Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
LEAH
G abriel’s head appears around the door. His expression is pinched as he rubs frantically at his forehead.
“I’ll send it straight over,” I say, waving him in.
He enters, dropping himself into the chair opposite my desk. His whole body exudes tension, including the vein throbbing fiercely in his forehead.
I put the phone down and lean forward, resting my forearms on the desk.
“Callahan’s PA,” I say, grinning.
We are so close I can feel it.
“What can I do for you?” I ask, smiling at him, not wanting to jump to any conclusions.
“I’ve...” Gabriel stutters over his words before running a hand through his hair. “I’ve just received a call from the manager at El Castillo,” he says. “There’s been an incident.”
It’s almost home time. What can be so important that they’re calling Gabriel at work, not waiting for him to get home? My mind goes into overdrive. What incident? An accident? A fire ?
“The sprinkler system on the twenty-sixth floor has malfunctioned,” Gabriel continues. His gaze locks on mine.
It takes my brain a moment to compute. Twenty-six... that’s my floor... Twenty-six is my floor!
I stand up, knocking my chair back in a hurry.
“But...”
“You may as well sit. There is nothing we can do. Maintenance is in the apartments pumping out the water.”
“Pumping out the water?” I squeak, sinking back down into my chair. “Exactly how much water are we talking about?”
“It looks like the system was on for quite a while. Most of the day. Apparently, one of your neighbours is away on holiday, and the others only returned from Singapore this afternoon. They raised the alarm.” Gabriel drops his elbows onto his thighs and stares at me. “They’re hoping you can get back in later this evening to retrieve any salvageable items.”
“Salvageable,” I hear myself mutter.
I run a hand down my face. And here I was, thinking life was finally looking up. I should have realised it was too good to be true.
“I’m sorry, Leah.” Gabriel looks at me. “If there is anything I can do. Of course, insurance will cover any damages. We’ll go later, together. You can stay —”
I shake my head, trying to absorb what he’s saying, but my mind is whirling, his voice muffled. I know he’s talking, so I offer him a weak smile and nod. How bad can it be?
How bad can it be? Ha! Water looks so innocuous, but there’s a reason it’s one of nature’s most destructive forces. We are eventually allowed in later that evening, and Gabriel lets me sit in his apartment until then. I make dinner for us both, needing to keep myself busy, although I point out to him how he clearly lied when stocking up my fridge and cupboards. His are all but empty. He offers to shout us a takeaway, but I tell him I need to do something, and cooking is my go-to when I need to occupy my mind. He doesn’t complain. Instead, he has the concierge send up a food parcel from one of the local stores.
When we finally gain access. I wish we hadn’t. I might have only been here a couple of weeks, but the apartment felt like home. Now there’s a strange smell in the air. One where things that shouldn’t have got wet, have. Gabriel’s beautiful furniture is ruined. My throws and pillowcases have left colour runs all over the white fabric. I gasp at the sight.
“Oh no,” I say in horror.
Gabriel places a hand on my arm and squeezes. “It’s all replaceable. Let’s just see if anything is salvageable?”
I nod, not sure I trust my voice. I leave Gabriel and make my way to the bedroom. Sliding open the wardrobe doors. My suits hang in ruins, the water having seeped in through the gaps. They will most likely dry, but I’m uncertain if the dry clean only material will ever be the same again. The three evening dresses I have are in a similar, sorry state.
I sense Gabriel behind me. He has his phone and is making notes.
“Those look?—”
“Don’t say it... please,” I say, trying to hold my voice steady. At least with the money Vince put in my bank account and Gabriel’s low rent, I can afford to replace them. It will just be finding decent replacements. Most of these were custom fit. I take pride in my work appearance. After all, I represent the firm when I speak to our clients and potential clients.
“Is it the same with everything?” Gabriel asks instead.
I move to the enormous chest of drawers. Gabriel rushes past me and hits the plug socket, switching off the television set at the mains. “Just in case,” he says. The electricity should have been turned off in the apartment, but he’s right.
I pull open the drawers, relieved to find that my jumpers and t-shirts have all been protected. I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Let’s get these packed, and they can be moved upstairs,” Gabriel says, pulling a suitcase out of the wardrobe. It’s soaking, but the inside will be dry as it’s a hard case.
“Upstairs?” I say.
“Yes, you’ll move into one of my spare rooms until the renovations are complete,” he says. He puts the case down on the mattress, and flinches as it squelches under the weight.
“Don’t argue with me,” he says. “Come on, let’s get your things packed.”
“But the concierge said they’ll arrange for me to stay in a hotel until they finish cleaning the apartment,” I say, not wanting to put him out. I know how important his privacy is. The man has an apartment purely for houseguests, for goodness sake, so they don’t have to live in his space.
Gabriel looks around him. “This is going to take more than cleaning and a dehumidifier. The furniture is a write-off. I’ve told management you’ll stay with me while it’s fixed.”
I open my mouth to argue, but Gabriel holds up a hand. I recognise that stubborn look and know I’m not going to win this argument. “My apartment is close to two and a half thousand square feet. I have a guest suite that I have never used. We already eat together. I’m kind of partial to vegetarian food now, and if you’re in a hotel, you’ll be eating takeaway or hotel meals for god knows how long.”
