Chapter Three
One Week Later
Nora couldn’t believe she was standing in Gabriel’s office, helping him pick out a suit. They all looked the same to her.
In fact, ever since she had spilled coffee on herself and taken a tumble on the boss himself, her life had changed a lot. In the last seven nights, she had not eaten at home. It would seem she and Gabriel tended to stay behind a lot.
She was getting caught up on work, as her boss had just decided to quit, and Nora had considered going forward with the promotion. She was the only one on the floor qualified to take on the role.
Trudy had conducted the interview and told her she had the job. This included a slight pay raise, and she had to come in early. It didn’t matter to her. She was already in early and leaving late.
Three staff had quit, as they didn’t like the task of sorting and delivering mail. She still had to deliver all mail to Trudy for Gabriel.
Each night, Gabriel would appear while she was catching up and preparing for the next day. He’d help her, and then they would go out to dinner. Six of the seven nights, they went to that Italian restaurant which served the most amazing meatballs, pizza, and carbonara. She was in Heaven. One night they went to a French restaurant, as Gabriel had given his table to Larry and his wife. That man had a soft side. Not many people were going to see it, but it was there.
Now, she was in his office at lunchtime. Trudy was out doing another errand, and he wanted her help in picking out a suit. They all looked the same and fit him perfectly.
She didn’t need to stand there drooling at her boss—or her friend. Nora didn’t know if she could call him a friend yet. It seemed so familiar. Still, it had only been one week.
“Well, the blue or the black?”
The blue was so dark it looked black.
“The blue?”
she asked.
“I think you’re right. Now, I want you to choose a dress.”
He pointed to the other stand of clothes.
“Huh?”
Now she was confused.
“Trudy is going to be busy, and I need to take a date to the charity dinner tonight. I don’t go alone.”
He clicked his fingers. “Choose your dress. Try it on.”
She had noticed a partition had been placed in his office. “I, uh, I don’t think I should be going to a charity dinner.”
“Why not?”
“Won’t there be like … press? I am one of your employees.”
“It’s not one of those meals. The press will be there, but it’s not to gossip or gather dirt. It is for children, but it is more of an … honest event.”
“Honest event?”
Nora asked.
“I’m not there to have my name splashed in the papers. Nancy, one of the organizers, doesn’t like to make a big song-and-dance. The event is to be described as what it is. It is a dinner, but the caterers volunteer. We donate, and the money spent on the table goes to the cause. There are no prizes to be won. All funds go to the children’s charity.”
“Wow,”
Nora said.
“And I would like to go, as there will be women there, and I have no interest in fighting them off.”
She mouthed the word “wow”
and turned toward the stand of beautiful gowns.
“I’m not being full of myself if that is what you are thinking,”
Gabriel said.
Nora turned to look at him.
He winked at her. “I saw that ‘wow.’”
Her face started to heat. “I, uh, don’t think any of these are going to be in my size.”
“Nonsense. I got Trudy to order them, as she had seen your size when she took care of your clothes. Pick one.”
This was getting even weirder.
She was about to choose a gown to accompany Gabriel to a charity event. She had to be dreaming. This kind of stuff never happened. This was a fairy tale.
She tried to pinch herself to see if she was going to wake up, and she winced. Nope, very much awake.
“Why are you pinching yourself?”
Gabriel asked, and he was suddenly right there behind her.
She let out a gasp and quickly pressed a hand to her chest.
“You scared me.”
How did he move so fast without her hearing him?
“I think the red will suit you,” he said.
He was so close. Her heart started to race. She did not want to panic.
Picking up the red dress, she made her escape behind the curtain and attempted not to scold herself. She needed to get herself together. The temptation to slap herself was so strong, but she avoided it. This was just a favor.
Gabriel was her friend, which was as crazy as it sounded, but they were friends. He just happened to be a multibillionaire and her boss. Bosses and employees could be friends.
She was now naked in his office. When was the weirdness going to end? Stepping into the dress, she couldn’t help but pray that it fit. Please, please, please fit.
And the weirdness continued as it slid right over her hips and fit her like a second skin. The straps were thin, and it had a built-in bra, which meant she didn’t have to wear one. Nora knew she shouldn’t take her bra off, but she needed to know if it fit.
The bra came off, and she reached for the zip, only able to pull it up halfway. She gritted her teeth. This was typical.
“Could you help me?”
she asked, looking behind the curtain.
“Yep.”
