by Sloan Storm
“N-No you are not!” I snapped, as I tried to stem a full onslaught of emotion.
She just lay there. Expressionless. Exhausted. Where not seconds before, we’d been in an animated discussion about something as trivial as my fear of public speaking, the harsh reality of our limited time with one another came back in a flash. All of a sudden she wasn’t my grandmother but a living ghost, her soul still held captive in its fleshy prison. I couldn’t tell what I was fighting for any longer. Was it for me, or for her?
All I did know was I felt powerless. Helpless. I sensed my fingers curl, threatening to form fists.
“You are making me so angry!” I exclaimed at last. “Why won’t you go back for treatment?”
My grandmother rolled her head towards me and exhaled. “Because I want to die in peace, Fiona.”
GABE
I arrived at my office a little after nine a couple of days after making my demands clear to Fiona. As I exited the elevator and made my way across the foyer, Holly appeared from inside my office.
“Good morning, Gabe.”
I continued to walk towards her, never breaking stride or slowing my pace. “Morning, Holly.”
“You…” she began, as I passed by her. “… have an appointment this morning.”
I stopped and frowned at the update. “I do? I wasn’t aware of any.”
“Mmm, hmm,” she said with a nod. “Fiona Matthews. She’ll be here in about thirty minutes or so.”
I felt my brow hold its furrow. “Since when? And what’s the reason for the meeting?”
Holly shrugged. “I’m sorry, Gabe. She mentioned you’d know what it was about. I didn’t ask her for any more details. Should I call down to the lab and cancel it?”
I had to admit, I wasn’t exactly thrilled with Fiona feeling so comfortable as to schedule a meeting with me as she saw fit. On the other hand, it was out of character for her to be so assertive. I had demanded more of her in that regard. Who knew? Maybe this was her way of showing me she was making an effort.
“Gabe?” Holly said, as I ruminated. “Should I cancel?”
I looked at her, catching her gaze with silence for a moment. “Hmm, no. It’s fine, Holly. Send Fiona in when she arrives.”
It wasn’t long afterward when the time came for our impromptu meeting to begin. After Holly showed Fiona into my office, I reclined in my chair and slid my hands behind my head, interlocking my fingers together as I did. For her part, Fiona sat across from me in a posture I wasn’t accustomed to seeing from her. Legs crossed, lower back arched, tits pressed in my direction. Not only that, but she wore a blue-gray dress that hugged her curves in all the right spots. Whatever the hell she had in mind, the stir in my lower extremities indicated at least a part of me agreed with it already.
Gathering my wits, I cleared my throat and nodded in her direction. “Well?”
She hesitated for a moment and smoothed her hands across her lap. “Well what?”
I chuckled. “Let’s just get right to it, Fiona. I don’t have time for a social call.”
“Who said anything about socializing? I’m here for a work reason and only that.”
I nodded with a deliberate motion. While that was good to hear, I naturally assumed it was news of the worst kind. As CEO, ninety-five percent of all updates I receive on a daily basis are of the bad variety, so I had no reason to suspect this would be any different. I bit the inside of my lip as I readied myself for some disastrous revelation from the lab.
“Very well,” I began. “Tell me what’s happened. We can’t afford any delays right now, so whatever the problem is, let’s just get it handled as soon as possible.”
Confusion spread across Fiona’s face as she looked at me. “Problems? What are you talking about, Gabe? There’s nothing wrong.”
I countered her bewildered expression with one of my own.
“Well, if there aren’t any problems, why are you here?”
Just as I finished speaking, Fiona’s face brightened. Her beautiful lips spread wide as she smiled a mouthful of white at me.
Now, I was suspicious.
I straightened my torso and leaned away from her. The leather of my office chair groaned as I looked in her direction. Yet she sat there in silence for several seconds, just staring at me with a satisfied grin on her face. At last, unable to control her excitement any longer, Fiona bent forward at the waist and wiggled her eyebrows at me.
