Claire sat in the car, taking her tablet out and working silently. Gabriel didn't disturb her, and instead, he did exactly the same.
Claire was reviewing a list of customers' design requirements against the relevant legislation, and Gabriel looked over a newly acquired land which they were to use for their business expansion.
After a few minutes of drive, Claire looked around nervously noticing a black car behind them. She felt her chest tighten.
"It's okay. Those are our bodyguards." Gabriel reassured her quickly. "Harry send the reg plate list to you. They're on there. Besides, you can see a small logo on the windscreen."
Claire nodded silently, looking back down at the tablet, trying to focus on her work.
Gabriel noticed her fingers turning white as she clenched onto her tablet. Without a word he gently caressed the back of it. "It'll be alright, Claire," Gabriel said softly. "I know it's difficult for you to accept my help. And I know that you're probably second-guessing your decision. I'm here for you if you ever need me."
"Thank you." Claire smiled at him, but her smile hasn't reached her eyes.
"What's your plan for today? How's your schedule?"
"Busy," Claire answered shortly, bringing up her schedule for the day on the tablet. "I have a meeting with a potential client this morning. If it goes well, I think I can get one of the greatest contracts we've had yet. Then I have two meetings with current clients. Then I am running some training for the interns, and I have an interview scheduled with a potential new candidate. I have a few designs to work on myself, a pile of invoices to review, few bills of materials. Also, I need to sign a contract for the Green City Project, prepare the report for this month's performance of the department, and lastly, I have a consultation with a Dutch company that is opening their site up North."
"Can't you delegate some of it?"
"My department is currently overloaded. We will be doing overtime from Monday to keep up. Hence, we're starting a hiring process for new designers and specialists, but also I'm hoping to train up the infers so they start taking more responsibility, bringing a few more interns and apprentices in. And I have to review the policies for the next board meeting."
"What's your review for this month like?"
"Since I've returned, we've managed to recover 90% of losses caused by Jones and Chi Group projects, and that's within the last two weeks. I think by next month's review we will recover and start exceeding our forecast again. If the first meeting today goes well, we might recover the losses sooner than that."
"Who's the meeting with?"
"BGN group. They were very satisfied with the previous projects and they want us to collaborate on a much larger scale."
"They're a multi-billion company as well, aren't they?"
"Yes." Claire nodded.
"Would it be okay if I pop by your office today?"
"Why?" Claire furrowed her brows.
"Just to see how you're doing."
"That's a risky move."
"Why?"
"Because the more we see each other, the higher the chances of us ending up in an argument," Claire said seriously at which Gabriel laughed.
"That's true, but also you've said yourself that you want a bit more spice in this relationship. You already complained that it's too bland."
"Well…" Claire chuckled.
"I am happy to come up with an argument if you're too bored."
"I am rather intrigued by this, but I'd appreciate it if it waited until tomorrow."
"Okay, let's argue tomorrow night." Gabriel agreed. "I'll send you a calendar invitation." Gabriel tapped something on his tablet and within moments the notification popped up on Claire's tablet, with an invitation titled 'our first big fight since we're dating'. Claire laughed at Gabriel's ridiculousness, but she accepted it with a swipe and a tap.
"You're being ridiculous." Claire still laughed.
"Isn't that what you love about me?" Gabriel asked with a wink. Claire smiled but went silent. She wasn't sure if she could answer that as she didn't feel like she loved him. She felt attracted to him and she liked some of his quirks, but she wasn't anyhow ready to admit that she could love him. Soon enough the car drove into the car park under the company's building. Gabriel leaned over towards Claire and pecked her on her cheek before they left the car. They've walked together, with the appropriate distance between themselves, up to the square and across to the company entrance, entering the elevator together. "You don't even know how tempting it is to press the emergency button and just stop the elevator so that I can spend a few more minutes alone with you," Gabriel whispered in Claire's ear. Claire looked at him with surprise, blushing.
"We're at work. Behave yourself." Claire grumbled.
"Oh." Gabriel looked disappointed. "I know that you're professional and all, but we can be sneaky."
"Sneaky?"
"A date in my office? Maybe…" Gabriel's thoughts deviated into a much darker side of his fantasies, making him turn red and look down at the floor.
