I kissed the back of her hand and gave her my most cryptic smile. “Piacere. I’m Zappa. Fabio.”
“Pleasure to meet you, too. You must be Gabrielle’s fiancé.”
My grin froze on my face as I blinked. “What?”
Zoey rushed out, her eyes turning dinner plate wide, staring horrifically at me. “Sorry for the delay. Mrs. Brighton is ready for the meeting now, Ms. Alpha.” She gestured for the ladies to go into Gabriella’s office. “Please.”
CHAPTER29
Gabrielle
The look he was giving me as he stood alone in the reception sliced me in pieces. He must have thought he was a fool, coming over here, opening up to me, apologizing, thinking we still had a chance. He must have thought the only reason I went looking for him was to ask him to play another fake role. To use his services.
Part of it was true. I went to find him yesterday to hire him for the fake fiancé gig. But it was just a part of it. The other parts were that I wanted to see him even before I told that lie. I wanted to apologize. I wanted a do over.
I, too, thought we still had a chance. Now…
As Rina and her agent sat in my office, he spun and headed for the exit door.Don’t go.I should go after him and tell him to stay like he said he would. I should ask him to let me explain. But even if I swore on all holy books, he wouldn’t believe me. He’d think I’d be saying anything just to make him accept to be my fake fiancé and save my sorry ass.
I wouldn’t blame him. Couldn’t.
I took one final look at his back before he’d leave forever, and then I glanced at Zoey, silently, desperately asking for any kind of help.
She placed the contracts on my desk and nodded once. Before she walked out of the office to try to talk to Fabio, he twisted and beat her to the office. “Excuse me, ladies. Sorry for the interruption…again. Do you mind if I join you?”
What? Why would he join us? To tell them I was a lying scumbag? He doesn’t have to do anything. I’ll tell the whole country myself.
Everybody was looking at me. Panic ebbed its way up to my brain, which meant I was set for yet another disaster. The last two times fear crippled my thoughts I ruined my life.
I glanced between Fabio and Zoey, biding my time, waiting for the fog to clear. “This is a…business meeting…” I swallowed the dryness in my throat.
“I’m not your fiancé,” he said.
My heart fell to my knees, and I felt as if all the air had left my lungs. Despite the pain he must have felt, I’d never thought he’d just come and hurt me like that, to have his revenge that way.
Rina and her agent started to cock their brows and twist their lips. Then Rina looked me straight in the eye. “He’s not?” Her gaze was asking the rest of the questions.Were you engaged to someone else or weren’t you engaged at all? If you were engaged to someone else, why was this man giving you a tour of his mouth? If you weren’t engaged at all why would you lie about it, you unreliable fraud?
“I mean, not here,” he amended. “This situation is new to both of us, but we should know better than to mix business with pleasure. From now on we should keep that part outside of the office. It’s unprofessional. Right, babe?”
Heat crept up my neck and settled in my cheeks and ears. What the fuck was he doing?
He stepped in between the two women sitting before me. “I’m sorry I haven’t introduced myself properly. I didn’t know this naughty, naughty girl has spilled the beans about our engagement.” He peered at me. “I thought we agreed to keep it a secret for now. I mean, it just happened, right? Like how long has it been since I popped the question?”
“Two…almost two days.” Great. Now, he’d think that was why I went to Poles, too. “It’s all Fletcher’s fault.” I tried to save anything, still unsure where he was going with this. “He’s the one who has been telling everybody.”
“Aha.” He nodded many times. “Of course.” His eyes and grin went back to charm Rina. “Anyway, even though I am this amazing editor’s fiancé, in here, I’m just the PA.”
“PA?” Rina and Zoey asked at the same time.
He gave me a cunning gaze similar to one of those he used to give me when he joked about blackmailing me. Except now, hewasblackmailing me, and there was no joke about it. I let him be my PA or he’d expose me.
I grunted a sound that was half a snort half a choke. “PA. Yes.”
“I’ve offered to help to take the load off her a little,” he began. “I know how demanding and brutal a job in publishing is. I don’t envy of you. You ladies are superheroines to be in that business. Anyway, Gabi, professional as always, refused to give me the job because it can get awkward, but…” He leaned forward and winked at Rina. “I can be pretty convincing.”
She gazed at his mouth. “I can see that.”
He cast another spell on her with a laugh. “What would you like to drink on this fine day? Wait, let me guess. Espresso? No.” He tapped his chin and then grinned as if he’d won the lottery. “You’re a cortado kinda girl.”
