Design for Love ((Women of Landry's Landing and The Fabrizio men)

by Quinn, Shelli

  “Not really, I think that I’m coming down with something.” Asia said before adding. “So what else is bothering you? I can tell that something’s on your mind.”

  “I had the strangest dream last night, but it felt so real and this morning, I could have sworn that everything in my dream had actually happened.” London said.

  “Did you dream about Gabe again?” Asia asked. London nodded to affirm that her dream had indeed been about Gabe.

  ‘Girl, I’m telling you that you, and he need to smush it up a couple of times, and you’ll stop having those damn dreams. Hell girl it’s nothing like having the real thing, and nothing is more real than a Fabrizio man.” Asia said with a smile.

  “I guess I’ll find out soon enough now won’t I.” London said grinning as she helped Asia up from the bed. “Come on woman, I want to eat the breakfast you made me before it gets cold.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it getting cold if I were you? I’d be more worried about Luc and Gabe eating everything before we get down there.” Asia said as they made their way downstairs.

  Downstairs Luc and Gabe had just sat down at the table with their cups of coffee when Luc noticed the huge smile that Gabe was wearing.

  “And just why in the hell are you smiling like a Cheshire cat this morning?” Luc asked before taking a sip of his coffee.

  “Why shouldn’t I be smiling it’s a beautiful morning, business is thriving thanks to the Landry women, and our family seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. Life is good.” Gabe said as he sipped his coffee.

  “Man, have you been drinking this early in the morning? You are never this happy, unless did you finally get some sex last night?” Luc asked with a smirk.

  “Something like that, let’s just say I made a dream come true last night and leave it at that.” Gabe said with a grin.

  That was all he had a chance to say because Asia and London entered the kitchen at that moment. Before the either of them could sit down at the table Indy and Gio walked into the kitchen.

  “You two knuckleheads didn’t eat all the breakfast did you?” Indy said as she sat down at the table.

  “Well good morning to you too, sister-in-law.” Luc said teasing Indy.

  “Sorry, good morning everyone, now where is the food?” Indy said.

  “Why are you in our kitchen demanding food doesn’t your husband feed you?” Asia asked.

  “Yes I feed her, but lately she’s been eating us out of house and home. The closer she gets to her due date the hungrier she seems to get.” Gio said in his defense.

  “Then why didn’t you just order her something from the café at the Inn?” London asked.

  “It was easier for us to come here besides Asia always cooks a lot.” Indy said.

  “Yeah, I have to. You've seen how much my husband eats.” Asia said.

  “Hey, bellezza you know I have a fast metabolism.” Luc said.

  “Fast metabolism, boy please what you have is a bottomless pit of a stomach.” Gabe said teasingly.

  Asia walked over to the stove and removed two large serving platters from the warming drawers then placed them on the table. She’d made a variety of foods for breakfast Belgian waffles, cinnamon rolls, Canadian bacon, maple sausages. Fruit tarts and several other items everything except eggs.

  “Where are the damn eggs? How in the hell could you cook everything under the sun except eggs.” Indy asked loudly.

  “Listen you ungrateful heifer, if you want eggs you can cook them your damn self.” Asia yelled. Indy glanced in her direction with a puzzled look on her face. London explained that Asia hadn’t been feeling well lately.

  “So you’re pregnant, huh?” Indy asked with a smile. Every eye at the table turned towards Asia, including Luc.

  “Is she right bellezza, are you pregnant?” Luc asked excitedly.

  “I’m not sure yet, but I think so.” Asia replied softly. Luc jumped up from the table and lifted his wife into the air feeling happier than he ever thought possible.

  “We’re having a baby I’m going to be a father?” Luc shouted with joy just as Gigi and Pierce walked in with little Dante, who was growing like a weed.

  “What’s with all the shouting. What's going on?” Pierce asked.

  “Yeah, we could hear your big mouth all the way down the driveway.” Gigi said.

  “We're having a baby.” Luc shouted once again.

  “We don’t know that for sure I haven’t taken a test or been to the doctor, so we’ll just have to wait and see.” Asia said.

  “Have you not been feeling well?” Gigi asked with concern.

  “I’ve just been a little queasy lately nothing serious.” Asia said.

  “Girl it’s not just that, she didn’t cook any eggs for breakfast. When have every known Asia not to make eggs with breakfast?” Indy said as she ate a forkful of food.

  “The sight or smell of eggs making you feel ill?” Gigi asked.

  “Yes, you have no idea how much.” Asia said.

  “Oh, yes the hell we do, we both had a bad case of morning sickness it’ll pass and when it does you’ll be eating everything in sight.” Indy said as she continued to eat.

  “I hope you feel better Asia and thanks for breakfast, but I have a meeting this morning, so I have to go. I’ll see you guys later, bye little man.” London said as she bent over to kiss Dante on the cheek.

  “I’ll go with you.” Gabe said as he stood from the table.

  “Gabe didn’t you get my email? I need you to sit in on London’s meeting because I have to go to the pediatrician with Gigi and Dante.” Pierce said.

  “I haven’t checked my emails this morning.” Gabe said.

  “I sent it to you last night.” Pierce said.