“Are you ready?” she said.
I nodded with several deliberate bobs of my head. “Oh yes. Quite.”
Her smile widened further, and with that she reclined into her chair. As she did, she propped her elbows on the arms of it and tented the tips of her fingers together. I was, in a word, flummoxed, by the apparition seated before me. I use the term only because the Fiona I knew never behaved with such bravado or confidence. About the only thing I could conclude was that the person before me was, in fact, a figment of my imagination, or I was drunk at a little past ten o’clock in the morning. I glanced down at my coffee cup. Knowing what remained of my bitter beverage was liquor-free, I instead readied myself for whatever it was she had to say.
I gestured for her to speak. “I can’t wait for this.”
And then, in handful of words, Fiona changed my perception of her once more.
“I’m going to do it,” she began. “The presentation.”
For a moment or two, I merely blinked. Convinced I’d misunderstood, I leaned forward in my chair. Placing my forearms flat on the desk’s surface, I intertwined my fingers and tapped the fleshy formation against the wood for several seconds.
“Come again?”
An eager smile and a nod to match emanated from her. “You heard me. I’m going to do the presentation. Just like you asked.”
Hearing her confirmation, I pressed my conjoined hands against the desk.
“Just like that?” I said with a crisp snap of my fingers. “All of a sudden you’re ready. That’s what you’d have me believe?”
Her confidence unabated, Fiona licked her lips in a defiant smack. “Yes. Just like that.”
I’d gotten pretty good at reading people over the years. In fact, the skill I’d acquired in this regard was a point of pride for me. And whether or not Fiona could actually do it when the moment arrived, in that second anyway, she did believe it.
“Okay, Fiona. I’ll bite. Exactly how would you pull this off? As I recall, speaking in public was the single biggest fear in your life.”
She shook her head and cut me off. “No, there’s a bigger one.”
Her comment caught me off guard. I studied her for a split second. I detected the trace of a swallow at the utterance of her last statement. Knowing her personal life as I did, I had a sense of what she meant. Perhaps her grandmother had taken a turn for the worse or debt collectors had come calling. But whatever it was, she’d discovered at least a sliver of the courage I believed she had in her. In fact, I sensed a swell of emotion build inside of me.
If I wasn’t mistaken, it felt almost like… pride.
Without so much as a thought, I said, “Have dinner with me tonight, Fiona.”
Almost as soon as I spoke the words, it was as if I had an out of body experience. It was one thing to keep my dalliances internal. In other words, so long as they remained confined within the walls of the company, I could control the situation… should anything go awry. But now, in an unconscious moment, I’d put myself in a precarious situation, since I didn’t make a habit of trotting out my office conquests for the world to see.
Yet, as I looked into Fiona’s eyes, I didn’t see the face of someone who’d be malicious or take my invitation for granted. But the truth was that it was little more than a hunch. Still, it was a risk I was willing to take and in business, as well as romance, you have to learn to trust your instincts. And now that my question was out there, it was up to Fiona to decide. Her mouth snapped shut as my offer settled in to her consciousness. She looked at me in silence for a moment
or so, but didn’t respond. Frankly, I expected a ‘yes’ but I hadn’t expected no response at all.
“Something the matter?” I asked at last.
She shook her head. The powerful posture she’d assumed moments earlier transformed before my eyes as she melted into her chair, overcome by uncertainty.
“No.”
I scoffed. “Come on, Fiona. You know I’m not going to buy that. What’s the problem?”
She cleared her throat.
“It’s just that, well, I’d like to, but I’ve got something to take care of… at home,” she muttered.
Fiona leaned forward in her chair a bit, grasping the arms of it with her small fingers. Would she tell me the truth? I allowed her to sit in silence for a few more moments until it became obvious she’d divulged all the information she wanted. For now at least, there would be no confession.
“I see,” I began, offering a tone of indifference to calm her. “Perhaps another evening then.”
