Kylie threw her head back, a rumble of laughter leaving her lips.
“Sweetie, Victoria’s Secret was invented for that kind of problem.” She smirked, wiggling her eyebrows, and I slapped her arm playfully as we grabbed our purses and moved into the living room.
“Kylie, you know my stance on him, on relationships, romance and that vile word that starts with L.” I cringed; referring to love always made me feel a little nauseous but it could have been the amount of wine from the night before… not likely.
“Labia? Yeah. Yuck.” She shuddered.
“Oh my lord. It’s too early for your warped mind.” I laughed softly, glancing at my sofa, as I noticed a passed out Quinn. He pretty much spent most of his time here and today wasn't any different. Quinn’s defined chest peeked out from under the blanket I’d thrown on him and Kylie last night and I couldn't help but sigh. “Such a waste.”
“Tell me about it.” She smirked, finding one of the scattered cushions on the floor and threw it at sleeping Quinn’s head. He snorted, rolling onto his side before snoring softly. “If he wasn't into men and I didn't see him as the brother I never had, I’d totally be all over that.”
I shook my head.
“There’s something really wrong with you, you know that?”
“You know, Quinn said the exact same thing last night. Huh.”
I laughed, pushing her out the door as we made our way to work, running five minutes behind.
The moment Kylie and I walked into the office, we were greeted by Kylie’s boss, Phil.
“You two,” he pointed, his other hand on his hip, “are late.”
Kylie chuckled under her breath and waved me off as she walked to her cubicle beside Phil’s. I scurried to my office, thankful when I noticed Kate wasn't in her office opposite mine. Throwing my purse down behind my desk, I pulled out a handful of dry erase markers and started getting to work on planning the opening night for Alpha.
I worked tirelessly all day, figuring out what catering companies to work with and brokering deals for the grand opening night. I’d gotten in touch with other companies to sponsor the opening and in return, we’d promote their partnership with Black Enterprises. Once I’d finished with that, I got in touch with Gabriel’s secretary, asking for the exclusive guest list, ensuring we had the right kind of crowd to draw attention.
Throughout the day, Kylie dropped by my office, bringing me endless supplies of coffee and food to keep me going. I noticed Kate still wasn't in and decided to check her calendar to find out where she was; she hadn’t informed me of any meetings or that she’d be out of the office for the day. Not like she needed a business meeting to stay out of the office.
Sitting at my desk at 4pm, I opened Kate’s calendar, only to have the shit shocked right out of me. She was in a meeting – Mr. Black of Black Enterprises – but it wasn't linked with my calendar. I leaned back in my chair and groaned. What a fucking surprise. She went behind my back, no doubt to get the details she thought I wasn't telling her.
I pulled my cell from my purse, deciding on a break. I opened up my text messages and fired a text to Kylie, even though she was only down the hall.
ME: You, me, Quinn and a whole lot of alcohol and food tonight?
KYLIE: Oooooh! You read my mind. Wait, what’s wrong?
ME: Why does there have to be something wrong?
KYLIE: You’re pretty much a social misfit. That’s what’s wrong.
ME: Shut up and enjoy the fact that I want to be seen in public with you both.
KYLIE: Hey! Don’t hate the player.
ME: Yeah, yeah. Hate the game. Tell Quinn to meet us at our place at 7.
KYLIE: No problem. I love you.
ME: You too.
I threw my cell back into my purse. Sitting back, I wondered what Kate and Gabriel could be meeting about. Then panic struck. What if he let slip about what happened in Omega? Oh my god. I’d pushed him to his limit and told him he wasn't worth it. What if he wanted revenge for not putting out and took it out on my job? Shit! Why hadn’t I thought about this before?
Oh sweet Jesus.
Grabbing my cell, I fired a text to him.
ME: Are you with Kate?
I waited for nearly an hour for a response, glancing at my cell every couple of minutes while I tried to get back to work on the opening. Nothing came and I prayed for my job and my damn sanity.
