Falling For You

by Nicole Taylor

  She stared. This was rather unexpected. She turned her head to find that Dot Judd was gathering up her things and leaving the table.

  “Your date is over already?”

  “It wasn’t a date. My business with Dot finished earlier than anticipated. I decided to try my luck and see if you would be willing to accept me belatedly.”

  A part of her wanted to tell him that she wasn’t going to be anyone’s second choice. Another part of her wanted to jump up and welcome him with open arms. She was silent for a moment, chewing her food as she contemplated.

  “Please don’t send me away. Give me another chance.”

  He looked at her with such a puppy dog expression that she had to fight the urge to laugh.

  “Well, since you put it that way, you may join me. I must caution you, however, that I’ve almost finished my meal, and will be leaving shortly.” She said this with a haughty air as though she was doing him an enormous favor. In fact, her heartbeat was racing at his presence. She clearly had to work harder to get her emotions under control around this man.

  He broke out that perfect smile of his and quickly sat in front of her. He didn’t speak for a few minutes, just watched her eat. She began to feel very uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze. Eventually, she looked up.

  “It’s rather impolite to stare, you know.”

  He blinked and sat up. “Sorry. It’s just that…well…you’ve been eating that meal for quite a while. How slowly do you eat?”

  “I’ll have you know, Gabriel Walsh, that doctors recommend you chew your food up to thirty times before swallowing.”

  “Ah!”

  They stared at each other for a full minute, and then both burst out laughing at the same time.

  Leiliana pushed away the remainder of her food and signaled for the waiter.

  “I enjoyed your speech last night,” she said.

  “Why, thank you, milady.”

  “I was wondering, though, based on what you said about accepting failure and moving on. Does that mean one shouldn’t critique one’s work? You know, go back and think maybe I should change this or that.”

  “Sure, that’s all part of the growth process. But what I was trying to get across was that you shouldn’t beat yourself up about it if you do. Learn from your errors with the sole purpose of seeking to improve where you can.”

  “So you don’t recommend scrutinizing every detail, thinking that maybe you could have done better here or there.”

  He shook his head. “Absolutely not. I don’t pick my work apart. I don’t tell myself well you were a right eejit to make that particular decision. I think that would make me too self-conscious and chip away at my confidence.”

  “Hmm. Some say maybe it can use a bit of chipping away.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Well, you know there are those who describe you as arrogant. Is this news to you?”

  “No. I’ve heard it before. I think that’s a rumor perpetuated by a few rivals. Then people hear it and think it must be true. I don’t think people who really know me believe that.”

  “Are you saying it’s not true?”

  “Look, anytime you operate with a modicum of confidence, people will say that you’re arrogant. I’m sure you’ve been called arrogant.”

  “Me. You’re kidding. Who would say that about me?”

  He gave her a wry look.

  She smiled sheepishly. “Okay. You’re right.”

  He laughed and then jutted his chin towards her. “I’ve got to say, as lovely as this outfit is, my dress is pure class,” he said.

  She let out a laugh, then suddenly remembered something she needed to do. She reached for her bag. “Speaking of your dress. I forgot to ask you last night about the cost. I’d like to reimburse you.” She took out her checkbook. “What’s the price?”

  “You owe me nothing,” he said quietly.

  She looked up at him and realized he was serious. “Gabriel, I can’t just accept the dress. It’s a designer outfit. It had to set you back a pretty penny. Please let me repay you.”

  He appeared to think about this a moment. “Tell you what. The next time I’m in London, or you’re in New York, whichever happens first, promise you’ll have dinner with me. That will repay me in full.”

  That sounded simple enough. The problem was that she had promised herself she would never again fall victim to his charm. That would be hard to do if she was going on dates with him.

  “I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” she said.

  “Why not?”

  “I’m very busy with work. I don’t have time to go on dates.”

  “You can’t just work. That’s unhealthy. Even our Creator took one day out to rest.”

  “When I say work, I’m not only speaking about business. I also do charity work, and I’m active in my church.”

  He watched her for a long time as though he were trying to pick her brain.

  She shifted in her seat and wondered why he didn’t just go away. He was much too good looking, and his green-eyed stare was unnerving her and making her feel things she didn’t want to feel.

  The waiter returned with the bill, and she gave him her card.

  When she looked up, Gabriel was still watching her.

  “What happened to you? Did someone hurt you?” he asked quietly.

  Leiliana’s mouth dropped open. How had he guessed the real reason for her reluctance to see him again? In the next breath, she was annoyed. How dare Gabriel Walsh think that he could psychoanalyze her.

  She straightened her back and said frostily. “You are quite out of place!” That tone normally worked with men and sent them scurrying back from whence they came.

  Instead of scurrying away, Gabriel Walsh leaned towards her, nailed her with his piercing green eyes, and lowered his voice to a sexy growl. “Why don’t you put me back in my place then, Leiliana. I would really enjoy that.”

  Leiliana gasped as searing heat spread throughout her entire body. Before she could recover, Gabriel continued, “I need to be in Ireland for a meeting this afternoon, so I’ve got to go. But, I’ll find a reason to be in London within a week. I’ll be in touch.” He winked and left Leiliana with her mouth agape.

