Love & Loss (24 page)

‘O it’s
soooo
good,’ I sighed, my eyes glazing over at the thought of it and the heavy weight of the egg nestled inside me.

‘To being in love,’ she toasted holding up her glass.

‘I’ll second that,’ I clinked. Sofia suddenly held up a perfectly manicured finger to me and lifted her phone to her ear.

‘Robert did you have a good time? …. They lost? O dear …. Sure how long … ok we’ll meet you in there darling … I’ve had a few yes … no I’m still able to walk,’ she rolled her eyes at me and it was my turn to giggle. It did seem Robert was like his son. ‘No she’s sat right by me … yes I’ll tell her off for him. See you in a while … you too.’ She tucked her phone away and looked at me. ‘Someone’s in trouble,’ she smiled.

‘Why?’

‘Gabe’s been ringing you and you haven’t answered.’

‘O God, he gets so mad about nothing. I must have left it on silent again,’ I muttered as I pulled it out of my bag and sighed. Three missed calls and a text. I decided to ignore them, not wanting to lower my happy mood, he already knew I was ok.

‘You’re not ringing him back?’ She sounded surprised.

‘No, he’s controlling enough without expecting me to jump every time he asks me too. He knows I’m with you and I’m safe, he can wait.’

‘I so wish I was like you at that age Mia, you don’t stand for any nonsense.’

‘I worry that if I let him control me too much now I’ll make a rod for my own back.’

‘Indeed.’

‘So are they joining us here?’

‘No, they’re going back to Robert’s to get changed and are meeting us at the 40/40 club.’

‘We’re going to the
40/40
club?’ I exclaimed. I’d heard all about it, it was one of
the
places to go in New York, loads of famous people went there. This was crazy. ‘Am I dressed up enough?’ I asked panicking.

‘Perfectly,’ she smiled. ‘Let’s freshen up before Antonio collects us.’

An hour later I sat on a white leather chair overlooking the bar and Sofia had to keep reminding me to close my mouth as she laughed at my reaction to being here. It was stunning and I was recognising so many people and blushed as Sam, the lead singer from the latest boy band Nevada 6 winked at me as he checked me out. We’d got an ice bucket with champagne and I was well on my way, Sofia seemed to be more accustomed to drinking than me.

‘They’re here.’ She nodded towards the bar. I looked down and sighed as I saw Gabe standing there looking around for me. He had on his dark charcoal suit with a crisp white shirt undone at the collar. He was a cross between a blond Astrild, Norse God of erotic love and Min, Egyptian God of potency and fertility. Simply breathtakingly hot and sexy and he was mine,
all
mine. He locked eyes with me and a wide smile played on his face and I heard myself make a little contented sigh as he blew me a kiss. ‘We really are very lucky girls indeed aren’t we,’ stated Sofia softly as she gazed at Robert adoringly, who cut an equally dashing figure.

‘Yes, yes we are,’ I agreed. I watched as Gabe politely turned away a blonde who was giggling as she tried to flirt with him. As she tried to approach him again, I bristled, but he said something to Robert and quickly strode away, towards me.

‘Baby,’ he smiled as he leaned over and kissed me. I let out a small moan, he smelt good enough on his own, but he’d got that aftershave on as well. It was a dizzyingly heady mix. I looked up at him as he turned and kissed Sofia on both cheeks and positioned himself between us and clasped my hand. ‘I missed you and you didn’t answer my calls,’ he murmured in my ear before kissing me again.

I opened my mouth to apologise and try and explain, but he turned to talk to Sofia. I caressed the back of his hand with my thumb happy that he was making an effort with her. She was really fun and obviously madly in love with Robert and wasn’t using him, I hoped Gabe would accept her in his life. Robert appeared moments later and grasped Sofia’s face and kissed her on the lips and I felt Gabe stiffen a little, so I squeezed his hand tightly. It must be so hard for him to see this.

They filled us in on the Knicks game, gutted they’d lost, but they seemed to have had a good time. Neither of them looked amused when Robert found out how many drinks we’d had with no food, so when another bottle of champagne was delivered he ordered some finger food for us. I excused myself to go to the toilet and gasped as I stood up, a combination of the egg feeling really heavy inside me after so many hours and all the alcohol. Gabe jumped up and took my hand.

