Chapter 3 #2
"I admit..." I wrestle for a second with whether I should say this or just bite my tongue.
"Yeah?" he pushes, flashing an even bolder, arrogant grin.
"You're a good uncle; I'll give you that. But the rest is a train wreck. You're arrogant, and you stick women in boxes. You act like you're so important and fake being rich, and you think we're all the same. You never give a woman a real chance to actually know you as a man."
"So, you would’ve gone with me if I’d shown up at the Midnight Lounge in jeans and a T-shirt?"
"Of course."
"Really?" He chuckles.
"If you’d been just as charming, then yeah. Sure, a suit always looks good on a man, but it was your presence. You gave off something. That drew me in. The rest was blurred out thanks to the alcohol."
"Now it’s my turn." Gabriel leans back all relaxed, and it annoys me that he wants to psychoanalyze me.
"Save it. I don’t care what you think of me."
"You’re scared of the truth." I try to tune him out. "And scared you won’t land the job. The fact that you hooked up with a guy like me last night just shows you wanted to close a chapter. One last good fuck before you throw yourself into work and don’t have time for hot one-night stands anymore."
"Since you clearly studied the job listing, you know there’ll be overseas trips.
I might be gone from London for a week or two at a time.
Maybe longer. A relationship wouldn’t even be possible like that.
So yeah, it was supposed to be a little goodbye.
But as far as I remember, I fell asleep.
.." I lift my brows, making sure he gets that I’m blaming him for it. That should bruise his ego.
"So, you’re faithful in a relationship?"
"That’s none of your business."
"I’m just curious. After all, you gave me a lap dance in the limo."
Fantastic. It’s just wonderful that he has to bring that up now.
"If your new boss—assuming you even get the job—asked you for something like that..."
"Hey! I’m a professional, just so we’re clear! I keep business and personal totally separate!"
"So, Mr. Kensington can’t count on a hot little hip shake from you?"
"Absolutely not. But you know what you can count on?" I’m two seconds away from clawing his eyes out, he’ll see!
"Hmm, what?" He leans closer while I glare at him.
"Orange juice in your lap." I’m going to do it. No matter how nuts it sounds, I’m not letting this job slip away. And I’ll be damned if I lose to someone like him.
"They’ve got cameras here. Go ahead. I’m sure your new boss will be thrilled to see you trying to take out the competition with cheap shots." Gabriel chuckles again, which just makes my blood boil.
"Go to hell," I snap at him.
"I tried, but you fell asleep."
"It was just boring with you..."
"I’d say: comfortable. After all, you fell asleep in my arms."
How does he always flip my attacks back on me?
"Pure fantasy. You’re living in a dream world."
"Wait. So, you’re saying I don’t have a shot at a second date with you?"
Now I’m the one who laughs under my breath.
"You’re breaking my poor heart." He leans back, watching me in silence, that little smile still tugging at his mouth. Doesn’t matter what I throw at him—he stays cool. Nothing rattles him. Unreal.
The secretary comes over with his coffee, balancing it on a tray. She sets it on the side table between us. I sip more juice and try to keep my cool. After she totters back to her desk, she answers a call.
Where was I before she interrupted us?
"Absolutely not," I whisper back, indignant.
"So, you really don’t want to see me again?" He smirks.
"No. Once I’m finished with this interview, Mr. Kensington will pick me. You’re out. And then our paths finally split. For good."
"Hmm. Okay." He sticks out his hand, and I eye it warily. "May the best person win." I hesitate, then shake it—but I don’t let go right away.
I squeeze tighter and make it clear: "We play fair. No dirty tricks in the interview to make the other look bad. Deal?"
"Okay. Promise."
Can I actually trust him on that?
Suddenly the secretary totters back over. "Mr. Kensington? Uh—he, I mean Mr. Kensington—is ready for you now. I mean, for you. Not for Ms. Prescott. He’ll see you after."
Well, that's just great. Gabriel is going before me? That's not good. I don't trust this guy as far as I can throw him. He’ll fill Kensington’s head with crap about me, and I won’t get a fair shot.
"Please, follow me."