She stepped out, presented her back to him, and Gabriel zipped her up. Did he go slowly? Did it register to him that she wasn’t wearing a bra? It was stupid for her to even think of it.
With the dress on, she turned toward Gabriel. “What do you think?”
she asked. Did she look pretty? Cute? Ugly? Fat?
She didn’t care about her weight. She knew to many she was overweight and could do with losing a few pounds. After starving on the streets and finally having the security of a hot meal every night, weight didn’t factor into anything.
“Stunning,”
Gabriel said. He placed a hand at her back and urged her forward.
“Wow,”
Trudy said, startling her, as the other woman arrived.
“She looks incredible, doesn’t she?”
Gabriel asked.
“You’ll be the envy of every person there,”
Trudy said.
They were just being kind.
Glancing at her reflection, Nora couldn’t help but admit that the dress was flattering. Rather than giving her a frumpy body, it fit beautifully. The bodice was snug, sinking in at the waist, enhancing her breasts, making them look fuller. The dress went from the waist and filled out at the hips. It floated around her, giving her an hourglass figure. She loved the feel of it against her skin.
“I’ve got the makeup artist downstairs,”
Trudy said.
“Send her up.”
Nora looked from Gabriel to Trudy. “Makeup artist?”
“We have to complete the look, darling,”
Trudy said.
This didn’t sound good, and for the next three hours, while still in her dress, she was covered and protected, but her hair was wet, cut, and styled. Her nails were painted. Her face was also going through the makeover, and by the time it was done, she had on a pair of heels to match the dress. A diamond necklace, bracelet, and matching earrings.
She looked the part of Gabriel’s date. It didn’t fill her with confidence and made her even more terrified of messing up.
****
Stepping into the dining hall with Nora at his side, Gabriel saw Nancy already talking with the guests. Not a single celebrity was present. This was a charity event for businessmen—those who didn’t want to be in the public eye but liked to contribute to good causes, and have a delicious meal as well.
Gabriel didn’t like being in the public eye, and having the title of eligible bachelor, who happened to date a host of models, actresses, and heiresses, he’d unintentionally made trouble for himself.
In his younger days, having the press follow him around had been a rush. Seeing his success displayed in all the papers and magazines had been the highlight of his life. Now, in his forties, privacy mattered more to him. He didn’t appreciate being followed around.
His grandfather had warned him in those early days, and he hadn’t listened, thinking he knew best. Once again, his old man warning him. His grandfather had been more of a father to him than his own.
“This is beautiful,”
Nora said.
He couldn’t agree more.
Nancy was a wealthy woman. She loved to take charities and help them flourish. He had known the older woman for quite some time, and her dedication to good causes was what drove her. Many had assumed she would sell her father’s company, and although she was “old money,”
she hadn’t done so. Instead, she made sure her family’s company flourished, thriving in the modern world, and in doing so, providing the funds for many of her charity endeavors. Gabriel admired her.
Several men stopped and greeted him. All looked toward Nora with questions in their eyes, wondering who the stunning woman was at his side. The makeup artist had done an amazing job. She’d enhanced Nora’s features. She had minimal makeup on, but it was perfection. Her hair curled around her. She had the aura of a princess—sweet and pure.
Gabriel wanted to dirty her up. To sink his fingers into her hair, to pull those lips to his and kiss her hard. His obsession was not helping.
He introduced her to people as his date, keeping a hand at her back. When he got to talk to Nancy, the other woman was attentive, talking with Nora about her cause and why it was so important.
She asked Nora what she did, and Gabriel smiled. “She works for me.”
Nancy smiled. “You always did have a keen eye for talent.”
He knew Nora was curious what that meant. The truth was, he and Nancy did share a skill. They were able to spot someone special. It was why he was so successful. When it came to acquiring people with certain skills, he had a knack for it.
When he looked at Nora, there was something special about her. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was, but he knew there was something there, and not just because he wanted to fuck her. She was going to be an asset to his company. In what way, he didn’t know.
Understanding her love for business and learning, he had a feeling she could go far. Also, even Trudy had noted she was a fast learner.
Nora and Nancy were talking animatedly, until it was announced that dinner was ready. Gabriel was not used to feeling jealous. He never had a reason to be jealous of anyone or anything. Yet, he didn’t like anyone else taking his time away from his woman, and was happy to see that Nancy was sitting at a different table.