At 5:30, I decided to leave work on time for the first time since my first day at Blue Stone PR. Kate hadn’t come back to the office, so I took a chance on grabbing Kylie and getting the hell out of there. She looked at me like I’d lost my mind as I dragged her out of the building and flagged down a cab. I didn't say anything the entire ride back to our apartment, no matter how hard she begged me; I told her I’d fill her in at our place.
After paying the cab driver, I pretty much dragged her all the way up to our floor and through the door of our apartment before she ripped her wrist out of my grasp and looked at me in utter confusion.
“What the hell is going on?” she shrieked, rubbing her wrist where I'd clearly held on a little too tight.
“Oh my god,” I fumed, making a beeline for the kitchen, seeking out the one thing that might help me calm down. Rifling through the cupboards, I did a happy dance in my head as I pulled out the jar of chocolaty goodness. Pulling off the lid, I grabbed a spoon and dug in.
“That’s disgusting.” Kylie pointed at the offending jar of chocolate and rolled her eyes. “Start talking.”
She took a seat at the breakfast table and stared at me, indicating I had to spill now or she’d take away my jar.
“He was in a meeting with Kate today,” I muttered, the spoon hanging from my mouth as I savored the nutty chocolate.
“Okay, either you and Quinn are related or I’m just deaf. Will you take that thing out of your mouth so I can actually understand a word you're saying?” She sighed and when I didn't discard the spoon, she leaned over the table and ripped it from my mouth.
“You know, I don’t mind using my finger.” I chuckled, dipping my finger into the chocolate.
“Stop stalling!” she screeched, reaching for the jar. Out of reflex, I pulled the jar to my chest and sighed.
“Okay. Kate was in a meeting with Gabriel today. It wasn't synced with my calendar; I had to go into hers to see it.”
“Oh shit.” Kylie’s voice was a couple octaves higher, if that was even possible. “Do you think he’s going to tell her?”
Truthfully, I had no idea. Would he really be that vindictive? I didn't know him, he could do anything.
“I don’t know.” I sighed.
“Well, this explains why you want to go out.” She pointed. “You found out about the meeting and now you want to drink your weight in alcohol.”
“It’s a good idea!” I threw my hands into the air. “I’d like to be drunk as hell when I get the email about losing my job.”
“Have you thought of the possibility that he might not actually tell her? I mean, why would he? Surely he’s not that childish?”
“I don’t know anything when it comes to him.” I sighed, placing the lid back on the jar and putting it back in the cupboard. “Can we please just grab a bite to eat and spend some time together? I don’t want to think about this.”
“Okay, I'll make reservations for 7:30 at the Bistro.” She turned, leaving me in the kitchen while she made the call.
Ever since I'd met Gabriel, things were going from normal to nuclear fucked up. I had to find out why he was in a meeting with Kate. I just needed a plan to do it.
Quinn arrived right on time at 7, wearing the most ridiculous shade of pink I’d ever seen, matched with a pair of black dress pants. He looked hot. But also like Crayola vomited on his shirt.
“You’re wearing that?” I asked him, raising my brow as I stepped out of my room.
“What?” he asked, looking down at his clothes. “I’m gay. I can pull off pink.”
I shook my head.
“You just stereotyped your own sexuality, you do know that.”
“Don’t hate me because you can’t pull off pink.”
“No one can pull off pink,” I grumbled.
“Who got your panties in a twist? Or didn't might be the right question.” He grinned, grabbing the door as Kylie walked into the living room.
“We'll fill you in over food and cocktails.” Kylie smacked him on the chest playfully.
“Why am I always the last to know these things? You’re supposed to share, it’s sandbox etiquette!” he whined as we left my apartment and jumped into our awaiting cab.
“Didn't you once pee in a sandbox in your freshman year?” Kylie snorted as we sped off into the city.
“See? Sharing is caring!” Quinn laughed.
“FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, will you leave that poor boy alone?” Kylie shrieked and swatted Quinn upside the head.
We’d been at the Bistro for over an hour, trying to fill Quinn in on the mess that was my life but Quinn seemed to have other ideas and was unceremoniously winking and grabbing our waiter's butt.
