He peeked at the screen and his lips twitched.
“Gabe, I need reinforcements. Giada is being stubborn. Come now.”
Gabriel pulled the key from the ignition and stepped out of the car.
He kicked the pebbles that lined the way to the entrance. Should he really convince Giada to come with him if she didn’t feel like doing it?
But if she refused, he had no backup plan. Did Giordano explain to his sister what Gabriel had in mind?
Heat rose to his cheeks as he walked to her door. He’d been friends with Giada for so long, but asking her to pretend to be his girlfriend might be too much. Even if there was no other woman in his life that he could ask this favor of.
Giordano was convinced it would work. Gabriel snorted. Of course, he would think so. This insane idea was his, after all.
But it wasn’t Giordano who needed to travel across the ocean with Gabriel and put up a three-week long theater show for his family. It was Giada.
As Gabriel lifted his hand to ring, his finger trembled. He clenched his hand into a fist and stomped his foot.
Darn it, Father! This is all your fault.
He gritted his teeth and pressed on the bell. After a minute, the door opened.
Giada’s smiling face appeared at the doorway. “Oh, hi, Gabriel. What a pleasure that you dropped by.”
Her voice was warm, as always, but there was a strange gleam in her eyes.
Gabriel didn’t know why, but as their glances met, his heart gave a thump out of rhythm.
He hadn’t seen Giada for a while now. She always had some urgent matter to attend when he and Giordano made dinner plans. Gabriel didn’t make a big deal out of it; he figured she was just too busy with her sculptures and Oneiros, her atelier.
But now, seeing the new hairdo and the unusually long, dark lashes framing her amber irises, he wondered whether she was seeing someone. That could explain why she looked different. More attractive, more feminine…more…everything.
He shook his head slightly to clear it from the distracting detail of how much plumper Giada’s lips looked as they revealed her white teeth. “Hi, Giada, may I come in?”
Giada stepped back, letting him pass.
Giordano stood in the corridor, leaning his left shoulder on the ecru wall. He signaled something to Gabriel by moving his index finger from left to right in front of his throat, then making small circles in front of his chest.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes. What was he trying to say? It looked as if Giordano had a sore throat or strange bugs under his shirt. But it must be some advice on how to act with Giada.
Before Gabriel could decipher the enigmatic gestures, Giada snapped her head to her brother. “Oh, cut it, Gio. I think Gabe knows what to say, even without your help.” She turned back to Gabriel, pulling her eyebrows in a half-questioning, half-challenging expression. “Don’t you?”
Gabriel swallowed. His throat felt parched all of the sudden.
What was his problem? Why was he behaving this weirdly? It was Giada, for Pete’s sake. Giada. He’d known this girl most of his life. Even if the way she stared at him now made him doubt whether he’d ever truly known her.
No, this was nonsense. Just the guilt worming through his chest for deceiving her and asking a favor he didn’t know how he could repay.
He licked his lips. “Sure, I do.”
Giordano rolled his eyes.
Giada gave Gabriel an encouraging nod. “Well, then let’s move into the room, and you can tell me what you like. My brother hinted that you need some help. From the way he described it, I doubt I’m your best shot. But I’m curious to hear your take on it.”
She moved to the living room and hopped on the sofa, crossing her legs and arms.
Giordano came over and tapped him on the shoulder. “You have your job cut out for you.”
Gabriel answered in a low voice, “I know.”
They walked to the sofa and Giordano sat down beside his sister, while Gabriel chose an armchair facing them.
“I’m listening, Gabe.” She bent forward.
Gabriel sucked in a breath. “I need your help. As Gio must have told you, I’m traveling to Provence this summer.”
Giada nodded. “Like every year. Why would you need me to come with you?”
It was time to repeat the bogus story he’d invented for Giordano. The bitter taste in his mouth almost made him gag. He shouldn’t be keeping his father’s idiocy a secret.
Then he pictured his mother’s pleading eyes and he steeled himself. “Do you remember Aurélie?”
