Infiltrating Your Heart (39 page)

Work goes by quite fast the following
day. I’m so happy that I enjoy virtually anything I do. When Ciara and Roderick
stop by for a chat, they definitely notice how jolly I am. We go to an eatery
nearby for lunch.

“You’re unusually bubbly today,
Romeo,” Roderick teases me. We’ve just ordered our food and are now sitting at
a table.

“Leave him alone, Rod,” Ciara says
jokingly. “It will happen to you one day.”

“I’m not sure. Love stories like the
one between Gabriel and Mercedes are like pink diamonds. You don’t see them
every day.”

“You exaggerate, friend,” I tell him.

“Admit it. You’re totally crazy for
Mercedes.”

I laugh.

“Trust me, I pinch myself every
morning when I wake up.” That’s not true, but it doesn’t mean doing that hasn’t
crossed my mind. “I can’t believe I have the great fortune of being in love
this way.”

“You’re a great man, Gabriel,” Ciara
says. “I’m so happy for you.”

Happy. My thoughts turn in another
direction.

“How’s Evelyn been lately?”

Ciara’s smile fades a bit.

“She’s doing okay. Evelyn’s already
accepted that you two, sadly, weren’t meant to be.”

The knowledge comforts me. I hate to
have broken Evelyn’s heart, but it was unavoidable.

“Good. She’s moved on. I hope that
Evelyn finds a man who’ll love her like I love Mercedes.”

Ciara gives me a sympathetic look.
Our food arrives, and we pause our conversation. My thoughts drift to Mercedes.
I feel like a boy in high school, the way that I think of her all the time.

Roderick changes the subject, asking
me about how things are going at the gym. I tell him that I’m now virtually
running the north branch. Luke still comes in from time to time to oversee
stuff. He still has to.

I’ve also hired a new employee to
take over my vacated position. After consulting with Luke, I also hired a marketing
and media manager. We don't have a marketing department. It would be superfluous,
so the gym hires the services of marketing firms.

I drive to my apartment after work.
Mercedes agreed to meet me there in a few. I freshen up before she comes.

There are knocks on the door just as
I’m putting on a different shirt. I deliberately leave it unbuttoned when I go
to answer. Mercedes looks up at me, and her mouth opens. That’s just the
reaction I was after.

“Hi, angel,” I tell her.

“Hi,” Mercedes says. Her eyes are
still on my bare front. She finally manages to look up at me. “Were you trying
to hypnotize me?”

“Hardly. You have a much stronger
effect on me that I must have on you.”

“I would beg to differ.”

I stand aside to let Mercedes in. As
she walks, I get a good view of her backside. I can’t resist squeezing her ass.
Mercedes gasps and turns to me, laughing.

“Naughty ass,” she says. I guffaw.

“Which one, yours?”

“Cut it out, smart mouth. Or I’ll
punish you.”

Mercedes gives me an alluring look.

“I’d love to see what your idea of
‘punishing’ me is,” I reply. Mercedes licks her top lip.

“If you keep on tempting me, we won’t
make it to any place,” Mercedes warns.

“You’re the one that’s tempting me.”

I laugh, and button my shirt. After I
grab my keys, I lead Mercedes outside.

“Where are we going today?” she asks
me.

“Your choice, sweetheart. Where do
you want me to take you?”

Mercedes thinks it over while we walk
to my car. When we reach the ground floor, she turns to me.

“How about we surprise Patrick at
work?”

“That’ll have to wait for about three
more hours. My brother works at night.”

“Then let’s go shopping.”

“You want to shop?”

“Yes.”

Mercedes and I reach the parking lot.
We both get in my car, and I rev the engine.

We arrive at the Westfield Centre. I
drive around until I find a parking spot. Then we get out and I lead Mercedes
to the store, hand in hand.

Just as we’re walking past a row of
cars, we hear a voice calling to Mercedes.

“Hey, Scarlet. You’re looking good,
baby.”

I turn to look at the man who spoke.
He looks like a stuck-up rich politician in his thirties. I frown, looking back
at Mercedes.

Her look of utter shock is what I
least expected to see.

Mercedes

If there’s one thing I dreaded the
most, this is it.

I look at the man who spoke to me. To
my utter shock, I recognize Stephen.

Panicked, I turn back to see Gabriel.
His expression is unreadable.

“Surprised to see me?” Stephen asks
me. I turn back to him, narrowing my eyes.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking
about, sir. My name is Mercedes.”

“I know that. But you also go by
Scarlet.”

Shock makes me gasp. I can’t believe
this is actually happening. No one’s supposed to recognize me. That’s the whole
point of the glasses I’m wearing. How Stephen can tell I’m Scarlet, I have no
idea.

“Who is this creep, Mercedes?”
Gabriel asks me. I’m speechless.

“Feisty date you got yourself.”

“Please respect my girlfriend. I do
not tolerate anyone talking to her like that.”

Stephen looks at me in confusion.

“Boyfriend? I didn’t get the impression
you were one for serious relationships, Scarlet.”

“You’re clearly mistaking me, sir.
Please go away or I won’t respond.”

“What’s going on, Mercedes? Why does
he insist on calling you Scarlet?”

