Rose Is Back With Thorns

chapter eleven

The floor-length, sleeveless, lime green dress captured her tiny, full-figured body perfectly. The bust was designed like a bikini top with the straps winding up her neck beautifully. The bodice cut cleverly on the sides so that it covered the front, leaving out the sides. It then connected to a long, circular skirt that showed her full behind. Glittery diamond studs adorned her ears, complimenting the silver necklace on her neck. She'd completed the look with glittering Alexander McQueen heels and a matching clutch.

For the first time in eons, Gabrielle Oliver felt elegant. Sitting across an equally sophisticated man in a five-star hotel intensified the feeling, immensely. Even though the man in question hadn't so much as given her the once-over, leave alone compliment her, she felt slightly on a par with the models and actresses she'd seen on his arm.

As if reading her thoughts, she heard him clear his throat. "You look pretty good tonight, Geek."

Gabrielle's eyes lit up expectantly. "You... you think so?"

He sipped from the glass of red wine and nodded briskly. "Yap!" Placing the glass down atop the cream table linen, he added matter-of-factly. "My sister did a good job on you."

Feeling her heart sink, she couldn't help but feel belittled. It wasn't that she looked pretty good, it was because his sister had had a hand in the transformation. Was it so hard for the man to pretend that he at least appreciated her? Calling her a geek and insinuating she was clueless about fashion on a first date, was rudeness of the highest degree.

Smiling weakly, she shared his sentiments. "Yes, she did do a good job on me."

Leon Mayor was flabbergasted in the extreme. He'd never in the wildest dreams of him, thought Geek a beauty. Pretty yes, but certainly not beautiful. With the wardrobe change, make up and jewellery, she looked nothing like the boring, meek grandmother trapped in a twenty eight year-old's body, he knew.

How he hadn't seen those curves was beyond him. But the little woman had been particularly keen on hiding them and for that he didn't doubt Geek was still somewhere inside his little attractive date. His type were experimental, wild sirens that let him enjoy a chase. Gabrielle wasn't any of that. Beautiful yes, but gullible and shy. Easy prey. Unlike...

"Why did you bring me here?" Gabrielle asked nervously. She knew why, Rose had put him up to it as compensation for his rudeness the other day. Still, having had feelings for the man for a decade, she hoped against hope that he slightly liked her. That he at least wanted to spend time with her.

"Rose didn't tell you?" The man inquired stretching his thick brows.

She didn't have to, I heard it for myself. The short woman shook her head briskly. "Why? Did you plan...this with her?" She knew she was pushing it but she couldn't help it.

"She planned this by herself." Leon admitted wilfully. "You know how she likes to impose silly things on me." He shrugged before continuing. "But she's Rose Mayor and you can't refuse that one."

She had expected it. She knew he was blunt, insensitive and thoughtless. Yet, his words shuttered her heart into a million pieces and brought unshed tears to her eyes.

Gabrielle bit her lip to contain a sob as tears burned her ducts. She feared if she breathed, a loud sob would escape and she'd be damned if she made a bigger fool of herself than she'd already done, by going to the imposed date. Suffocated from holding her breath longer than was healthy, she bolted from the table and ran out of the restaurant.

Running out the front door, she bumped into a hard body that caught her before she hunched over. Right then she let out a sob and tears trickled incessantly. She was probably ruining her makeup, or spoiling the stranger's shirt, or making a fool she already was out of herself; she just didn't care as sob after sob wrecked from her tiny and cold body.