Giada’s mouth popped open and the color drained from her face. She dropped her gaze and shrugged. When she raised her chin, her face was a mask of polite curiosity. “I do, yes. How could I forget your delightful French ex? She used to laugh at me for preferring a piece of stone to carve over a jewel to wear. What about her?”
Gabriel’s stomach tightened. Aurélie was a nitpicker and she didn’t shy away from belittling others when she thought she was right. It was one of the reasons Gabriel had ended things between them. But the irony in Giada’s voice surprised him. Did Aurélie’s teasing hurt Giada that deeply? How did he not realize this before?
“Aurélie is engaged. With my cousin, Jean-Pierre.”
Giordano snorted. “The scumbag. You shouldn’t date the ex-girlfriends of your relatives. It’s gross.”
“It’s not that simple.” Giada threw him an exasperated look “A heart has its own ways and reasons. You can’t just switch feelings on and off.” She paused and her voice became weaker. “Even if it makes you desire the wrong people.”
Gabriel nodded. “She’s right. I don’t mind that they’re together. But they invited me to their official engagement celebration, and my grandmother thinks I can’t go to this event without a date.”
Giada wrinkled her nose. “A date? I thought you needed a travel companion for moral support.”
Gabriel’s eyes flicked to Giordano. So his friend had not only withheld the truth—well Gabriel’s fabricated truth, that is—but led Giada to believe he only needed emotional backing instead of a full-blown charade. “No, I need you to come with me to see Mémère Noëlle as my girlfriend. Uhm..fake girlfriend.”
Giada slammed her hands on the sofa with a loud thump. “You’re crazy. Why don’t you bring a real date? I’m sure if you and Gio go out for a night, you can recruit several willing candidates who won’t need to pretend to like you.”
Pretend to like me? Her last words described the exact task he wanted her to do, but somehow their meaning stung.
Gabriel bit his cheeks from inside. He belonged in a mental institution. Maybe he wasn’t just suffering from mild post-traumatic stress disorder but also from some psychotic episode. Otherwise, why would he feel sorry that his only real female friend didn’t like him as a man?
“Sis, that’s not possible.” Giordano came to his aid. “The chicks get all wound up when you’re just inviting them to a fancy restaurant. Imagine if you told one she should attend a major family event in Europe. You might as well propose to her. No, no. Gabe needs a date who knows he doesn’t have feelings for her and who won’t expect royal treatment after the vacation. He needs you.”
Giada pressed her lips together and stared at her left hand playing with the sofa’s upholstery.
Gabriel found his voice. “Gio’s right. Also, I’m not in much of a go-out mood lately. I’ve had some trouble at work…”
Giada jerked her head up, her eyes darting to his. “Yes, what’s the deal with that, Gabe? Why did you take a sabbatical? Did something happen to you?” Her voice was full of concern.
Gabriel’s chest warmed. For the first time since he’d entered Giada’s house, he recognized her. Giada had a heart of gold, and she was always ready to help others—especially Gabriel and her brother. He shook his head. “Nothing in particular. Just a very stressful year. I needed a break, that’s all.”
He withdrew his gaze because he feared that Giada’s partic
ular gift of reading people would reveal what he was holding back. He didn’t want his friends to feel sorry for him, or worse, tell him the same thing that his colleagues, his mother, and his therapist did—that it wasn’t his fault.
He knew it was.
Giordano shifted closer to his sister and threw his arm around her shoulders. “You see, sis? Gabe’s going through a rough patch. What’s so bad in giving him a little hand with his insane relatives? Don’t you remember his grandmother—Noëeelleeee?” He pinched his nose to mimic Gabriel’s grandmother’s nasal accent. “She’s one tough old lady. If she says Gabe should attend his lousy cousin’s engagement party with a date, then he must comply. Otherwise, she might exclude Gabe from her will. That would be a pity. She’s rich.”
Giada smacked her lips. “Oh, Gio. You’re so materialistic.”
“And you’re the dreamy one.” He nudged her affectionately between her ribs. “But even without the whole money thing, can’t you see why Gabe needs this?”