  “I was a little busy last night.” Gabe said with a smile as he glanced at London, who quickly looked away. “Anyway it’s not a problem, I’d be happy to sit in on the meeting.”

  “Great thanks man, also don’t any of you forget that we have that strategy meeting about promotional events for Landry’s Landing and Fabrizio Industries.” Pierce said as he glanced around the table.

  “I’ll send you all an email to remind you, and Mom and Dad will be at the meeting as well so bring your best ideas.” Gigi said as she shifted Dante from one leg to the other. “I swear this boy is gaining weight by the hour.”

  “Wow, then he must take after Indy.” Asia teased.

  “Oh really, I hope to heaven that you are pregnant, because I’m going to remember each and every one of your little wise ass cracks. You know what they say about payback.” Indy said with a half smile.

  Chapter Five

  When London and Gabe entered the office Joan, Pierce’s assistant greeted them with the files they needed for the meeting.

  Joan was an attractive older woman in her early fifties who’d been with Fabrizio Industries for almost thirty years. She’d been originally hired by Serafina Fabrizio as her assistant, and she’d been a loyal employee ever since. Her petite frame and slender figure in no way diminished her take charge persona.

  “Pierce said that you two would need these. I made a fresh pot of coffee for you both in the conference room. The meeting starts in about twenty minutes so when the production team gets here I’ll send them to you. Do either you need me to do anything else?” Joan asked politely, and with a smile as she escorted them to the conference room.

  “No, Joan I think that’s it thanks.” Gabe said.

  “As always Joan you have thought of everything you are the best. I am so glad that Pierce talked you and your husband into relocating with the company. I don’t know what we’d do without you.” London said.

  “It was our pleasure, we love it here and thanks to the Fabrizio’s and the Landry’s my husband’s construction business is thriving for the first time in years. We are so happy here thanks to all of you.” Joan said with a smile as she left the conference room and closed the door.

  “Joan is amazing.” London said as she made hersel
f a cup of coffee.

  “Yes she is, and so are you.” Gabe said as he came to stand beside her.

  “Me, what did I do?” She asked as she added sugar and cream to her cup.

  “The way you always seem to make everyone feel appreciated for the things they do. Few people are that unselfish and considerate.” He said before kissing her softly on the neck. She giggled when the softness of his lips tickled the skin at her neck.

  “You might not want to do that while we’re at work someone could see us.” She said stepping away from him.

  “And, so what if someone sees us, are you ashamed of being with me?” He asked slightly irritated.

  “What, you know dang well that I’m not ashamed to be with you. I just wasn’t sure if you wanted people to know that we’re involved, I mean I know that you don’t like to have people all up in your business.” She said glancing up from reading the contents in the folder as she sat her cup on the table in front of her.

  “That may have been true a few days ago, but not anymore you’re mine, and I want everyone to know it. So I hope you don’t have a problem with that, dolcezza?” He asked as he pulled her around to face him.

  “No, Mr. Lover man I definitely do not have a problem with that.” She said as she slipped her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her waist and lowered his head to kiss her as she leaned up to meet his lips.

  There was a knock at the door of the conference room causing them to end the kiss just seconds after it had begun. They both smiled at each other as they moved around the table to take their seats at the head of the table.

  “Enter!” Gabe yelled to the person on the other side of the door.

  Joan stuck her head in the door. “The production is arriving would you like me to show them in?” She asked with a smile.

  “Yes, that would be great, thanks Joan.” London said as she returned her smile with one of her own.

  As the members of the team filed into the room, London organized the papers from her file in the order in which she wanted to discuss each issue. Gabe opened his folder, which contained mostly facts and figures his specialty. There was also a statistics report on items the women in this area would be in the market for. He smiled when he noticed that a number of women were interested in intimate appeal for real women and at an affordable price point.

  “That’s interesting.” Gabe whispered softly.

  London turned her gaze towards him. “What’s interesting?” She asked as she leaned towards him.

  “Here take a look at this.” He said as he pointed to the page in front of him. London read over the report while the team members settled in around the table.

  She glanced at him with a smile. “Are these numbers correct?”

  “Yeah, Pierce hired an independent company to do the survey, so it looks like you need to add a new division to designs by London.” He whispered as he reached for her cup of coffee and took a sip before handing it back to her.

  London took a sip before placing the cup on the table in front of them, so that they could both reach it.

  “Actually, I have several designs that I’ve been toying with in the intimate department I’ll show them to you later.” She whispered.

  “Great I can’t wait to see them, now I suppose we should get this meeting started.” He said as he winked at her.

  “Thank you all for attending this very important meeting. Most of you know me for those of you who don’t I’m Gabriele Fabrizio, and I’ll be assisting London with the production meeting today.” Gabe said before turning the meeting over to London.

  “Good morning everyone, first of all, I’d like to thank all of you for the hard work we’ve been doing so far, and to say, please keep up the good work.” London said to get the meeting off on the right track.

  An hour into the meeting after they’d gone over the production schedule and timeline for the launch of Designs by London. Gabe covered his part of the meeting then listened to London as she continued the meeting. She interacted so well with others, she was a real people, person.

