I glance across the table at Gabriel, and the look on his face stops me mid-sentence. His eyes are dark, his mouth pressed into a thin line, and there’s something in his expression that looks almost like anger.
Blaine is talking, filling the silence I left. “You two would make such a lovely couple. Don’t you think so, Vanessa?”
Vanessa hums, her gaze moving over me without any pretense of subtlety. “Marshall’s a good man. Strong, successful, handsome.” Her eyes settle on mine. “Any woman would be lucky to have him.”
I want to crawl under the table. Felicity looks like she wants to do the same. Gabriel’s grip on his glass is so tight I’m afraid he’ll snap the stem.
“I’m not really looking for a relationship right now,” I say, trying to keep my voice even. “I’m focused on the garden and spending time with family.”
“Of course, of course,” Blaine says, but his tone suggests he doesn’t believe me. “But it never hurts to keep your options open.”
The conversation continues, Blaine steering it back to Felicity and me at every opportunity. She talks about her work,her flat in London, and her plans to visit Italy more often. I respond politely, asking questions and making comments, but my attention is split between her and Gabriel.
He’s barely said a word since the main course arrived. He’s just sitting there, his posture rigid, his eyes fixed on his plate.
Dessert arrives, panna cotta with berry compote. Blaine pushes back from the table and pulls a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.
“Felicity, care to join me for a smoke?”
She stands, giving me an apologetic smile. “Terrible habit, I know. I got hooked in college and never quite kicked it.”
They walk to the far end of the terrace, near the railing, and light up. The smell of tobacco drifts back toward the table.
Vanessa stands as well, her heels clicking on the stone. “Excuse me for a moment. I need to powder my nose.”
And then it’s just Gabriel and me, sitting across from each other at a table that suddenly feels too large and too small at the same time.
I lean forward, repeating my question from earlier tonight. “You okay?”
He doesn’t look at me. “I’m fine.”
“You don’t seem fine.”
“I said I’m fine, Marshall.” His voice is sharp, and it cuts deeper than it should.
I sit back, studying his face. “Is it because of Blaine?” I ask quietly. “Being here, seeing him with Vanessa, it must be—”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” He finally looks at me, and the raw emotion in his eyes makes my chest tighten. “Can we just get through this dinner and leave?”
I nod, even though I want to understand what’s going through his head. But I can see he’s holding on by a thread, and pushing now would only make things worse.
Blaine and Felicity return a few minutes later, laughing about something. Vanessa reappears from inside, her lipstick freshly applied. The conversation picks up again, but it’s white noise now. All I can think about is getting Gabriel out of here, away from Blaine’s smug smile and Vanessa’s calculating eyes.
I’m going to find an excuse to leave as soon as possible. I don’t care if Blaine complains to Philip. I don’t care if it seems rude. Gabriel needs to get out of here, and I’m going to make sure that happens.
14
Gabriel
As soon as the dessert plates are cleared, I start calculating how much longer we have to sit here before it’s socially acceptable to leave. But Marshall saves me the trouble. He sets down his espresso cup and looks at Blaine with that easy smile he puts on when he’s being polite. “This has been great, but we should get going. I have an early start tomorrow on the garden work.”
Relief floods through me. Thank God.
“Oh no, you can’t leave yet,” Vanessa says, her voice pitched high with protest. She reaches across the table as if she’s going to physically stop us. “It’s still early. We haven’t even had digestifs.”
Blaine nods, gesturing to the house. “I have a bottle of limoncello I’ve been saving. Made from lemons grown right here on the property.”
Marshall’s smile doesn’t waver. “That’s very kind, but I really do need to get back. The supply crew is coming at seven, and I need to be there to direct them.”
