Gabriel listened to his grandmother with gritted teeth. He knew Mémère wanted to provoke him into contradicting her. She was one of those people who thrived on confrontations. Not on real emotional fights, but rather on the exchange of ironic and witty comments. That must be why she liked Aurélie’s fault-finding nature. But it wasn’t the way Gabriel envisioned his welcome dinner.
Jean-Pierre let out a loud breath. Gabriel’s eyes drifted over his cousin, and as their eyes met, Jean-Pierre shook his head imperceptibly.
Good, even his cousin felt uncomfortable with all the unjustified praising.
Mémère was finishing the tale of how Gabriel had broken down her car in Aix —an episode that wasn’t Gabriel’s fault in the slightest—when Aurélie exclaimed, “Oh, that’s just so typical. My Jean-Pierre knows how to save the day. Don’t you, chérie?” She pinched Jean-Pierre’s face between two of her fingers. Her soprano was too high-pitched, though. A clear sign that she was acting.
Jean-Pierre recoiled from her touch, then his gaze met his mother’s and he stiffened. Aunt Agathe pursed her lips and gave her son a disapproving glance.
Aurélie was too absorbed with smiling at Mémère to notice this odd exchange.
Gabriel scratched his chin. What was going on? His cousin wasn’t acting like a man in love. Was it possible Jean-Pierre had been recruited by Mémère to fulfill the family duty Gabriel had so clearly failed to do?
Giada’s hand on his knee brought him back to the moment.
She gave him a small squeeze and leaned in close to his ear. Her breath tickled his neckline. For a second, the entire room went quiet, and Gabriel was filled with a throbbing sensation. The thrills from his neck traveled to his ribcage, sending his heart on a violent marathon.
Then Giada whispered, and the spell broke. “What’s the deal with your cousin and Aurélie? I noticed it before, too. Something’s off.”
Giada was always beyond perceptive. Despite her focus on listening to Mémère’s stories, she managed to discern the hidden dynamics in the Roche family.
He shook his head and kept his voice low. “I’m not sure. But I’ll ask Jean-Pierre. I don’t want him to commit a mistake for the sake of the family.”
He shouldn’t have said this last part. Giada would ask him about the enigmatic phrase later.
It didn’t matter. Sooner or later, he’d have to tell her the backstory about Aurélie. There was no chance of getting through these next three weeks without Giada finding out about it. And if he could help it, she should get his interpretation of the story, not Mémère’s.
Or worse, Aurélie’s
He cleared his throat. It was time to change the topic and steer it away from the past. “Mémère, did you know that Giada and two of her friends have opened an atelier? It’s becoming quite the hotspot for art in town.”
Giada’s cheeks turned crimson.
Fleur gave Giada a benevolent pat on her hand. “Oh, ma chérie, that’s wonderful. You do sculptures, right?”
Giada nodded. “Yes, I’ve studied plastic arts and for now, I’m mostly experimenting with stone, bronze, and ceramic, but I’ve also dipped my toe in futuristic constellations using metal, lights, and even plastic.”
Aurélie pursed her lips. “Aren’t paintings more in, these days? Whoever buys sculptures? Or a bunch of entwined lights hanging from some piece of iron?”
Jean-Pierre snorted. “Aurélie love, don’t speak of things you have no clue about. Our grandmother, just to give you an example, is a great lover of sculptures.” He blinked at Giada and gave her an appreciating smirk. “I’m impressed. Your own atelier. Next time I come to visit Gabriel, you’ll take me, yes?”
Giada’s eyes widened. “Oh, yeah, sure. I wasn’t aware you’re planning a trip to the US. But of course, if you’re in town, I’ll be happy to show you around.”
Mémère narrowed her eyes. “If and when…we’ll need to speak about that, Jean-Pierre.” She turned to Giada and the wrinkle between her brows smoothed. “But back to your atelier, dear Giada, what’s it called?”
“Oneiros,” said Giada and a proud smile spread on her face. “We chose this name because the Oneiros in Greek are—”
“The dark-winged spirits of dreams that emerge each night like a flock of bats from their home Erebos.” Mémère nodded approvingly.
Gabriel had forgotten how well-read his grandmother was. It was clear that she would have known the mythological reference that inspired Giada and her friends when they named their atelier.
