked eclectic but nice, and the light brown ankle boots she wore highlighted her slender legs. Her hair was parted down the center, and it hung straight and long over her shoulders.
She scanned the small restaurant, and the maître d’ ushered her my way. She paused mid-stride the moment her eyes took me in. She looked around, seemingly confused, and when her focus returned to me, her brow furrowed and she shook her head. The poor maître d’ was watching her concernedly as he now stood beside our small table for two.
As she approached, he pulled her chair out for her. She paused yet again, clearly deciding whether she intended to sit or not.
“Come on, Gabe. I don’t bite.” I smiled at her.
She finally took the chair. “You do actually.”
I chuckled.
“And David is…?”
“Traveling. I was afraid you’d get lonely without him.”
She hummed. “Did you?” She cocked her head coolly to the side.
“No, not really.” I smirked. “I did, however, think we should get to know one another better.”
She scoffed as she leaned back in her chair. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Well, we have all night to decide whether it’s a good idea or not, so how about you reserve judgment for the time being.” I studied her for a moment. “Surely you thought there was a chance it might be me contacting you, and yet…you came anyway.”
She said nothing, but her eyes flitted away for a moment. Busted.
When the waiter arrived, I ordered a bottle of wine, and we both started scanning the menu. It was thoroughly confusing. Nothing much made sense on the menu, just random ingredients, most of which I couldn’t identify.
I’d chosen the restaurant on the recommendation of David’s secretary. She called it “divine art on a plate.”
Looking around, that’s exactly what I was seeing.
I pulled an audible and pointed randomly at the menu when the waiter returned, and from the looks of it, that’s exactly what Gabe did as well. I gawked once the waiter was gone. It was all a bit pretentious for my taste, but I was all about the pretense. Pretense was my life, after all.
Gabe was studying me when I finally looked back at her, but she wasn’t smiling. She wasn’t even frowning; she was just watching solemnly.
“Tell me about yourself.” I opened the conversation, expecting nothing whatsoever to be handed to me easily. But it was surprising what you could learn about a person when they were trying to keep you from learning.
“No.”
A small smile tugged at my lip. “Tell me about your sister. Jessa, isn’t it?” I knew it was Jessa because I didn’t forget names, and I didn’t forget details.
“No.”
“No, her name’s not Jessa, or no, you’re going to be a defiant brat and not answer any of my questions?”
She stared at me, saying nothing.
“You’re going to make this difficult, aren’t you?”
“Very.”
“I’m not at all opposed to a power struggle, Gabe. I’m not even opposed to letting you have the power if that’s what you need. Of course, you already know that.” I smiled sweetly, lifting my glass of wine to my lips. “I’m just asking for a little conversation.”
She sighed, looking away for a moment.
“Do you have a job besides this?”
“What do you think?” She smiled tauntingly at me this time. She hadn’t said it sarcastically, though, and the
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