Beth accepted the extended card once again, and decided to ask the question that was at the forefront of her mind. "Why would you do this for me?"
Snatching his coffee from the counter he grinned at her, and gave her a wink, sending her pulse racing. "Maybe I like the way you make my coffee."
Rolling her eyes at him, she couldn't help but grin; his smile was infectious. "I press a button on a machine and it pours it into a cup..."
"Call me tonight," he called over his shoulder ignoring her comment, as he rushed across the dining room and out the front door.
Beth watched as he strode across the parking lot, taking long, graceful strides. Working for Gabriel... Cooking? She tapped her lower lip with the edge of the business card as she watch him slide into his black Lamborghini, pull out of the parking slot and speed away. She made a mental note to do an online search for Gabriel Reynolds Enterprises when she arrived home. Maybe he owned a chain of restaurants? She had always assumed he was some sort of hotshot lawyer, or something of the sort. Whatever it was that he did for a living, considering the expensive car, finely tailored suit and large tips he always gave her for a single cup of coffee, Beth guessed that business was very good for Mr Reynolds.
****
"4591 Spruce Meadow Lane," Beth muttered, her blue eyes widening as she pulled her ancient Sunfire up to the tall - at least eight feet in height - wrought iron security fence and lowered her window to press the buzzer for admittance. It was easily one of the most magnificent homes she'd ever seen. It was a three story Victorian styled house that looked more like a hotel than someone's private home. It was something she'd expect to see on 'The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.'
Once she got over her awe of the house, she pressed the buzzer and waited for a response.
"Please state your name and business," an abrupt male voice called over the speaker.
"I um... I'm Beth. I'm here to see... Ummmm, Gabe... I mean... Mr Reynolds."
There was silence from the mysterious voice on the other end.
"About a job," she added groaning inwardly at herself. Why was she so nervous? He was just another customer. One she enjoyed flirting with on a daily basis, just like all the other good looking men who came into the coffee shop. Just because he owned a profitable Mergers and Acquisitions company - at least that's what she gathered from the online research - didn't change a thing. He was still the same Gabriel she'd been flirting with for months now. And if she hadn't read the signals wrong, he was more than happy to flirt back.
"Come on through," the voice through the metal box answered as a creaking noise sounded, and the gates began to slowly part.
Shifting the car into drive, Beth slowly made her way to the front of the house and parked behind Gabriel's Lamborghini. Taking a deep breath in, she attempted to calm her increasingly rattled nerves. There was rich and then there was this! She shut off the car while still eyeing the beautiful home. Looking down at her black knee length skirt and purple short sleeved blouse she immediately began feeling underdressed. Bending down she peered at herself in the driver's side mirror, flattening her shoulder length blonde hair and ensuring her make-up hadn't smudged. To her relief it hadn't.
She suddenly laughed at herself for being so self-conscious. This was a job interview, not a date. While surfing the web trying to find out more about Gabriel, she'd seen a number of photographs with him and his dates. They were all leggy, model types who reeked of high-society and presumably owned little dogs they carried in their purses named Fefe or something equally as ridiculous. He was out of her league. Perhaps she was fun to flirt with in the afternoons while grabbing a coffee, but that was the extent of it for him she was sure. Sure she’d had a crush on him for some time now. But big deal. It was a crush, it didn't have to complicate matters.
Taking a deep breath she tried to steady her nerves before straightening up; squaring her shoulders. She finally got out of her car and made her way up the front steps. She was just raising her fist to knock on the large oak door when it was opened by a man who appeared to be in his mid-forties, wearing a stern expression.
"Miss Wilmington," he gave her a nod and stepped aside ushering her in.
"Thank you," pasting a tight smile on her face to cover her nerves she nodded back at him and walked into the house. The inside was just as magnificent as the outside. The front door brought her into a main room, a large white marble fountain at its center, with two cupids’ back to back arrowed poised and ready to shoot as the highlight of the masterpiece which reached up past the first floor and to the second.
On either side of her, was a staircase leading to the second floor, which overlooked the first. Wow. She knew there would be a look of marvel on her face, but at that point she didn't care. The inside of his home, at least the first room reminded her of an Arabian palace, with all the gold coloured trim and marble. She halfway expected belly dancers to appear and dance their way down the winding staircase. But, of course, they didn't
"This is a beautiful house," she managed to gasp. She looked over at the man who had opened the door and caught a glimpse of humour in his eyes, which faded quickly as he nodded, the stern expression reappearing.
"This way. Mr Reynolds is expecting you," with a firm hand at her back, he led her down a hallway, which was softly lit by elegant stained glass scones on the walls.
You could get lost in this place! As beautiful as it was, it seemed too big, if that were possible. More like a museum than an actual home.
"In here," the man who had yet to give her his name knocked lightly on the door.
"Come in," a voice that was unmistakably Gabriel's called out from behind the door.
Turning the knob, the man pushed it open and stepped aside for Beth to walk past him. Once she was in, he closed the door softly behind her.
Gabriel's office was unlike the rest of the house. It was small, quaint even. The walls were beige with burgundy trim and to her left was a fireplace, giving the room a soft, warm glow.
"Come on over and have a seat Beth."
His voice, which was soft and seductive, took her eyes from their exploration of the room to Gabriel who was leaning back against his desk. He had one ankle crossed causally over the other and his arms folded over his t-shirt clad chest.
Her breath hitched at the sight of him. Gone was the suit and tie which always hung loosely around his neck. Tonight, he wore a v-neck black t-shirt which stretched across his lean, nicely defined chest and instead of the dark trousers he wore faded denim. It occurred to her that this was the first time she'd ever seen him in anything other than a suit.