Or maybe a business suit. Could she get away with a business suit at the Met?
No. Definitely not.
The next dress was a long blue…er…sack. Damn. Even Sabrina had to admit this might not be the best dress to wear tonight. Or, well, ever. Why had she bought this thing? Its only embellishment was a short slit by her calf. Eliza opened her mouth to no doubt voice another snarky comment.
“That looks like a tent that belongs at Ringling Brothers,” Eliza said with a snicker.
“What do you know?” Sabrina snapped, annoyed more with herself than with Eliza. “The only long dress you own is a pumpkin-colored bridesmaid monstrosity from your cousin’s wedding five years ago.”
“And it clashed with my hair,” Eliza agreed, fingering her long, artificially auburn hair. “But, I’ve been around Audrey enough to know what’s pretty. And that.” She nodded to where the blue dress lay crumpled in a small pile of giveaway clothes. “That’s not pretty.”
“I don’t need pretty,” Sabrina argued. “I need presentable enough.”
“You. Need. Pretty.”
Sabrina turned to her bedroom doorway where Audrey stood, a garment bag balanced over one arm. She hadn’t even heard her friend come in. That’s what a business evening with Gideon did. Totally distracted her.
“The earl released you from his clutches,” Sabrina said with a smile then tilted her head, her grin widening. “Or is it grabby paws?”
Audrey snorted. “No, it’s that male octopus syndrome where they suddenly have eight hands.” Her smile turned sly and seductive. “And I love it.”
The three of them laughed as Audrey waggled her eyebrows ridiculously and stepped farther into the room. The diamond on her finger caught the light and nearly blinded Sabrina, but she was thrilled for her friend. Even if it meant Audrey was moving to England to live with her earl.
But at least it’d give her more of an excuse to go to England and shop with a countess.
“I received Eliza’s SOS,” Audrey said with a glare to Sabrina. “Even if somebody didn’t leave me a message about the wardrobe emergency.”
Sabrina shrugged and sighed and didn’t quite meet Audrey’s gaze. It’d been a rough morning, and while the rest of her day hadn’t gone even further downhill, the dress might just defeat her. Choosing one certainly hadn’t helped her mood.
“You’ll call to tell me we’re out of half-and-half and that there’s too much sugar in your coffee, but you won’t call to tell me you need a gown for the Met?” Audrey huffed and walked to the bed.
Clearly her friend was righteously indignant. Sabrina didn’t really have a reply to that.
“Whatcha got?” Eliza asked, all but bouncing on the bed.
“A smile on my face because we’re all the same size 16.” Audrey grinned.
Sabrina kept her mouth closed. It wouldn’t help her grumpy mood or her self-esteem to tell her friend she’d gained weight and was no longer the same size. Taking a moment to breathe deeply and push all that aside, she rolled her shoulders and smiled at Audrey. It felt more natural and she relaxed a little bit more.
Unzipping the bag, Audrey revealed her offering. “A stunning ‘50s vintage gown. In your favorite color,” she added with a wink. “Black.”
The sleeveless black silk taffeta fell off the hanger in gorgeous waves. Sabrina loved the floor-length, full-skirted creation and reached out a hand to finger the fine material. Without a word, she untied her robe and slipped it on, letting Audrey zip her up.
That was when she realized the plunging V-neckline of the snug bodice exposed entirely too much of her breasts. Way, way too much of her admittedly generous cleavage. Hey, at least she could breathe. That was something.
But the dress did have pockets, which gave her something to do with her hands.
Despite the beauty of the dress, she was uncomfortable. “I’m not sure this is the impression I want to leave everybody with.” Sabrina pointed to her boobs.
One of Eliza’s brown eyebrows shot up. “Oh, that’s exactly the impression you want to leave them with. Or,” she added slyly, “want to take Gideon with.”
“There’ll be no taking of Gideon,” she told her friend. Again. “This is business. And as much as Gideon might want the Napa property, there’ll be no offering, either.”
She stared at herself in the mirror and tugged at the neckline. It continued to plunge no matter how she tried to pull it up. Sabrina turned to Audrey, about to thank her but decline the dress. She really couldn’t do this risqué.
