TWENTY EIGHT

It took Holly twenty-five minutes to get to the restaurant from her house. She slowed down her sedan, headlight winking off the back of a Range Rover casually also driving into the lot, her hands were tightening against the steering wheel impatiently and she gnawed on her cheeks from the inside. The tires clacked over wooden bridge, then went silent when she hit the paved road of the parking lot. 

When she finally found a space and parked her car, she opened the door and hopped out. The gust of cold that came at her was nothing she was prepared for. The autumn cold whistled loudly, and fought with violence. Holly shivered in her strapless dress, her arms hugging onto her shoulders as her teeth threatened to shatter. The cold seeped into her innards, attempting to numb her bones in the process. Very fast-paced, she approached the entrance of the restaurant, to be in a warm space as fast as she could be. 

Fashion and pain or comfort and warmth? Obviously she had made a last minute decision and chosen fashion. There was no way, Holly had thought, she was going to hide all this body and dress beneath a big comfy jacket that could keep her warm. And now in some way she regretted her decision bitterly. As her teeth threatened to shatter and her fingers trembled, she wished she could go home last minute to pick up the jacket she’d tossed on her bed before she had bolted out of the house. She’d chosen pain right? She was going to deal with it. 

Just as she stepped into the restaurant, she was instantly engulfed in warmth and was met with a few numbers of men and women who looked in her direction and gave unspoken approval to her presence. Holly’s confidence returned and she straightened her composure, now glad she hadn’t come with the jacket. Heels clicking against the marble tiles and her steps seductive, oozing of the confidence she exhibited, the one she always commanded attention with in room full of people. 

Waiters and waitresses in black and white uniform swindled about the room, trays in hands, delivering meals to customer.  Holly knew she was in for an extraordinary dining experience. The air was infused with the delicate aroma of freshly baked bread and exotic spices, and the soft glow of crystal chandeliers danced on the polished marble floor. The restaurant exuded an air of sophistication and opulence that left me momentarily breathless. The clientele was a mix of well-heeled socialites, business magnates, and international jet-setters. Men in tailored suits conversed in hushed tones, while women in designer gowns sipped champagne. Their laughter and clinking glasses created a harmonious backdrop to the soft piano music playing in the background. 

“Oh, my God, Reed!”

As Holly stood in the center of the room, head whipping left and right in search, her attention had pivoted in the direction of the sudden squeal. There was a couple just a few tables from where she stood. The man was on getting on his knees and proposing to his girlfriend and the young lady was hopping up and squealing, her fingers were stretched out in front of her. While the sudden proposal had gotten people’s attention and they eagerly waited till the ring would be slid onto the young lady’s finger, Holly was anxious to find her date. 

There was a sudden buzz of her phone against her palm, and when she looked, it was indeed a text from him. The VVIP section. Holly latched onto the nearest waitress to her and gave a smile that didn’t quite reach the eyes. “Is there a VVIP section?” 

The waitress gave direct instructions on how to get the VVIP and soon Holly was walking deeper into the restaurant, past all the whooping of celebration the people made on the new couple’s engagement. She walked through a dimly lit hallway, climbed a stairs and was on the second floor of the building. There was a calming silence on this floor, she noted, but then it was almost as if Gideon had put more effort into the date that was just strictly business. Unless, the thought crossed her mind shamelessly, Gregorio had set them up on an actual date. 

Holly shook her head, it definitely couldn’t be, and stepped into the room she’d been told was the VVIP section.

In the center of the room was her date, seated behind a table, Mr. Gideon Cortez. Shyly, Holly approached him, her heels clicks even showcased her reluctantcy. She looked everywhere but at him and took in the looks of the room while she did so. This floor was much more fancier than the first one. The interior was a symphony of elegance. Gold leaf accents adorned the walls, and plush velvet drapes framed the floor-to-ceiling windows. The table was meticulously set with fine bone china, gleaming silverware, and crystal glassware. The flicker of candlelight cast a warm glow on the linen tablecloths, creating an intimate atmosphere that whispered of whispered secrets and clandestine rendezvous. There was a soothing song playing, not jazz, on a low volume and there were no other customers in the vicinity than she and Mr. Cortez.

A clean, sweet odor hung in the air. And just one table for two was set in the middle of the room. No others. With a curt nod of her head, Holly pulled out her seat and sat into it. “Mr. Cortez,” She greeted, in a shy voice. In a space of breath, her mind processed everything about him once again. Short dark blonde hair, blue eyes so dark they were almost black, very broad shoulders, the kind a woman could lean on when she needed to. Her gut tightened—damn, she still had her silly celebrity crush and fantasies about him, all these years—and she reminded herself there was a very good reason she got rid of that. 

“You’re late.” Gideon announced, and raised his watch in his line of sight. “Fifteen minutes later than I texted you to be here.” 

Holly didn’t know how to counter that. He had told her to be there in twenty but she had arrived in twenty-five, looked for a parking space in about five minutes, had to find the VVIP section in another five. She fiddled with her fingers placed on her thighs, too shy and bothered by this man to even look at his face again without feeling that tingling sensation of butterflies at the bottom of her gut. “I’m sorry,” She apologized. “The meeting time was supposed to be ten thirty. It was just nine thirty when you told me to be here.”

“And are you bothered about a slight change of time? What does this tell us, Miss...” 

“Holly De Angelo,” She completed for him. 

Gideon continued. “Ms. Holly. Does the sudden change of time disrupt your ability to be here as I, your boss, told you to be.” His voice was stern, and he didn’t seem like he was joking as he spoke. “Or have you anything more important than this work?”

Holly shook her head. “No.” And then added, almost reluctantly. “Sir. I’ve just been pretty occupied with work at the hotel lately. Trying to get things in order. I’m a little exhausted. 