Fiona chewed her lip for a moment or so as I finished my thought. I studied her as she shifted her eyes shifted back and forth, calculating and estimating. “Could we do it a bit later? If I went home right after work, I could still meet you. Say around nine?”
I leaned back in my chair and looked at her. After a moment or so, I nodded. “Sure. Not a problem. I’ll send a car for you.”
FIONA
Was this a date? Gabe hadn’t said. Did he even go ‘on dates’?
Something seemed unusual about it but I wasn’t in a position to question his reasons and frankly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
In any case, I put it out of my mind and decided to try and do something completely against my nature and just go with the flow. Unfortunately, that idea derailed right away since I got out of the office a full hour later than I wanted. By the time I arrived home, I had barely enough time to freshen up and get my grandmother her dinner before the car would arrive.
As you might expect, she was curious about why I was going back out for the evening instead of slipping on my pajamas and doing what I always did, spend the evening with her. I told her I’d fallen a bit behind at the office and I had to spend a few hours catching up. Between running back and forth from her bedroom to the kitchen and then my bathroom, I managed to avoid her enough so she believed my lie. Or at least, I hoped she did, because as I slid into the back of the limousine, I really had no idea.
It probably goes without saying I’d never been in a limousine before. I found the whole experience unsettling and as we drove to the pricey side of town, I became unable to sit still. I must have checked my makeup a dozen times, tugged at my dress at least half that many. When I wasn’t busy doing that, I started to straighten the liquor bottles and glasses lining the inside of the entire back seat.
Mercifully, we arrived at the restaurant and after the driver helped me out, I made my way inside. Even though I wore the most expensive thing I owned, it wasn’t long before I became all too aware it was beneath the standards of this place. Looking down, I allowed my hair to fall in around my eyes as I walked towards the hostess. As I arrived, I drew my gaze up to a tall, of course, thin woman with unnatural proportions. She looked me up and down for a moment as if she were sizing me up.
“Good evening,” she said, after several seconds too long.
“Hi,” I replied as I closed to within about a foot of her. While I did, I glanced towards the interior of the restaurant. Halved in two parts, it had both a formal dining area and a bar. In an attempt to avoid dealing with her altogether, I scanned both areas for Gabe, but didn’t see him anywhere.
“Table for one?” she said, breaking my concentration. Her perfect eyebrows angled upward as she asked her question. Before I could respond, she’d already made up her mind and picked up a single menu.
Rude.
I thinned my lips a fraction and shook my head. “No, actually, I’m meeting someone here.”
Her facial expression shifted from one of mild disdain to one of surprise. “Oh. Okay. Well, I can check for you and see if they’ve arrived. What’s the name of the party?”
“His name.” I said, clearing my throat for emphasis. “I’m meeting a man for dinner.”
I have no idea why I felt the need to justify myself to her. Perhaps I was just tired of people thinking I wasn’t worthy of a date. Not that this was a date mind you but still, was it so impossible to think someone would want to go out with me? I’m quite sure she’d been the object of every man’s attention she’d come across since she was thirteen, but not all of us looked like runway models. In reality, she was probably a nice enough person but I just wasn’t in the mood. Not tonight.
“O-oh, all right then,” she stammered. She fell silent for a moment and looked me up and down once again as if she didn’t know what to say next.
Really?
First I’m a table for one and when she finds out I’m not, she’s stunned?
“Hawkins.” I grumbled.
Before she even glanced down towards the reservation book, she looked at me.
“Gabe… Hawkins?”
“Yes,” I answered with a nod. “Is he here?”
She never even looked at the book before she continued, “No, he’s not here.”
“Oh, do you know him?”
Ignoring my question, she smiled and grabbed a separate menu. “Right this way. I’ll take you to his private table.”
I trailed along behind her feeling like I should just turn and walk the other direction. It was bad enough I was even in a place like this. I certainly didn’t belong here. Now it was made a hundred times worse by the presence of the smug beauty ahead of me. There was little doubt in my mind as to how she knew Gabe.
