was the best policy.
“So what, exactly, is going on, Gabriel? I got the impression that there was something between us, something more than a tiny spark?”
“I thought there might be too. I did, but the truth is I met someone else. I’m not involved in a relationship with her, but I didn’t feel right having you over for the weekend. It wouldn’t have been fair to you.”
Stephanie’s head jerked around as if he’d struck her. In a low voice, she asked, “Fair to me? You were trying to be fair to me?” Stephanie pushed herself away from his desk. She turned to face him. “Perhaps you should have clued me in and allowed me the option of deciding for myself what was fair. Given me a chance to politely decline your invitation before you made a fool of me.”
Gabe ran a hand uncomfortably through his hair. “I agree. I should have said something, but I wasn’t entirely sure of my feelings until I realized…quite frankly…until I realized it wouldn’t be fair to take you to bed if I didn’t want a relationship with you.”
“Who is she?” Stephanie asked, her voice bitter.
“No one you know,” Gabe replied.
“Did you fuck her that night, Gabriel? Did you race back to Napa to fuck her brains out after you so inconsiderately dumped me at my apartment? Is she the one who called you on your cell phone?”
“Stephanie,” Gabe tried to be gentle but there was no other way to say this, “it’s none of your business.”
“The hell it isn’t!”
Gabe waited for the slap that almost came.
“You fucking bastard!” she exclaimed.
Stephanie flung open the door to his private office and stormed out past Marsha’s desk, scattering files in her haste to leave. Marsha rose from her seat and shot a quick glance at Gabe before she dropped to her knees and began to sort through her work. Gabe hurried to assist her.
“Jeez, what on earth did you do to piss her off?” Marsha whispered.
“I wouldn’t have sex with her,” Gabe replied in a quiet voice.
“Here? Now?”
“No, on Saturday.”
“Why the hell not?” Marsha sat back on her heels. “Forgive me, but wasn’t that what you were angling for?”
“Look, Marsha, what I can’t understand is why this is so hard for her to understand. Not that it’s anybody’s business, but I met someone else. It was unexpected. It happened out of the blue. I couldn’t rationalize having sex with one woman when I wanted to be with another woman. I was attempting to be a gentleman.”
“Well,” Marsha rubbed her forehead, “that’s a first.”
“Me being a gentleman?”
“No, a man who refuses to sleep with one beautiful woman simply because he’s thinking of another. I thought all you guys wanted was a warm place to stick your…uh…you know.” Marsha’s face had turned beet red.
Gabe leaned back and laughed. “No, my dear assistant, that’s not all I want. Well, let me qualify that statement. Sometimes that is all I want, but because of a very unusual woman, that’s definitely not all I want right now.”
“Wow,” replied Marsha. “When do I get to meet her?”
“Sunday. Call that agency, All Things to All People, and let them know I’m hosting an all-day affair at my place in Napa to celebrate the launch of our new website. Tell them I want a barbecue. Send out evites today to our entire staff and their families. Make sure to include directions to my house.”
“Aren’t you suddenly the social butterfly. I’ll get on it, boss.”
Gabe hoisted the files and stacked them on top of Marsha’s desk in a neat pile.
“Remind everyone to bring their swimsuits,” he instructed her. Then he added, “Marsha, what time do you think people ought to arrive?”
“
Noonish
?”
“
Noonish
it is, then. Oh, and have them RSVP by Wednesday so Eva has enough time to prepare.”
“Eva? You and your one-night chef on a first name basis already?”
Gabe winked at his assistant. “You might say that.”
Chapter Nine
“He wants
“So what, exactly, is going on, Gabriel? I got the impression that there was something between us, something more than a tiny spark?”
“I thought there might be too. I did, but the truth is I met someone else. I’m not involved in a relationship with her, but I didn’t feel right having you over for the weekend. It wouldn’t have been fair to you.”
Stephanie’s head jerked around as if he’d struck her. In a low voice, she asked, “Fair to me? You were trying to be fair to me?” Stephanie pushed herself away from his desk. She turned to face him. “Perhaps you should have clued me in and allowed me the option of deciding for myself what was fair. Given me a chance to politely decline your invitation before you made a fool of me.”
Gabe ran a hand uncomfortably through his hair. “I agree. I should have said something, but I wasn’t entirely sure of my feelings until I realized…quite frankly…until I realized it wouldn’t be fair to take you to bed if I didn’t want a relationship with you.”
“Who is she?” Stephanie asked, her voice bitter.
“No one you know,” Gabe replied.
“Did you fuck her that night, Gabriel? Did you race back to Napa to fuck her brains out after you so inconsiderately dumped me at my apartment? Is she the one who called you on your cell phone?”
“Stephanie,” Gabe tried to be gentle but there was no other way to say this, “it’s none of your business.”
“The hell it isn’t!”
Gabe waited for the slap that almost came.
“You fucking bastard!” she exclaimed.
Stephanie flung open the door to his private office and stormed out past Marsha’s desk, scattering files in her haste to leave. Marsha rose from her seat and shot a quick glance at Gabe before she dropped to her knees and began to sort through her work. Gabe hurried to assist her.
“Jeez, what on earth did you do to piss her off?” Marsha whispered.
“I wouldn’t have sex with her,” Gabe replied in a quiet voice.
“Here? Now?”
“No, on Saturday.”
“Why the hell not?” Marsha sat back on her heels. “Forgive me, but wasn’t that what you were angling for?”
“Look, Marsha, what I can’t understand is why this is so hard for her to understand. Not that it’s anybody’s business, but I met someone else. It was unexpected. It happened out of the blue. I couldn’t rationalize having sex with one woman when I wanted to be with another woman. I was attempting to be a gentleman.”
“Well,” Marsha rubbed her forehead, “that’s a first.”
“Me being a gentleman?”
“No, a man who refuses to sleep with one beautiful woman simply because he’s thinking of another. I thought all you guys wanted was a warm place to stick your…uh…you know.” Marsha’s face had turned beet red.
Gabe leaned back and laughed. “No, my dear assistant, that’s not all I want. Well, let me qualify that statement. Sometimes that is all I want, but because of a very unusual woman, that’s definitely not all I want right now.”
“Wow,” replied Marsha. “When do I get to meet her?”
“Sunday. Call that agency, All Things to All People, and let them know I’m hosting an all-day affair at my place in Napa to celebrate the launch of our new website. Tell them I want a barbecue. Send out evites today to our entire staff and their families. Make sure to include directions to my house.”
“Aren’t you suddenly the social butterfly. I’ll get on it, boss.”
Gabe hoisted the files and stacked them on top of Marsha’s desk in a neat pile.
“Remind everyone to bring their swimsuits,” he instructed her. Then he added, “Marsha, what time do you think people ought to arrive?”
“
Noonish
?”
“
Noonish
it is, then. Oh, and have them RSVP by Wednesday so Eva has enough time to prepare.”
“Eva? You and your one-night chef on a first name basis already?”
Gabe winked at his assistant. “You might say that.”
Chapter Nine
“He wants
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