AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Is she still in a relationship with yourbrother?”
“She picks him up and drops him whenever she wants, when she’s bored of her latest conquest, I guess. He’s a fool to not be able to see what she does, or maybe he just enjoys her using him. He ran when she fell pregnant, but I think he enjoys spending her money way too much to completely leaveher.”
“Mackenzie told me a lot about himself yesterday. Your relationship aswell.”
She smiled at me. “I loved him a long time ago, now I love him like a brother. He’s very important to my momma and me. When he lost his own, she stepped in to care for him when his father was too broken to. And talking of my mother, she was most disappointed not to have received your offer of tea at The Ritz, I doubt she’ll ever forgive you,” she said with a laugh; drawing out the word ‘ever.’
“I’ll make it up to her, is stillhere?”
“No, she flew homeyesterday.”
“What will you do, Gabriella, when Alexleaves?”
“He told you,huh?”
“Yes.”
She sighed and for a moment lost her composure. I took hold of one of her hands inmine.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have askedthat.”
“It’s okay. I don’t have any girlfriends here, so it’s nice to talk. Like you, we have a man best friend, and for some reason, women steer clear of us. And as for Alex, I don’t knowyet.”
“They do! Everyone thinks Jerry and I are constantly jumping in and out of bed; I slept my way to the top. Jerry wanted me to walk out of his office one day with my shirt buttons undone and my skirt tucked into my panties,” I said, with alaugh.
“Oh, that would have been sofunny.”
“He wanted to give them something to really gossip about, I think he just wanted to see myunderwear.”
It felt great to laugh, to gossip, and talk to someone like-minded and on the same level as me. There was no threat, no competition betweenus.
“I hear you went to the club,’ she said with raisedeyebrows.
“For a look around,” I panicked as Ispoke.
She laughed. “Isn’t it just the most amazing place? And such fun.” She winked and I couldn’t stoplaughing.
“It certainly is an eye-opener.”
We pulled up outside a small bistro near Smithfield. The driver opened the door for us, and we were shown to a table as soon as weentered.
We both ordered a salad and a glass of white wine. And we didn’t stop chatting and laughing. Over coffee, the subject of Alex came upagain.
“I don’t know what to do, Lauren. He wants to marry me and this opportunity for him in the U.S. is an amazing one. I can’t stand in his way. But I can’t leave Mackenzie either. Well, I didn’t think Icould.”
“You didn’t think youcould?”
“Now he hasyou.”
“He doesn'thaveme. He’s made it quite clear he doesn’t want a relationship with me, oranyone.”
“Are you sure aboutthat?”
“Has he said anything toyou?”
“No, but I know him. Lauren, he’s a complex man, half the time he doesn’t know what he wants until it’s pointed out to him. He withdrew from any serious relationship because of his issues with children, but it’s more than that. He’s scared of getting hurt. He’s set in his ways, he needs a strong and confident woman, who won’t take his bullshit, but will allow him to be the man he needs tobe.”
Was she referring to his activities at the club? I wasn’t about toask.
