Rebound

Chapter 1

Flashback:

'Promise me, Gabriel, that you come back to me, when you're done with school, okay? I'm going to miss you! And don't forget, to at least send me a message once in a while. Or an eMail!', Nathalie said sternly right after they had savagely made love to each other. Both knew, that this was probably their last encounter for a long time, if not forever. Who knew, what would happen, until they were able to meet again.

'I already promised that to you, Nath. You know, I am not very good with words, but I promise, I will text you! And I will miss my 'best friend' even more, imagining, that I will be in a complete new country, without someone I know! I just wished, you could come!", Gabriel sighed.

The dark haired woman scoffed.

"You know, that my parents didn't even want me to do the last years of school and find a job instead. I was lucky, that I could moonlight in that little souvenir shop or they would have never allowed to graduate with you this year. I can't even dream of going to some university, least of all in another country. I will start my job in a week and you become a rich business man, like your father. And in a couple of years, I will probably be married and have a couple of kids, stay at home mum with a badly paid part time job in the evening, while you are going to meet with all the rich and beautiful women, your wealth and your looks will attract. And sometimes, each of us will sit alone in the dark living room on a Saturday night , have a glass of wine and remember our time together, telling ourselves, that we're going to text or call in the morning, but never will do so. Believe me, I will miss you more!", she reminded him, her voice sounding bitter.

He shook his head and began to ramble:

'Oh Nathalie, I hope you're wrong. And besides, you can decide for yourself, how you would like to spend your life! Don't let your father pressure you into the 'it's what women are made for' cliché! It's only for four years, two, if I can change my main subject to design instead of the things, 'my' father wants me to study! Maybe, you can visit? I'll try to put some money aside and so will you, alright? And then we can take the Eurostar train and before we know it, we stand in front of each other!"

'Gabe, you are hopelessly romantic. Sadly, that's not how the world works. But it's one of the things, I love so much about you! Now go, before they send a search party for their guest of honour! You'll always be my best friend, Gabriel, don't forget that!'

The tall, blond man stood in his living room and inhaled deeply. He remembered this conversation, as if it had been yesterday. Now, nineteen years later, he wished himself back to that moment, wished, he had had the guts back then, to tell her how he really felt about her, had told his parents, he was an adult and could do what he wanted to do.

But he had been young and he had simply obeyed. For some time. Then his parents had died in an accident and he had been able to become, what he dreamed of, a fashion designer. He knew enough, to keep his father's company going, until he found someone, who would buy it. From the incredibly large amount of money, he got for it, he slowly began to built up his own label and his talent soon made him the famous man, he now was.

Gabriel Agreste! Fashion designer, CEO and owner of his brand, husband and father.

He swallowed the lump in his throat, when he corrected himself.

He wasn't a husband any longer. His wife, the only woman, he had ever loved, other than Nathalie, had died recently, after being in a coma for about two years.

His son, Adrien, was fifteen and just as devastated, as he was. And worst, over those last two years, he had barely been able to even look at the boy! He looked so very much like his mother, that it only hurt him, to just look at his own child!

He needed to get over it soon. He knew, his son was suffering, but he was numb. He couldn't show any emotions at all. Not anymore. Not after all those things, that had happened over the last couple of years.

They were happy, he, Emily and Adrien, until the actress didn't get casted any longer. She wasn't very famous, except for those, who liked B-movies and low budget productions, like her most known movie, 'Solitude'.

About that time, he had noticed her becoming distant to him, going out in the evenings, spending a lot of time with friends. While she did, he usually stayed in his office, working late. Nathalie, who was working as his assistant, stayed there with him, being very concerned about him most of the time.

He did barely sleep, he didn't eat enough and he drank at least three bottles of whiskey or cognac a week.

"Why doesn't she want me to come with her? Do I look that old already, that I am not presentable any longer?", was the one thing, he asked her almost every night, when he was so drunk, that he couldn't keep it completely professional any longer.

Nathalie though tried:

"Sir, I don't know, why she doesn't want you to come along. Maybe she thinks, you won't like her friends? Or maybe, she's going somewhere, she is sure, you won't feel comfortable! Could this be possible?"

There had been that one night, when he needed to know. So he had grabbed his assistant's arm and had dragged her into the limousine, right as the Gorilla had returned from driving Emily to her destination.

"I want you to take us to the place, you brought my wife to just now. And don't even try to fool me, or you won't be working for me much longer!", then he had turned to Nathalie and his speech slurred, as he said, "now we're going to figure out, what she is doing every night, love!"

Sighing she had laid an arm around him, when he buried his face in her chest. Her heart ached, as he did, because she knew very well, that they could never again be, what they were. She was his employee and he was her boss. He was married and had a son. She loved the boy, as if he was her own. Never would she have even thought about destroying the child's family for her own urges. So she usually did her best to keep their relationship completely professional. She and Emily had even become somewhat like friends, when Gabriel introduced them all those years ago and hired her to work for them.

But if she was really doing, what Nathalie thought she did, well, that would be a totally different story!

And it very soon would be!