As my jaw dropped, Gabriel flashed a confident grin.
English wasn’t his first language and he was only in his late twenties, but I couldn’t deny that he really did have a way with words.
He was more articulate than people twice his age.
And his little speech almost convinced me to stay.
Almost.
But my common sense and loyalty were still firmly intact.
‘Is everything okay here?’ Claude approached us.
‘No,’ I said, stepping out from the table. ‘I need to cancel my dinner order because I’m leaving. I was just about to come and find you. We need to talk.’
9
GABRIEL
As Laila and Claude left the restaurant, I shook my head.
I hated that my mother was preventing me from enjoying myself with Laila.
I admired Laila’s loyalty. That was one of the many qualities I remembered liking about her. But that loyalty was misplaced. Laila might believe that my mother walked on water, but she did not.
Laila only knew the carefully curated version of my mother. If she was aware of the truth, she would think differently. But it was not my place to tell her.
The waitress came and placed the two main courses on the table.
‘My match had to return to her room. Can you send it up to her?’ I asked.
‘Bien sûr,’ she nodded. ‘Bon appetit.’
‘Merci,’ I said, as she left.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed a couple staring and pointing.
I turned to face them, lifted my glass in the air to toast their gossiping, then returned my attention to the table and my meal.
Just as I told Laila earlier, I really did not care about the opinions of strangers. If I did, I would not have achieved what I had.
Right now, the only person whose opinion I cared about was Laila’s.
If we had met for the first time, I truly believed that Laila would have given me a chance.
But I meant what I said.
I would not pursue her.
Respecting a woman’s boundaries was important.
That was why I would wait for her to come to me.
Because despite my initial reservations about coming here, now I was glad that I had.
Nico had told me to keep an open heart and mind and although I was still not convinced that this could become the kind of relationship that he shared with Cassie, I was certain that there was a spark that could lead to a powerful connection. Even if it was just for two weeks, it would still be worth it.
Call it optimism, confidence or intuition, but I had a feeling that Laila and I could have a lot of fun together.