“What?” He chuckled, taking a sip of his wine. “He slipped me his number with our first round of drinks. He loves it.”
I laughed, hiding my face behind my hands.
“You’re something else.” I smiled, reaching for my wine.
The Bistro was a small downtown restaurant. Kylie had introduced me to their amazing cheesecake back when we’d started our freshman year at Columbia. Over the years the wait staff changed but the owners stayed the same. Quinn, Kylie and I usually came just for their wine and cheesecake once a week. Sitting in the middle of the busy streets of New York, it was a little slice of heaven.
“You still love me,” Quinn sing-songed, popping a bite of cheesecake in his mouth. “Anyway, what are you going to do about Mr. Millionaire?”
I sighed, relaxing back in my chair, draining the rest of the delicious wine, which was going down like water. I knew I wouldn't get out of this dinner without twenty questions from Quinn, and I knew Kylie was going to be wondering how I felt about him.
“Mr. Millionaire is none of my business,” I declared, placing my empty glass on the table in front of me. “He’s a client. Nothing more, nothing less.” I shrugged, looking down at my lap. “I mean—”
The words caught in my throat and the air ripped from my lungs as my gaze drifted to the door. Walking into the restaurant was Mr. Millionaire himself… and he wasn't alone.
Quinn and Kylie turned to see what had caught my tongue and my attention. They both turned back, wide-eyed and sympathetic. Quinn even took it upon himself to refill my glass, finishing the bottle of red.
“Of all the places in New York he could've gone, he comes here?” Kylie whispered angrily.
“Ew. Have you seen the accessory on his arm? Can someone say split ends?” Quinn piped in.
I shrunk a little in my chair as I watched the scene unfold. Walking towards a table not too far from ours were Gabriel and what was meant to be a piece of arm candy. As if that wasn't enough, in walked Luca right behind him, also carrying some arm candy.
I sighed hard; he couldn't have known we came here every week. He couldn't have predicted we’d be here at this time. I knew I hadn’t mentioned it to him.
“Are we getting the bill?” I asked, my gaze moving back to my best friends, who looked at me with a little more sympathy than I could stomach. “Will you stop looking at me like that? He’s a client. He’s free to do whatever the hell he likes.”
Kylie turned to me, a serious expression on her face.
“Do you enjoy torture, Pay?” she asked. I just looked at her, confused. “If you weren't so hellbent on making your career your priority and informing the man – the first man in a long time who was interested in more than a fuck – that he's not worth the risk... He wouldn't be torturing you right back.”
I looked at my best friend with fresh eyes. Clearly she was seeing something I wasn't.
“You lost me.” My voice was small, smaller than when the principal yelled at me in high school. Ugh. Mr. Keeton was scary as shit!
“Ask yourself this: is your job more important than love?”
I cringed. There was that word.
“You know I don’t belie—”
“Cut the shit, Payton. You believed in it once. You believed in it with Cam. I get that he screwed you over, I know he broke your heart. But there’s a time when you just have to get back on the horse. He…” She pointed at Gabriel, who still had no idea we were here. “He is your Prince Charming but you’re so blinded by hatred towards Cam that you can’t see what’s right in front of you. Just because you don’t believe in Prince Charming or fairy tales doesn't mean I don’t or Quinn doesn't.”
“Hey, don’t drag me into this!” Quinn held up his hands in surrender. “I’m just here for entertainment purposes.”
Rolling her eyes, Kylie carried on.
“He’s a client. I get it. But he’s also a man – a damn fine one at that – who clearly has some form of connection with you. You’re deluded if you think you can suppress those emotions we all know you’re feeling — emotions if he even just walks into a room. You’re doing it right now. Your skin is flushed and your breathing has quickened. I love you but right now, you’re holding yourself back from something that’s far more important than a job.”
I waited a beat before answering.
“If there’s such a thing as Prince Charming and fairy tales, then where the hell is yours? Hmm?”
She sat back in her seat and smiled.
