Chapter 9: Friday
"Gaby, are you crazy? We were together for two years and not once did you agree to live with me, not even stay overnight at my place!" Friday swiftly came, but it did not go by that easily, with Warren still pestering Gabrielle about her plans of moving in with her newfound and supposed boyfriend.
After her class that morning, she went straight to returning her keys to the apartment manager and carried down her luggage and other belongings.
She wound up selling or giving away the very little furniture she had since she did not need them in her new and luxurious accommodation. Both of them were already at the building lobby with Warren still trying to convince Gabrielle how wrong it was for her to live with a new man! Seeing Gabrielle make her way to a luxury van, Warren called out to her, "What the hell is this, Gaby? Is your boyfriend some kind of a drug lord?" When she ignored him, Warren walked up to her and grabbed her arm as she carried a box of her belongings. "Gaby! You are making a mistake!" "The only mistake I ever made was having a relationship with you!" She forcefully let go of her arm and said, "At least my boyfriend takes care of me!"
"Miss Taylor, is everything alright?" The driver of the van came down to check on her. This was the transportation that Mark had arranged for Gabrielle to ensure her swift and smooth transfer to the penthouse. The driver, named Hank, then redirected his gaze to Warren and warned, "Please leave Miss Taylor alone or I will be forced to have you arrested... Clearly, Miss Taylor wants to be with my master's home... her... new boyfriend."
Gabrielle immediately flushed, realizing how Hank had heard her claims over Kyle Wright, but Warren thought of it as a sign that she turned shy by the thought of her new lover.
Warren wound up losing to Kyle either way, even when he was not around to protect Gabrielle from him. The presence of his driver, Hank, was enough to scare Warren away! Finally left alone, Gabrielle drove off to The Second Diamond Hotel with Hank.
The entire time, she was silent and constantly blushing at what Hank had overheard. As soon as they pulled over at the hotel's driveway, she shyly explained, "Ummm... Hank... I - I was just trying to brush away from my ex, so I told him I was going to live with my boyfriend. I - I did not mean for Mr. Wright - "
"Oh, don't worry, child. I absolutely understand." From the rearview mirror, Hank winked at her and said, "Trust me, I'm sure Mr. Wright would not mind."
'How could Mr. Wright not mind?' She wondered, but before she could ask, the door to the car opened and Mark Esperanza officially welcomed Gabrielle.
Heartbeats later, Gabrielle found herself entering Kyle's penthouse with her jaws dropping. As she carried her things and as the hotel staff brought in her luggage, her eyes scanned the entire place. "Wow." For seconds, she had been silently expressing the same amazement, but only after a minute did it finally come out of her mouth.
From the leather seats, the marble floors, and the stylish decor, Gabrielle was absolutely in awe. She later said, "I guess... this is the home of the rich and famous."
"As you can see, Miss Taylor. There are many things that need attention here, and it is your job that everything is well maintained," reminded Mark with a smile. "Now, shall I show you to your room?"
If the entire penthouse was enough to impress Gabrielle, her private space - her bedroom, which practically looked like a studio apartment, left her in a daze!
She practically held her breath for seconds as soon as she walked into her room. She exclaimed, "Are you kidding me!"
Gabrielle had a king-size bed, a large sofa, a study area, all set up with a laptop, and a small kitchen table for her to dine on, should she choose to eat inside her room. She had her own private bath and a balcony with a perfect city view!
The best part was how her room was decorated with nature! Aside from landscape paintings, there were miniature bamboos, placed nearly in every corner and she loved it! If anything, she loved the feel of nature!
"Wow! This is just wow!" She did not feel like an employee at all, but instead a special guest!
"Well, this is you, Miss Taylor! Your very own private space," suggested Mark, who remained to stand from behind her.
After finally accepting her sudden luck in life, she shook her head and muttered in silence, 'Is this guy for real? Or does he seem to know what I like?'
She scoffed at her judgment and softly said, "Dream on, Gaby."
It did not take long for Mark to leave Gabrielle alone, and only then did she start re-arranging her things. It was bout five in the afternoon when she finished up.
Utterly exhausted, she checked the time and determined it was safe to take a quick nap.
Feeling comfy, lying on her oversize bed, Gabrielle dozed off in no time! She woke up the next day at six in the morning, still in the same clothes that she wore, completely in a panic! "Oh-my-gawd!!!! I'm dead! I am totally dead!" She woke up, screaming. Her hair was completely disheveled, and she dreaded getting up.
She checked the time and Kyle's schedule, mumbling, "What time does the guy wake up for breakfast?"
"Fuck! Six in the morning?!" She cursed at herself and carelessly tied her hair into a ponytail.
She hurriedly stepped outside and went to the kitchen. As soon as she arrived, she saw Kyle Wright drinking coffee with several plates, full of food on the small center countertop. Gabrielle gulped when she heard him say, "Good morning. Let's have breakfast."
'I am screwed,' she thought in silence, but while her head was in a mess, she found the time to gawk at Kyle's morning face, unkempt hair, unshaven face, and the fact that the man was wearing a plain white shirt and beautifully hugged his well-shaped torso. He looked especially ruggedly handsome!
As she made that walk closer to where Kyle sat, she remarked in silence, 'Damn, this man! I could get used to this!'
Gabrielle then took back her thoughts, realizing, 'If I don't... get... fired.'