“Small? It can accommodate well over the projected five hundred guests you’re expecting.”
He shrugged. “The walls are bare.” He frowned.
“Ariel has some themes that she would like to show us. If you don’t like any of those, I can come up with a few more that my company has done in the past.”
“We don’t want any recycled themes. Williams & Brodsky is a highly respected law firm in this city, and as such we pride ourselves on doing everything top of the line. We will not be copying anyone’s theme.”
“It won’t be a recycled theme, Gabriel. We will come up with a concept solely for Williams & Brodsky,” I assured him.
“Great,” he stated, unbuttoning his suit blazer.
I looked around the room, trying to think of some ways we could dress up the room in case he didn’t like what Ariel and the hotel had come up with. It got eerily quiet and though my back was turned to him, I could feel his eyes on me. I swallowed deeply when I felt him approach me from behind.
“You know,” his voice had dropped an octave, “we could have some fun planning this event together.” His forefinger trailed along my shoulder and started it’s way down my bare arm, but just as he touched my skin I jumped and moved away as if I’d been burned.
“Please keep your hands to yourself,” I hissed. “The only fun we’ll be having is my overtime check for working this event. That’s it.” I took three steps back.
Thankfully, when it looked like Gabriel was going to approach me, Ariel re-entered the room.
“Sorry about that. That was regarding tonight’s event. Please, let me show you the few ways we can set up for your event.” She pulled out an iPad and brought up a few visuals of each layout. I pulled out my phone to take some notes and requested Ariel email those designs to my work email. Gabriel eventually took over the conversation, speaking to Ariel in the manner he did anyone he felt was beneath him. He’d done that with everyone ? waitstaff, concierge, drivers, junior attorneys at his firm, etc. When I was young, I took pleasure in seeing that I was one of the few who escaped such treatment. Only later, did I realize that once I stopped giving him what he wanted, would he take the same type of attitude toward me. However, unlike a waiter or driver, they only had to deal with his behavior temporarily. I had to endure it for years longer, until my son was of age. And even then, chances of me being completely free of Gabriel were slim to none.
“Hey,” I greeted, answering my phone on the way back to the office. After nearly forty-five minutes of Gabriel’s incessant questioning and condescension, we left. I was just walking through the doors ofSave the Datewhen Carter called.
“Hey yourself, sugar. You sound stressed.”
I shook my head, wondering how he could always pinpoint my moods. “I’m just making it back to the office.” I paused, taking the message note Natoi handed me over the counter of her desk. I peered at the message, noticing the meeting I’d had for two o’clock that day had been pushed back to four-thirty.
I looked up at Natoi, who shrugged and whispered, “She insisted the meeting be today.”
My shoulders slumped and I headed to my desk.
“Late lunch?” Carter asked.
“I wish,” I stated, plopping my back against my office chair. “Last minute meeting with a client that ran later than I’d hoped. Which caused another meeting to be pushed back and I likely won’t get to leave the office until five thirty or later.” I pushed out a regretful sigh.
“Sorry to hear that. I know you were looking forward to spending time with Diego tonight.”
I smiled that he’d cared enough to remember. Wednesdays were my and Diego’s movie nights. Since I often had to work on Friday nights at events, I would get off work an hour or two early on Wednesdays, pick him up for school, and we’d rent movies or go to an actual theater.
“Yeah, it’s a bummer. I have to call my mama to see if she can pick him up from school. He really wanted to see that latest Disney movie.”
“Why don’t you make it up to him this weekend?”
“You don’t mind canceling?” We had plans to go out that Saturday.
“We can change our plans. We can take the little guy on Saturday?”
I sat up in my chair. “We?”
There was a pause on the other end of the phone.
“Yes,we.Your son is your world, why wouldn’t I want to be a part of that?”
I sighed. I was unsure of letting Carter get close to Diego. Not because I didn’t trust him, but because Ididtrust him. I knew this was serious to Carter and involving my son was a way to show me that. But I still didn’t know how far this thing could go. Not with my outside drama.
“Shit!” I heard Carter shout as a loud alarm sounded in the background. “We got a call. I gotta go. Call you later!”
“Be safe,” I mumbled as I hung up the phone. I lowered my face into my hands, so confused on where to go from here. Before I could get too wrapped up in my pity party, my phone buzzed.
