Chapter 15

Gabriel’s lips stretched into a tight smile as he answered questions about his wife, who by everyone’s observation was not by his side for the first time in years. The expectation of being questioned had incited him to shun his responsibilities. And boy did he try. He had frustrated every tactic in his book to get out of tonight’s business dinner, but the cards were not to be altered.
What was a man to do? He couldn’t bring his wife, because she’d suddenly grown a pair and decided that she had what it takes be away from him; the very night prior to this dinner. Obviously, he couldn’t say that, the truth was not an option. So course, he lied through his teeth. A skill, he’d been perfecting since his early teens.

“Our daughter seems to have picked up a nasty stomach bug.” He lowered his head slightly, sighed and turned his head from side to side, the perfect portrayal of a doting father. “My wife couldn’t endure the thought of leaving her in the care of anyone else.”

“That’s terrible.” The woman beside him poured him a drink and the men muttered little words of encouragement; each one of the four men speaking at once. Their discomfort with emotional scenarios apparent; men never knew how to comfort other men. Showing emotions was against the societal norms for a man, it was weak.
This was the reason they left the comforting up to her. They had no idea just how much comfort she was willing to give him. She smiled at him demurely, her boss, a grey-haired senior counsel, nodding approvingly in her direction. On the surface she was professional, under low— or more precisely under the guise of the large round table, she traced her stocking laced feet along his calves.
Gabriel lengthened his legs under the table, giving her further access while they discussed business operations.

“Isn’t that Brad Regal’s son?” Richard thought he was whispering to their Senior Counsel, Anderson Porter, but the entire table had turned their attention to the man in question.

“It is.” Anderson replied, nodding his head in acknowledgement to Harvey. The table housing Senior Counsel Anderson and his lackeys were the first sight Harvey noticed. He’d been caught, and as much as he wanted to haul his ass out of there, he was seen. He acknowledged the presence of the man as a sign of civility, not respect.
He bore not an ounce of respect for a man who made his fortune defending criminals and privileged asshats who believed that their money earned them a free pass.
Speaking of criminals…
Harvey’s eyes fell on Gabriel Evans, unable to wash the image of him and Anderson’s female lackey playing footsy under the table at what Harvey assumed was a business dinner. Harvey had no need to hide his disgust. He owed nothing to the Evans’ family. Their past was enough to make them lifelong enemies; a position Harvey had no intention of shifting. Especially since it seemed, from Harvey’s point of view, the love of using women seemed to run in the family.

“Doesn’t he have a wife?” Harvey asked of his companion, his eyes stuck on Gabriel. Ethan exhaled and shoved his hands into his pants pockets.

“And a well-known mistress.” Ethan turned his attention elsewhere. There were views he preferred to keep away from. He gave the name for their reservation and waited until a server was presented to them.
Gabriel matched Harvey gaze, two alpha males taunted by a past that indirectly affected them both. The tension between them boiling over until Gabriel’s attention was drawn away.

“That’s his mistress?” Harvey asked incredulously. He’d had his fair share of mistresses but he knew better than to mix business with pleasure.

“Nope.” Ethan shook his head. Harvey’s gaze whipped around to look at Ethan.

“What do you mean?” he was invested in this story. This family really didn’t learn from their mistakes, did they?

“She isn’t his mistress, not the one that is well known anyway.” Ethan lowered his voice as they were led to a table by their server.
Not one but two? Harvey found the very notion of it abstruse. How could women willingly want such a man? How could they willingly put themselves in a position where they had to hide? Society mostly passed blame on the women and not the cheating man in the equation. And yet, women fall at the feet of these men thinking they have some power. At the end the man was always unscathed and the woman with a deplorable reputation.
He knew he was no gentleman, but he’d often make it clear what he wanted from the outset and he made it a rule to never entertain more than one person at a time.

“How many mistresses does the man have?” Harvey was outraged. Ethan bit down on the inside of her mouth and shrugged earnestly. He’d always wondered why Gabriel’s wife didn’t divorce him.

“You are certain he has a wife?” Harvey questioned as he flipped through the menu.

“Certain of it.” Ethan replied. “She is usually by his side in business settings.” He shook his head again, wondering how any man could betray the woman they choose to marry, to be committed to. “I also believe they have a child.” Ethan suddenly recalled, the thought making him sick to his stomach.

“How pitiful.” Harvey growled. It seemed his perception of that family would never be altered. Their feud was set in iron and stone; unbreakable.

“I guess if she wanted to she would have divorced him.” Ethan offered; a flimsy excuse extraditing him of any responsibility. In all fairness, he had no responsibility towards a stranger’s wife, but it didn’t eradicate the guilt he felt.

“For all we know, his wife is aware of his shenanigans and has refused to do anything about it.” The more Harvey thought of it, having regard to the type of women Gabriel was seen to consort with, Harvey could only come to the decision that his wife also didn’t mind sharing her husband.

“To some people, financial security is more important that a stable, monogamous marriage.” Harvey shrugged; he’d had enough of assuming things related to Gabriel.

“All very true.” Ethan responded as their server approached the table once again to take their order.
******
Amber was on her feet before she had made the conscious decision to stand. The chair screeched gruellingly as its legs scraped against the floor. This sound notifying her of her body’s reaction. Her eyes trained on the cloudy strips of paper in Mia’s hands. Mia bent her wrist to permit the strips to float down to the table top. Each strip falling in slow motion. Amber swooped the strips up in her hands, as if it was precious material.

“Why did you do that?” her eyes horror-struck as she studied the mangled napkin in the palm of her hands. Her voice small, fragile even.

“I have explained it to you.” Mia replied tersely, pushing back on her chair and standing up. She gathered her utensils and dashed to the kitchen sink.
Amber scoffed. “You are so thick headed, it’s unbelievable.” She bore holes into Mia’s back, expecting a response. There was none. The space bombarded by the hissing of the water coursing out of the kitchen sink pipe.
Amber frowned. “It’s a good thing that, as a precaution, I took the liberty to add the number to your new phone.” Amber let the napkin pieces fall on the table in small heap, she dusted her hands by smacking the together.
Mia’s temperament had swirled circles over her head and came back changed. She turned her attention to Amber. “You did?” the creasing in her forehead held not one strand of irritation.
Could that mean relief? Amber preferred that perception.

“Because you are rash and impulsive.” She replied as a matter of fact, sinking back down in her chair. Mia gazed at the cell phone box on the table.
She wanted to be annoyed. Her instincts telling her to delete the number off her phone as well. And yet that tiny, annoying voice in her head was nagging her to be sensible. Wasn’t she being sensible by getting rid of any and all distractions apart from her child?

*No, you blithering idiot!* That voice had had enough. She was done being subtle.
*Admit it, you feel relieved that the number is still available.* She goaded. The question was: did Mia feel at ease at her sister’s confession? She stood, leaning back against the kitchen counter, arms folded while she chewed on her lower lip.

“Listen, I am not saying that you have to call him and start a relationship and all that nonsense.” Amber felt uneasy in the silence. “However, it’s good to have options that you find attractive.”

“I do—” Mia didn’t understand the need to protest, she was a grown adult for God’s sake. If she found a man attractive then what was the big deal? And yet that was her first response, to protest.

“Do not even lie to me.” Amber raised an index finger up to silence Mia. “It doesn’t hurt to keep the number.” Amber reiterated her point and this time Mia nodded her head in agreement.