Aurélie clicked her tongue, her forehead creasing in a grimace of annoyance. “Bats? Dark-winged demons? There isn’t anything artsy about that.“
Mémère once again surprised Gabriel by saying, “Don’t be so judgemental, Aurélie. I’m sure that Giada had opted for this majestic name for a reason. Didn’t you?” She turned to Giada.
Giada’s face tinted rosy as she played with her glass, but after a second, she straightened, a confident look returning to her face. “Yes, indeed. According to the legends, the Oneiros had to pass through two gates in order to come up from the eternal darkness. The first, made of horn, was the source of prophetic and god-sent dreams. The second, made of ivory, was the source of dreams without meaning. We wanted to remind ourselves with this name how fine the line is between true art and senseless self-demonstration.”
“This is the weirdest gibberish I’ve ever heard.” Aurélie giggled but since nobody joined in, she stopped.
“I happen to like this a lot,” Mémère said. “A true artist needs to be aware that creation isn’t just for personal fame but to express God’s glory. I would be curious to see some of your work. Do you have pictures with you?”
“I have some on my phone,” Gabriel chimed in and threw a hand around Giada’s waist scooping her closer to him. “I can show you them tomorrow.”
Giada arched her brows. “Would you be really interested to see them, Noëlle?”
Mémère nodded. “Certainement. I see you have become a much more focused young woman than I expected. I’m glad to see this and have you as a guest in my house. Also, I have a good friend who’s a sculptor, too. If you miss doing your art while you’re here, I’m sure he’d let you use his workplace.”
Giada gasped. “Wow, that’s…that’s so thoughtful, Noëlle. Thank you.”
Gabriel studied his grandmother. Was she playing a game or was she genuinely starting to like Giada? Not that the idea was difficult to believe. Giada was an adorable person. Gabriel himself had a hard time… No, stop. He shouldn’t reflect on what he had a hard time doing concerning Giada.
He should focus on Mémère. To discern the right moment to speak with her about the loan. His father had texted him tonight to tell him that his poker buddies were upset about waiting for their money. Perhaps he could try his luck with his grandmother right after dinner? She did seem positively inclined after her chat with Giada.
Aunt Fleur lifted her glass. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Jean-Pierre wanted to make a toast. Shall we get on with that before dessert is served?”
Jean-Pierre’s face tensed as if it had just been announced that all his teeth were getting pulled out tonight. Aurélie, on the contrary, beamed and straightened in her chair. She patted Jean-Pierre’s shoulder. “Yes, go on.”
Jean-Pierre stood and clinked his glass with a spoon a few times. There was no need for this theatrical gesture; they were all silent and staring at him already. His cousin scanned the room, without settling his gaze on any object in particular. Finally, his eyes wandered to Giada and he smiled. “First of all, I’d like to greet the newest member of our family, Giada. You might be only Gabriel’s girlfriend for now, but my cousin would be a fool if he let it stay like that.” He winked.
Giada stirred and threw a questioning side-glance at Gabriel. Gabriel shrugged. Jean-Pierre probably only wanted to start his speech with a funny comment.
But as he studied his cousin’s eager expression, his stomach knotted. Could Jean-Pierre b
e setting eyes on Giada? No, that was a stupid thought. He was marrying Aurélie after all, wasn’t he?
Aurélie nudged Jean-Pierre’s leg with her elbow. “Go on, tell them.”
Jean-Pierre licked his lips. “Yes, and I also wanted to let you know that Aurélie and I decided to postpone the engagement ceremony.”
Aunt Agathe squeaked. “Whaat? Why?”
Aurélie gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Agathe, just for a few weeks. We feel that there is still much to do before the ceremony, and we don’t want to stress ourselves.”
Noëlle smoothed the lace embroidery on her blouse, then shrugged. “I don’t think it’s a problem, Agathe. Let the young ones figure out their own timing.”
Gabriel couldn’t believe his ears. His grandmother encouraging anyone to do things the way they thought best? Also why didn’t she seem surprised by the news? She was the one who insisted Gabriel needed to come to the engagement with a date.
And now she was fine that her beloved Jean-Pierre delayed the ceremony? No, no. There was some serious trouble here. And Mémère knew.
