by Ciara Cole
Gabrielle’s mouth opened to voice some choice words, till she noticed the eyes all around them. The other employees had noticed their boss and were bowing and scraping as they went past, while some – the females especially – perked up and preened while looking interested in the exchange.
Quelling her urge to snap at him, Gabrielle came to her senses and wearily shouldered her bag. Left with no other choice, she followed Adam out of the building where magically, a sleek automobile appeared. The driver waited in his seat, while to her surprise, Adam held her side of the door for her. “Get in,” he ordered, so she did. He then went around to his side and got in as well.
The driver must have already had his instructions, because he drove on without asking where to. Adam didn’t start up any conversation and so Gabrielle was reluctant to do so. Despite herself, she missed their camaraderie of that first night.
Things couldn’t be any more in contrast from back then. And the differences between them were more pronounced.
Adam was a jaw-dropping billionaire, twenty-nine years old and the owner of one of the most successful enterprises in New York. With all his money, power and looks, any woman would kill to be his. He was hot, dangerous and sexy. A rich and ambitious man with power.
While Gabrielle was just…Gabrielle. She lived in New York City with her best friend Ayana Hudson because she couldn’t even afford her own rent. Her life was tough, but it had never looked so pitiful until now.
She had a totally different background and lifestyle from Adam, and they had never been meant to cross paths again. But now he was her boss, and it opened new doors to all kinds of possibilities. But Adam was far from interested in any of that. And she possibly had herself to blame.
She refused to regret her actions though. She’d already been reckless enough to sleep with him. They’d both had way too much to drink and let themselves get carried away by their carnal emotions. They’d made one lapse of judgment after another, and it shouldn’t be something Gabrielle wanted to draw out. That was why she didn’t try to see him again or contact him.
But why did all her excuses seem so lame now?
Gabrielle was brought back to the present when the driver announced they’d arrived. Springing to action, Gabrielle quickly let herself out of the car, not about to let Adam do the car door thing for her again. He might have a gentlemanly side when he wanted to show it, but Gabrielle wasn’t ready to let anything soften her angry opinion of him.
That didn’t mean though, that she wasn’t ready to smoothen things over and rid them of any lingering antagonism. With that in mind, she put on a smile and complimented the quaint, welcoming venue of the small, intimate-looking restaurant.
“The chef and manager is a close friend of mine,” he said, guiding her inside with a light hand on the small of her back. It was the barest of contact but Gabrielle felt singed by it all the same. She noticed every little thing about him, as usual. It gave her a good feeling to have even the slightest of his attention, and she instantly berated herself for being so foolish.
He didn’t seem to have an appointment, but one drop of his name and the staff went scurrying around to accommodate him and Gabrielle. The front desk guy was particularly profuse in assisting them to their table. With just a look around, Gabrielle could tell this little bistro was one she’d normally never be able to afford to eat in. She cringed, thinking what the cost of her side of the bill would be.
Though she was already seated, she contemplated sneaking off to the restroom and then making her escape. She’d give her excuses to Adam later. So…
Before she could make any such move, a young woman emerged from the inner passage, dressed in a chef’s uniform. She couldn’t be more than twenty-three, yet when she came to their table, Adam introduced her as the head chef. Gabrielle would have thought her too young to run a professional kitchen, but then what did she know.
Yet another surprise was Adam’s reaction when the chef appeared. Even in the simple white uniform and striped blue apron, the young woman was gorgeous. Her beautiful auburn hair was tied up in a ponytail. She had a confident bearing that spoke volumes, yet she seemed shy and blushed when Adam smiled at her in greeting. He rose to give her a warm embrace, which she returned just as deeply.
Gabrielle didn’t know where to look and even felt embarrassed. Had Adam brought her to a restaurant run by one of his lovers? They split apart and Adam made introductions. “This is Gabrielle Black, my personal assistant. Ms. Black, meet a very good friend of mine, Adele Brighton.”
“Never mind Adam,” the woman said in a pretty, clear British accent that was very attractive to the ear. “Just call me Adele. It’s rare that Adam brings anyone with him, so it’s awesome to meet you.”
“Thank you, and please, it’s Gabrielle.” Gabrielle couldn’t help but return Adele’s smile, liking the younger girl despite herself. “This place is beautiful and serene.”
“How sweet, thank you. I hope you find the food just as appealing.” She turned to Adam and beamed. “I like her. I hope you keep her.”
Adam simply rolled his eyes expressively and gave a slight deterring shake of his head at her teasing. Still smiling, Adele handed them menus and said she’d be back soon to take their order.
Gabrielle wanted to avoid any awkward silence from rearing its head, so she quickly spoke up. “It must be interesting for you, having VIP treatment wherever you go.”
“How so?” he asked, with that habitual arch of one dark brow.
She waved her hands to encompass the surroundings. “Staff getting flustered by your appearance, even the manager and chef coming out to greet you.”
“In here, at least, that tends to happen – since I own the place.” He dropped it like it was nothing, while viewing the menu. Gabrielle almost choked on the water she was sipping. Well, sure he owned a restaurant, maybe even a few. He eased through the topic, mentioning how he’d discovered Adele by chance when he went to London. “She’s one of the youngest to receive a Michelin star, when she was nineteen. Food is her thing, and she’s a genius. When I heard she moved to New York, I didn’t waste time in offering her the run of this restaurant.”
