Page 82 of Winter With You

‘Let me ask you this,’ Sybille began. ‘To make things clearer. What is it you would be most scared of? Telling Gabriella about your family and risking losing her but with the knowledge that you acted with a brave heart? Or not telling Gabriella, carrying on pretending until it gets too much and dishonesty makes you lose her anyway?’

That was no choice. What he had to do if he wanted to explore their connection had just been laid completely bare by his boss. He nodded and sniffed away the emotion filling his head and his heart.

‘So, I want you to do two things for me,’ Sybille said, giving his hands a squeeze and then letting them go.

‘Anything,’ he answered.

‘Firstly, you continue dressing Gabriella. That’s non-negotiable. What you decide to do about your personal feelings, well, it is up to you, of course.’

‘And the second thing?’

‘Well, that is up to you too, but I wondered if you might like to ask Errol to come here for a conversation,’ Sybille said matter-of-factly.

‘A conversation?’ Luca asked.

‘Perhaps it is time we thought about bringing someone else on board,’ Sybille said. ‘And if his eye is really as good as you seem to think then I need to make sure he isn’t snapped up by one of our contemporaries.’

‘Sybille,’ Luca said, ‘I promise you, Errol is something special but I’m not sure how he will feel about leaving his emporium.’

‘Well, I am very adaptable. I’m sure there will be a way we can work things out between us if it’s what he wants.’

Luca put his arms around Sybille then, hugging her so tight he almost lifted her off her feet. ‘Thank you, Sybille.’

‘Ce n’est rien. It is nothing.’ She dabbed at the corner of her own eyes before she smiled. ‘Now, talk to me about these awful jackets.’

49

THE ROYCE HOTEL, MANHATTAN

There was now a perfume with Gabriella’s signature on. A beautifully wrapped sample was sitting on the kitchen counter – Cheyenne’s latest surprise – merchandise that she would be selling along with the book at the department store tomorrow evening. It smelled like a combination of cookies and grass in her opinion and she wasn’t sure who the target market was – someone from The Great British Bake Off tent?

With Phoebe and Mr Darcy ensconced in Phoebe’s bedroom of the suite, allegedly studying, Gabriella eyed up her drink choices. Coffee or Jack Daniels?

Before she could make a decision there was a knock on the door. Cheyenne?

‘What’s next?’ Gabriella asked, fingers on the door handle. ‘A Zero Fucks Given special blend matcha?’ She pulled the door open but, instead of Cheyenne, there was Luca.

He held up a brown bag. ‘No matcha. Just Loulou burgers and a choice of styles for you to wear to the department store.’

It was then she noticed the garment carrier over his other arm. ‘I thought we were meeting in the morning.’

‘Yeah,’ he said, nodding. ‘You’re right. I should take the burgers away and we will do this in the morning.’ He turned to go.

‘Stop,’ she said. ‘Idiot.’

He smiled. ‘Does that mean I can come in?’

‘It means the burgers can come in.’ She grabbed the bag from him. ‘I haven’t decided about you yet.’

‘OK,’ he said.

She took the burger bag into the kitchen area of the suite and then she realised he hadn’t followed her. And when she looked back to the door Luca was still standing in the entrance way.

‘What are you doing? Do you need an invitation like Robert Pattinson in Twilight?’

‘Please, nothing else connected with blood.’

‘Get in here,’ Gabriella ordered, putting the burgers onto plates.