Gigi realised Hakim's words had a real effect on her when she woke up the next day at six, without even the sound of her alarm clock. She was not hungover and didn't feel as drained as the previous days. It really felt like a new chapter of her life had begun.
She decided she'd go to the office for the first time in a month. She wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea of seeing her employees but still, it was something she had to do, at least to feel more responsible.
She took a long, warm shower and wore her outfit for the day. Nothing too extravagant, just dark jeans, a sweater and one of her favorite long black coats.
Though she was satisfied with her clothes, Gigi was less impressed by her face. Her skin had seriously deteriorated due to the amount of alcohol she drank daily. Her eyes were not as sparkly as they used to be. She forced a smile but it looked horrible on her, her sadness being even more flagrant when she tried to hide it. With a curse under her breath, she grabbed a pair of sunglasses and put them on.
Better.
The woman grabbed her purse and left her bedroom. When she reached the ground floor, she heard a voice coming from the kitchen. No doubt it was Hakim but who was he talking to ? She peeked inside the room and found the housekeeper filling Thomas's cup with juice. The boy was sitting at the dining table with a frown on his face.
"How was the pain au chocolat ?" Hakim was asking him with a wide smile on his face. "I chose it especially for you."
"It was alright." Thomas mumbled before downing his orange juice.
Hakim chuckled before making his way to the sink. He then noticed Gigi standing by the door.
"Oh, good morning Mrs. Montagne!" He greeted her.
Gigi came in and nodded towards the housekeeper. Suddenly, Thomas was on his feet and grabbing his backpack.
"I'm going to school." He said, already walking towards the door.
"Wait." Gigi placed herself in front of him. "Hakim will walk you, honey."
"No, I don't want him to walk me. I am twelve years old, I can go to school by myself."
Gigi was about to protest but caught a glimpse of Hakim standing by the sink. The man was mouthing her to just let it go. Gigi sighed and stared at Thomas's angry face. She hated that face on him and after last night's altercation, she didn't want their relationship to get even worse.
"Fine." She spat out.
The boy didn't even thank her. He walked past her and out of the kitchen. Next thing they heard was the sound of the front door slamming shut. Gigi made her way to the dining table and sat with a scoff.
"Ungrateful brat."
"Thomas doesn't like to be babied, Mrs. Montagne." Hakim said, wiping dishes. "Plus, he is right. I see other twelve years olds taking the subway alone every time. He is smart enough to do it too."
"What do you even know, Hakim? You met the kid a day ago, how can you assume he is smart enough."
"I just know, Mrs Montagne."
"Oh. And what do you know about me since you have such a great mind?"
Hakim laughed as he made his way to Gigi with fresh coffee. She watched as he filled her mug with the hot beverage and placed a croissant in front of her. She was rather impressed and satisfied with his serving skills.
"I know that Thomas got his intelligence from you, Mrs Montagne." The man said with a smirk. "I also know that you're a strong, brave and ambitious woman. Otherwise, how would you be at the head of an empire like yours ? But more than anything... I know that you loved your husband very much and that you miss him everyday."
The corner of Gigi's lips trembled. She was happy to have her sunglasses on because Hakim couldn't see the tears pooling under her eyes.
"Wow. Quite observant." She said with a sarcastic tone. 'No one could have guessed all this with a single glance."
"Right." Hakim chuckled. "I admit that I just stated the obvious, Mrs Montagne. In reality, you are a complete mystery to me."
Gigi shrugged and started sipping her coffee. She was a little surprised when Hakim sat on the chair next to her but she didn't say anything about it.
"I will take my time and figure you out bit by bit." He stated, looking straight at her face in a way that made Gigi's skin tingle.
She rarely felt that flustered, to the point where she could barely open her mouth.
"But until then..." Hakim added. "I need something from you."
"What do you need?" She asked in a low voice.
"As I explained to you yesterday, I am here to help and make your life easier. I will go get groceries today and more cleaning supplies. There are also a few things around the house that need repairing but I will take care of that later on, during the week."