  Chapter 6

  L

  eiliana was chairing a meeting regarding a Lamport Holdings development project in Brussels. Some of the attendees, including her brother Benjamin, were participating via video conferencing. She sent a text message and then glanced up as her brother Benjamin made a comment that set everyone laughing.

  Benjamin had left the Imperial College London with an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering a few years ago. After a year of working at Lamport Electronics, mainly for the experience, he returned to the University to complete his graduate studies in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. Leiliana couldn’t help thinking that he and Gabriel Walsh would find much to talk about if they ever met.

  She glanced back at her phone and blinked twice when she saw a message coming through from the said Gabriel Walsh.

  Gabriel: Hi, Leiliana. As promised, I will be in London tomorrow. I would love to have dinner with you. How about tomorrow night at 7 p.m.?”

  Leiliana stared at her phone as her heart raced.

  It was one week since Gabriel had left her in the Four Seasons dining room with that bold assertion that he would find a reason to be in London and would contact her when he did. She would be lying to herself if she claimed she had not anticipated hearing from him. Despite all the warnings she had given herself about staying away from that man, she couldn’t seem to kill the attraction she felt for him.

  “What do you think about that proposal, Leiliana?”

  She looked up as she realized Benjamin had just addressed her. In fact, everyone was watching her expectedly.

  She cleared her throat.

  “I’m sorry. Can you repeat the question?”

  “What do you think of the proposal?”

  “What pr
oposal is this?” she asked, pouring herself a glass of water.

  “To adjust the original design to incorporate greater energy efficiency.”

  That set her thinking of Gabriel Walsh again.

  She took a gulp of water and nodded. “That would certainly make sense. We’ll need to consider the cost implications of changing the design at this stage, as well as possible delays. Our timeline for completion must remain the same, as you are aware.”

  Discussion continued from there, but Leiliana found she could no longer focus. She couldn’t ignore Gabriel Walsh. He was awaiting a response.

  With shaky hands, she picked up the phone.

  Leiliana: 7pm is OK. How about we meet at the Goran restaurant? It’s at the Waldorf. I’ll make the reservations.

  That was the best choice because the hotel belonged to her family, and she lived in one of the penthouse suites. More importantly, it was her territory, and somehow she felt that she needed that security. It made her feel like she was in control of the situation.

  ~*~*~*~

  Gabriel strode into The Goran with a pep in his step. He gave his name to the Maître D.

  The man consulted the book before him then looked back at Gabriel with a smile.

  “Miss Lamport has asked that we seat you, sir. She will join you in a few minutes. If you’ll follow me.”

  As Gabriel followed the man to the table, he glanced around the beautiful restaurant which he had only heard of before. The Goran was on the rooftop of the London Waldorf International Hotel and Towers. It was renowned for its lush indoor gardens, tall and graceful birch trees, and scenic views of London’s major landmarks. He appreciated how the floor to ceiling angled windows gave the appearance of alfresco dining without the winter winds.

  After he was comfortably seated and sipping a glass of Pelligrino sparkling water, Gabriel reflected on Leiliana’s message to him. While his promise to be in London had never been far from his mind, he had been inundated with work demands. First, he had worked with Patrick and other members of his senior management team to finalize the proposal to purchase JJ Inc. Then, a project he was working on in Belfast demanded his attention. He promised himself that once things settled down a bit business-wise, he would fly over to London to see Leiliana.

  When that time came, he eagerly contacted her. He had expected resistance. To his surprise, she not only said yes, but she also suggested a restaurant and offered to make reservations for them. Her positive response buoyed him. It gave him hope that she was willing to give him a chance.

  His phone gave a notification alert, and he looked at it expecting to see a message from Leiliana. To his surprise, it was a message from Dot saying that she had received his proposal, and it was under active consideration. He messaged her back and said, thanks. Almost immediately, she asked how he was. He was tempted not to respond. He was not about to get caught up in a conversation with Dot on his first real date with Leiliana. He decided to give a quick response.

  “Grand. Yourself?”

  “Terrific. Are you in Ireland still?”

  “No.”

  He was thinking of a way to end the conversation that would not come over as abrupt, when he heard a slight movement to his left. He glanced up to find Leiliana standing at his table. Hoping she had not seen him texting Dot, he immediately locked his phone and placed it on the table. Then he stood to greet her.

  “Good evening,” he said with a smile as he moved to pull out her chair.

  “Good evening,” she said as she took her seat.

  As he pushed her in, he leaned down and whispered near her ear.

  “You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you,” she said demurely as he returned to his chair.

  “How have you been?” he asked, settling into his seat and picking up his glass.

  “Quite busy with work. Yourself?” She said, fixing her clutch bag on the corner of the table.

  “I’ve been pretty busy too.” He took a swallow of his drink and looked keenly at her. “But you were never far from my thoughts. I was pleased to receive your response to my invitation.”

  Avoiding his gaze, she reached for her napkin. “I like to repay my debts. You did say this was the only payment you would take for the dress.” She draped the napkin across her lap.

