Paper Hearts

Chapter 31

As anticipated, our absence at the office, as much needed as it was, resulted in a hefty amount of catch up work. Gabe and I didn't even have time to lunch together anymore the first two weeks after we got back, with either of us being wrapped up in meetings or lunch arrangements.

Soon after we had gotten back, Gabriel's PA had asked to meet with both of us to discuss accusations that had surfaced during our absence, about financial irregularities regarding the Montessori. I had shot Gabe a confused look but he assured his PA that we wold look into it, excusing us from his office.

"I'll have it looked into, but its probably nothing. We had a run in with a waiter a couple years back who thought he could earn a couple extra bucks by leaking false info to the paps." He had said simply.

The evenings were quieter at home, one of us would prepare dinner and wait for the other to come home and then we'd eat together. But staying up later or going for the romantic strolls along the path shore, like we had done it in the past, were out of the question. One night Gabe had fallen asleep on the couch, a folder open on his lap. Not having the heart to wake him up I had carefully rearranging him until he was laying down and covered him with a blanket. He had stumbled into the bedroom at three in the morning, apologising.

Eve had dropped by one night and forcefully extracted us from our house, Will waiting in the car with an expectant grin, ready to whisk us out of town for a party night. Gabe had been even more reluctant that I had been, groaning as he went upstairs to change. In the meantime Evie had wanted to know everything our trip to Hawaii.

'My name is Marnie Foster and my boyfriend takes me on spontaneous holidays to Hawaii' she had said, puckering her lips. I hadn't been able to stop the laugh and Eve grinned at me cheekily. The evening turned out be a lot of fun and Eve looked immensely satisfied with herself when she dropped us off at home again.

On Wednesday I came across Jacqueline in the lobby of the hotel, apparently waiting for the receptionist behind the counter. Straightening my shoulders I walked across the foyer, nodding my head in her direction and getting a smug smile in return that sent my blood boiling as I waited for the elevator to arrive.

Gabe and I hadn't talked about the incident at her house again after our fight. I was still disconcerted by her ever-growing presence around the hotel, but decided for the good of our relationship that I wouldn't bring up the issue again unless she confronted me again. Which she hadn't so far.

For some odd reason, I would have almost preferred it if she came at me head on though, rather than shooting me the scheming smiles I received every time we saw each other. Her words from our talk in the bathroom still daunted me.

I shrugged it off though, trying to embrace what Eve had told me about not obsessing. Gabe and I caught up whenever we could during the day but otherwise made it a point to be home for dinner. Sometimes I thought that we'd distanced ourselves a little after our trip to Hawaii, both caught up with work, but then he'd swoop me off my feet when I came home, or we'd have a lazy Sunday morning breakfast and the suspicion sounded silly even to my own ears.

I stared at the screen in front of me, feeling a growing sense of despair as I tried writing the paper that been requested as part of the master's degree. The cursor was blinking steadily at me until I closed the document and dialled Thompson, in hopes of being able to meet him.

After a brief talk he invited me to his estate, having adopted my master studies as a small pet project of his. Excusing myself from Shiela who looked surprised that I was taking an early leave, I drove out to the beautiful piece of land the old man owned.