"Ok great...So?"
"So...I need money. I have exactly 5€ left in my bank account at the moment. And though I would love to share my income with you, I just don't have enough."
"Oh. Right."
Gigi rummaged inside her purse and took out a bank card that she slid towards Hakim. The man's eyes widened as he expected she'd just give him a few bills.
"You can use that for now." Gigi said. "But don't you fucking dare steal from me, Hakim. I will know and I promise that I will make you regret it."
"I am not a thief, Mrs Montagne." Hakim said, pocketing the bank card. "Plus, you're filthy rich. What difference would it make if I steal from you?"
"Rich people are the stingiest, if you didn't know. But anyway, I will let you deal with the house, then. I am going to the office today but you can still call me whenever needed. Here is my phone number. Text me so I can have yours as well. Please, check on Thomas from time to time, especially if he doesn't get home by six."
"Noted."
Gigi nodded and took a bite of her freshly baked croissant. When she looked up again, she noticed that Hakim was still sitting next to her and staring with a soft smile.
"What?" She asked with a laugh she couldn't control.
"Nothing." He replied. "You just look real pretty, today."
Gigi's mouth hung open. She rarely ran out of words to say. Yet, with Hakim, she found herself in such a situation more than once.
"Whatever." She mumbled after a short silence, drinking the last bit of her coffee. "Don't you have anything else to do ? I don't pay you to sit around."
She didn't mean to sound that aggressive and kind of felt bad when Hakim stood up.
"Sure, Mrs Montagne."
He nodded politely but Gigi didn't miss the amused smile on his face before he left.
"Strange young man..." She whispered quietly, sipping on her coffee.
She later found herself standing in front of the 10 store building where her company was but couldn't mutter the strength of going in right away. Gigi regretted why she decided to come back to work. It was too early. She wasn't ready yet.
She tried to turn around and leave but then she remembered that she never was a coward in her life. No matter how difficult things were, she always found a way to deal with her issues and walk head high among her peers. She wasn't one to back out of any situation, and especially not because she feared people's judgments. Those were simply her employees. She was the boss, why would she ever run away from them ?
With those thoughts in mind, Gigi Montagne pushed open the glass doors of the building and walked in, shoulders pushed back and the sound of her heels clicking on the marble floor.
She didn't pay attention to the people she passed though she could hear some of them greeting her. She didn't look at any face because it was easier that way. She took the elevator to the 10th floor where her company was.
The doors opened and she heard the sound of happy conversations coming from every corner of the office. Yet, as soon as the employees saw her, the rumors died down and were replaced with the sound of people rushing to their desks and typing on their keyboards.
Gigi kept a stoic face as she walked towards her personal office. She was about to reach it when Sasha showed up to her side, out of breath and a coffee in her right hand.
"Mrs Montagne ?" She said, clearly surprised. "I...I didn't you would come today."
"Well, I don't have to notify you before coming to work Sasha now, do I?"
"Oh, Of course not but..."
Gigi rolled her eyes and pushed open the door of her office. Her eyes widened when she realised that the room wasn't empty. Sitting behind her desk was a young woman with luscious blonde hair and a face she was much too familiar with.
The woman was reading a file but her eyes went up to stare at Gigi when she heard the door open. She wasn't even surprised. Her smile widened as she stood up, hooking fingers in the pockets of her tight jeans.
"Oh well." She said, her voice low and seductive.
"Vanessa." Gigi mouthed.
"Nice to see you again, sister-in-law."
Gigi's fist tightened. Under her dark sunglasses, her eyes threw daggers at Vanessa, her sister-in-law and one of the persons she hated the most in her life. And just as if she wasn't aware of that, the younger woman made her way to Gigi and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug.
"I guess you're going to therapy now for your drinking problem." Vanessa said loud enough for Sasha to hear. "Good for you, Gigi. Really, I am so proud."
"I don't have a drinking problem." Gigi spat pushing Vanessa away.
The younger woman laughed loudly and Gigi didn't want anything more than to pluck her eyes out right then...