  Gabriel paused to watch her for a moment. Then he chuckled and lowered his glass.

  Her eyes flew to him in surprise.

  He chuckled again.

  Leiliana’s eyes flashed, and her back stiffened.

  “What are you laughing about?” she asked.

  “I thought that was a joke.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Do you expect me to take you seriously?”

  “Why wouldn’t you?”

  “You really want me to believe that the only reason you agreed to have dinner with me was to repay a debt?”

  “Well, it’s the truth.”

  Without taking his eyes off of her, he removed his wallet from the breast pocket of his jacket. He reached inside, retrieved a slip of paper, and held it out.

  “Write me a check for the amount, and let’s be done with this, then.”

  She swallowed and took the slip of paper from him. She glanced at it for a moment then tried to give it back.

  He didn’t budge. “No, keep it. It’s yours now.”

  “I don’t have my checkbook with me,” she murmured.

  “Cash works.”

  “I don’t carry around that much cash.”

  “There’s an ATM machine here, isn’t there?”

  “You’re being ridiculous.”

  “Me?”

  “Gabriel—”

  “So, are we done?”

  She looked alarmed. “Done?”

  “With this charade about you being here because of a debt.”

  “Charade—”

  “The debt is settled. You’re free to go.”

  She shifted in her seat and looked distinctly uncomfortable.

  “Or you can stay…,” he said quietly, “…and we can enjoy a wonderful meal in each other’s company for a couple hours. What do you say, Leiliana? Indulge me.”

  Her enchanting eyes met his. They looked so vulnerable that it tore at his heart. What was she afraid of?

  At that moment the waiter appeared at their table.

  “Good evening, my name is Chris. I will be your waiter for the evening.” He poured water into their water goblets then turned to Leiliana. “Miss Lamport, may I get you something from the bar?”

  Gabriel watched Leiliana. She still hadn’t answered his question, but this was the defining moment.

  She looked at their waiter. “Yes, I’ll have a Manhattan.”

  He nodded and turned to Gabriel. “Would you like a drink from the bar, Mr. Walsh?”

  “No. I’ll just have another bottle of Pelligrino,” Gabriel said and reached for his menu. Leiliana hadn’t explicitly said that she would stay and dine with him, but he would take it for granted that she had. “What’s good here?”

  She was silent for a moment. He lowered the menu and raised his brow.

  She reached for her own menu.

  “Just about everything. If you like chicken, our chicken scallopini gets rave reviews. The beef wellington is a favorite for red meat lovers. And if you prefer fish, my personal favorite is the glazed salmon with garlic parmesan risotto. It is squisito,” she said, kissing her fingers.

  “What did you just say?”

  “Delicious.”

  “Is that Italian? Do you speak Italian?”

  “Yes.”

  “And I already know that you speak French. How many languages do you speak?”

  “Six including English.”

  He gave a low whistle. “Six languages! Impressive. Do you speak Irish too?” He was joking because Irish was not a mainstream second language.

  She laughed. It was a little musical song, like wind chimes. “No. I speak German, Spanish, French, Italian, and Russia
n.”

  “Wow. Beauty and brains.”

  She tilted her head and gave him an assessing look, then she returned her gaze to her menu.

  After a few minutes, he asked, “What are you having?”

  “The salad to start and the vegetarian mushroom risotto for my entre.”

  “Is that it?”

  She nodded.

  “No meat?”

  She shook her head.

  “Are you a vegetarian?”

  “I am.”

  “Manhattan, Miss Lamport.”

  Chris had reappeared at their table. “Your Pelligrino, Mr. Walsh.”

  “Thank you,” Gabriel said.

  The waiter shared with them the day’s specials then took their orders.

  Gabriel allowed Leiliana to go first and then said, “The soup of the day to start, no bread and the chicken Scapollini with Parmesan noodles for my entrée.”

  “Very good.” Chris bowed and left.

  Gabriel asked, “Why did you become a vegetarian?”

  “My family is vegetarian. I grew up eating that way.”

  “So, you’ve never eaten meat?”

  “I have tasted it, but I didn’t really enjoy it.”

  “That wasn’t well-cooked meat, clearly. My grandparents owned an inn back in Dublin, and my grandmother did most of the cooking for the guests. You have never tasted anything in the world like her Irish stew.”

  She took a sip of her drink and watched him with a slight smile.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Your eyes lit right up when you said that. That must have been some delicious stew.”

  “I’m salivating right now just thinking about it, but my eyes probably lit up because I remembered my grandmother as well.”

  She studied him. “Is she deceased?”

  “Aye. She died when I was in my teens. She was a wonderful woman. Very loving and generous. She regularly fed village children. She wasn’t wealthy, but she shared what little she had.”

  “Is that where you were born? In Dublin?”

  “Aye. Howth, Dublin.”

  “What became of your grandparents’ inn?”

  “After my grandfather died, I inherited it. I didn’t do anything with it at the time. By the time I got around to doing so, it was in pretty bad shape. I made the tough decision to knock it down and build from scratch.”