Dinner would go smoothly, and then, once dessert was served, the donations would begin. Nancy liked to announce what each person had donated. He didn’t know why, as no one compared with one another. But this happened every single year.
“This is such a good cause,”
Nora said.
Nancy had handed her a leaflet, which she had started to read as the meal was served.
Gabriel picked up his fork, and Nora followed his lead.
“Yes.”
“They help foster children in the local area. They help them survive and thrive.”
He saw how happy Nora was. “I’ve taken several kids to these shelters. I donate there as well.”
He had also known this about Nora. There was nothing he didn’t know about her. Just like he knew she was ahead with her rent, and her landlady wasn’t comfortable taking money in advance, but she did for Nora.
After getting kicked out of her family home and sent to the streets, Nora had to survive, and her habits showed she didn’t want to return to the streets. It was that time he didn’t know about. Also, how she got off the streets.
“What children?”
he asked. This could be the opening for filling in the blanks.
“Oh,”
Nora said, and took a bite of her food. The steak was delicious. Medium-rare, but he was more of a burnt-to-a-crisp man, not that he would admit it. “For a short time, about three years, I was living on the streets.”
“You were?”
“Yes. It’s kind of a long story. I lost my parents in a car accident. I ended up in a coma for a few weeks, and during that time I somehow lost everything. I had no home and was on the streets, learning to survive.”
Even though her aunt and uncle took everything from her, she didn’t say a word against them. Gabriel found this intriguing.
“What happened?” he asked.
“You learn to … hide,”
Nora said and pursed her lips. Her gaze went past his shoulder and she frowned. “It’s hard to explain, but it’s not always good on the streets.”
“How did you get out of it?”
Gabriel asked. This was the blank he wanted to fill in.
At that precise moment, Nancy chose to go on stage, and it was time to show off the donations. The room went quiet, and Gabriel was annoyed.
The rest of the night, he watched as Nora clapped at each donation. He saw this charity held a special place in her heart. Before he even knew who Nora was, he donated to this cause, and his company, as always, donated the most. Nancy was a friend. He didn’t want to see kids out in the cold.
Once they were back in the car, and he was driving toward her apartment, he asked her again.
“How did you get off the streets? You didn’t finish.”
Nora sighed.
“It was four years ago. I’d been down this alleyway, and that was when I saw this young girl. I think she was thirteen or something. She had been taken from the mall. Milly was her name. I’d seen her on the news and her parents were terrified. I didn’t call the cops, I told Milly to come with me, and I had earned a little cash doing a few odd jobs. Not a lot. She was terrified, so I got on the bus with her, and she told me where she needed to go. She told me how she had gone to the bathroom and didn’t know that a man had followed her. He attacked her from behind, knocked her out, and she woke up in a trunk. Her dad loved cars, and she worked on them as well. She knew how to get the trunk open, and she literally jumped out of a moving car. She ran as hard and as fast as she could, and she made it to that alleyway. I saw her, took her home.”
Gabriel frowned. Milly, abduction. He had seen something on the news about that. “You helped stop a human trafficking ring?”
“No, no, I didn’t. That was all Milly. She heard the men talking. All I did was get her back to her home.”
“How did that get you off the streets?” he asked.
“Milly found me with her dad. He … helped me. First he wanted to know if I was drinking or on drugs, or if I was a prostitute. I told him I helped people, and then he helped me. Got me a place to stay, a job, and he gave me a little money to get started. I was a waitress at a diner. The diner closed, and I was able to get a job at your mailing room. He helped me when I needed it. No one had helped me before that.”
Gabriel was thankful for Milly’s dad.
“Do you still hear from Milly?”
Gabriel asked.
“Yes, she is heading to college. She plans to study law. She told me in one of her letters that she intends to be a nightmare for the bad guys.”
He glanced over to her and saw her smile. Nora was a special kind of woman. There was a lot more to her than met the eye.
Parking outside her apartment, he knew this was not the place Milly’s dad had gotten for her. After getting a job at his company, she was able to upgrade to a nicer neighborhood with more security.
He climbed out of his car, locked it, and escorted her upstairs.
“You don’t have to see me to my door,” she said.
“I insist.”
He loved that she didn’t argue.
He saw the code she needed to get inside her building, and he followed her up to the third floor.
She put the key in the lock and smiled at him. “I had a lovely night.”
And he wanted to kiss her.
Closing the distance between them, Gabriel reached out, cupped her cheek, and kissed her good night.