“Let me finish.” Audrey held up a hand.
Swallowing hard, Sabrina reluctantly nodded. From the bottom of the garment bag, Audrey pulled a jewelry bag. She placed strand after strand of pearls over Sabrina’s head, each a different length, some with crystals interspersed. On Sabrina’s wrist, Audrey slipped on several wide pearl bracelets before offering a pair of pearl earrings.
She still felt exposed in the dress, exposed and chubby. But as she turned to look at herself, she changed her mind. She looked good. The pearls served their purpose and covered her exposed cleavage—Audrey knew her well.
And the dress was definitely attention getting.
“I don’t know,” she mumbled, eyeing her reflection critically.
“Too much of a good thing can be wonderful,” Audrey quipped.
Sabrina rolled her eyes. No doubt another Mae West quote.
“And you never know who at this shindig will think that,” Audrey added and shared a grin with Eliza.
Giving her friends a sideways glance, she returned to her reflection in the mirror. Purposely pushing Gideon to the back of her mind, she thought about tonight. “Maybe you’re right,” she agreed quietly.
Audrey chuckled. “Of course I am.”
Sabrina turned from the mirror and allowed Audrey to do her hair and touch up her makeup. She wanted her hair in a simple twist, but between Eliza and Audrey, somehow her auburn curls remained down in a thick fall down her back.
Just as Audrey was about to apply crimson lipstick, Sabrina shook her head. “No.” She wasn’t sure she could handle being any further out of her comfort zone and reached for her nude lip gloss. It was a minor victory.
“Gideon will be here any minute,” Sabrina said with a quick glance at her watch.
At least she wouldn’t keep him waiting, she reasoned—or have to deal with any more embellishments to her wardrobe. Maybe she should wear that hideous blue sack dress. No, no, she’d wear this. She looked good and knew it, even if she still felt a tad uncomfortable. Reaching for her pashmina, she grabbed her clutch.
As if on cue, the buzzer rang.
“I’ll be right down,” she called through the intercom. Did she have everything? Phone, wallet, lip gloss, tissues. Check.
Kissing Audrey and Eliza on the cheek, she thanked them both, grabbed her keys, and headed out.
Gideon waited for her in the lobby. With flowers. Though he wore just a regular tux, he looked utterly devastating in it. No, no, bad thoughts. They were stupid and absurd thoughts that she had no business thinking. But the flowers had thrown her.
“I thought you’d buzz me up,” Gideon said smoothly.
He leaned down to kiss her cheek, and Sabrina’s mouth went dry. She swallowed and tried to remember why that had been a bad idea, but all she could do was stand there and stare up into his gaze.
Collecting herself with a shudder, she accepted the flowers. “Oh, sorry. Didn’t expect you to get out of the car, much less bring flowers,” she admitted.
And cursed her runaway mouth. Seriously, she had to say that? Of course she did, because being around Gideon made all sensible thoughts disappear. It was one of the reasons she constantly fell back on business. Better to discuss the latest deal with him than try to make small talk about flowers and operas and time alone in the car together.
“What do you take me for?” Gideon asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“Thank you,” she said softly, hoping he hadn
’t heard the catch in her throat.
Sabrina quickly buzzed upstairs and asked Eliza to come down to take the flowers and put them in water. Then, because she knew her friend was all but racing for the elevator and would be down here in record time, Sabrina took Gideon’s arm and led him out of the building.
“You look beautiful,” Gideon told her quietly as he held open the outer doors.
“You look pretty dapper yourself,” she said, easily deflecting his compliment. “Rather different from your outfit this morning.”
Vince, Gideon’s normal driver, nodded to her, and Sabrina smiled at him as he opened the door. Gideon handed her in, his hand warm on hers. And lingered just a tad too long. But that might’ve been her imagination.
Yes, probably her imagination.
Settled into the car, she turned to him. “Do you have final numbers for me for Haversby?” she asked. Always good to stick with business. “I’ll try to put a bug in his ear tonight.”
