4. Chapter Four
~Jennifer~
When my eyes opened the next morning, the uneasiness from my conversation with Gabriel the night before still lingered in the back of my mind. After we spoke, I turned my phone off for the rest of the evening, needing to disconnect and think things through before I made contact with Celine again.
In all my time doing loyalty tests, I’d never come across a situation like this. Someone was lying to me. Either Celine or Gabriel wanted to cover their tracks, and though I strongly felt Gabe had told me the truth, I had to accept the fact that I might be biased simply because I liked him. I’d flirted with hundreds of men online and never felt the simple connection I did with him, like we could actually be friends. He felt genuine to me, sincere and open, and if it was all an act, he’d done a damn good job of it.
Celine’s behaviour seemed more suspicious. Thinking back to the way she tried to insist that I meet with Gabriel in person made me wonder what she’d been trying to achieve. Did she want to provoke him into cheating to cover up her own affair? That seemed like a lot of trouble to go to, and for what purpose? If she wanted to get a divorce, she could just get one. People got divorced for all kinds of reasons, and it sounded like Gabe hadn’t even had any suspicions until the last couple of days, after Celine hired me .
Something didn’t quite add up. A piece of the puzzle remained missing, and I couldn’t do much about it other than hope that Eda’s inquiries turned up something useful.
With a sigh, I rolled over and grabbed my phone, looking for a message from my sister. She hadn’t been in touch, but I did have a message from Gabe that came in the night before and my chest tightened as I read it. I could almost feel his pain as he said he would be unavailable for the next few days. Did I really understand him that well, or could I be projecting my own feelings onto him?
I’d never doubted my instincts in my job this way, and I didn’t like it.
I also had a message from Celine.
Do you have any updates? I asked my husband straight out to show me his phone last night and he refused. I’m certain he’s hiding something.
Again, pressure squeezed in my chest. So, they did talk after our call. Did he confront her with his suspicions? Did she try to use me against him, even though the flirting had been entirely one-sided? Or was he leading me on, presenting one face to me and another to her? Uncertainty clawed at my stomach, and I closed the message without replying, still needing more time to decide what to do.
In the meantime, despite his own problems, Gabe had still managed to make arrangements for me in Napa Valley for the weekend. The name Four Winds meant nothing to me, but when I pulled up the hotel’s website, a soft sigh slipped through my lips. It looked perfect . Just the right amount of luxury without being ostentatious, a gorgeous estate with rooms that I could already tell I wouldn’t want to leave.
Everything about it appealed to me, and the fact that Gabe made that connection only reinforced the idea that we understood each other on a fundamental level.
As soon as I saw the place, I knew that whether or not I’d actually intended to follow through when I asked Gabe for recommendations, I wanted to go. Everything seemed to be conspiring to tell me I needed this break.
Since he said I should call to confirm the reservation, I dialed the number right away, not wanting to miss the opportunity.
“Good morning, Four Winds Napa,” a cheery woman’s voice greeted me. “How can I help you?”
“Good morning. My name is Jennifer Bradshaw. I believe you have a room on hold for me for this weekend, starting tomorrow, and I’m calling to confirm the reservation.”
“Absolutely, I can take care of that for you.” Nails clacked against keys in the background as she looked up the information on her computer, and a moment later, she let out a puzzled hum.
She didn’t say more than that, so I asked for clarification. “Is there a problem?”
“I’m not seeing you here,” she admitted. “We only have twelve rooms and there’s no Jennifer at all.”
I couldn’t think of any reason Gabriel would have given me false information, so I opened my mouth to ask her to look for his name instead when she offered an alternative.
“As it happens, though, we have a last-minute cancellation on one of the rooms. I can book you in right now if you like.”
“Sure, that would be great.” Whatever the mix-up had been, I wouldn’t worry about it if they still had room for me.
After giving her all my details and credit card information, we hung up and I got out of bed, feeling more ready to tackle the rest of the day’s work with the prospect of a short holiday to look forward to.
Several hours of flirting later, I got a text from Eda.
I should be a private detective! You won’t believe all the dirt I got.
How can I believe it if you don’t tell me what it is?
Calling you now.
A few seconds later, the phone rang, and I accepted the video chat to see my sister sitting in her apartment with a glass of wine and a smug smile on her face. “You owe me for this big time.”