Gabriel stands, shoots me a cocky look, and actually winks.
If looks could kill, he’d already be flat on the floor.
"Gladly." Gabriel follows the secretary, who knocks on her boss's office door, then opens it and waves him in. She closes the door again and stares at me for way too long before sitting back down behind her desk.
She doesn’t seem like a personal assistant, does she?
If she is, that would mean either Gabriel or I would be taking over her role. Well, this could get interesting, nervous as she is. Either she wants to be rid of Mr. Kensington, or he needs extra help. I’m curious…
Me: It's getting even worse!
Chloe: The other guy has no time for you either?
Me: Gabriel is here.
Chloe: WHAT?
Me: Yeah. He’s got an interview here too. We applied for the same position. Everything he told me yesterday was a lie!
Chloe: Are you kidding me?
Me: The limo was borrowed from a friend, the apartment belongs to his sister. He just pretended to be this rich guy to hook up with me. Luckily, I didn’t sleep with him.
Chloe: Some men, I swear… unbelievable. See? I told you from the start something was off!
Me: I swear I’ll always listen to you from now on…
Chloe: Female intuition. And now you’re both in there together? I mean, he’s also going for the personal assistant job with this food guy?
Me: EDL is the biggest buyer of specialty foods in all of England.
You can’t skip him if you want to run a luxury restaurant.
I’d get to see the whole world. And make good money.
This job is my absolute dream. I never thought I’d even get an interview.
And now Gabriel of all people is here. Because of that idiot, I couldn’t even shower!
Chloe: Do you smell bad?
Me: I washed up, but I still don’t feel completely fresh. I hate leaving the house without a shower. I really wanted to pour my orange juice on his crotch.
Chloe: Uh… wait. Orange juice?
Me: Yeah, I haven’t had much to drink yet, it’s fine.
Chloe: And it’s just the two of you in there right now?
Me: He got called in before me. So, he’s probably feeding Mr. Kensington a bunch of nonsense!
Chloe: Stand your ground. You’ve got the skills! Just stay calm and don’t let him shake your confidence.
Let’s hope she’s right.
I sip a little more juice, take a deep breath, and try to chill. Minutes tick by. Half an hour passes. Then a full hour.
What on earth could they be talking about for so long? And why invite us at the same time if one of us has to wait forever? Some kind of test? And why am I the only one being tested? Or does he have no intention of seriously considering me?
No, stay cool, just like Chloe said. I take a deep breath, check my blood sugar—still green—and relax.
My resume is nearly perfect. If he doesn’t want me, he won’t find anyone better. There is no one better.
Gabriel doesn’t even come close to me. No way.
But time drags. A full hour passes, then a second. Meanwhile, the secretary keeps bringing them coffee, tea, and water while I sit there, trying not to let my nerves show.
After three whole hours, I’ve had it. I stand and walk over to the secretary, who swallows hard as I stop in front of her.
"Hey… um, I don’t want to be rude, but I’ve been waiting for three hours." I give her a questioning look.
"Could you please check if I can still have my interview today? Otherwise, I’ll go home and wait for another appointment."
I’m so mad I feel like storming in and wringing both their necks.
"It won’t be much longer," she says.
I blink at her. "Are you sure about that?" She nods nervously, fidgeting with her fingers. I notice an anxiety ring she keeps twisting. Not her fault—but I’m still pissed. So, I gather my courage and hatch a plan: "Could I get another glass of juice, please?"
"Oh, yes. Of course. Absolutely. I’ll bring it right away." She actually perks up at that request. She jumps up and hurries to the kitchen, leaving the door unguarded. Cerberus is gone—Hades is my next target.
I edge toward the door and listen. Nothing. No voices, no laughter. What the hell are they doing in there? I just push the door open, ready to confront this wannabe boss. Anyone who keeps me waiting three hours deserves a piece of my mind!
When I step inside, I see only Gabriel, sitting in Mr. Kensington’s office. Not just that—he’s behind the desk!
I suck in a breath, peek in through the doorway, stunned.
Wait… there’s no one else? This jerk isn’t even here?