‘I’m fine,’ I muttered.

‘I’ll be the judge of that. I’ll take you. Excuse us.’

‘I don’t want to be kicked out of here for lewd toilet behaviour Gabriel, I like this place,’ grinned Robert. Gabe shook his head in despair and led me to the toilets and insisted on waiting outside. I made my way in, with a small stumble and shook my head and focussed on what I was doing. I’d deliberately not had a pee all night, terrified of what might happen and sat gingerly on the toilet. It took me a few attempts before I finally just did it, surprised the egg didn’t move. I washed up and touched up my lip gloss and eyes and raked my fingers through my hair and sent Lex a text.

How are you? You’re so going to love it in New York when we can come together Lex. It’s AMAZING. I’m in the 40/40 club and there are so many celebrities here. Looking forward to seeing you Tuesday. Love you xxx

I made my way out and Gabe was leaning against the opposite wall, one foot up on it, looking sexily nonchalant.

‘At last. What were you doing in there?’

‘Sorry, I was scared to go, I had to pluck up the courage.’

‘You haven’t been all night?’

‘No, I was worried it would pop out.’

‘How’s it feeling?’

‘Heavy and I’m seriously horny. I hope you’re ready for a good session when we get home.’

‘Yes I am. You look amazing and knowing you’ve no knickers on and that inside you … the thought of it has distracted me all night.’

‘How are you getting on with Sofia?’ I asked as we walked back.

‘Ok, she actually seems really nice, it’s just hard seeing Dad intimate like that. I haven’t seen that since …’ He huffed out and smiled at me.

‘I know. I’m sorry it’s so hard for you. She’s a lovely person though, madly in love with him too and I can promise you she’s not a gold digger. She paid for us all night despite having one of his cards.’

‘I’ll get her a gift for being so nice to you, what do you think would be appropriate?’

‘Well not a two carat diamond that’s for sure,’ I muttered before thinking to apply a filter.

‘What?’ he said, stopping in his tracks and turning to face me.

‘What?’ I asked, praying he hadn’t heard me.

‘Don’t what me. How did you know the carat?’ he demanded.

‘Sofia knows her diamonds.’ I straightened up and looked him in the eye. ‘How much did you spend Gabe?’

‘I’m not telling you, it’s none of your business.’

‘I need to know to get it covered on my house insurance.’

‘No you don’t,’ he snapped running a hand through his hair and putting a hand on his hip. ‘It’s already covered on mine.’

‘I can just go down to a jewellers and get it valued without you Gabe, you can’t hide this from me.’

‘Mia please don’t. I don’t want to argue about this.’

‘How much Gabe? Tell me or I’ll go and find out,’ I demanded.

‘Thirty six,’ he sighed. I gasped and took a step back and put a hand protectively over it.

‘
Thirty six thousand?’
I whispered looking at him. ‘Thirty six thousand pounds?’ I could hear my own voice rising. ‘Are you fucking CRAZY?’

‘Keep your voice down,’ he hissed, but had the good grace to look embarrassed.

‘Gabe that’s monstrous amount of money. Don’t you have any restraint at all? You couldn’t have gone to high street shop or something?’

‘Don’t. Just don’t Mia,’ he glowered. ‘One of my conditions was you back off about my finances. I won’t justify spending my own
fucking
money on a quality engagement ring for the girl I want to marry.’

‘Gabe, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to insult you,’ I said as I stepped forwards and put my palms on his chest. ‘I’ve already told you it’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen, but that’s so much money and I don’t deserve it.’

‘Don’t do that,’ he sighed as he pushed his hands into my hair. ‘I love you and you deserve everything I’ve given you and will give you. You make me so happy every day baby, besides I did show some restraint. There was a two and a half carat diamond that I had priced up as well and it came to over forty eight thousand and I knew you’d flip if you found out, so only spending thirty odd
was
me showing some restraint ok. I get over twelve thousand a month from my investments and they say three months’ salary for a ring, so I’m bang on budget.’

‘Gabe, I’m so scared of losing it now. What if it comes off or my necklace breaks?’

‘You’re still going to put it on a necklace?’ he frowned.

