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She had a totally different background and lifestyle from Adam, and they had never been meant to cross paths again. But now he was her boss, and it opened new doors to all kinds of possibilities. But Adam was far from interested in any of that. And she possibly had herself to blame.
She refused to regret her actions though. She’d already been reckless enough to sleep with him. They’d both had way too much to drink and let themselves get carried away by their carnal emotions. They’d made one lapse of judgment after another, and it shouldn’t be something Gabrielle wanted to draw out. That was why she didn’t try to see him again or contact him.
But why did all her excuses seem so lame now?
Gabrielle was brought back to the present when the driver announced they’d arrived. Springing to action, Gabrielle quickly let herself out of the car, not about to let Adam do the car door thing for her again. He might have a gentlemanly side when he wanted to show it, but Gabrielle wasn’t ready to let anything soften her angry opinion of him.
That didn’t mean though, that she wasn’t ready to smoothen things over and rid them of any lingering antagonism. With that in mind, she put on a smile and complimented the quaint, welcoming venue of the small, intimate-looking restaurant.
“The chef and manager is a close friend of mine,” he said, guiding her inside with a light hand on the small of her back. It was the barest of contact but Gabrielle felt singed by it all the same. She noticed every little thing about him, as usual. It gave her a good feeling to have even the slightest of his attention, and she instantly berated herself for being so foolish.
He didn’t seem to have an appointment, but one drop of his name and the staff went scurrying around to accommodate him and Gabrielle. The front desk guy was particularly profuse in assisting them to their table. With just a look around, Gabrielle could tell this little bistro was one she’d normally never be able to afford to eat in. She cringed, thinking what the cost of her side of the bill would be.
Though she was already seated, she contemplated sneaking off to the restroom and then making her escape. She’d give her excuses to Adam later. So…
Before she could make any such move, a young woman emerged from the inner passage, dressed in a chef’s uniform. She couldn’t be more than twenty-three, yet when she came to their table, Adam introduced her as the head chef. Gabrielle would have thought her too young to run a professional kitchen, but then what did she know.
Yet another surprise was Adam’s reaction when the chef appeared. Even in the simple white uniform and striped blue apron, the young woman was gorgeous. Her beautiful auburn hair was tied up in a ponytail. She had a confident bearing that spoke volumes, yet she seemed shy and blushed when Adam smiled at her in greeting. He rose to give her a warm embrace, which she returned just as deeply.
Gabrielle didn’t know where to look and even felt embarrassed. Had Adam brought her to a restaurant run by one of his lovers? They split apart and Adam made introductions. “This is Gabrielle Black, my personal assistant. Ms. Black, meet a very good friend of mine, Adele Brighton.”
“Never mind Adam,” the woman said in a pretty, clear British accent that was very attractive to the ear. “Just call me Adele. It’s rare that Adam brings anyone with him, so it’s awesome to meet you.”
“Thank you, and please, it’s Gabrielle.” Gabrielle couldn’t help but return Adele’s smile, liking the younger girl despite herself. “This place is beautiful and serene.”
“How sweet, thank you. I hope you find the food just as appealing.” She turned to Adam and beamed. “I like her. I hope you keep her.”
Adam simply rolled his eyes expressively and gave a slight deterring shake of his head at her teasing. Still smiling, Adele handed them menus and said she’d be back soon to take their order.
Gabrielle wanted to avoid any awkward silence from rearing its head, so she quickly spoke up. “It must be interesting for you, having VIP treatment wherever you go.”
“How so?” he asked, with that habitual arch of one dark brow.
She waved her hands to encompass the surroundings. “Staff getting flustered by your appearance, even the manager and chef coming out to greet you.”
“In here, at least, that tends to happen – since I own the place.” He dropped it like it was nothing, while viewing the menu. Gabrielle almost choked on the water she was sipping. Well, sure he owned a restaurant, maybe even a few. He eased through the topic, mentioning how he’d discovered Adele by chance when he went to London. “She’s one of the youngest to receive a Michelin star, when she was nineteen. Food is her thing, and she’s a genius. When I heard she moved to New York, I didn’t waste time in offering her the run of this restaurant.”