  Gabe shifted in his seat as he became restless, the lull of her voice was turning him on something fierce. When he leaned back in his chair, his gaze lowered to the part of her legs that was just below her short skirt and just above the mid-calf boots she was wearing.

  He leaned forward in his chair pretending to read the papers that were on the table in front of him. He placed one of his hands on the surface of the table and used the other one to trail a finger up and down her exposed flesh. Gabe smiled when he heard her stumble over her words, before she shifted her stance hoping to get him to stop what he was doing. She had no such luck, especially since the table was high enough that no one could see what he was doing, and they were at the opposite end of the room.

  London couldn’t concentrate with Gabe’s fingers running up and down her leg. It seemed that with each pass of his hand, it continued to move higher and higher. She was going to get him back for this if it was the last thing she ever did.

  She intentionally dropped her pen on the floor. “Gabe would you mind getting that for me, please.”

  Gabe smiled because he knew what she was up to. “No need here use mine. I don’t need it right now anyway.”

  “Gee, thanks.” She said through clenched teeth as she glanced down at him.

  “Don’t mention it.” He replied with a smirk as he reached under her skirt to gently squeeze her inner thigh causing her legs to tremble slightly.

  London flattened her palms on the table before pressing her legs together in order to stop the movement of his wandering hands. That had been a bad idea because he just applied a bit more pressure of his own squeezing her thigh just a little harder.

  She inhaled a quick sharp gasp of air. “Well, I think we’ve covered everything so you are all free to go. Thanks again for working so hard, have a wonderful day.” London said dismissing the team members.

  “Good-bye everyone, enjoy the rest of your day.” Gabe said loudly before adding more quietly. “I certainly plan to.”

  London waited until the last person had walked out the door closing it behind. “I should hit you in the head so hard that I’d knock you into next week. And I would too if I wasn’t already convinced that you have to have some kind of brain damage.”

  Gabe laughed as he used the hand between her legs to throw her off balance causing her to fall into his lap. “Now is that anyway to talk to your man?” He said as he nuzzled her neck.

  “It is when I think my man has lost his damn mind. What if someone had seen you with your hands up my skirt?” She said not sounding quite as irritated.

  “Well I guess I could apologize, but I wouldn’t mean a word of it so why waste time on words I don’t mean?” Gabe said as he applied tiny kisses along her neck while rubbing the area between her legs through her panties.

  “How am I supposed to stay mad at you when you're doing that?” She whispered.

  “Uh, you’re not that’s why I’m doing this.” He whispered back with his lips against her neck.

  A few moments later there was a knock at the door, and London tried to scramble off Gabe’s lap, but he tightened his hold her on her to keep her in place.

  “Just where do you think you’re going?” He asked.

  “Gabe, someone is at the door.” She whispered.

  “And the last time I checked, we were both adults so whoever is at that door, if they don’t like what they see, then fu…”

  “Gabe…”

  “What I meant to say was forget them, now stay put.” He replied. “Enter!” He yelled to the person on the other side of the closed door.

  Joan opened the door at entered carrying a tray of food and drinks. “Sorry for the interruption but the two of you worked right through lunch, so I ordered you lunch. Now eat, oh yeah I’ll just lock this door on my way out. So carry on.” She said with a smile as she slipped out the door.

  “So tell me did she seem shocked to see you sitting in my lap?
No, and do you know why because you are right where you belong.” He said leaning up to kiss her once again.

  “Point taken now can we eat, I didn’t realize how hungry I was, until now.” She said sliding into the chair beside him.

  “I’m hungry too but I don’t think that what’s on that tray is going to satisfy my appetite.” He said glancing at her as he licked his lips.

  “Well, it’s going to have to do for now, because we have work to do and having sex on this conference room is not part of it.” She said as she bit into her Panini.

  “Who said anything about having sex?” He asked.

  “Okay so what were you talking about?” She asked using her napkin to wipe her mouth.

  “Well I was referring to sex, but not the kind you were thinking about.” He said with an arched brow.

  “Then you’re going to have to tell me what you’re referring to because I’m lost.” She said looking confused.

  “Really, you don’t know?” He asked running his tongue across his bottom lip. “Think about for a minute dolcezza, I’m sure you’ll get it.” He said as he smiled devilishly.

  London was sipping her iced tea when it dawned on her exactly what he was talking about. “You know. You are just too much sometimes, lover.” She said laughing lightly.

  “Why thank you, I do try.” He said teasingly.

  A few hours’ later London and Gabe returned home to a smoky house and found Luc in the kitchen.

  “Boy, what in the hell are you doing?” Gabe asked as he walked over to open the backdoor then the windows.

  “Asia is lying down so I was trying to make dinner.” Luc said.

  “It looks like the only thing you’re making is a damn mess. Why in the hell didn’t you just order something from the café dumb ass?” London asked as she opened the oven and stood back as smoke rose out of it.

  When the smoke finally cleared she peered inside grabbing an oven mitt, she lifted the burnt pan and gazed at the charred meat inside.

  “What the hell were you cooking a damn skunk?” London asked as she dropped the pan in the sink.