Big Reputation // Patelgraves

New Assistant

The next day arrived swiftly, finding Gideon deeply asleep in his bed. His covers barely covered him, one leg hanging off the edge as he softly snored, a dribble of drool escaping the corner of his mouth. In his tranquil slumber, he almost forgot the events with Matthew from the previous night.

Around 11:30 am, Julie returned from the hotel where the others were staying. She had stayed there to keep Ramona company after Scott's incident. Now back home, she entered the room she shared with Gideon to find him still fast asleep, likely having stayed up late after his party. Julie gently nudged her boyfriend to rouse him, prompting Gideon to stir and open his eyes groggily. He looked up at Julie, grumbling as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Julie said, her arms folded across her chest. "Come on, get up. You've overslept, and you've got a lot on your plate today..." Julie wasn't just Gideon's girlfriend; she also played the role of his manager, ensuring he stayed on top of his responsibilities for his company and public image. She was his advisor, the one who organised and ensured everything ran smoothly.

"First item on the agenda: Scott, Wallace, and Stacey asked if they could catch a later flight, and I agreed. So, we need to arrange that for them..." She continued, scrolling through her phone.

Gideon grumbled as he slid out of bed, stretching his arms behind his back with a heavy sigh. He felt exhausted, and the day ahead already seemed daunting. For a brief moment, he managed to push thoughts of Matthew out of his mind—until Julie brought him back to reality.

"Oh, and Matthew is upstairs, waiting in your office," she informed him casually. "He mentioned wanting to have a meeting with you. We should head there after you're dressed. Seemed like it might be important or something." She shrugged.

Gideon's stomach churned at the mention of Matthew's name. How could he have forgotten about him? He felt a wave of nausea but forced himself to keep it together. Julie had no idea about what transpired between him and Matthew yesterday, and he intended to keep it that way. In fact, he never wanted to speak of it again. The last thing he wanted was to see Matthew right now. If it were up to him, he'd banish him immediately. But that would only raise suspicions with Julie. So, reluctantly, he knew he had to attend this meeting and figure out what Matthew wanted from him. Hopefully, it was just an announcement of his departure. It would be best for everyone if Matthew left and never returned, so they could forget about what happened and avoid any further temptations.

"Sure," Gideon replied simply, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was beyond tired, uncertain if he could function properly today. With the weight of recent events and the lack of sleep, it seemed like an insurmountable task. Yet, he had no choice. He had to attend this meeting with Matthew and see what could possibly be so important.

"You're coming with me, though. Plan those flights for the others. I'll get dressed. Meet me at the elevator, in five," Gideon instructed. Julie nodded and exited the room to make some calls to Gideon's connections, arranging for the others to catch a later flight back. Gideon assumed they wanted to avoid being on the same plane as Ramona, which seemed reasonable. Given Ramona's need for space and time to process everything, it was probably best for her to avoid Scott for now. But that was not Gideon's concern at the moment. He had another problem looming: Matthew Patel.

The reason he asked Julie to accompany him to the meeting was as a safety net. He knew that as long as Julie was present, Matthew couldn't make any romantic advances toward him, limiting the conversation to business matters and avoiding any discussion of their recent intimate encounter. It was a protective measure for Gideon. Deep down, he understood he was vulnerable around Matthew and knew he couldn't afford to be alone with him. From now on, he resolved to only interact with Matthew in Julie's presence, ensuring that any conversation about their past interactions remained unspoken. It seemed like a flawless plan.