“My Prince Charming is out there, he’s just taken a wrong turn and is too stubborn to ask for directions. Whereas yours is sitting at another table with a woman who looks Barbie on stilts. You’re a catch, Payton. Stop thinking with your mind and start thinking with your heart.”
“How many times do I have to tell you? He’s just a client.”
“Yeah, and I have an IQ of one-seven-four. We both know neither my IQ nor Gabriel only being a client isn't true. Why fight the inevitable?” She shrugged.
“Can we stop the vagina measuring long enough for Payton to tell us who the hell that fine ass man is with Gabriel?” Quinn bit his lip. “He’s delicious.”
I rolled my eyes.
“That’s his very British, very straight brother, Luca,” I replied, forgoing interest in the entire conversation. I was ready to leave.
“That very British brother is walking this way, Payton,” Kylie muttered, elbowing me in the ribs. I winced.
“Ouch! Motherf—”
“Hey tiger.” Luca’s British accent, accompanied by a smirk that could potentially melt panties, practically echoed around the room. “You miss me?”
“Not in the slightest, Luca.” I snickered.
I liked Luca. I’d only met him once briefly but something about him appealed to my sweeter side. He was like a little puppy, cute and way not my type. The same couldn't be said for Kylie. I glanced at her and couldn't help placing my finger under her chin and close her open mouth for her.
“Sorry,” she muttered.
“You’re drooling, honey.” Quinn handed her a napkin and she blushed!
“Listen, I need a really big favor.” Luca flicked his head to indicate his table where Gabriel, Barbie and Cindy sat. I already didn't like the sound of it. “Those are the twin daughters of one of my father’s associates who came into town for fashion week. As a favor to my father, we agreed to show them around town but they’re getting a little… grabby.”
“And what exactly do you want me to do about that?” I asked, unsure of where this was heading.
“Well, I kind of need you to pose as Gabriel’s fiancé.” His gaze moved to Kylie. “And you as mine.”
Whoa. Was he out of his mind? I turned to Kylie, who was already standing from her seat and placing her hand in Luca’s, a look of sheer lust all over her face. What the hell?!
“I would rather stick a fork in my eye and dance on this tabl
e naked,” I protested, folding my arms over my chest.
“As amazing and amusing that sounds, I really need your help with this, tiger. We both know how much you'll enjoy seeing the look on their faces when I walk over with two of the most beautiful women in New York.”
What the hell did they feed British men? A spoonful of handsome and a glass of charm? He was right though. Despite having to sit next to a man who confused the life out of me, I couldn't help my snicker at the idea of sending the human dolls on their way.
“Fine, but you’re covering dinner,” I bargained, standing from my chair.
“Done.” He smiled, turning to Quinn. “Sorry, man. Do you mind?”
“Not at all.” Quinn laughed. “I'll just sit in the corner, watching like some kind of perverted uncle. Have fun, kids.” He smiled, waving over his hot waiter for another bottle of red.
I stepped beside Luca and leaned in close to his ear.
“Just so you’re aware, I don’t like you very much right now.”
He smirked, winking at me before taking my hand.
“Such a shame. Here I thought we were going to be the best of friends and play tea party together.”
I laughed as we came to the table, three sets of eyes staring at us. I took a good look at the woman pretty much hanging from Gabriel. Quinn was right: she needed a hair stylist and fast. She had platinum blonde hair, clearly from a bottle. Her makeup screamed desperate and her boobs, which HAD to be fake, were almost touching her chin in the ridiculously tight red dress she was sporting. I glanced at the other woman and noticed she was pretty much dressed and wore her makeup in the same way. Creepy.
“Summer, Autumn, I’d like you to meet Gabriel’s fiancé, Payton.” He smiled, introducing me to both women. The one climbing Gabriel like he was a tree cringed, but carried on, moving a little closer to him. Gabriel merely smirked. The other woman, who I assumed was Summer, looked at Luca with so much hunger I was sure she would pounce on him at any moment.
“And this is…”
Once Upon A Time Page 13
