Chapter 67 - The Return of the Big, Hot Mess (1/2)
Michelle, with all her sense of entitlement and privilege, sashays toward Claire, who stands there as if struck by lightning. And in those few seconds, everything comes back to Claire: the pool party of just a few days ago, where Michelle and she tried to drown each other.
”Good morning,” Michelle actually says, which surprises Claire—she didn't expect Michelle to actually be courteous. ”I'm here for Gabriel. We have a meeting.”
”A meeting?” Claire rummages through her desk, as if trying to look for a note about Gabriel's schedule for the day, which actually doesn't exist. She pulls out a blank sheet of paper, and pretends to read from it. ”Uhh, I think Gabriel's still finishing up his teleconference,” she lies, buying time.
”Wait, you look familiar,” Michelle says, looking at her from head to toe, her brows knitted. ”Have we met before?”
”I—I'm not sure, Ma'am,” Claire manages to say. ”I'm just new here.”
”Oh,” Michelle says, ”so you're the new executive ȧssistant.” She smiles as she takes a small step back to get another good look at Claire. ”As always, Gabriel knows how to choose the nicest looking secretaries. I've always been jealous of Gabriel's girl Fridays, you know. I always had this recurrent nightmare of finding him in bed with one of them.” Michelle makes a dry laugh.
Oh, that's rich coming from the very person who cheated on him, Claire says, but only in her head.
”Do you know who I am, dear?” Michelle says.
Of course, you bitch, you almost clawed out my eyes at that pool party, is what Claire almost says, but she bites her tongue. ”I'm sorry, Ma'am, but I believe this is the first time we're meeting.”
”What's your name, sugar?”
”Clai—err, I mean, Bella.”
”Even your name is pretty. 'Bella'. Did you know 'bella' is Italian for 'beautiful'?”
”Yes.”
”Really?”
”Only now,” Claire says, ”when you said it.” She grins.
”Sense of humor!” Michelle says. ”I like that. I'm Michelle, by the way. Michelle Alcantara. Gabriel's fiancée.”
Claire fakes being surprised. ”Oh, my God! So you're THE Michelle Alcantara! I feel honored to be in the presence of such a legendary—” Bitch? –”woman!”
Michelle giggles. ”Thank you. No need to mention it, Bella.”
”You said you're the fiancée? I thought Gabriel has a new one,” Claire says coyly.
”Oh, a little misunderstanding,” Michelle says. ”The new one is a usurper to my throne. I'll put her in her place shortly.”