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“And what better way to start than on Adam’s own private plane?” Ayana elbowed her with a wink. “Besides, I’m sure you can come up with some worthy distractions if you get air sick. There’s always the mile-high club, don’t forget.”
“Okay, I’m done,” Gabrielle said, hands waving as she jumped out of her chair.
Ayana laughed, teasing, “Talk about jet-set problems. Just try not to have too much fun, okay? I’m already so jealous thinking of the bun in the oven, and the billionaire boyfriend. Damn, should I just kill myself now?” She sighed dramatically.
“Seriously, stop,” groaned Gabrielle, though she couldn’t help smiling at Ayana’s good-natured ribbing. She definitely needed someone to make her smile right then, because she felt too happy and that made her even more scared. Nothing ever really went this good for her – and it almost spelled the coming of something disastrous to counter it.
Gabrielle could never have guessed how close to right her fears were.
*
It was just a day before they were to leave on the trip. Adam was in the office for a last-minute meeting he couldn’t avoid, though he planned to leave once through with the meeting.
Gabrielle insisted on coming in to assist him. The meeting was with the team assigned to supervise the projects and was over sooner than expected, as Gabrielle had made sure everything ran smoothly.
They’d just closed the meeting and Adam was having a last word with the team leader when someone called out as she strode into the door. “Where’s my son!”
A tall, slender woman had appeared, dressed conservatively in a sweater and dress that easily cost more than Gabrielle’s wardrobe. Her thick, smooth brown hair was pulled back in a chignon and her face was flawless for her age of around mid-fifties, Gabrielle guessed. So this is Adam’s mother?
“What are you doing here, Mom?” Adam asked in surprise. The others in the room excused themselves while Gabrielle hovered, unsure.
“You haven’t visited the family home for over two months, and I heard you recently purchased a house.”
Adam swept a glance at Gabrielle. He bought a house? She hadn’t even known that.
“I just had to see for myself what you’ve been up to,” she said, her impassive eyes scanning the office and then resting on Gabrielle.
“Mrs. Bronson, nice to meet you. I’m Gabrielle,” she said, holding out her hand. Adam’s mother stared at it in disdain before turning coldly back to Adam without a word.
“Imagine my surprise to hear you’re taking the jet for a month to Thailand. I hope you intend on cancelling that trip,” she hissed.
“It’s my jet, Mom. Need I remind you? And you have no right to make me cancel anything.”
“I have every right!” she snapped.
“I think I should leave,” mumbled Gabrielle, already backing away in embarrassment.
“I think so, too,” retorted Adam’s mother without missing a beat.
Gabrielle hurried out to her own office. Seconds later, Adam joined her and saw her packing up her belongings. “What are you doing? I didn’t think you meant you would actually leave.”
“Rather than what, stay on and get disrespected some more?” She slipped her bag over her shoulder. “I’m going home to my place.”
“Drop that bag,” he said, even as he took it from her shoulder and set it on her desk. “You’re not going anywhere. We planned you’d stay over at my place tonight, then we’ll leave for Bangkok tomorrow on the jet. So what the fuck is this?”
Adam didn’t normally swear at her and she felt taken aback and helpless. She stared into his eyes, realizing how much she’d fallen for him. And how much this hurt.
“Adam? What’s keeping you? Just send the woman on her way,” his mother called from the adjoining office.
Adam grimaced, then cupped Gabrielle’s face in his hands. “Don’t go.” Those green eyes held hers for a deep, swirling moment. “We’ll talk about this later. I promise.”
He kissed her temple, and then was gone. Gabrielle turned away with a frustrated sigh, feeling like an idiot. She couldn’t remember ever being treated with such disdain, and yet here she still was. Love did that to someone, messed them up until they didn’t even know their own mind.
Despite her better judgment, she let herself overhear a little of what was being said in Adam’s office just next to hers. His mother using her angry tone and demanding to know about Gabrielle. Wasn’t she his assistant, what were they doing going on a romantic trip?
