Gabby was going to the fucking dinner.
Standing in front of her large closet, Gabby squeezed her eyes shut, pinching the bridge of her nose. Gabby surveyed her closet for clothes. She had clothes suitable for work and casual outings but nothing there was appropriate for a dinner.
You would think with all the money she had, she would have a lot of dinner wears but the truth was that Gabby didn't do dinners, she didn't care for such things.
When Gabby had decided to start her company, she didn't think it would involve dinners with other big names. But no, Laila had called this morning to inform her they were attending a business dinner and it involved top leagues in the new York business world.
God; what had she been thinking to agree to this? Laila said they needed to associate more with other fashion big names.
Right. If she constantly said that to herself, maybe she could make it through this evening without going insane.
Sighing, she grabbed her phone to call Andrew, he was good with this kind of stuff.
* * *
The loud, buzz of her door bell alerted her. She treaded out of her bedroom and down the stairs. It must be Andrew, no one else would drop by unannounced.
She peeked at the security cam. Andrew stood on the door step with a beautiful woman in a perfectly couture peach dress. Confusion and curiosity struggled as Gabby opened the door.
"Andrew you are late, and who is this" Gabby asked,
The woman who appeared to be younger than Gabby smiled and a sense of familiarity tingled inside her. Was she Andrew's girl friend? Was she Andrew's sister? Is that why she looked so familiar.
"Gabby Lot?"
"Yes." Gabby nodded, arching an eyebrow
"And you are?"
"Jemima Job, I'm a friend of Andrew"
"May we come in?" Andrew asked
"Oh, um, sure". Though a bundle of questions pinged off her skull, she stepped back granting them entrance.
"I am sorry if I forgot you were coming over with someone. I don't recall you mentioning..."
"Why am I not shocked? Well if you must know I am a stylist"
Gabby wondered how she hadn't immediately guessed her identity. Though her name sounded different from what she used as her business name, Gabby could see the famous stylist, Style goddess.
"Where should I place this?" Andrew asked, referring to the set of garment bags he carried and a smaller pack which should be the shoe.
"Care to tell me, what's that?"
Jemima exhaled "well I am your stylist for your dinner, Andrew hired me to style you.
Mortified, Gabby seared through her, probably branding her cheeks a shade of red. Yes, she had nothing to wear but that didn't mean she couldn't dress herself.
Her face still fuming with rage, she met Jemima's gaze.
"I am sorry that he bothered you, but this is not necessary I own a fashion company, I should be able to style my outfits too."
"Please, before you say no—which I know you will" Andrew said, "I admit that my mode of approach was wrong but my heart is in the right place l promise, I wanted you to look your best, because you deserve the best and who better to give you the best than Jemima here and besides you haven't seen the dresses she picked yet, they are gorgeous".
In spite of the lingering mixture of feelings, Gabby smiled.
Capitulating, Gabby motioned for them to move into her dressing room. "Those better be gorgeous outfits" she muttered.
Andrew walked ahead of them carrying the luggage with him.
"One thing is for sure, I don't pick ugly outfits".
Gabby chuckled
* *
Gabby stood in front of her dressing mirror and stared at herself.
She felt different. She looked different.
Though at the start she was angry with Andrew for bringing Jemima she felt like a princess.
The dress she wore was couture to her body, it accentuated her curves. The cowl neck of the silk dress flowed into a form fitting too that glided over her breast and stomach. Jemima had packed her hair up into a bun. The Stiletto's she wore shined with sprinkled stones.
From one second to the next, she was reminded of her past, after college when her parent informed her they wouldn't be supporting her dream. She felt an agonizing pain in her. Even now after four years, that memory still made her want to crumble on her knees, it devastated her.
"Gabby?" Jemima interrupted her thoughts Gentle hands placed on Gabby's shoulders.
"You look beautiful"
"Thank you so much, for all your help. I can't believe you did this in an hour, I don't think I would have been able to pull this off by myself”
"Please" Jemima scoffed, "I was just doing my job" Jemima tilted her head, her reflection on the mirror.
"I must say when Andrew told me to style you, I was really curious to see the woman who stormed the Fashion world and changed it,"
"I know" Gabby waves a hand. "I don't look it right?"
"No," Jemima answered "you are over qualified for the part, I am really happy to have met you"
"Thanks". Gabby said, her face lit up with a wide grin.
* *
Larry opened the door to the car and Gabby came out drawing in a breath, she halted, and looked at him.
"I'm ready" she needlessly announced.
