Beauty and Her Boss by Jennifer Faye

Author:Jennifer Faye
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-12-06T19:07:30+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

MAYBE THIS HAD been a mistake.

Deacon sat across the table from Gabrielle. The table was done up with a light blue linen tablecloth. Fine china was laid out. The yellow napkins were folded into the shape of bow ties. A vase of yellow roses had been placed in the center. This was Mrs. Kupps’s doing. The last time the table had been so fancy had been before the accident. These days, he ate at his desk with a tray of food. No flowers. No company.

What had he been thinking to invite Gabrielle to breakfast? Perhaps it was the fact that when she smiled, the whole world was that much brighter. And when they talked, she didn’t hold back. She was filled with optimism. He gave himself a mental jerk. That line of thought could get him into trouble—big trouble. It was best to focus on the business at hand.

But that would be easier said than done with the table all decked out to impress Gabrielle. When he’d mentioned all the needless fuss to Mrs. Kupps, she’d clucked her tongue at him. She told him he needed to do everything he could not to run off Gabrielle, as she was the sunshine in his otherwise gloomy world. It was as if she was worried that he’d grow old alone. He was not some beggar, desperate for anyone’s attention.

Is that what Gabrielle thought of him, too? Did she think that he was pathetic and deserving of her sympathy? He would show her. He did not need anyone’s pity. He was not some charity case.

“You know this isn’t going to work.” His words came out terser than he’d intended.

Gabrielle glanced up from where she unfolded the yellow napkin and placed it on her lap. “Which part doesn’t work?”

“All of it. Every single last piece of it.” That wasn’t exactly true, but he was in no mood to be generous. If they were adversaries, then perhaps she wouldn’t feel obligated to be nice to him—to let him kiss her.

He watched her closely. He was waiting for her to leave. However, the only visible sign of her discomfort was in her eyes. They widened, but she didn’t move. He knew a lot of people would have turned tail and fled by now. But not Gabrielle. She was made of sterner stuff. But he should have figured that when she’d volunteered to take her father’s punishment.

She adjusted her napkin and at the same time avoided his gaze. When she glanced back up at him, she said, “I’m assuming you are referring to the fund-raiser plans and not the meal.”

“Of course.”

She nodded. Then she set about removing the lid from the dish of scrambled eggs. She was going to eat? He was setting up for an argument and she was acting as though everything was perfectly fine. Everything wasn’t fine.

He couldn’t take her lack of reaction any longer. “Are you just going to sit there and ignore me?”

“I’m not ignoring you, but Mrs. Kupps went to a lot of work to prepare this meal and I think it’d be a shame to let it go to waste.

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