Gabrielle was getting more and more curious, finding that there was someone Adam could actually be so impressed by. But when she glanced through the menu and saw the prices, she immediately wanted to go running again.
Adam must have been a mind reader. “I could make some recommendations, but you should simply order what you like. The prices are steep, but trust me, the food is worth it. And I’m the boss, so I pay when we go out. Got it?”
“But…”
“What part of I’m the boss didn’t you understand?”
Just before she could think up a retort, Adele walked back to their table. Not wanting to cause a scene, Gabrielle made her order, though she was tempted to ask for the most expensive items on the menu just out of spite. Not that it would make any difference to Mr. Billionaire.
When Adele left them, Gabrielle just sat in angry silence and resorted to her new favorite pastime of calling Adam every unprintable name she knew, in her head only, of course.
“It’s been four days now. How would you rate yourself so far, Ms. Black?” Adam broke the silence with that impersonal tone she was beginning to hate.
“I’d rather hear that from you. Though I can bet you expect me to throw in the towel any minute,” she said drily.
“You’ll get your fair chance, but that’s it. Still, it’s surprising how you seem so determined.”
“At first, it did feel a bit awkward,” she confessed, then stopped short. “I mean, after that night we… um….” Again she stopped, and just gulped down water. Ugh, she’d vowed never to bring that up, ever.
“I’d like to keep my appetite, so why don’t we find a more acceptable topic of discussion?”
How about we don’t even bother discussing anything at all? Gabrielle felt stung. He wasn’t going to make any of this easy for her, she got that. It seemed he didn’t really w
ant her working for him or even talking to him, so why had he given her the job?
Sighing, Gabrielle told herself not to try to understand a man like Adam. If he kept this up, she just might give him what he wanted.
Dispelling those defeated thoughts, she forced a bright smile as if nothing was wrong. “To go back to your first question,” she said resolutely. “I’d rate myself pretty high. Though I’ve worked as a temp before in a business setting, I never really had the chance to get a hang of things. So even with my little experience, I think I’m keeping my head well above water.”
“Your experience…ah. Let’s talk about that,” he murmured. “You had a good education, but chose not to put it to good use for most of your time after college. Jumping from one odd job to another, never really making your mark. That hardly inspires confidence, I’ll confess.”
“None of that was my fault. I tried…”
“Excuses don’t work with me, Ms. Black. With your intelligence and obvious interest in the world around you, you could have made something better of yourself. You just didn’t seem to have much of a purpose, did you? So what has changed?”
Gabrielle was glaring at him. “Meeting you.”
When he cocked his head quizzically, she went on in a rigid tone, “It’s people like you who make me want to fight and never back down, no matter the hurdles. Even when you beat me to the ground with your words, I won’t let it keep me down. That’s my motivation.”
“I wonder how far that will get you,” he murmured, drinking from his water glass. “That’s if I even believe anything you’ve just said. All indications show you’re much too flighty, and given to frivolity. Take for example today with you and Scott, and all your desperate flirting. Judging from what I know of your capricious nature, you obviously think you—”
“Enough!” Her hand smacked down hard on the table, her chest heaving. She couldn’t believe she’d just shouted at him. But she didn’t care about that – or even about getting fired. Not waiting for him to react, she grabbed her bag and walked swiftly out of the restaurant.
The moment she was outside in the open street, Gabrielle felt stupid. She had no clue where she was right now, since she hadn’t paid attention while they’d been driven over. Not letting herself even think, she just starting walking to her left, not caring if she was going in the right direction.
After five minutes, she saw a bus stop with waiting seats and she fell into one. She was so mad and hurt at the same time. Adam’s insults had cut deeper than expected, and she hated being this emotional and not holding herself together in front of him.
She also hated the thought that everything about her life had been a waste before now. When she was in school, all those years studying hard and having dreams, just to end up as a personal assistant to a petty billionaire who took pleasure in demeaning her – it felt so unfair.
Gabrielle knew she should just go home and forget about the job. But slowly her mind went over her options and she decided she wasn’t giving up yet. Unless Adam found some way to fire her, she could stay on as long as she wanted. At least until the ninety days was up.
You’re just a sucker for punishment, her inner voice admonished but Gabrielle squashed it. She glanced around and tried to find her bearings. Minutes later, she was headed for the Bronson building after asking directions. Thankfully, it was within walking distance.
If she flared up anytime someone tried to act offensive, then she still had a lot to learn. When she found herself viewing the huge sign saying A.B. Financial, she heaved a fortifying breath.
As she stood there, her phone rang and she reached into her bag to answer it. When she saw Adam’s name, she grunted and contemplated not picking up. But then she rolled her eyes skyward and then snapped into the phone, “Yes?”
“Gabrielle, where the devil are you?”
Hearing him lose his cool for once was enough to mollify her anger. “In front of the office building.”
“Don’t take another step. I’m almost there.” Then she heard him say something to the driver as he hung up.
