Chapter 108 - The Errand Girl for Rhythm

"To the office, Madam?" Dean, her chauffeur, asks.

"Yes, please, Dean," she says, as she eases herself in the luxurious plush leather backseat.

"Are those for Mr. Gabriel?" he says, pointing at the pharmaceutical package she's holding. "Is he well now?"

"I hope so. That's the whole point of these drugs."

"I'm sure he will be fine. Mr. Gabriel is a strong man," the chauffeur says.

Strong, but ill-tempered, she wants to say, but zips it. She smiles as she recalls how Gabriel stomped out of her room earlier, his well-shaped buŧŧȯċks bulging through the half-wet towel. She's sure there was also another "bulge" in his front, but she dared not look at it. Indeed, he looked like a Greek god, an angry Greek god. But she would not tell him that; he's already pig-headed and egoistic as he is. Telling him how great he looks would only swell his pride.

Although she's almost sure Gabriel would not be at the office, she wants to check it herself, anyway. "Can you wait here, Dean? I might be back shortly."

"Yes, Madam."

It's still about half an hour before the company's official work hours, but Mrs. Gomez is already at her usual perch at the reception desk, hungry for gossip. Her eyes light up upon seeing Claire. "So, it appears our most eligible bachelor is back from the darkness."

"Good morning to you, too, Mrs. Gomez."

Mrs. Gomez tails her like an excited kid as she continues walking toward Gabriel's office. "That's it? You won't even share with me the least juicy detail? How's our lover boy?"

Claire stops and turns to her. She's not quite sure about Mrs. Gomez, whether she's on Gabriel's side or not. Maybe it's best to keep things from her after all. "He's still recuperating. There's really nothing 'juicy' about it. And if I were you, Ma'am, I would try my best to avoid crossing his path in the next few days as much as possible." Claire makes a face. "He's very ill-tempered. Heads might roll. Are you ready to find yourself to be suddenly out of a job?"

"Oh," is what Mrs. Gomez manages to say, before she quietly shrinks back to her desk.

Gabriel would not really fire someone like Mrs. Gomez, not in a million years. But sometimes it helps if you remind people of their place. Especially now that Michelle is just around, probably observing the dynamics of the people in this office.

As expected, the door to Gabriel's office is closed. She slips inside and finds everything squeaky clean. She looks at Gab's desk phone in the corner, and thinks about calling him up at his penthouse suite. She's already holding the receiver, when she realizes she doesn't want to lose the element of surprise. After all, this is what it's all about, right? He surprised her last night. She will give him the surprise of his life today.

On her way out, the very person she's trying to avoid meeting appears in her path: Michelle Alcantara, whose face turns into a gigantic smile upon seeing her.

"Oh, my God! Have you visited Gab?" Michelle shrieks, giving her an air-kiss. "I was there last night. He almost didn't want to let me go."

"Really?" Claire says, wondering why Gab didn't mention her. "We must have missed each other by a few minutes. I was also there, and…" Wait a minute, Claire suddenly realizes: she was at the hospital last night! So how did she end up at home, in her bed? Was it…Miguel? But how?

"Is he fine, now? Because when I left, he was already awake."

Claire hesitates. "He's fine. He's…recuperating."

"At the hospital? In the ICU? Or has he been transferred to some other room to recover?"

"I think he has been transferred," Claire lies.

"Oh," Michelle says. She falls silent for a moment, thinking deeply. She shrugs. "Well, as he's not here, I don't really have anything to do. I guess I should go and visit him. What do you think?"

"Sure, go ahead," Claire says, feeling guilty. "I'm sure he will be delighted to see you."

Michelle grins. "That's what I love about you, Bella. You always know the truth." She grasps her by an arm. "What say you we go together to the hospital? We can have our little meeting right there. Gab wouldn't want to waste time. I'm sure he'd have wanted to settle things between us."

For a moment Claire panics. She can't be with her. She's not ready to face the consequence of her little white lie. And she really feels Gabriel needs the meds right now. She takes a deep breath to compose herself, then puts on the sweetest smile. "I would love to, Michelle. But there's an urgent thing Gabriel has sent me to do. You know how he is when he wants something done as soon as possible—he really, really wants it done pronto! So…"

Michelle makes a sad face. "Oh, too bad. If Gabriel sees us together, our girl power combined would have healed him instantly." Michelle giggles, and it's such a fresh, honest-to-goodness girl giggle that Claire is taken aback: this is not the kind of person she had thought Michelle is. Why does Michelle talk to her as if she were her high-school BFF?

"We can do that next time," Claire says. "Or maybe tomorrow?"

"Let's do it tomorrow, if Gab's still there," Michelle says. "But for now I really need to see him. Make him realize what he has lost, you know. Or at least make him feel I'm on his side."

"I think that's a good idea," Claire says, thinking it's not a good idea at all. "So. Take care. You go ahead, and I'll proceed to my ȧssigned task."

"Okay," Michelle chirps. "See ya!"

Claire stares at Michelle as she walks away, waiting for an enough amount of time for Michelle to be gone in the elevator. She looks at her wristwatch: It's almost time for Gabriel to take these meds. When she's sure Michelle is gone, she follows suit.

"Gabriel's place," she says to Dean as she slips into the passenger seat. "And we need to make it fast. He must not miss taking these meds."

He also must not miss the great surprise she has in store for him, but she doesn't say it; she just keeps it in her heart.