The Divorce

Chapter 12

Breakfast went as smooth as I thought it would go, like crunchy peanut butter but with no butter so it was just peanuts that get stuck in your throat. Not smooth at all. 

I couldn't wait for lunch, which meant I had to sit past this meeting, hoping no one was going to hear my stomach grumble.

I scribbled some dot points down as Gabriel spoke to his audience, another day another meeting, this time he was presenting. I leaned back in my chair as I watched him on stage, wondering how someone could be born with that much confidence. 

He turned a page, barely breaking his eye contact with his audience as he kept speaking. Richard was sitting next to me, playing candy crush on his phone and I wished I could do the same.

I wonder if Gabriel got hot under those bright lights, especially because he was wearing a full tight button up shirt suit. He was in his classic dark grey suit, perfectly ironed and non-see through white shirt and polished shoes. There was never a day I saw him flustered or caught off guard. 

Nor have I seen him with a coffee or food stain on those white shirts. How does he do it? I kept mostly to black because there wasn't a day where  I didn't get a stain. I really needed to stop taking boring meeting notes and start taking notes about being a clean human.

I held back a yawn, but I couldn't help it, and it was just that moment that Gabriel decided to look our way. Oh crap, just my damned luck. I pretended I was scribbling something down so he wouldn't deduct three seconds of my pay for yawning. 

I casted a look to my left, where a woman was far too excited and intently listening to this awfully boring speech. Her hair was tied into a pony tail, her glasses perched on the edge of her nose and she nodded to every word Gabriel was saying. Do people really look this beautiful from the side, with their hair in a pony tail. I could only aspire to have a side profile like she did, damn.

I watched her head bop, up, down, up, down, I was wondering if it was like a toy with a spring. Did it hurt to nod that much?

She raised a thin finger with really long nails, pushing that glasses back up her nose as she tilted her head, still listening and nodding intently. I looked away, I was getting dizzy from her bopping. 

It was another ten minutes before Gabriel finished and went back to seating with the rest of the panel, I leaned towards Richard, "Are we done?" I asked. I was definitely starving now.

"Yes. Gabriel has a few things he needs to do so he can meet us in the foyer."

"Great." I said nodding, slipping my things back into the compendium. A few minutes without Gabriel watching my every move, yes please. I didn't hate my job, but I was like everyone else taking any time I could get away from my boss's hypnotising eyes that missed nothing, to, you know, slack off a bit. 

I followed Richard to the foyer and thankfully there were a few appetisers floating around. 

"I'll just go to the rest room." Richard said, handing me his bag. I hung it over my shoulder, placing my things into his empty bag, seeing that I was carrying it anyway.

I accepted a little spring roll looking thing from a waiter, except it wasn't a spring roll as instead of crispy pastry, it was soggy lukewarm leaves. 

"What is this?" I muttered to myself, taking a little sniff.

"It's a dolmades."

I jumped hearing the voice, and looked over to the man from the other day, Adonis.

He smiled at me, holding up his own, "It's a stuffed grape leaf, a classic Greek finger food, however I need to warn you that it's not for everyone, are you adventurous with food?" he took a bite of his own, showing me the insides, "It's rice and herbs."

I took a hesitant bite at the semi cold dish, my face crinkling up, not able to hide my feeling about the grape leaf. Oh dear. 

I heard Adonis chuckle, the next minute he had plucked my dolmades from my hand and wrapped it up in a tissue, placing another clean one.

"I told you it's not for everyone." he said.

I swallowed and nodded, "I don't know. The leaf threw me off." I shuddered. 

"The ones with more fillings taste better. I hope that it doesn't put you off Greek food. We have some amazing food. I used to hate these as a kid but I appreciated it when I got older."

"Sorry, i don't mean any offence." I said quickly as I wiped my hands. That was the last thing I wanted to do, but I just couldn't help it because it wasn't what I was expecting. 

"None taken. Maybe if you're free later I can take you out to show you some of our better food." he said as he grabbed two glasses of water from a passing water, handing one to me.

"Oh sorry, I don't mean to give off the wrong expression but I'm actually in a relationship." I said wincing on the inside. 

Adonis took a sip from his glass, his brown eyes not breaking from his gaze, "I know, I don't mean it in that way. I just meant it in a I'll show you better food way."

"Oh oops sorry." great, another classic example of me thinking some guy thinks i'm cute or whats to go out with me. Why do I even think that is the case, but then they were always mixed signals and it confuses me, "My bad." I said awkwardly shifting on my feet. 

Now there was silence, nice one Rory, just ruin everything. Thankfully Richard came back to my rescue looking between us, "Hello Adonis." He said shaking his hand.

"Richard, always a pleasure. Anyway catch you later Aurora, give me a buzz if you wanted to check it out." He said casting me a smile as he walked away.

"A buzz?" Richard asked looking at me, "He gave you his number? Why?"

"Who gave you his number?" I looked up as Gabriel came towards us.

"Adonis gave Aurora his number." Richard said, throwing me right under the bus.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow looking at me, "Don't you have a boyfriend."

"Not in that way!" I said shaking my head, "he gave it but there is no proof that I saved it." I said defending myself.

Gabriel shrugged, "Hey your life, no judgements." He said as he turned around. I guess we weren't staying for the rest of the finger food. 

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