When I go to open my mouth, he raises an eyebrow, so I shut it again.
I look at the case and head to the bathroom.
“I’ll wipe it down,” I say .
When I return, his eyes lock on the heavy towel dripping in my hand.
“I think that might be a lost cause,” he says, moving to my bedside table.
“Don’t,” I say more forcefully than I intend, but I’m too late.
Gabriel turns to face me, the drawer open in his hand. I cover my face as he turns back and looks down.
He doesn’t say a word. Simply shuts the drawer and turns away, a slight flush appearing on his high cheekbones. “I’ll leave you to put your belongings in the case,” he says, making a quick U-turn and leaving the bedroom.
I move to my bedside drawer and open it, grimacing at the tube of lubricant and the housewarming gift Stella and Nat purchased for me. The latest single-woman must-have accessory, according to Stella. Now my boss will think I’m a sex-starved desperado.
Ground swallow me up.
Can this day get any conceivably worse?
I pick the items out of my drawer and drop them in the case. I would have a bone to pick with Stella and Nat, but it’s a pretty amazing present. Heat warms my cheeks, and spreads through my stomach. What if he thinks...
I get to work packing what’s left of my dry clothes into the suitcase, burying my vibrator at the bottom.
I’m done within ten minutes, pulling the suitcase into the main area. Gabriel is busy documenting and ordering people around. Two men are busy boxing up any food that has not been destroyed. While another is moving plates and cups into plastic containers.
“Those can stay.” He points to the kitchen goods. “Let’s transport all food upstairs,” he suggests.
He turns as I enter the room. “Do you have everything?” he asks .
“Everything that’s dry. My suits...”
Gabriel waves a hand. “Leave those. I’ll get Anita to collect, along with the pillows and throws. If we can save them, great. If not, the insurance will cover them. I asked maintenance to allow all your bits and pieces to dry before they pack them up. Some photos are damaged, but we may be able to get reprints. I’ll speak to a friend of mine and see if they can get them digitally scanned.”
I don’t miss Gabriel’s use of we, my eyes prickle, but I blink away the tears that have been threatening since he delivered the news. I look to the side, which holds a picture of my mum, dad and me. The water has seeped in at the edges, although the frame has kept much of the picture dry. As if wading through treacle, I make my way over and pick it up.
I sense Gabriel behind me. “Sorry,” I say, wiping my eyes harshly.
“Don’t be,” he says, his voice gentler than I’ve ever heard him. “Your parents?” he asks, looking over my shoulder.
“My mum, dad and me,” I mumble. “They’re on a year-long tour of Australia. Dad’s retirement present to them both.”
“Is this the only photo you have?” he asks, his concern obvious.
“No, it’s fine. I can replace it. They have the master copy. It’s just... I miss them. With everything that’s gone on...” I hold it to my chest before returning it to the side.
Gabriel leans past me and picks it up. “Then it’s coming upstairs. We can try and dry it out. If not, there’s the photo shop across from work.”
“But it’s wet,” I say.
“Don’t argue with me,” he says. “Come on, let’s get you back upstairs.”
We leave the maintenance team on-site. Gabriel goes to the elevator and calls it. He flashes a card, allowing the normal lift to go up to the penthouse.
“Do you have the card I gave you for my apartment?” he asks.
I nod, pointing to my purse.
“Great, you’ll need that to get up and down. If you forget it for some reason, the concierge can help.”
When we get to Gabriel’s floor, the elevator opens, and the reality sets in. I stop in my tracks. “Gabriel,” I say, and he pauses, turning slowly towards me. “You hate people in your space. You have an entire apartment designated to guests, specifically, so they don’t have to live with you. Are you sure this is a good idea? I don’t want to be in the way. I can still go to the hotel.”
Gabriel’s dark eyes lock on mine, and he shrugs. “I can always make an exception.” He turns and lets himself into his penthouse, dragging my case behind him.
“Well, I promise to stay out of your way,” I say, trailing after him.
He carries my case up the spiral staircase, depositing it in the most beautiful room I’ve ever seen. I thought the master suite in my apartment was special. The guest room is that and more. Even the ensuite and walk-in are enormous.
“Gabriel, this is?—”
He holds up his hand.
“There are four guest rooms. This one has access to the balcony.”
He doesn’t get to finish, as a buzzer goes, making us both flinch.
“That will be the food and anything else dry enough for them to pack up. Why don’t you get unpacked. I’ll let them in.”
With that, he leaves me standing in the doorway.
I don’t argue. Instead, I set about doing what Gabriel suggested. My eyes water as I undo my case, and I shake my head, staring up at the ceiling. There’s no point crying over spilt milk... or a flooded apartment. Things could be worse. I could be unpacking in a hotel room rather than this luxury. I’m still not sure why Gabriel has opened his home to me. Dinner for a couple of hours differs from having someone in your space, morning, noon, and night. I make a vow to myself to stay out of his way as much as possible.
I turn around to the chest of drawers and realise Gabriel has placed the photograph of me and my parents on it beneath the television. I bite my lip at his thoughtfulness. Who would have thought the distant man I’ve worked for, for years, has a surprisingly caring side?