Gabriel needed to find out as well.
He clenched his fists below the table. He would definitely have to catch his grandmother after dinner. He didn’t like the thought that she was scheming behind his back, and he couldn’t shake the suspicion that this was exactly what she was doing.
Jean-Pierre sat down, avoiding the perplexed looks from Fleur and his mother.
At the same moment, the kitchen opened and Sophie appeared with a giant dish of crème brûlée. “Everyone ready for dessert?”
Chapter 9
Giada stretched her legs and inhaled. Mhmm, the aroma of these lavenders was truly enticing. It had been Fleur’s great idea to place this bench in front of the house. Giada would much rather wait outside for Gabriel than inside.
The dinner had left her with a sense of gloominess. Why, she couldn’t fathom. After all, everything was going according to plan. She and Gabriel had put on a good show and his grandmother seemed nice to her.
The flustered face of Jean-Pierre announcing the delay of the engagement ceremony flashed through her mind and her stomach flipped. She could swear she saw a glint of triumph in Aurélie’s expression when the news was shared. Why was that?
Shouldn’t a woman be sad if her official engagement party was being postponed? Giada, for sure, would feel like that if it happened to her and Gabriel.
She paused mid-thought and tapped at her forehead. Ouch, a bit too forceful. But she deserved it. She was wandering off to dreamland again. She was not going to have an engagement party. Her role as Gabriel’s fiancée would end as soon as they traveled home.
The memory of Gabriel brushing through her hair when he came back from the kitchen—probably to confirm their story in front of the others—came back to her and she shuddered.
How could the slightest touch from him send all her molecules into this state of arousal? It was as if her body was hacked by some invisible force and reprogrammed to live only for these occasional corporeal encounters.
She buried her face into her hands and rubbed her eyes. All her efforts were in vain. She was still in love with Gabriel. She had to admit the truth, at least to herself. It was a terrible situation. She was stuck pretending to have the very feelings she actually had. Wasn’t it the worst catch-22?
“Somebody is having a worse night than I am.”
The smooth male baritone made Giada jerk her head up.
What was Jean-Pierre doing here?
“Oh, hi,” she muttered, trying to compose her face into a serene mask. “What brings you over?”
Jean-Pierre shrugged. “I was just taking a walk. You know, to clear my head after tonight. And you? Where’s my cousin?”
Giada chewed on her lower lip. “He’s with Mémère. They had something important to discuss in private.”
Jean-Pierre arched his brows. “Didn’t he tell you what it was?”
No, he didn’t. But Giada wasn’t going to say that to Gabriel’s cousin. After all, they weren’t on the friendliest terms. “What they’re talking about doesn’t concern me. And you neither.”
Jean-Pierre lifted his hands. “Woo-huu, okay, no need to get defensive. I wasn’t trying to snoop around. As I said, I just came out to ease the tension in my legs.” His glance dropped to his shoes. “Tonight was somehow weird.”
Giada’s eyes widened. So she wasn’t the only one left puzzled by this evening. “I know what you mean. I didn’t quite expect your family gathering to be this—”
“Strained? Horrible?” Jean-Pierre lifted his index and pressed it to his temple as if he was firing a gun. “Sometimes I think I should move to another continent, too.”
Giada giggled. “Okay, it wasn’t that bad.”
Jean-Pierre shook his head. “You’re only saying this because it’s your first evening. Let’s speak again before you leave.”
“Fair enough.” She smiled and pointed at the empty spot beside her. “Do you want to sit?”
As soon as she did it, she regretted her polite gesture. She didn’t need to spend more time with Gabriel’s cousin than was necessary.
But Jean-Pierre didn’t hesitate a second before he hopped down, squeezing himself so close that his thigh pressed against Giada’s. He gave her a lopsided grin. “Sorry, my legs are just too long. Are you still comfortable?”
His body heat was swamping Giada’s leg and the sensation was uncomfortable but she nodded. “Sure, it’s fine.”
Jean-Pierre pivoted his torso to her, his eyes narrowing. “So what’s the deal with you and Gabriel? Are you guys serious?”