I give Gabriel what I think is a
convincing enough look of confusion.

“I’ve got no idea.”

“Don’t lie, sugar. You’ve turned as
red as your name.”

“You’re mistaking my girlfriend, sir.
Drop it now.”

Stephen frowns.

“You haven’t told him?”

I keep pretending that I don’t
understand.

“What is he talking about?” asks
Gabriel.

“Judging by how tight you two seem to
be, I assume you already know how good she’s in bed. Her nipples are delightfully
nice, aren’t they?”

Gabriel turns livid. He lunges toward
Stephen.

“Gabriel, no!”

I manage to grab his arm, but Gabriel
drags me forward with his momentum. At least my move is enough for his right
hook to miss Stephen. The latter takes a step backward, not looking afraid.

“Get out of here before I break your
face, you son of a b—” Gabriel threatens.

“You honestly don’t know?” Stephen
asks, looking at him with amusement.

“What I know is that I want you to
get the hell away. Leave my girlfriend alone!”

“Your girlfriend? That’s what she
wants you to think, you dumbass! She’s an escort!”

Gabriel’s face turns to shock. It
only lasts for a few seconds. Then he looks at Stephen with fury.

“If you don’t vanish in three
seconds, nothing will stop me from beating you to a bloody pulp.”

“Gabriel, let’s go. He must be
crazy,” I say.

“I just assumed you knew,” Stephen
says innocently. “When I saw you two walking, I thought that you were just
another client.”

“I wasn’t born yesterday, you jerk.
What kind of escort takes a client to go shopping?” I ask.

“You could be coming here to model
underwear for him. Guys would kill for such a show.”

I stare at Stephen with anger.

“Go away, or so help me, I won’t stop
Gabriel from doing what he’s threatened to do to you.”

I’m having a hard time restraining
Gabriel. I won’t be able to hold on for much longer.

“Fine. Consider yourself alerted,
sir,” Stephen says to Gabriel. Then he turns and walks away.

“What a sick jerk,” I say, shaking my
head. I turn back to Gabriel. His expression almost makes me gasp.

“Explain to me what this was all
about.”

I blink in disbelief.

“Explain what? He was just some fucking
nut. Don’t listen to him.”

I start to walk, until Gabriel grabs
my arm. I avoid looking at him.

“We’re not going anywhere until we
talk.”

I yank my arm back, ignoring the
slight pain.

“Fine. Let’s go to the car, then. Or
would you rather have this conversation in broad daylight?”

Gabriel clenches his jaw. Without a
word, he turns back the way we came. I follow him.

Once we’re inside the car, I wait for
Gabriel to speak. He’s staring straight ahead.

“What is this about you being an
escort?”

I look at him in disbelief.

“You seriously didn’t believe that
douchebag, did you?” I ask. Gabriel still doesn’t look at me.

“I don’t know. He looked certain, and
he definitely didn’t seem to be drunk or stoned.”

Gabriel finally turns to me.

“Please say it’s not true.”

I look down at my lap, willing myself
to hold back the tears that are threatening to come. I’d never wanted Gabriel
to find out the truth this way. I was going to tell him soon. Damn Stephen.

When I glance back at Gabriel, he
looks sad.

“Your silence speaks volumes,
Mercedes.”

My mouth still refuses to function. I
have to fix this one way or another.

“You’re an escort, aren’t you? Answer
me.”

I take a deep breath, and then look
at him.

“Yes. I’m an escort.”

“Shit,” Gabriel says, looking away.
He covers his face with his hands. I restrain myself from touching him.

After what seems like a full five
minutes, Gabriel turns back to me.

“All this time?”

I nod, as I’m afraid to speak.

“And you never told me?”

“I meant to, soon,” I say. “I was
just waiting for the right moment.”

Gabriel scoffs.

“Typical excuse. You could have been
honest with me from the start, Mercedes.”

“I was afraid you’d be angry.”

“And for good reason.”

Gabriel shakes his head, looking
pissed.

“No wonder you’re so gorgeous. It was
always nagging me in a deep corner of my brain, deep enough that I could ignore
it. ‘She’s too good to be true’.”

“You don’t honestly believe that,” I
say.

“What if I do?” Gabriel retorts. “I
can’t believe I fell for your game.”

My head whips to look back at him.

“What?”

“This—what we had, this whole month—it
wasn’t real to you, was it?”

“What the hell? Of course it was
real.
Very
real. Don’t you see? I love you!”

“Shut up. You lied to me.”

Without warning, Gabriel revs the
engine. He backs out of the parking space and then drives forward.

“Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you back to your place.
Be grateful I’m not sinking down to your level and leaving you out here.”

“Gabriel, I meant it. I—”

“I don’t want to hear it!”

I flinch, staring at Gabriel. He
drives around in a robotic manner, totally devoid of emotion. Except for the
anger, that is. He avoids looking at me. I can’t think of any way to fix this.

Shit, damn it!

Gabriel doesn’t seem to care that
he’s breaking the rules of the road. It’s obvious he can’t get rid of me fast
enough. It’s all I can do to fight tears.

Soon, too soon, Gabriel’s car
screeches to a stop just outside the apartment building. He parks, not turning
the engine and not looking at me. I bite my lip.