Claire noticed it and smiled. "One day I might take Francesca's place on your desk." She said with a devilish smile.
Gabriel had very conflicting feelings about Claire's statement.
"Claire, dear, you're the only one I'd ever allow to sit on my desk." He whispered in her ear. "Have a good day." He quickly pecked her cheek and squeezed her hand before the elevator door opened on the thirty-sixth floor.
Claire left the elevator blushing. Even though she was later than her usual time, there were only two more people in the open office.
Claire waved at them cheerfully before hiding away in her own office and getting on with work.
As 8:00 am came, the call with the BGN group started. Claire took a few deep breaths before the beginning, being the best and most professional she could be, yet still kind and welcoming. BGN Group reps loved her for it, and she found them to be exactly the same towards her. It was one of the best collaborators who genuinely respected her specialism and work, and appreciated her input without questioning her expertise.
"Yes, of course." Claire nodded even though they couldn't see her. "I am happy to accommodate all of those requirements. I'll be able to send a breakdown of the cost by Monday afternoon, along with preliminary contracts. For now, we have this verbal agreement. The last part, of course, is our favourite. The finances and costs." Claire said slightly nervously. Many clients found the topic uncomfortable and often avoided giving her exact values until pretty much they were to sign a contract. "Ten Billion Pounds?" Claire repeated in disbelief. She covered the microphone momentarily silently swearing under her nose. "Of course." Claire nodded finishing the call. As she disconnected she stared into space for a few moments, trying to process the magnitude of the project they were to undertake. For each budget, their allocation was in percentage, exactly 10% of the total budget of the build. This meant that Claire brought a contract in that will generate £ 1 billion in their revenue. The most they ever brought into the company on a single project.
Claire's computer pinged with an email from BGN with all the notes on the terms they required. Claire sent them to print, standing up and walking across the open office to pick them up.
Zoe noticed Claire's pale face and walked up to her, but as she was about to ask her what was wrong, Gina walked into the office asking "Are we expecting someone important?"
"We had an email come through that we're on high-security alert," Zoe answered Gina's question instead, looking at Claire warily. "No one without a pass or visitor permit can enter the building."
"Claire?" Gina looked at Claire who looked at the paperwork, highly uninterested in the conversation, still trying to see if the numbers were corrected, wondering if she should pinch herself.
"Yeah?" Claire looked up, her eyes distant.
"What's wrong?" Zoe asked as she looked through Claire's shoulder at the documents. "Hang on, are those numbers correct?"
"Yeah." Claire nodded.
"You've secured over a billion Pounds contract?"
"Yeah." Claire nodded again.
"How?"
"That's a good question." Claire hesitated.
"Oh my goodness." Zoe looked at the number and then shifted her gaze at the requirement list.
"I might ask for help with it." Claire looked anxious. "I may have to request additional help from other departments too."
"Yeah." Zoe agreed. "Who do you think of bringing in? Maybe someone from finance?"
"I haven't decided yet."
"Why don't you bring in Gabriel?" Zoe suggested.
"I don't want to bother him with something so trivial," Claire said worriedly, unsure whether she should ask Gabriel for any more help, seeing as he was already ensuring her security.
"Trivial?" Zoe laughed.
"What aren't you going to bother me about?" Gabriel asked as he walked up to them.
"How do you always find a way to creep on me at just the wrong time?" Claire asked with a smile.
"It must be some special ability." Gabriel laughed. "So, what is it?"
"It's nothing." Claire shook her head.
"Oh, come on." Zoe rolled her eyes and took the papers out of Claire's hand passing them to Gabriel. "Claire secured a new contract and we will need help with it. Not sure whether you can recommend someone from other departments for it."
"New contract? Is that the BGN Group?" Gabriel looked down at the papers that Zoe had just given him. "You did not!" He exclaimed in disbelief. "I know I grumbled at X6 Group this morning but I didn't expect you to go and get a one billion pound contract."
"I might struggle with managing their one billion pound invoice as well as the breakdown of the remaining nine billion for the contractors. I wondered if it wouldn't be worth getting the finance team on board with this."
"I can help myself as well. Send me the meetings and any agendas, and a copy of this. I'll get the finance team on it too."
"I don't want to bother you with it."
"You don't trust my financial knowledge?" Gabriel laughed.