Giada folded her arms in front of her chest. She needed the extra barrier to feel protected from his penetrating glance. “Well, we’re dating. Nothing further for now.” Her voice sounded bitter even to her own ears, so she kicked her tone up a notch. “But we’re very much in love.”
Fine, it was still pretty fake, but maybe Gabriel’s cousin wouldn’t notice.
“I see. So Aurélie is imagining things.” He rubbed his forehead. “I’m such a fool for even listening to—” He stopped and pressed his lips together.
His last sentence was filled with such a dark emotion that Giada couldn’t stop herself from digging. “Why would you be a fool? And what did you mean about Aurélie imagining things?”
Jean-Pierre’s handsome face moved into a frown. He turned his head away from Giada and picked at his nails.
Giada watched his slouched shoulders and rounded back. Her first impression of Jean-Pierre was of a cocky, self-assured man who knew what he wanted and didn’t shy away from getting it. Now, however, he seemed like a school-boy. Young and vulnerable.
Oh, for Pete’s sake stop it. You’re not supposed to be making everyone happy. It wasn’t her concern that Gabriel’s cousin seemed to be troubled. She was definitely the worst person to inquire about his whys and hows. Most likely those were connected to Aurélie and Gabriel somehow. And Giada wouldn’t be an objective listener.
But even as she repeated the rational arguments in her head, she knew she wouldn’t be able to defy her nature. Jean-Pierre was hurting and Giada couldn’t just stand by and watch.
Maybe she could help him. Maybe not. But she had to try.
She put a hand on Jean-Pierre’s back. “Do you want to tell me? I can be a great listener.”
Jean-Pierre twitched and turned his face slowly to her. “You’re very kind, Giada. I can see why my cousin has chosen you. I just hope he’s smart enough to keep remembering how lucky he is.”
Giada’s cheeks heated. Gabriel probably didn’t think of himself as lucky at all. Especially not with regard to Giada. She bit her inner lip to stop herself from saying something inappropriate and murmured a quiet “thanks”.
Jean-Pierre’s jaw clenched and his eyes darkened. “Don’t thank me, please. I might just ruin your future.”
“You’re not making much sense. Why would you ruin my future?”
&
nbsp; A guilty look flashed on Jean-Pierre’s face. “Because I can’t say no to the woman I love.”
Aurélie.
What did she do? Giada’s chest tightened. The announcement. It had to be connected to that.
A bitter smile tugged on Jean-Pierre’s lower lip. “I can see, you’ve realized it. Yes, pushing back the engagement party was Aurélie’s wish. She’s having second thoughts about refusing Gabriel’s proposal so—”
Giada’s world began to turn. “Gabriel asked her to marry him?”
This, Gabriel had never told her. Nor Giordano. Had she been lied to?
Jean-Pierre clutched his hand to his mouth. “Oh, Gosh. He didn’t tell you? I’m sorry…”
Giada shook her head. “Don’t be. So Gabriel asked Aurélie to marry him and she refused. That’s why they split up?” She kept her voice as steady as she could master, but a slight tremble still crept into it.
“Yes, she wasn’t ready to move to the States and Gabriel didn’t want to give up his dream of working as a firefighter there. Aurélie always wanted an ambitious husband, someone who could take over her dad’s empire.” He chuckled dryly. “Isn’t it funny? I’m exactly that man. And she stills wants to go back to Gabe.”
Giada’s breath caught and she had to force her lungs to expand to let some air in. “So she’s annulling your engagement?”
Jean-Pierre snorted. “No, that would be too easy and noble. Aurélie doesn’t want to end up being alone. So she asked me for a few weeks—probably to see whether her charms still work on Gabe—and if they don’t, she’ll settle for me.”
Giada gulped and stared at Jean-Pierre. “And you’re fine with that? To be a consolation prize? Or eventually get thrown away if Gabriel…” She couldn’t finish her phrase.
The idea that Gabriel would want to get back with Aurélie was unbearable.
Of course, Giada wasn’t really his girlfriend. So the moral obstacle of leaving her couldn’t be used as an argument. Nonetheless, Giada didn’t want to experience being “cheated on” by her fake boyfriend, nor being make-believe “dumped” by him.
Saving The Brother's Best Friend (Gems 0f Love Book 4) Page 6
