Chapter 57 - The Girl from Ipanema (1/2)

”You look…good,” Gabriel says as he opens the door for Claire.

”Thank you, Mr. Tan,” she says, smiling.

For some reason, Claire's beauty bothers him—there's something he couldn't quite put a finger on. He's so distracted as he drives that he bȧrėly speaks, prompting Claire to actually say, ”Is everything alright?”

Nothing's right, he almost says. But he just smiles. As he makes a turn toward the main road, Gabriel slowly realizes why: Claire Monteverde is extremely attractive. And he's bothered because even now, he's trying to maintain distance, trying to enforce his unwritten rule between boss and employee. But while technically, Claire's in his employ through some made-up bullshit plan to exact revenge on his ex-fiancée, each time he sees this woman, all dolled up courtesy of his own directive to his personal fashion stylist, his heart goes aflutter. But he must not show it.

And Jesus, why does she smell so good?

”By the way, where are we going tonight?” Claire says, smiling.

His mind blanks out for a second. ”Uhh, that Italian place. Maroni's.”

”Isn't that the restaurant on the rooftop of some building?”

”No,” Gabriel says, ”Err, I mean, yes. Yes, that's the one.”

”I'm excited,” Claire giggles. ”I've only read about it. I've never been there. Couldn't afford it, obviously.”

”The world is now your oyster, Claire, I promise,” he says. ”From now on, you get access to all the finest things in life.”

Claire makes a weird smile. ”From now on until the thirtieth day, you mean, Mr. Tan?”

Did he hear an almost inaudible sigh?

”Well,” he begins, ”let's see.”

Claire gazes at him for a moment too long, then she looks out the window, so sad and beautiful.

”My brother and I love that Italian place,” he says. ”We usually spend our significant dinners there. It was there were I…”

Where I announced my engagement with Michelle, is what Gabriel almost says, but he catches his mouth at the last moment.

Claire doesn't seem to be listening, anyway. She's humming some tune, a familiar one that feels like a sad love song. Before long, the humming slowly turns into timid singing, as what Claire has a tendency to do.

”…and young and tan and lovely

The girl from Ipanema goes walking

And when she passes

Each one she passes goes 'ahhh'.”