“Save your self-congratulation until the end. Tell me what you’ve got.”
She began with a litany of who knew who and how she made contact with people in the San Francisco theatre scene, but I quickly lost track of the trail until she got to the end of it. “...and it turns out Betty is working on a show right now with Monica Carter.”
“Carter?” I repeated curiously, picking up on the name immediately. “A relative?”
“His sister!” Eda announced gleefully. “And when they had a break today during the tech rehearsal, Betty let me call her to complain about the nightmare sister-in-law I invented, and she roped Monica in to give me advice. She did not hold back! That woman spilled everything .”
“You still haven’t told me any thing,” I reminded her, rolling my eyes at her enthusiasm even though my own curiosity had been fully piqued.
Finally, she dove in. “So, Gabriel and Celine have been married for two years. They were together for two years before that, and Monica said she heard rumours during that time that Celine started seeing someone else, but she never had any proof so she didn’t say anything to her brother about it.”
Not an awful lot to go on, but it did interest me, especially since I hadn’t said anything to Eda yet about the conversation I had with Gabe the night before. She had no way of knowing about his suspicions of Celine cheating.
“Anyway, they got married, and Celine stopped trying. She stopped working, stopped wanting to travel with Gabriel or spend any time with his family. Monica said she’s barely seen her in the last year. She’s totally mooching off him and not putting in any effort. Gabriel says they’ve been trying to get pregnant, but Monica thinks Celine is secretly taking birth control. ”
Again, as interesting as that might be, and as much as it made my heart hurt for Gabe, it didn’t really help me at all. “What does that have to do with her hiring me?”
“I’m getting to that!” Eda took a long sip of her wine, drawing out the suspense while my toes tapped impatiently against the floor. “I asked Monica if she thought Celine might be using her brother for his money, and she said probably, but not his ‘current’ money.”
My eyebrows drew together. “What does that mean?”
“Exactly what I wanted to know. Apparently, he’s got a great big payment coming from his grandparent’s estate. It pays out to both Gabriel and Monica when they’ve been married for three years or when they turn 30, whichever happens first.”
“So, she thinks Celine’s sticking around for the money,” I guessed. “But why would Celine hire me?”
“Because…” Eda paused for dramatic effect, her face nearly splitting with her grin of anticipation. “Under normal circumstances, inheritances aren’t included in assets if they split up. However, according to the terms of the trust fund, if they get divorced because he cheated, she’s entitled to half, no matter what. It’s literally a condition of the fund! Guess Grandma and Grandpa didn’t like cheaters much. Can’t say I blame them.”
I let out a long breath as I put the pieces together. “So, she needs to prove he’s cheating before he figures out that she is and files for divorce himself.”
“Exactly.” She literally patted herself on the back before prompting me to join in the praise. “You can thank me now.”
“You did good.” Not only did she get closer to Gabe than I ever imagined she would, she’d just slid the missing puzzle piece into place.
Gabe’s wife wanted to trap him into giving away half his inheritance and intended to use me to do it.
Just one big question remained: how the hell was I going to break that to him?
~Gabriel~
Celine didn’t come home that night. Not that I expected her to by that point, but the pang of disappointment hit me anyway when I woke up and found the bed beside me untouched. She hadn’t texted or called either, and I headed out for work that morning feeling completely off-balance.
Did I overreact? Did she? Everything seemed muddled, and the way Jen kept popping back into my thoughts didn’t help things. I was a married man, for fuck’s sake. Why the hell was I thinking about her so much? My guilt made me doubt myself even more, and by the end of the day, I hadn’t moved any closer to figuring out what to do next.
With my sister still busy with tech rehearsals and none of my male friends the kind I could dump this kind of heavy situation on, I had no one to turn to for advice. The only person besides my sister that I felt comfortable talking to that way? Jen. Which was insane . I barely knew her, and she openly hit on me despite knowing about my wife. And yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling deep in my gut that she would understand.
I’d turned off notifications on Instagram so I wouldn’t be tempted to see if she messaged me, but as I wrapped up work for the day, I decided to at least find out if she booked the room I’d reserved for her.
Manuel answered again when I called, and after greeting him, I got right to the point. “I’m just wondering if my client got in touch to take the room?”
