Page 9 of The Boss and the Adoption Mess
"Exactly. He tried to get me back for weeks, but after everything, I desperately needed a long vacation. He ended up reimbursing me for the unpaid overtime after all. That allowed me to live comfortably for four months. But hopefully tomorrow marks the beginning of a new era."
"Then I wish you good luck with your important appointment." Gabriel raises his glass to me and empties his whiskey.
I do the same. However, he doesn't stand up so we can go to his place; instead, he orders two more from Chloe.
"You'll have one more with me?"
"One more." Phew. If Chloe is good to me, she'll dilute it with some water. The whiskey is damn strong.
"And what important appointment do you have tomorrow?" I ask him.
"I'm meeting with someone. Actually, someone else was supposed to handle this conversation, but he got sick. So, I'm filling in for him. I usually have Mondays off, but... well. Sometimes that's how it goes." Gabriel smiles and turns toward me a bit more. "I’ll be honest."
Of course, I notice how his gaze wanders over my body, which I thoroughly enjoy.
"I have an apartment very close by. I don't have whiskey there, but I do have a big bed." He grins, and I can't help but giggle softly.
"And what else do you have in your apartment?" I flirt back, slightly embarrassed.
"You're welcome to find out if you'd like to join me. Just for this one night."
Yes, as I thought. He's not looking for the woman of his dreams, but for a sweet opportunity. Exactly what I need right now.
I finish my second glass of whiskey, and he does the same.
"Do you want to walk the distance, or are you calling us a taxi?" I ask before I set off with him.
"I'll let my driver know, he's waiting outside."
He even has a driver? Then the gold watch is definitely real. Not bad. I've never been with a rich man before.
Gabriel takes out his phone and texts someone.
However… "I need your address. Just a safety precaution."
As a woman in London, you have to be careful after all.
"Of course."
I give him my phone, and he enters the address on the map, allowing me to locate the place about a little over a mile away. That’s really close, but too far to walk with two glasses of whiskey in my stomach. I’m already feeling all warm and fuzzy.
"Thanks. I’ll talk to Chloe for a moment." I nod to my best friend as Gabriel gets up.
"I’ll wait for you outside."
It’s very nice of him to understand that I want to be safe. There are also guys who really lose their temper or get nervous about it. You really shouldn’t go with guys like that—at least not if you want to get home safely.
I get up and walk over to Chloe as Gabriel leaves the lounge. Grinning broadly, I join her at the bar. I can feel how hot my cheeks are and also how the whiskey is already taking effect: "How lucky am I?" As I whisper these words excitedly, I place my hands on the counter and lean towards my best friend. She seems anything but enthusiastic, frowning.
"You've had two whiskeys, and I already watered yours down." With a deep clearing of her throat, she's probably trying to make it clear to me that I should stay here with her and not go off with a complete stranger who just bought me two strong drinks.
"Really? I barely noticed," I murmur, clearly feeling the alcohol taking effect.
"Yes, because I want to protect you." Chloe looks towards the door from which Gabriel has disappeared and then looks seriously at me again. "Please take a picture of his license plate before you get in and send me your live location, so I always know where you are, okay?"
"Do you have a bad feeling about him?" I ask.
My gaze now wanders to the door as well. A little uncertainty spreads within me, and my stomach rumbles unpleasantly. Is it perhaps a mistake if I just go with him like this?