I’m speechless, staring at Gabriel, who looks back surprised.
I slip inside, quietly close the door, and hurry over.
"What’s going on here? Where’s Mr. Kensington?
" I hiss, glancing around nervously. No, really, there’s no one else.
Just the desk, some chairs, tall windows, and shelves. No Mr. Kensington.
Gabriel grins, leaning back in the black leather chair, totally at ease while I try to figure out what the hell is happening.
"Three full hours," he says.
"Yeah, I’ve been waiting three hours for Mr. Kensington to show up. I thought he was already in there interviewing you!"
Gabriel looks at me, then furrows his brow. "You still don’t get it, huh? That’s definitely going to cost you major points."
"Shut up. You have no authority here. And get up. It’s rude to sit in his chair. Mr. Kensington is incredible, and you can’t even begin to compare!" I step closer, trying to look threatening.
"Is that so?" Gabriel just grins, not moving an inch. "Tell me more. What else do you know about him?"
"A lot. But I’m definitely not telling you." That would be insane. He’d use it to butter him up. If this guy had done his homework, he wouldn’t be asking me.
"I hear he’s supposed to be really attractive," he says, raising his eyebrows provocatively.
"Not interested. I want to work for him because he’s the best, and I only work with the best."
"You wouldn’t be opposed to… an affair, would you? I mean, for this job, you’d probably do a lot, right?" How dare he even suggest that.
"I don’t need to stoop to that." I’m done here. Wherever Mr. Kensington is, I’m not waiting another second. Especially not with Gabriel.
"Just a moment." Gabriel stands, but I shoot him an angry glare. He presses a button on the phone. "Sally? Bring me Miss Prescott’s documents. And another coffee, please." He looks at me. "Juice? Coffee? Water?" Okay, now I’m totally lost. "Some of each.”
"Very well, Mr. Kensington."
"What the…?" The secretary should be able to tell an applicant’s voice from her boss’s, right? And she’s been in this office several times. Unless Mr. Kensington jumped out the window…
"Sit." He points to the chair in front of the desk.
"No…" I mutter, my brain trying to make sense of this. Pieces of the puzzle are forming—but it makes no sense. Like a completely bizarre fever dream.
"I thought you’d have asked after an hour at the latest. But three? You really want this job." He looks impressed for a second, then sits back down, while I’m still standing there, not wanting to believe what’s happening.
"My name’s Gregory Gabriel Kensington. But I go by Gabriel—it sounds a bit more approachable," he explains, gesturing again to the chair in front of him. "Please. Sit."
"No." Absolutely not. First, I need to figure out what’s going on. "This is a joke, right?"
"I told you last night I had an important appointment today. Steven—Mr. Bones, that is—called in sick yesterday evening, so I’m running the interviews myself. Otherwise, this would’ve been my day off."
"Please tell me this is a joke," I beg, desperate. This can’t be happening! "We kissed!"
"Yes. And you tore me a new one top to bottom." Gabriel laughs. "That’s why I can’t hire you, but…"
"And then you make me wait outside for three hours? Even though you never planned to hire me? Do you think I’ve got nothing better to do than sit in a lonely hallway waiting for His Lordship to finally decide to let me in?"
"Steven still needs a personal assistant, so I thought…"
"You can kiss my ass!" I explode. I don’t usually swear like this, and I’m a little shocked at myself, but the way he’s acting right now is completely undeserved.
"I would’ve kissed it, but you just fell asleep." Gabriel laughs, adding, "You’ve really got a temper."
For that, he gets the middle finger. I spin on my heel and storm out, slamming the door so hard it feels like the walls might shake. Well, they don’t actually shake—modern building—but I imagine it like an old cartoon, dust and plaster flying everywhere.
As I rush down the hallway, his secretary Sally catches up to me. I’d love to give her a piece of my mind too, but she’s probably already suffered enough dealing with a jerk like Gabriel. I hurry to the elevator, which takes me down in no time. Keeping my composure is incredibly hard.
Not yet.
No, not yet…
I step outside.
Okay. Now. Now I can cry a little. Now it’s okay. Now he can’t see me…