Page 34 of (UN)Bounded

“As a matter of fact, he is,” I tell her in a short tone. I’m not about to be looked down on by this woman. I know I’m not wearing business clothes, but I’m not wearing anything indecent or provocative either; I have one of my sundresses on and tennis shoes.

“Is there a problem here?” Gabo’s deep voice materializes behind his assistant, and she stands up like she has a rocket in her butt.

“No, sir. I was simply asking this girl if you were expecting her because she’s not in my calendar,” she says as she flattens her skirt with her hands.

“My bad, I forgot to mention that my girlfriend was coming to see me.” Gabo emphasizes the word girlfriend as he comes to stand next to me and kisses me on the cheek. Such a gentleman.

“Oh, I’m sorry, miss. I didn’t realize you were with Mr. Godoy,” the lady says as she takes her seat. She can’t look me in the eyes, and her face is red. I guess she’s feeling bad now.

“Isabella Bianchi, nice to meet you.” I extend my hand to her, and she shakes it, still not meeting my eyes.

“Did you have a good day?” Gabo asks, effectively ending the awkward encounter with his assistant.

“Very. It turns out my instructor is Chilean. I asked him about any contacts he might have with Chilean artists.”

“That’s amazing, principessa. Maybe we should invite him for dinner before he goes back to Switzerland.” I grin at his idea; he’s so thoughtful.

“Let’s go meet Giulia. She’s the head of HR.”

We go to the elevator, and once the doors close, I hug Gabo, inhaling his signature scent of tobacco, whisky, and sandalwood. He kisses me slowly, and I melt in his arms. He looks so good in his three-piece suit, and all I want to do is take it off and eat him whole.

“How’s your day been?” I ask as the elevator makes its way down.

“Busy,” he replies as he releases a deep breath. “There are a lot of studies we need to conduct before we can start the new designs for the warehouses. The terrains in Germany and Sweden are quite different from here.”

The elevator dings, and we make our way to Giulia’s office.

“That sounds intense. I hope I don’t have to work on soil studies because I have no clue about it,” I tell him, and he chuckles.

“I’m sure we can find something that’s more your speed.” I smile brightly at him. I love how he gets me.

When we step into Giulia’s office, I immediately think of The Devil Wears Prada. Her office is immaculate—all white and pristine. Giulia is a gorgeous woman—tall, lean, and with stunning hair. Not to mention, she’s dressed to the nines. I wonder if Gabo has had a fling with her. Judging by the way she’s looking at him, I’m sure it has crossed her mind at least once.

“Giulia, hi. This is Bella, my girlfriend.”

And here I thought we were taking things slow, but he’s been introducing me as his girlfriend left and right.

“Hi, Bella. Great to meet you. So Mr. Godoy mentioned you have a degree in the arts?” Giulia asks, and I nod.

“Perfect, we were thinking you could work on creating a color palette for each of the new warehouses we’re currently working on.”

I can’t hide my excitement; this is right up my alley.

“That sounds amazing. When can I start?” Giulia and Gabo chuckle, but I don’t care. I think it’s a cool task.

“You can come back tomorrow after your class. Are you okay working three hours a day?”

“Absolutely, that’s doable. Do I have to do my work here or can I work remotely?” Giulia looks at Gabo, looking for guidance, I guess.

When he smiles, she replies, “Of course. If you have a computer, you can submit your work to the design team; otherwise, we’ll provide you with a PC.” I smile at her and let her know I have my own computer.

“Great, here’s your badge. Welcome to Godoy Construzione.” Giulia and I shake hands, and Gabo places his hand on my waist, leading me back to the elevator.

“I knew you were going to like this project. Color is your thing.”

“Impressive how well you know me in such a short period of time,” I say, internally swooning. I can feel the walls I’ve built around my heart starting to crack.

“I pay attention to what matters.” I lay my head on his shoulder and press a kiss on top of his jacket.

---