He took a look on their computer system, humming to himself as he did. “No, it doesn’t look like they did. It’s still in your name and unconfirmed. ”
Huh. Maybe Jen hadn’t liked the look of the place after all. Maybe I didn’t know her as well as I felt I did.
Since I couldn’t ask her the reason without breaking my self-imposed communication ban, I decided to move on instead. “In that case, would it be okay if I took it?”
It would mean spending money I didn’t have, but a change of scene might be exactly what I needed. What Celine and I both needed.
“Of course!” Manuel sounded genuinely delighted at the idea. “I will cover the room and dinner on your first night here. After all the business you’ve sent our way over the years, it will be our pleasure to have you.”
My shoulders sagged in relief that I wouldn’t have to scramble to cover the cost. “That’s very kind. Thank you.”
After promising Manuel I would seek him out when I arrived, I sent a text to my wife.
Things got a little heated last night. We still need to talk properly. How does a weekend in Napa Valley sound? Just the two of us, no distractions.
Usually, she would jump at the idea of a photogenic trip that didn’t involve too much travel time, posting details on her social media that made it look like we lived much more lavishly than we did.
However, it seemed she still hadn’t forgiven me, based on her reply a couple of hours later.
You’ve got to be kidding. I don’t want to go anywhere with you after yesterday. Did you actually book something without asking me? How are we paying for that?
Perhaps I’d have to call Manuel back and cancel. Taking a deep breath, I tried to be flexible.
We don’t have to go anywhere. We could talk here. When are you coming home?
Brad’s work trip has been extended to Monday. I’m staying at Allie’s .
Nothing in her reply suggested a willingness to talk, or even to see me. Celine could hold a grudge like nobody else I’d ever known. I’d seen it from the outside several times, but it appeared I’d earned myself one by showing too much interest in her whereabouts.
I could have argued. I could have gone back to Allie’s and forced her to talk to me, but I couldn’t muster the energy or the enthusiasm. Getting out of town, even on my own, sounded like the best course of action, and Napa Valley would be as good a place as any to contemplate my future.
With Celine still using our car, I found the cheapest rental I could and headed out of town after work on Friday. The sun sparkled across the bay as I drove over the Golden Gate Bridge, the water shining with the promise of some of the peace and relaxation I’d been missing all week. Gradually, the landscape around me shifted, the coast giving way to the rolling hills and vineyards of Napa Valley. With every mile putting more distance between me and my problems, the tension in my body lessened and the ache in my stomach grew a little less painful.
Maybe I wouldn’t solve anything that weekend, but I could forget about my troubles for a while and simply enjoy the adventure of being somewhere different. Travel had always been my greatest joy, even when it came to being a local tourist.
The Four Winds sat in a small vineyard along a rural road, far from any traffic or bustle of people. A few cars already dotted the parking lot behind the hotel, but no activity could be seen as I got out of the car and stretched my legs after the hour and a half drive. My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten much yet that day. I hadn’t felt like it, and I knew that the hotel’s excellent restaurant would put everything else to shame anyway. At least I’d be hungry for it, and as I grabbed my duffel bag from the passenger seat, I already felt a bit better.
Another car meandered down the road towards the hotel as I climbed the steps, probably belonging to another arriving guest, so I stepped inside to complete my check-in, not wanting to delay anyone else.
“Ah, Mr Carter,” the woman at the desk exclaimed when I gave my name. “Manuel had to run out for a while but he’ll be back later. He wants to say hello.”
“I’ll make sure I see him,” I promised. “Which room am I in?”
“The Chardonnet room on the first floor,” the woman confirmed. “There’s a wonderful view from the bay window in there. If you need anything for your stay, just let us know.”
Since I didn’t have to provide any payment information, the whole process went fairly quickly, and she handed me the key just as the door behind me opened, letting the next guest in.
I turned around, ready to give the newcomer a friendly smile before I headed to my room, but the expression quickly fell off my face as I got a look at the beautiful blonde woman standing there, gazing up at me with stunned surprise that seemed to match my own.
“Jen?”
~Jennifer~
Shit.
Staring at Gabe’s face in the lobby of the Four Winds hotel, my mind went completely blank while panic rose in my chest. What was he doing there? Did he come to see me? Had I been set up ?