"I don't want to rely on you for every minor inconvenience."
"I'd like to collaborate on that project personally. I'm intrigued." Gabriel insisted.
"It's going to be a lot to take on. I don't want you to take on too much because of me." She grumbled quietly to not alert anyone else in the office.
"Claire, I am offering help. I'm to your disposition on this project." Gabriel smiled.
"Why are you here anyways?" Claire grumbled again.
"You mentioned the meeting with the BGN group this morning and I wanted to check how it went. I'm guessing it went well." Gabriel waved the paper with a wide smile.
"Possibly," Claire replied shyly.
"Possibly?!" Zoe was annoyed at Claire's casual tone of voice. "Claire-bear, you've managed to get a one-freaking-billion-Pound contract!" She exclaimed. Few of their colleagues started to be interested in the conversation.
"Don't you dare to try to deal with it all on your own!" Gabriel waved his finger at her. "Delegate, delegate, delegate!"
"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm with him on this," Zoe said with a sudden realisation that she agreed with Gabriel.
"I will. Now, excuse me. I have another meeting to attend to." Claire smiled, taking the printouts back and rushing to her office.
"So, what's the security for?" Gina asked Gabriel and Zoe.
"Obviously, to guard that One Billion Pounds that we're getting." Zoe laughed, looking at the closed door to Claire's office in disbelief.
"It's just a precaution." Gabriel shrugged. "It's only temporary. Shouldn't be longer than a few weeks."
"Oh." Zoe realised his serious tone. "Do you have a bounty on your head or are you getting paranoid?" She asked openly.
"Neither, I think." Gabriel furrowed his brows in confusion. "Do you even know if you're paranoid?"
"How am I supposed to know? Ask Claire." Zoe blurted. Gina punched her on her arm with a warning written all over her face.
"Don't be mean to Claire." Gina reminded Zoe.
Gabriel smiled at Gina for defending Claire before he did, but he did wonder if there was some deeper implication in Zoe's statement or whether she was just poking fun at her friend in her usual, rather mean way.
He soon excused himself to go to his own meetings. As the morning went on, he felt increasingly worse. It started with fatigue, but then he started having shivers and he started sneezing.
Mark was looking at him studiously throughout their last meeting, and as they left he tried to get Gabriel to go home, or at least find a way to treat his cold. Gabriel stubbornly kept repeating that he was fine, refusing to acknowledge the possibility of an illness. He didn't have time for that.
As the last resort, Mark went to see Claire.
"Claire, sorry, I know you only have like five minutes." Mark started apologetically.
"What's the matter? If Gabriel wants the papers for BGN Group, I'll sort it out after my next meeting. It's only about out half an hour long anyways." Claire smiled at Mark.
"It's not about that. Frankly, it's more a request from me than Gabriel."
"Okay. What's up?"
"Well, it's still related to Gabriel." Mark was blabbering anxiously.
"Come on, speak. It's not like I'm going to shoot the messenger."
"I'm more afraid of Gabriel's anger."
"Now you're making it interesting." Claire laughed.
"Gabriel has a cold and absolutely refuses to do anything about it. I beg you, get through to him. He's an irritable nightmare right now."
"Oh." Claire didn't expect that. "You want me to do something about Gabriel having a cold and stubbornly refusing to do anything about it?" She pondered. "I'm usually on the other end of this argument so I'm not sure how much I can do."
"How you're both alive, it's a question I keep asking every day. You're both so unbelievably stubborn." Mark sighed with an eye roll.
"Watch it," Claire said with a warning in her voice. She looked at her watch and tried to work out what she could do. "I'll be there in about forty minutes. Just keep him alive."
"Easier said than done," Mark grumbled but nodded before he left Claire's office.
Claire didn't want to admit that she was worried after hearing that Gabriel was unwell. She barely could focus through the short presentation to the interns, leaving as soon as she could, with Derek in charge. She rushed out of the building to the nearest pharmacy, buying a few kinds of cold medicine and painkillers, as well as some sports drinks to keep Gabriel hydrated.
She was anxious when walking across the forty-second floor.
As she walked into Gabriel's office she found Mark standing on the opposite side of the desk to Gabriel, grumbling at him.