She looked stunning. Tan Lee tuned out the voice of his father who was speaking to him, as he studied Gabby who just walked into the ballroom and was weaving a path through the crowd. She stood out like 'bridgerton' diamond of the season, making those around her look like mere stones. He noticed her neck and how the silk dress she wore glided over her breast. He hated the way people ogled at her. Did he say stunning? He meant exquisite. And she hadn't even come closer. Yet. "Excuse me, Dad." Tan said abruptly interrupting his father's conversation with him not bothering to give a polite explanation for why he is walking away. His father surprised sputtering should have made him feel some ounce of guilt but he didn't care, his mind was set on Gabby, he couldn't bear another man whisking her away. Normally, he would stay to hear everything his father had to say and watch his father introduce him to guest, but tonight he wasn't interested. He despised this dinners, it only benefitte
The ringing pierced into Tan's dreamy sleep, waking Tan up. Tan frowned reaching out to pick his call. He still felt sleepy, a warm lassitude weighing down his muscles, relishing it instead of chasing it away."Fuck" he muttered but instead of reaching for his phone on his bedside table, he slapped the air. No bed.He sat up, and realized he had slept in the living room, scanning the room with cushions, a round glass table and large television.The dinner.Gabrielle As if her name offloaded a truck of memories from the previous night. The conversation with Gabby and his mother, talking with her. Kissing her. Leaving him after the kiss. Getting drunk.He whipped around, scanning his environment for his phone, it was his mother calling him. He felt angry, remembering the way his mother spoke to Gabrielle at the dinner."Hey, Mom" he said in greeting, trying to get himself together as he spoke."I just woke up, so I don't think I can talk""Tan", she said and her angry tone cut him off,
Gabby really wanted to mend her broken relationship with her family. That was why when the call came in informing her that her mother was ill she rushed back to Houston .Gabby paid the driver with a swipe of her phone and stepped out. Although she hadn't been to Houston for a long time, she could still feel the homely spirit the city had to offer. She received a call early hours of the morning that her mom was sick and she wanted to see her.Gabby climbed the steps to her childhood home and twisted the door knob and pushed the door open. Since the matter was urgent she felt there was no need to knock.From the balcony she studied the environment as if she was new to the place, since her last confrontation with her parent she hadn't stepped foot in the place that housed most of her memories growing up. She missed them badly. She felt angry towards them but figured all those anger was turning her into something else and she didn't want that. She had loved them unconditionally until t
Tan was scared when he heard the news of Gabby's mother from Laila. It would do Gabby good if she saw a familiar face to share her pain with, he thought. He knew Gabby's family they were friendly to him, they never made him feel like an outsider like his parent did to Gabby.He packed some clothes and told his secretary he would not be around. Since Gabby had no sibling, and Laila was busy with their company, she would need all the support she could get.Tan climbed the set of stairs to the house and stared at the purple hibiscus which was planted on the pathway. He knew Gabby's mother would have planted them, she loved gardening from what he could remember.The flowers added a touch of humility to the house which was a perfect description of Gabby's parent. He smiled thinking of them. He knocked on the door and someone opened the door."What in God's name am I doing here?"The question kept on singing in Tan's head, what if Gabby sends him away... he couldn't bear the fact that she w
The last thing Gabby needed was Tan clogging up her brain God knew having Tan in Boston could distract her from the inevitable ( her mother's death) and she couldn't lie to herself she craved the distraction. Days passed so fast and It's seems Gabby and Tan became closer again. Gabby feared that this would end if her mother died. She gradually convinced herself it was only a distraction. Tan's family would never accept her and Tan wouldn't dare go against his parent for her. Gabby heard her phone ring, it was Tan. "Hey" his voice calming her nerves. "Hey" "I was wondering if you were free today, so that we could hang out, I would be going back to New York tomorrow, I need to attend to some urgent business" "Yes of cause, I really need a breather right now" "I would come pick you up then" Tan said as the call ended. Gabby showered and got dressed. She wore a summer dress. Gabby heard the door bell ring and rushed outside to see Tan, he was gorgeous as always. "Hey, you ready"?
Gabby welcomed the demanding thrust of his tongue eagerly, she returned the hard, rough sucking.She pulled back but Tan pulled her in, his lips covering hers again. His hand lowered to her neck as he necklaces it. She slightly leaned into his palms. His erection jerked behind his zipper.Inhaling, he dipped his head, dragged his up the tendon that ran along the side of her neck."You are sure, you wouldn't regret this?". She shook her head. "Not doing this will leave me with regrets."He crushed his mouth into hers in an insatiable onslaught. It felt aggressive. Deadly.She opened for him without reluctance and he swimmer deeper,taking advantage of the opportunity. He tugged on her curls, hauling her head back. He left nothing untouched but he wasn't impressed, he wanted more.Her pulse heaved under his palm and sent excitement and lust running through him. Because it was all for him. She cupped her breast underneath her dress and kneaded then to lessen the pain. He held her arms and
Tan examined the road on the way to the office. The road signs seem blurry under his focus. The traffic on the road didn’t seem to ease the situation. The drive to the office felt frustrating because all he could think about was Gabrielle lying next to him, he longed for her he craved for her touch. He was drained in guilt and longing. Mostly, it was guilt.He shouldn’t have touched her; they shouldn’t have gotten that far with each other. They should have ended the night with the wine but he let his hormones be master over him. Control was something Tan prided himself in having but if the situation involved Gabby, all control was like putty in his hands. He must be an asshole because he didn’t regret it one bit and if he had to choose again, he’ll make the same decision over again. He pictured her body, the warm, soft, lithe nature of it as it pressed against his skin. He felt fucked and yet for the first time in four years he felt his body exploding with life. After dating Gabby, h
Gabby knew what she and Tan shared the other night was just sex. The no strings attached kind of sex. She knew with firsthand experience about what it meant to expect more from Tan Lee. The last time she believed in forever with Tan she was left with nothing but a broken heart. Tan was always going to choose duty to his family every time and not that she blamed him; it was just that she wasn’t going to let herself be to delusional. She couldn’t help replaying everything that morning after Tan left her side. That morning she realized that if she let herself indulge in the moment with Tan and kept herself inside the bubble. The outcome would be just like last time. Then she got the call about her mother and if anything it was the shock she needed to wake up. She only had herself no other person had her back.She returned to New York not few days after she believed shed grieved enough for her mother. It was one of those she never wanted to revisit again. Even though her mother was at the