The drive to Napa Valley took most of the day. I left mid-morning, after the morning rush hour cleared, thankful for the ability to work in my car by connecting my phone to the car’s computer. I would still need to document everything later on, but at least I wouldn’t be completely out of touch. The dedication paid off when I got yet another dick pic from one of my current jobs, and I pulled over to send it to the guy’s girlfriend while I took a lunch break.
Aside from that, I thought about Gabe. What to tell him and how to tell him were at the forefront of my thoughts, but I couldn’t entirely get rid of the echo of the things Eda had said to me either.
You like him.
He might not be married for long.
Those thoughts were not helpful. I didn’t want to break up his marriage so that he’d be single. I only wanted the best for him, which would be to know the truth about his wife .
However, as I imagined how it might play out, I couldn’t see a happy ending. From years of experience, I knew that being the bearer of bad news usually meant the end of my interactions with the person in question. If I laid it all on the line for him, that would be the last I heard from him, I could pretty much guarantee it. He wouldn’t take kindly to the fact that I’d done nothing but lie to him since the moment I made contact.
Unless…
Unless I didn’t tell him that part right away? Did he need to know Celine hired me in order for me to tell him the rest?
I knew all kinds of tricks about how to catch cheating partners. I could help him prove Celine’s infidelity without revealing my role, providing some support for him during a painful time, and afterwards, I could tell him the rest of it. Maybe by then, he’d be willing to weigh my initial deception against my subsequent helpfulness. If he didn’t forgive me at that point… well, I’d have to live with that, but at least I could give myself a fighting chance of maintaining a friendship with him afterwards.
I’d pretty much decided on that approach when I stepped into the Four Winds and saw the man himself standing in front of me.
“What… what are you doing here?” I stuttered, glancing around for any sign that we were being watched. What that would prove, I couldn’t guess, but it felt too unlikely to be a coincidence.
Gabe’s stunning blue eyes followed my gaze into each empty corner before he turned back to me. “What are you doing here? The hotel told me you didn’t call to take the reservation.”
As the conversation with the hotel receptionist replayed in my memory, the wheels of my brain started to work again. “Did you have the reservation under your name or mine?”
“My name.” His brow remained furrowed a second longer until his expression suddenly cleared, understanding dawning on him just as it had for me. “I didn’t tell you that.”
“You didn’t. When I called, they couldn’t find anything under my name, but they had a room free, so I took it.”
“When they told me you hadn’t booked it, I decided to use the room myself,” he explained, a grimace pulling at his lips. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude on your vacation.”
“It’s not your fault. I should have told you I booked it, but you said…”
“... I’d be taking a few days off,” he finished for me, shaking his head as a quick smile flashed across his face. “Well, I fucked that up.”
His blunt assessment made me laugh, my body relaxing at the realization that the whole thing came down to a simple mix-up and not a set-up at all.
“I don’t need to stay,” Gabe added, turning and handing his room key back to the receptionist, who’d been trying very hard not to eavesdrop on our conversation despite being able to hear every word. “You travelled a lot farther than I did. I can come back another time.”
“Don’t be silly.” I stepped forward to take the key from the woman and put it back in Gabe’s hand, noting his wedding ring still wrapped around his ring finger. “It’s not like we’re sharing a room. I’m sure we can go the whole weekend without seeing each other if we really try. ”
Truth be told, I didn’t want that at all. I wanted to tell him the secrets eating away at me, but his tense posture suggested any move in the wrong direction would send him back to his car and back to the city, so I did my best to set him at ease.
Luckily, my smile drew his out again, and his eyes showed only gratitude as he stepped back, holding up the key in his hand with a flourish. He really was attractive when he smiled. “Alright. Have a good stay, then.”
“You too.”
He disappeared up the large staircase to the left of the reception desk carrying a small duffel bag in his hand while I watched him go, barely realizing I kept staring until the woman behind the desk cleared her throat.
“Well, I’m guessing you’re Jennifer Bradshaw, then. I’m Tara, the woman you spoke to on the phone.”
She offered me a sheepish shrug at her own role in the mix-up, and I quickly waved my hand to brush away any concerns. “Nice to meet you, and don’t worry for a second. An honest mistake on all sides, and I’m sure we’ll both enjoy ourselves in the end.”
