"Look who's here, Gabriel. Do you still remember 'little tyrant Louie'?" Angelo laughingly said, tugging Louisa along with him.
Gabriel blanched at the term. He was the one who christened Louisa with that moniker back when they were kids. How could Angelo be so tactless by mentioning it now?
"Err, yes. We bumped into each other earlier," Gabriel replied, glancing at Louisa. He was relieved to see that she did not take offense. She was actually smiling. But not at him. At Angelo. Strangely, there was a little pinch in his chest area.
"Tío Ramon, nice to see you again," Angelo approached Louisa's father and shook the older man's hand.
"Nice to see you, too, Angelo. How's the hotel coming along?"
"Great! Great! We'll be ready before Papa's birthday. I'll suggest to him that we do the soft opening then. Maybe celebrate his birthday there. For publicity, you know."
"Yes, that would surely attract potential patrons. Why don't you two sit down? I���ll just go see if your father's already awake."
Ramon said, rising from his seat to go to the curtained area of the suite. As Louisa and Angelo took the vacant chairs and continued on chatting like they had not been interrupted, Gabriel felt like the odd-man out. Again.
He could not put his finger on it, but there was something about the whole situation that made him uncomfortable. He watched as Angelo poured coffee for himself and Louisa. He saw her take the cup and thank Angelo, smiling at him all the while. Gabriel knew that she was purposely avoiding his eyes. After that brief smile that she gave him at the door, she had not looked at him again.
They were talking, but Gabriel could not comprehend a word they were saying. He was becoming more and more upset by Louisa's reluctance to acknowledge his presence. Even when she spoke she made it a point to turn to Angelo ‒ every time.
Was she being coy? Was she angry at him? Did their earlier encounter down the hall upset her? Or did she prefer Angelo to him?
The last question twisted Gabriel's guts so hard he almost gagged.
"Gabriel? Gabriel!"
Angelo's voice finally penetrated the thick fog of his reverie. He looked up to find Louisa staring intently at him. Her face was calm and devoid of emotion. Yet, he could feel the tension emanating from her.
"Sorry, what were you saying?" Gabriel asked.
"Never mind. It's not important. You're obviously not interested. What's got you so upset, bro? You've been boring a hole into your coffee mug since we got here," Angelo chuckled.
"Jetlag, I guess. Not fully recovered from it yet."
"Well, why don't you take a nap then? Louisa and I were leaving, anyway."
That perked up his interest.
"Where are you going?" Gabriel asked, trying hard to keep his voice even.
"We're going to the hotel."
Angelo's answer almost floored him.
"Hotel? What hotel?"
"The hotel that we'll be opening next month, what else? The one Louisa's outfitting," Angelo replied, looking askance at him.
"Louisa's the Interior Designer of the West Grove Hotel," Gabriel said, his stomach churning, tightening, shriveling.
It wasn't a question. It was a statement; a statement of fact that suddenly held more meaning now. Because just then, everything Angelo said before was falling into place...about the girl that made him think about his 'future', the one he'd known since childhood. The extraordinary woman whose identity he purposely withheld because he wanted it to be a surprise.
Gabriel had a sickening feeling that he now knew who that girl was.
"Yes! I told you it was going to be a surprise right?" Angelo said, grinning.
And, boy, was he surprised! No, not surprised. More like shocked, stunned, flabbergasted!
For the first time in his life, Gabriel's heart fell to his stomach.
Louisa sensed, rather than saw, the abrupt change in Gabriel's demeanor. Whereas he seemed brooding and distant a few minutes ago, now he was positively alert, vigilant, and menacing. His eyes darted between her and Angelo, keenly following their conversation, listening to their every word. Observing but never participating.
Louisa tried to concentrate on what Angelo was saying. But It was getting extremely hard by the minute. She had not yet fully recovered from her accidental collision with Gabriel. That earlier 'meeting' had rocked her to the core. Yes, she knew that sooner or later they would have to meet. She had already conditioned her mind for it. What she had not been prepared for was the effect that his actual presence would have on her.
She thought she was rid of her juvenile infatuation for him, yet her earlier reaction told her otherwise. He need only look at her and her resolve would go out the window. His voice alone could make all her good intentions trampled underfoot. And she hadn't even considered what else would get thrown out the window if he touched her again.
"How long have you been working together at the hotel?"
She almost jumped at Gabriel's voice. He was looking at Angelo but she felt his ire directed towards her.
"Going on two months, I think," was Angelo's reply.
"Why was I not informed of this?" Gabriel said, his voice hard and grave.
"Well, because it was all rushed and a bit informal at first. Besides, it was Papa who awarded the contract to her. I had not even taken over the hotel when it was made."
Gabriel nodded. Louisa could feel his eyes on her and she made a conscious effort not to look at him. She took a sip of her coffee, then carefully put down the mug and quietly devoted her talents to the art of napkin folding.
"Is it almost finished? The outfitting?"
"Yes, we're going to do a soft opening next month. Just in time for Papa's birthday."
She stole a glance at Gabriel and saw him nodding, his fingers drumming on the table. Much as she wanted to get up and leave, she knew it would not be safe to do so now. Not with Gabriel acting like a freaking police interrogator.
"How close have you been working together?"
Louisa saw Angelo glance at her. He was looking quite bewildered by Gabriel's question.
"What do you mean?" Angelo asked, his brows furrowing unconsciously.
"Are you together every day? Every hour of the day? Do you eat lunch together?"
Louisa suddenly felt uneasy. Gabriel's questions were not only strange, but they were also impertinent. She could not even imagine where this conversation was headed.
"Not every day. Only when there's a need to talk about work," he said, casting a wary eye on his older brother.
"And how often is that?"
She heard Angelo sigh, his patience obviously wearing thin with this sudden grilling from Gabriel.
"Not more than twice a week."
Gabriel nodded, fingers drumming, eyes fixed on her, burning two holes on her forehead. What's going on? What was he up to?
"Why do you have to go to the hotel now? It's Sunday, definitely not a working day."
Angelo let out a deep breath, frustration finally getting the better of him. "What is this all about, Gab? Why the twenty questions?"
"Nothing, just curious," Gabriel replied, shrugging.
"It's not nothing, Gab. I can feel there's something more to this than mere curiosity."
Gabriel smirked and took a sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving Louisa's face. Louisa pretended to drink her coffee, her eyes narrowing at Gabriel's reptilian smile.
"Nothing to worry about, baby bro. Just curious, really."
Angelo nodded and shrugged. He lifted his coffee mug to his lips and sipped.
"Just curious about how close you are to my future wife," Gabriel said.
Louisa choked on her drink. Angelo sprayed Gabriel with his.