Then Gideon assessed her from the her facial features to the clothe she had on. His gaze took in every inch of her. She did, indeed, look tired. Her smile—the one she tried to keep on—seemed to sink. While he looked at her, Holly gnawed on her cheeks from the inside, almost impatiently. She wasn’t quite comfortable with the grin on his face and the slight dimples that carved into his cheeks. Was he actually mad or was he just messing with her? She wasn’t certain. He seemed to be enjoying the flustered effects he had on her and Holly wondered why. 

After a while, Gideon spoke. “My brother. Greg. How long have you been working for him?” It was a light question, he’d asked as if he was just casually brushing over the topic. “He seems like he’s very much proud and boastful of your services to him and the hotel altogether. How long have you been working for him?”

“Six years.”

“How so?” Gideon asked again, in a low throaty voice that seemed sedating along with the music playing in the background of the room. He had an accent to himself which she hadn’t noticed in the other brothers. He sounded a lot more Hispanic, like someone who spoke his native language, Spanish a whole lot till it began blending into his English speaking as well. Her boss, Greg, didn’t sound like that. He sounded almost purely white, and effulgent at it. Something about this brother was different from every one she’d come across or spoken to even. She enjoyed how his words rolled off his tongue, smoothly, like butter on bread. He was calm and patient with his words. 

Holly began explaining. “Six years ago, after college graduation. I got my first job at the hotel. It wasn’t big at first. I worked as a receptionist at the counter.”

“And you’ve got what work now? I reckon three? Four?”

“Three.” Holly corrected. “I work as Mr. Greg’s assistant. The head of the hotel event management and as the marketing director.”

“How have you been keeping up with the works and your personal life?”

“I have...” A few seconds pause before she spoke again. “Been coping.” Holly thought back to she and Peter’s recent fall out in their relationship. Lately, things hadn’t been going too well for them both. She’d been too occupied with too much work she hadn’t been there to cater for her man’s immediate needs and it was taking a toll on them both. Even, when she’d asked him permission to be on a date with Gideon, he had seemed very reluctant, almost jealous and she understood that. Peter was someone who wasn’t quite given attention as a kid, so in their relationship, he was very demanding, almost possessive. Holly liked it. To some extent, until he began to be overly demanding and wanting her in his reach every time. Even at the hotel, every chance he got, he’d latched onto her. Sometimes even banged her till her moans broke through the walls of his office. He was a sexual man, just as much as he was very demanding.

Holly... liked that too. 

“We should order some food.” Gideon suggested. 

Holly broke out of her chains of thoughts and raised her eyes to look at him. “Sure.” She took a glance around the empty room, searching for a waiter or waitress but none was in the vicinity. “How do we...?”

Gideon, smiling gently, pulled out his phone from atop the table where it was placed and typed away for a few seconds before he placed the device against his ear. His dark blue eyes were focused intently on Holly, unwavering. “Would you like some wine first or straight to the food? Or maybe wine and just straight to business?” 

Few minutes later, two waitress filed in to tend to them both. They’d placed orders based on Gideon’s suggestion and had gotten a tamal de elote—a fine semolina of sweet corn, that is, with ground pork and very hot pepper, all steamed in a bit of corn-husk—and then chiles en nogada, which were reddish brown, somewhat wrinkled little peppers, swimming in a walnut sauce whose harshness and bitter aftertaste were downed in a creamy, sweetish surrender. 

Holly, too nervous to eat, wrapped her fingers around her glass of chilled wine and watched Gideon from across the table. The wine, however, had a refreshing, crisp taste. Her date seemed careless. He continued to chew on his food, taking time to savor the taste of each bite, and then making a face of pleasure before swallowing. When he was downeto the last few bites of the food, he dabbed the corner of his mouth with the napkin and picked up his glass of wine. His eyes fell onto Holly’s plate with a look of amusement before he looked away and began a conversation. 

“Not much of a eater?” He asked, in a silent voice. When Holly gave no quick response to that, he was quick to add. “I’d think otherwise based on the way you look. Not be rude in anyway, you look ravishing and that dress? Absolutely breathtaking. I like my women plump, who loves to enjoy eating and trying out different meals together. Holly are you single—”

“I have a boyfriend...” The pump woman was quick to speak in defense. Though his words and they way they rolled off his tongue smoothly was flattering and she liked it, she had to remind herself and him that she was strictly there on business purpose. Nothing more. Nothing less. “He works at the hotel too.”

“As what? A cleaner?”

“He’s not! He’s not a cleaner but a manager at the hotel. He does his job pretty well now too.” Holly almost lashed out in defense, trying her absolute best to keep her behavior in check, and not grate this man’s nerves as he was trying to grate hers now and absolutely winning at that. If anything, she was getting uncomfortable now and wanted nothing but to get on with the business talk so she could leave and be back home or at her boyfriend’s. “He’s a diligent, hardworking man and he has dedicated equally six years of his life to working and serving at the hotel. Just as much as I have done. It’s inappropriate to refer to him as a cleaner. It’s not nice to just belittle him like he’s nothing.”

Gabriel took a sip of his wine, the tip of his lips curving into a slight smile of amusement. Over the glass, his eyes remained glued on Holly. “I never considered myself so much of a nice person. I’m far from that. Didn’t my brother tell you that?”

“Your brother...” there was a light pause, in hesitation, she added; “never talks about you. Six years that I’ve been working for him and I barely heard him say as much about you. His words are scanty, almost calculated. He’s a man of little words and more of his actions. So even if your brother were to tell me things about you, I doubt he’d involve much on you not being a nice person.” 

Gideon gave a smirk of satisfaction. Holly was indeed right, Greg was a man of few words and barely shared things about himself or family-related to strangers.