That didn’t come out exactly as I meant it, but she didn’t act as though I said anything odd. She moved on to checking me in while I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. As I told Celine during our first interaction, I’d never met any of the men I tested in person, mostly for my own safety, but Gabe didn’t really count. He wouldn’t be inappropriate with me, and we wouldn’t even have to see each other if we didn’t want to. The hotel might be small, but with different schedules and interests, we could avoid each other without even trying.
Once Tara gave me all the information about dinner and breakfast times and all the services the hotel offered, she handed over my key and I headed up the staircase, following in Gabe’s footsteps. The hotel had four rooms on the ground floor and eight rooms on the first, where mine and Gabe’s both seemed to be. Rather than being numbered, each bore the name of a different kind of wine, a nice touch since we were in the heart of wine country. I found the Chianti room in the corner on the left of the large landing at the top of the stairs, and as soon as I stepped inside, I let my bag drop, sighing in contentment.
It looked even better than it did on the website. A large bay window protruded from one wall, giving a near-panoramic view over the vineyards outside. The room itself had been decorated in hues of orange and red, drawing inspiration from the Tuscany region of Italy where Chianti originated. Besides the king-sized bed, a small sitting area in one corner sat next to an electric fireplace, and inside the ensuite bathroom, a deep soaker tub took up half the room, everything sleek and clean and utterly inviting.
I had only just arrived and already, I didn’t want to leave.
Unfortunately, I still had work to do. After unpacking, I updated my files with the progress I made in the car. Gabe’s file still sat there, unfinished, but after staring at it for a few seconds longer than necessary, I closed the laptop lid and took out my phone instead, taking some photos of myself in the beautiful room to add to my bait profile. I’d post them once I got home, once no one could track me down there. I couldn’t be too careful, and no one had ever found me in real life before.
Not until Gabe.
My stomach began to grumble as I took a few photos in front of the fire, and I glanced at my watch to see it had already passed seven o’clock. It would be getting late to head into town for food, especially since I didn’t know where to go, but the receptionist said the hotel restaurant had availability. Maybe that night, I could eat in the hotel for the sake of convenience, and the rest of the weekend, I’d make other arrangements.
When I went down to ask about a table, however, Tara rushed out when I rang the bell and gave her apologies. “We actually had a group come in and fill up all the tables that weren’t already reserved.”
“That’s okay, I can just do room service.” The thought of eating in my beautiful room appealed to me quite a lot, actually. “Do you have a menu? ”
Tara’s lips twisted in a grimace. “I’m so sorry, but we’re short-staffed. I’m actually helping out in there as well as working the desk. We can’t offer room service tonight.”
It seemed I would have to go into town after all, despite the protests of my stomach that had only grown louder since I got downstairs and smelled the incredible aromas wafting out from the open dining room door at the end of the hall behind the reception desk.
Getting upset about it wouldn’t do me any good though, so I shrugged. “Well, that’s my own fault for not making plans earlier. Can you recommend anywhere good that won’t get me back too late?”
As she started listing off places, pulling out a map of the local area to show me where they were, the stairs behind me creaked, and like a sixth sense, I knew without looking who it would be.
“Heading out tonight?” Gabe asked, his voice light and almost tentative, too polite to simply ignore me entirely, as he could have.
“The dining room’s full,” Tara explained before I could answer. “We’re trying to find a good alternative.”
“You wanted to eat here?” Gabe’s blue eyes met mine as he stepped up to the counter next to me. His cologne smelled much better than it had any right to, working its way through my body in a way that nearly made me shiver.
“I did, but we can’t always get what we want.”
Where the fuck did that come from? The words slipped out of my mouth before I thought them through, before I said them to the man I had literally asked to cheat with me, and his eyebrows shot towards his hairline.
“Don’t worry about me,” I added, gathering up the information Tara had given me. “I’ll figure something out. Have a good night.”
Only a few steps from the door, Gabe’s voice stopped me. “Jen, wait. I have a table reserved for tonight. You can have it.”
Was this guy for real? Every bone in my body cried yes, and I refused to take advantage of him. “I’m not making you go out instead of me. You’re the one with a reservation. ”
He shrugged as he gestured towards the open dining room door. “Well, the table does have two chairs. Would you like to join me?”