“We can talk numbers with Haversby another time.” Gideon flicked his wrist in dismissal, confusing her. “This is simply a hello-and-don’t-forget-us meeting.”
Sabrina nodded. He hadn’t necessarily needed to bring her to the Met tonight, but still, if Gideon had spoken with Rowan, the other man might not have been as receptive. And the Napa Valley project promised to be their answer to the Foodies boutique hotel with local wines and prominent chefs. With Haversby’s land as the perfect location.
“Let’s talk about something else,” Gideon said, effectively changing the subject.
Sabrina blinked in the dimness of the car. “What are we talking about besides business?”
He studied her for a silent moment and she wondered what he saw. The look he gave her made her skin tingle and her heart pound.
“Who else do you wear that dress for?” he asked. “I’m sure you have a long list of guys in your contacts list.”
Sabrina was absolutely not going to comment on her utter lack of dates. Or her too-far-in-the-past dates to even count anymore. Instead she gave him a quick laugh and bright, fake smile. “I’m too busy for dates,” she said with a thread more honesty than she’d have liked. “If it’s not Napa Valley, it’s Macau; if it’s not Macau, it’s Vermont or someplace new.”
His eyes darkened and he leaned further. Her breath hitched and she curled her fingers into the fringe of her pashmina.
“You still have time for backgammon,” Gideon pointed out. And had he moved closer? “I like when we play no-rules backgammon.”
Sabrina swallowed and raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “You cheat,” she teased. At least this was somewhat familiar footing. Almost familiar. Better than talking about dates, or lack thereof, footing.
“How can I cheat?” Gideon asked with that slow smile and a genuine laugh. “It’s no-rules backgammon!”
“It’s no-rules backgammon,” she pointed out. She poked a finger in his chest but smiled up at him. “Not declare-yourself-godly-winner-of-the-ultimate-universe backgammon.”
Gideon sniffed at that and caught her finger. “That’s ultimate godly winner of the world,” he corrected. But he didn’t release her hand. Her mouth dry, skin tingling, fingers aching to curl around his, Sabrina tried to pull her hand back. She didn’t try very hard, but he released her anyway.
And damn if she couldn’t decide whether she should be pleased or not about that.
If ever a man existed to confuse her, Gideon Marquez was him.
“But I’m your ultimate godly winner of the world,” he added softly.
Sabrina licked her lips and watched his gaze follow the movement. She had no response to that, but then saw his eyes flick down to her cleavage. She’d caught his attention, if only for the moment. And she was all right with that.
Chapter Three
Sabrina wasn’t certain how she managed to spend the rest of the car ride with Gideon talking about non-work-related things, but she did. His questions about her past dates lingered in her mind, but never once, thank God, did she let slip any hint of her long interest in him. However, she did recall her disastrous dating past, even for just a few moments. Like a bad Hollywood flashback montage—slow motion and all.
There had been Tim in college, but that had ended when they’d received job offers on opposite coasts; neither had looked back. Then there was Ray. She’d made the mistake of moving in with him. Only after that particularly disastrous move did she see more than one cruel side of him. It wasn’t dirty socks on the bathroom floor, expecting her to pick up after him. He was simply mean, cruel, and angry, and directed it at her.
She was never quite pretty enough for him. Never quite smart enough or funny enough or really ever anything enough. Those comments didn’t start until she’d moved in with Ray, of course. And once they did, she moved out.
Sabrina refused to have the same kind of poor judgment she’d had in the past. She’d never jeopardize her job with Gideon Hotels, never jeopardize her friendship with Gideon. Licking her lips, she forced her mind from the past and concentrated on now. On her conversation with Gideon. It just proved that she could be friendly toward him outside the office, and that reinforced her desire to keep things friendly. Even.
Gideon stepped out of the car and moved around it before Vince could open her door. Offering his arm, Gideon escorted her inside.
The Met already buzzed with people; the chandelier shone brightly down on the white marble. Sabrina looked around the foyer and suddenly realized she had no idea what tonight’s showing was. She’d blame Gideon for distracting her, but she’d been the one distracted. Wasn’t his fault she found him so…well, distracting.