‘Yes, that’s what we agreed Gabe. Don’t make me feel like more of a shit than I already do.’

‘Fine,’ he sighed kissing my forehead. ‘We’ll get you a decent quality chain that won’t break, or we keep it in the safe I’m having installed.’

‘I’d rather the chain please.’

‘We’ll look for one here then. Come on, you need some food, you’re swaying,’ he kissed my forehead again and took my hand.

‘Thank you.’

‘For what?’

‘Thinking I’m worth thirty six thousand, although I’m still cross with you it means a lot to me to know I’m that precious to you.’

‘You’re not worth thirty six thousand to me baby, you’re worth centillions,’ he smiled, quoting back my comment.

‘You old smoothie,’ I laughed.

‘Hey less of the old. In two days’ time you’ll be the same age.’

‘God
yes
, my birthday, I’d totally forgotten. Please tell me you haven’t gone financially crazy for that as well?’

‘No, just for Christmas,’ he winked and I slapped his arm and looked up to see Robert and Sofia watching us smiling.

We headed back and sipped more champagne as we all chatted and tucked into some nibbles.

‘Come on Mia, let’s leave the men to it and have a dance,’ Sofia announced standing up and reaching for my hand. A dance? I looked at Gabe horrified, it was bad enough walking with this glass paperweight in, let alone dancing. He just wiggled his eyebrows at me and smirked. I took her hand to stand up and we headed down to the busy dance floor and found a space.

‘Were you arguing earlier?’ she asked.

‘Yes.’

‘He has the same pose Robert does when he’s cross. Hands through the hair is frustrated, one hand on a hip is mad, two hands is
furious
.’

‘O my God, you’re so right. That’s Gabe to a T,’ I laughed as I gently tried to move my hips and got a tingle of pleasure.

‘You calmed him down really quickly, much quicker than I do Robert.’

‘It’s all about looking up through my lashes into his eyes and touching him,’ I grinned as I moved a bit more and enjoyed the sensation.

‘I’ll try that tactic,’ she smiled.

I looked up at Gabe to see he’d taken off his jacket and had rolled his sleeves up. He had one of his new shirts on, with a pink paisley pattern on the inside of the cuffs. I’d loved he was secure enough in his masculinity to not be bothered by wearing that colour. He was watching me eagle eyed and I could see he was turned on, so I pulled out some of my sexiest dance moves for him. I was surprised a moment later to feel a hand on my hip, how had he made it down so fast? I turned smiling and stepped back in amazement to be face to face with the Sam the singer.

‘Can I join you?’ he asked. I shook my head and waved my hand in front of his face.

‘Taken,’ I squeaked thinking how handy this ring was in deflecting men.

‘Happy though?’

‘Yes,
very
,’ I nodded. Christ, he was hitting on me, Lexi’d die if she knew, he topped her singers top totty list.

‘Call me if you change your mind,’ he smiled as he handed me a business card and leaned in and kissed my cheek. He strode away seconds before Gabe was at my side with steam coming out of his ears as I tucked the card in my bag. He pulled me aggressively to him by the waist.

‘What the fuck was that? Did he just proposition you?’

‘Yes,’ I whispered, dreading him starting a fight in here, in front of Robert and Sofia. ‘Please don’t be mad, I handled it.’

‘I saw, but I didn’t want to give him an excuse to come back, or any of the other famous fuckers that have been eyeing you up,’ he said as he spun me around and kissed me.

‘Gabe, it’s rude to leave Sofia dancing on her own,’ I sighed as my body quivered next to his.

‘She’s not alone, my dad still has some moves you know,’ he smiled as he nodded over to where they were dancing together. ‘So how about showing me some more of yours sexy girl.’

‘What sort of moves did you have in mind sexy boy?’

‘Let’s go for this one for a start,’ he grinned and dipped me down into a Hollywood romantic kiss. I went limp in his arms and clung to him as he pulled me back up praying I hadn’t just flashed everyone. He turned me around and started sexy grinding to the music with an arm around my waist as he buried his face in my neck and I closed my eyes and let him guide me, enjoying the feel of his body against mine. Every time he touched me it was like the first time, like I’d never experienced it before, yet at the same time it was reassuringly familiar.