Gabriel was still studying his hands, but at his friend’s words, he lifted his head. To his surprise, he found Giada looking straight at him.
She tilted her head. “Gabe, do you really need this? Would Noëlle go so far as to exclude you from your future inheritance if you travel there alone?”
Gabriel pushed his feet to the floor to feel more anchored. It was a smart move from Giordano to mention the will. Giada was obviously reconsidering her decision.
The few times she and her brother had met Gabriel’s grandmother, they’d had the chance to witness how Mémère Noëlle threatened to disinherit Gabriel if he didn’t behave as she wanted. It was her go-to argument to convince her grandchild to stay in line.
In truth, Gabriel didn’t care about Noëlle’s money. At least not for his own sake. But he did need her financial help to clean up his father’s mess.
He squared his shoulders. “Yes, there’s a strong chance she would. She thinks it’s a shame that her sister’s grandchild marries before me. She wants me to prove I also have great things going on in my life.” He rubbed his neck with both hands. “It’s kind of difficult to do—given that I’m temporarily out of the job she never even liked, and I’m single, which in Mémère Noëlle’s vocabulary means loser.”
“Well, your grandma would label us all losers then, huh?” Giordano chuckled.
Even Giada giggled at this. Her tense expression softened and her lips drifted towards her ears, making her cheekbones rise. Did she always have these enticing dimples when she smiled?
Gabriel slapped himself mentally for letting his attention wander in this inappropriate direction. Giada was one of his best friends, and just because she looked amazing today, didn’t mean he should be thinking about her differently.
“Yes, Gio, she probably would.” Gabriel arched his brows, glancing at Giada. “So what do you say? Do you want to come to Provence in four days? After the engagement party, I’m sure we’ll be able to sneak in a bit of sightseeing time. I know you never visited the Papal Place in Avignon or the incredible rocky inlets between Marseille and Cassis.”
Giada’s face lit up. “Could we really do that? Maybe even go to Aix-en-Provence?”
“Yes, it’s all within a short driving distance from Mémère’s cottage.” Gabriel bobbed his head enthusiastically.
Why hadn’t he thought of this? He should have portrayed this trip as a journey into the culture of France instead of as a family constraint. After all, he would talk with his grandmother in private, and the rest of time, they could spend traveling and having fun. Giada loved art, and Provence would be perfect for her.
Her brother clapped. “I think Gabriel just described your dream vacation, didn’t he, sis? And it’s all paid for. So what if you need to fake a few kisses with him in front of his folks. I say it’s a once-in-a-lifetime occasion.”
Kisses?
Gabriel’s shoulders twitched. It was likely that they’d need to show some physical affection in front of his family, especially if he wanted Aurélie to believe them, too. But he hadn’t gone as far as thinking about making out with Giada.
His eyes moved over to Giada’s lips. They looked so soft.
He shrugged. What an idiot. If he were to ever kiss Giada, it would be to convince Mémère to grant him some money to pay off his father’s debts, not because her lips looked inviting.
Giada stirred, but her face remained impassive. She appeared to be deciding what to do.
Gabriel held his breath.
“Okay, alright. Whatever. I’m in. I’ll come to Provence with you and pretend to be your girlfriend. But”—she lifted a finger—“only if you make good on your promise of visiting the best sights in the region.”
Gabriel relaxed and grinned. “Of course.”
“Perfect, it’s just like old times.” Giordano tapped on his knees. Then his lips curled down. “Only, now, I won’t be part of this gig.”
Giada rubbed her brother’s arm. “You’ll have fun here, I’m sure. With your new investigation, right?”
Giordano nodded. “You’re right. A true mystery is waiting for me. Also, I’m sure that you two’ll handle this adventure well. You do make a cute couple.” He added the last phrase with a chuckle.
Giada blushed and Gabriel’s pulse accelerated.
Wow, he would need to remind himself constantly why he’d asked Giada to do this favor in the first place. Somehow his body was doing strange things at the moment. Maybe it was due to his exhausted mental state. Perhaps it was the stress his father was putting him under.
