Chapter 409 Gabriel, Are You Trying to Get Me Drunk?
At the restroom entrance, Amy was hanging around, waiting for Jessica, but she was a no-show. Her eyes kept darting to the door of the makeshift changing room.
Then, bam, the door swung open.
Gabriel strutted out, tall and all business, his icy stare landing right on Amy's shocked face.
Amy's jaw dropped, like she could catch flies, her eyes popping out as she saw Jessica stroll out, rocking a hat.
Even with her head down, you could see Jessica's lips were a bit redder than usual, like something just went down.
Amy blurted out, "Am I trippin'?"
Gabriel shot her a look, "Call Wayne to drive you home."
Amy, still in a fog, mumbled, "Huh? What about you two?"
Gabriel didn't bother to answer, but his cold look was enough to shut her up.
Zoey, who'd been smartly hiding by the lounge sofa, rushed over and dragged the still-dazed Amy towards the elevator, whispering, "I'd suggest you don't ask!"
It wasn't until they were in the elevator that Amy snapped out of it and turned to Zoey, "What the heck just happened? Why?"
Zoey gave her a look like she was clueless, "I'm not here to explain, just to get you out."
Amy was confused.
As they were about to leave the mall and near the car, Amy suddenly had a lightbulb moment and tried to rush back.
Zoey grabbed her just in time.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"No, I gotta tell Gabriel to snap out of it. Even if he's been single forever, he can't go after Jessica! How does this happen after one meet?"
Zoey rolled her eyes, "Listen, you're the one who needs to snap out of it."
Amy turned back, fuming, "I need to ask him what he's thinking, chasing a married woman."
Zoey, done with the drama, used her strong hands, used to lifting props on set, to easily shove Amy back into the car, opened the door, and pushed her in, then hopped in herself.
"Wayne, let's roll," Zoey said with a grin to Wayne, who had just come back with smokes.
Wayne got the hint, glanced at the mall through the rearview mirror, and without asking why Mr. Harriman and Jessica weren't getting in, fired up the engine and drove off, ignoring Amy's nonstop questions.
Gabriel said, "Let's talk."
So they ended up in this smoky BBQ joint in Xyleria.
This place was way below Gabriel's usual standards, but Jessica was all about it.
The BBQ joint was packed, with a big open space and a couple of tiny private rooms. The rooms were so small, just enough for a square table, while outside, bottles were rolling around on tables, and people were chatting and eating loudly.
Neither of them really fit in here, but if Gabriel didn't mind, Jessica, just a minor celeb, had no reason to care.
After all, today's curveball left Jessica's head spinning. Picking this joint to eat was her way of rebelling.
She wanted to see how Gabriel could keep his cool in such a smoky dive.
This place was raw, a far cry from the glitzy entertainment world and the sky-high office towers.
It was a place to get real.
The curtain of the private room kept getting pulled back as the owner brought in two plates of sizzling meat, shouting, "Eat up while it's hot. If it gets cold, just reheat it on the fire," before bouncing out without giving a second glance to the overly fancy guests.
The sounds of regular folks living their lives filled the air, a stark contrast to billionaire Mr. Harriman.
But to Jessica, this was the real deal.
"So, what do you wanna talk about?" Jessica grabbed a piece of meat, not giving a damn about her image, and took a big bite.
The owner had also dropped off a few cans of beer, placing them on a bamboo rack by Gabriel. He grabbed one, popped it open, and slid it over to Jessica.
"Why'd you decide to have the baby in the U.S.?"
His tone was chill, like he was asking about the weather, but there was an edge to it, almost like an interrogation.
Jessica thought Gabriel wanted to talk about her cold shoulder over the past couple of years, her broken promises to Michael, or something else.
She didn't expect him to bring up the kid.
But Danielle was never something Jessica hid from.
She took a few sips of beer and laid it out, "I was young and desperate for family, didn't think about the fallout. When you're young, you just go for it."
After that, she chugged the rest of the beer, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and laughed, "During the pregnancy, I had my doubts. I even took some psych meds back then. But once Danielle was born, my life had a new purpose. It wasn't just about surviving or getting justice for myself. A tiny baby, so soft and cute, smiling at me, melted my heart. She lit up my life. Raising a kid solo is tough, but Danielle and I are happy. Even if she brings home injured animals all the time, which is a pain, I love her, and she loves me."
Another can of beer landed in front of her.
Jessica looked at the beer, then at Gabriel, who was calmly handing it to her, and suddenly sneered, "Gabriel, you trying to get me drunk? In all the time we knew each other, you never pulled this kind of crap. Why now?"
Gabriel, not even trying to deny it, said, "For a woman who can't tell the truth, despicable, maybe, but I wouldn't call it a strategy."
Jessica was momentarily speechless, then quietly opened the beer and drank without a word.