“Here you are,” she said, as we arrived at the table.
I swallowed and feigned an air of confidence, trying to not to let her see how much she affected me. I slid into the booth and tugged at my sleeves, tucking my hands between my thighs as she towered over me, extending a menu in my direction.
“Thank you,” I muttered, as I took it from her.
Without a word she turned away, flinging her long hair behind her. It shimmered in the light like fine silk as she walked away from me. As she left, I happened to glance around the immediate area and see at least a dozen pairs of eyes locked on me. Feeling as if I were on display, I looked away as soon as I could, grateful that I had a menu to read.
From the sound of it, Gabe ate here often. I assumed he would be familiar with the menu, so I wasted no time in picking out what I wanted. I didn’t have any interest in staying here for one second longer than required, and I hoped it wouldn’t be long before he arrived and put me out of my misery.
And so I waited. And waited. Aaaannndd waited.
In fact, before I realized it, I’d been at the restaurant for nearly an hour and drunk so much water I wasn’t even hungry anymore. I couldn’t believe this. Was he really not going to show? The first time I ever get invited to dinner by a man and he stands me up! Well, enough was enough. Boss or not, I wasn’t going to let him treat me this way. If he didn’t show up in the next five minutes, I’d leave.
Frustrated, I reached for my purse. Perhaps he’d texted, or maybe my phone was on silent and I’d missed his call. The dim lighting in the restaurant made locating it difficult. I leaned in for a closer look and groped around for another moment or two until at last I found it. Swiping it on, I confirmed my suspicion—not a single phone call or even a text!
I shook my head and as I placed my phone on the table, I grumbled, “Rude mother fu…”
Just as I was about finish my angry thought, I happened to glance up and notice both Gabe and ‘hot hostess’ standing right next to me. Distracted by my search, I hadn’t heard them approach.
Gabe wrinkled his brow. “Something wrong, Fiona?”
Telltale heat flushed me as I locked eyes with him. As for her, well, she simply shook her head in disbelief.
“No,” I muttered as I slid my phone from t
he table.
But just then, as I reached for my purse, what happened next shocked me. Still clutching my phone in my hand, I stared slack jawed as she leaned in and kissed Gabe on the cheek. Placing her hand flat against his stomach, she lingered there for one second too long. There was nothing friendly or courteous about it. When she’d finished, she flung her hair aside, and without so much as a glance in my direction, she walked away. Stunned, I turned my attention to Gabe.
“Hey,” he said, as he slid into the booth across from me. “Did you order?”
I couldn’t believe how casual he was acting. I’d been here for more than an hour, and as soon as he showed up, the hostess kissed him and he wanted to know if I ordered?
Seriously?
I glared at him as he dropped his linen napkin in his lap.
“What do you mean?” I began with a tone of disgust. “Did I order? Where have you been? I’ve been sitting here for over an hour.”
Gabe nodded as he picked up his menu. “Something came up. Couldn’t be helped.”
I scowled at him. In the soft glow of the restaurant lighting, he looked even more handsome than usual. Apparently, I wasn’t the only woman who realized it. In fact, before I could even utter another syllable, ‘hot hostess’ was back once more.
“Gin and tonic, two limes,” she cooed, as she slid up next to him.
Gabe took the clear, icy beverage from her. With a wink, he raised it to his lips. “Thank you my love.”
“Of course,” she said, with a smile. Afterward, she turned and started to walk away and of course, didn’t bother to ask me if I wanted anything.
Gabe finished a sip of his drink and as he placed it back down on the table, he asked, “What are you drinking? Did you get anything?”
I couldn’t believe this. “Does it look like I got anything?”
“You’re my guest, Fiona,” he said, with a casual shrug. Gabe lifted the menu to his face once again. “You should have gotten whatever you wanted.”
“Well, how am I supposed to know that? I’ve never been anywhere like this before.”
“What do you mean? A restaurant?”