"Just go home. You're useless in your current state." Mark said with annoyance.
"I have one more meeting to attend," Gabriel said with a raspy voice. He sat on his chair, resting his head between his arms on the desk.
"Thank God," Mark uttered at the sight of Claire. "You're it." He sighed as he left the office.
"Mark mentioned that you're unwell," Claire said as she walked up to the desk.
"I'm fine," Gabriel said sharply, grunting and sneezing straight after. As he sneezed he lifted his head. Claire noticed his flushed cheeks straight away and very red nose. He had pearls of sweat on his forehead and he was quite visibly shivering. His eyes seemed distant.
"Yeah, you're definitely fine," Claire replied sarcastically. "I think you getting soaked last night didn't help with this."
"I'm fine." Gabriel laid his head back down. He sounded clogged up.
"Hi fine, I'm Claire," Claire said with clear irritation.
Gabriel lifted his head and looked at Claire in disbelief.
"Dad jokes?" He asked.
"I'll continue with dad jokes unless you'll take the medicine I've brought. Pick the one you think is the most appropriate, and act like a grown-ass man."
"Why are you so cruel?" Gabriel grunted as he shifted in his chair.
"Cruel?" Claire was taken aback by this comment. "What's cruel is you being ill in here and passing all those germs to everyone around. Do you really have that kind of conscience to be okay with me getting ill because you decided to act like a man-child? Never mind Mark, most of your subordinates, and every single investor or client you've met today." Claire opened the bag and picked up the first box. "Take this. It'll knock your fever off and it'll get rid of the aches. Then go home. I expect you in bed when I get back."
"Why are you bossing me around?" Gabriel grunted again. "I'm the CEO."
"And I'm your wife," Claire said sharply. "I do not want to be touched at all until you're better. Nothing, zilch, nada. It's up to you if it's going to be a day or two, or a week." She added after a moment of contemplation.
"Seriously?" Gabriel looked at Claire with surprise.
"Not even a single kiss," Claire said as she leaned against his desk, her face near his. "Not even holding hands."
"Fine," Gabriel said with a smug face. "Nothing, zilch, nada." He was still set against Claire's request to take medication.
"I'll stay at Zoe's, too. I don't want to catch your germs."
"If you wish to do so…"
"But then, I might go see Pierre. It's going to be quite lonely without having someone to hold me." Claire decided to step up a game.
"Don't you f*cking dare!" Gabriel roared, getting up with a wobble, falling straight back into this chair.
"You can't stop me if you're ill." Claire smiled devilishly. "Take your meds, Gabriel. That's the end of this discussion. I don't care about your stubbornness or your stupidity, because it's hard to distinguish them right now, but you must take it."
"You're trying to drug me."
"You're delirious," Claire grumbled. "Why would I want to drug you?"
"Because you're after…" Gabriel thought intensely but he wasn't able to finish the sentence.
"I'm after what?" Claire smiled.
"Honestly, I don't even know." Gabriel started rubbing his eyes.
"If threats don't work, shall I ask nicely?" Claire titled her head. Gabriel stopped rubbing his eyes and looked at her curiously. His eyes were now also red.
"I'm intrigued. I don't think I've got to know the nice Claire yet." Gabriel teased.
"If you take that medicine and go home, I'll make you something for dinner." Claire smiled. "Also, if you feel well enough we could go to the banquet together on Saturday night." Claire walked around the desk and leaned toward Gabriel. "I don't think you've had a chance to see my fun side yet." She whispered in his ear.
"You're a strong negotiator." Gabriel smiled. "But I don't think I'm swayed by your sweet words. I know it's only a ploy to make me take it."
"Well, you're missing out then." Claire shrugged, turning around and readying to leave. "It's your last chance."
"Okay." Gabriel nodded in defeat opening the box. "I hope that you can keep to your word."
"Good, Gabriel." Claire smiled and leaned over, pecking his hot cheek. "Go home and rest. I'll see you later." She ruffled his hair with a wide smile.
"I will." Gabriel nodded.
Claire left his office bumping into Mark who was waiting anxiously outside.
"And?"
"He's taken the medication and he agreed to go home," Claire said with a smile.
"How did you even do that?"
"It's my special superpower." Claire joked.
She hurried back to work whilst Gabriel did go home.