But the loud pounding in his heart when he glanced at Giada needed to stop.
Chapter 3
Giada zipped her valise and yawned into her palm. She should’ve gone to bed earlier instead of replaying each detail of her conversation with Gabe in her head. No amount of repetition would help her determine whether the tone of his voice when he’d spoken about Aurélie indicated that he still had feelings for his ex. By five in the morning, Giada gave up on discovering the truth, but two hours of sleep before the alarm sounded weren’t sufficient. How was she going to survive a transatlantic trip while this exhausted?
Her mother came in from the kitchen. “Is everything ready? When is Gabe picking you up?”
“In less than five minutes, if he’s punctual.” Giada glanced at the clock on her living room wall.
Her mother waved with her hand. “You know he always is. Has been since he was a child.” Her face moved into the benevolent smile she reserved only for Gabriel, and not even for her own children.
Giada rolled her eyes. “You’re so smitten with him. You always were. Even if Gabe did as many stupid things as Gio.”
“It’s not true,” her mom shook her head, “…or maybe it is. But that poor child had such a difficult childhood. His parents were never home. His mom never even baked him a birthday cake. Plus his name starts with a G. That’s a sign that he’s a good soul, so—”
“Mom, your obsession with letters is beyond crazy. Anyway, Gabe is a grown man now.”
And what a man!
Giada’s heart began an erratic dance at the memory of how handsome he looked in his washed-out jeans and simple black T-shirt the other day. She’d known refusing to help him was a lost battle as soon as she’d opened the door.
At least she’d put up a convincing show of hesitation, hadn’t she?
Her mom sighed. “Oh, yes. He is. And so are you and Giordano. I can’t believe I’ve become so old. Maybe we should sell the restaurant and move back to Italy for our retirement.”
Her mother had the dreamy expression she got every time she spoke about her old homeland. But Giada knew very well that her speech was mostly rhetorical. Her parents were never going to retire. They loved running their bar and restaurant. It was as much a meeting place for their neighborhood and friends as a workplace for them.
Not wanting to call upon the obvious flaw in her mother’s plan, Giada stepped over and hugged her. “Maybe someday you will, Mom.”
That was probably all her mother needed, because she blinked and moved to another topic. “So did you make a battle plan for Gabe? I can take care of your plants while you’re gone, but you, you need to ensure our poor Gabe gets what he deserves from that haughty grandmother of his.”
Giada rubbed her chin. She was still startled at how willing her mother had been to fill in for her in her absence. Her mom wasn’t shocked by the absurdity of her daughter’s action, either.
Of course, that might be due to the fact that her brother had done an excellent job of selling Gabe’s cause. He’d depicted the whole idea as the only possible way to save Gabe from his capricious grandmother who was ready to expel him from her will.
Giada swallowed. Could Noëlle Roche be such an irrational old woman? Or was Gabriel desperate to bring a date to the engagement because of his ex?
Giada didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. After all, she’d agreed to this farce and now she was going through with it.
She squeezed her mother’s hand. “Thank you for helping with the house. My orchids would surely die in three weeks. As for Gabe, we’ll think of something on the plane.”
“No problem, honey.” Her mother winked. “I can use a holiday myself. Your dad agreed to handle affairs without me, so I get three weeks to rest here.”
The bell rang.
Giada’s stomach dropped to her knees. Her rescue mission was about to begin. Was it going to be her damnation to save Gabe’s future?
She went to the door with wobbling knees.
“Hi, Giada. You ready?” Gabe greeted her with a wide smile.
He was dressed in black shorts and a white T-shirt. A red baseball hat completed his look. The bright color made his grey irises sparkle, but Giada noticed the bags under his eyes.
Mmhm, he didn’t get enough sleep, either. Good, at least now both of them could doze off on the plane. It would prevent him from noticing whether she drooled while sleeping vertically.
She nodded. “Yes, all set. Are we taking your car?”
“Yes. Your brother agreed to bring it home tomorrow. He has some business at the airport anyway.”
Saving The Brother's Best Friend (Gems 0f Love Book 4) Page 2