Gideon kept her hand firmly in the crook of his elbow as they walked along the wide carpeted aisles toward The Grand Tier Restaurant. She’d been here before, of course; she enjoyed several of the more lighthearted and fun operas, but not in years.
She turned to look for Rowan Haversby, but Gideon steered her in the opposite direction, clearly not letting her go. Sabrina frowned but shrugged. She’d find Rowan sooner rather than later; after all, speaking with him was the reason she agreed to come to the Met with Gideon.
And, yes, her stomach did a little flip at the reminder that she was here with him. And damned if her breathing was a little shallow as she struggled to remember how to breathe properly with him right beside her.
“There are a lot of beautiful women here, Gideon,” she said in an attempt to hold some sort of conversation. Why she chose personal instead of professional, Sabrina might never know.
Gideon looked down at her for a very long moment then glanced around. “Yes,” he agreed easily. “And I’m with one of them.”
She raised an eyebrow but smiled at the compliment. It was genuine and honest and made her flush with the sincerity of his words. “If you don’t look at anyone else tonight, then how is it you’re supposed to get over whatever ex I’m a substitute for?”
She said the words lightly, teasingly, but his eyes darkened with an emotion she couldn’t name. It stole her breath and turned her brain to mush.
“You’re not a substitute for anyone,” Gideon said quietly.
“Come on, Gideon,” she said. “You don’t need to be here with a business associate, but with a pretty girl you’re going to get lucky with later.”
Sabrina smiled at him, still striving for that light, teasing note, but the look in his eyes changed. It hardened, and any emotion she thought she saw earlier vanished behind a wall.
“Why a pretty girl when I’m with a stunning woman?” Gideon asked.
She licked her lips and wasn’t sure if he meant those words or if he was simply saying them. Though why simply say them was beyond her. She studied his face, looking for any crack in the sudden impassive façade he now showed her.
Not knowing how to handle it, Sabrina smirked and ignored it. Gideon didn’t normally discuss his personal life, but if he’d asked her here, maybe he really was hurting more than he let on. Yes, that had to be it; Sabrina couldn
’t think of anything else it could be.
“Come on, Gideon,” she tried again. “What’s really going on? What did this woman do? Stab you through the heart? It’s been a while since we talked about your conquests.”
And it had been, she realized with a start. He didn’t normally talk about his personal life, but he used to. Rather, they used to. When she was working her way up his father’s company and before he’d taken over Gideon Hotels International and was learning the ropes. When they began their games of backgammon and had stayed late in order to make a good impression.
When she’d got her first major project and he’d rushed in with chocolates and hugs, full of congratulations. When she’d realized her crush on Gideon Marquez had gone beyond that. Well beyond.
Sabrina cleared her throat and said softly, “Actually, it has been a really long time.”
She looked up at him again and wondered if he thought the same thing she had, if he remembered their past when they were so much friendlier than now. Now it was business and her trying not to drool over him and reveal her feelings to a man who couldn’t possibly see her chubby self as anything other than a backgammon friend and business employee.
“It’s been a while, yes.” He shrugged but didn’t take his gaze from hers. “I’m not in the mood for anyone else in my life right now.”
Sabrina shook her head and rolled her shoulders, restless. “Fine,” she said, even if it wasn’t what she wanted to say. “If you don’t want to talk about it—”
“No one has stabbed me through the heart.” He gave a short, aborted laugh. “I promise. At least not yet.”
“All right,” she conceded. Sabrina squeezed his arm, tense beneath her hand. “But if you ever want to talk about it, remember I’m your buddy.”
Gideon flinched at that, but when Sabrina studied him more, trying to decipher what lay behind those eyes, she found only calm acceptance. Maybe not acceptance, but she couldn’t figure out what that emotion was. The arm beneath her hand remained rigid and tense, and she wondered if he’d lied to her and the mysterious ex was going to be here tonight.
Boss Likes Curves: A Curvy Girl's Billionaire Page 2