Gabrielle was wondering how long she’d have to wait, but to her surprise it was barely three minutes before the powerful black Mercedes pulled up. Adam jumped out and stormed over to face her. “You. Follow me.”
Gabrielle didn’t say one word as she walked – more like jogged – after him, thanks to his fast strides and longer legs taking him way ahead. To her surprise, he went in a strange direction, which led them to what looked like a private elevator. He scanned his finger on the touch pad, the doors opened and they stepped into a gleaming, sleek elevator.
Though she stood right next to him as the car took them up, Gabrielle didn’t deign to glance his way, very aware of his deep green eyes following her every motion. When they reached the top floor, the doors opened, and only then did she allow herself to breathe. The atmosphere seemed ready to explode at this point.
He was the first to exit and stalked angrily toward his office. Gabrielle didn’t even get why he was so mad. He’d been the one to insult her, calling her frivolous and capricious and what not. She was the one who had the right to be upset, not him!
She walked in after him and shut the door, just as he turned to face her, looking more reined in than before. “If you want to keep this job, you’ll never again act as juvenile as you did today,” he began.
Gabrielle huffed. “Oh, so now I’m juvenile. Surprising how well you come up with these insults.”
“Watch your mouth, Gabrielle.”
It was the second time he’d called her by her name since she’d started working for him, and she felt a warm coil settle in between her thighs. Hiding her reaction behind a hard glare, she just stared at him without speaking.
He closed his eyes and took a deep, harsh breath before continuing. “The only reason I’m not firing you for embarrassing me at my own restaurant is because I see how my words must have come out. I never want a woman to feel disrespected. Least of all my employee. My words were unacceptable and totally out of line, and for that I’m willing to apologize.”
Gabrielle’s mouth hung open in surprise. She hadn’t expected him to take any kind of blame. Now he’d just made her even more confused, and that was on top of all the physical tension still swirling between them.
She knew he could feel it, too, saw that tell-tale glint in his eyes as they moved over her. Adam sighed. “Gabrielle, this isn’t working out. I can promise I will never again be abusive but I’m not saying we won’t keep aggravating each other. No one, least of all me, would blame you if you decide to simply leave, so just…”
“I accept your apology,” she cut in, her lips pulled in a smile.
Adam stopped short and let her finish.
“And yes, I want to quit. But I figure if I do it tomorrow, it wouldn’t be too late, would it? And if I still feel like leaving tomorrow, then I’ll just do it the day after. What I’m saying is, each time it feels as if I can’t take it, I’ll just give it one more day and then see. It’s not for anyone else but for me. It’s time I started believing in myself first, before I expect anyone else to.”
When she finished, Adam didn’t say anything and just raked a hand through his hair, before rubbing his eyes for a moment. He looked somewhat vulnerable, and she’d never imagined he could be like that. It actually made him seem more attractive, this sense that he could even be a little fallible. She had to look away to keep herself from softening further.
Just then his phone rang, which thankfully broke the strained atmosphere. He plucked the phone from his pocket but before he answered it, he told her to return to her desk. “I’ll get back to you on the stuff to handle for the rest of the day.”
Then he turned and began to speak in a business-like tone into the phone. Gabrielle didn’t wait to catch any of his conversation and slipped out of the office. She set her back against the door and let out a shuddering sigh. It already felt like she’d been through a full day. But somehow, all the drama from ea
rlier somehow made her feel lighter. They’d needed that little run-in to get things into perspective. Maybe they could grow from it – or at least Gabrielle hoped so. That was if it wasn’t already too late.
Chapter Seven
The next morning came and Gabrielle showed up bright and early. Funny enough, she didn’t even remember how angry she was yesterday. How weird was that? She just wanted to get right back to it, and that was her mindset when she walked into Adam’s office.
She made sure to have everything arranged by the time he showed up exactly at nine a.m. He already had his coffee in hand, his favorite blend of iced Americano with its ebony black liquid topped with white foam that looked like half a pint of Guinness. She had no clue why he liked the stuff and not just normal hot coffee, but then what with the temperatures they were getting lately, she couldn’t blame him if he preferred something cool and invigorating.
Gabrielle wasn’t surprised when he promptly started right into her tasks for the day. Normally it would have annoyed her when he brushed off her good morning greeting. But now she simply took in his instructions, which included seeing to his mail, then some copying and filing.
“At one, my driver Harold will drive you to pick up some important documents from a client at his home. But make sure you see Gretchen before you leave. She has something to show you.”
Gabrielle was curious about that last part but didn’t ask questions. Her can-do attitude stayed on for the whole morning as she went about her tasks, making sure she had them done quickly so she could run the errand at the VIP client’s home. Nothing out of the ordinary happened all morning, thank goodness.
Gabrielle did catch sight of Scott as she came out of the mail room. She might have toyed with the idea of crossing the hallway to say hello, but then he was joined by a petite blonde in a short black skirt and they started flirting.
Guessing it would be better not to bother them, Gabrielle only shook her head and smiled, then went the other way to the copy room. Some letters and documents needed shredding before she returned to Adam’s office to set down his important mail.
