The rest of the evening past uneventfully, well, nearly. David, on his brother's instructions, went to collect Amelia's bag from the table. It was only as David walked purposefully toward the table that he saw that Ella was the only one sitting there. Nothing new there, he thought: She usually scared most of the sensible and sane guys away with her blunt speaking and her low tolerance for besotted fools. David's head reminded him he knew most of the women didn't associate with her in case her antisocial behaviour was contagious. But David's heart reminded him, that was probably not the reason. His heart provoked, if they stood alongside her, they became insignificant, as her beauty outshone theirs,
For the last two years, she only ever appeared to attend these events with her three friends, Evie, Mallory and Amelia. From David's perspective, they were recluses. Evie was practically destitute, Mallory sustained an injury that left her with a noticeable limp, and Amelia was a naïve geek, so they rarely appeared at social events.
Gabriella watched David approach with apprehensions and wondered why he was heading for her table, when he could see quite clearly that she was here alone. No other women around to impress, by using her as the target, she thought as she glared at him. No other women to hear your cutting remarks about my appearance, the words shouted in her head. What was wrong with the man, he was still moving toward this table? Ella was pretty sure that he didn't want to spend time with her, alone, let alone without an audience to hear his witty remarks.
Was she going to have to deal with his caustic monologue? And where was Amelia? He had spent most of the last two years giving her a wide berth, so why the hell was he heading for her now.
Gabriella watched as his eyes scanned the table. He looked beyond it, looked at the chairs that were visible and then narrowed as he considered his options. Ok, so he was looking for something, Ella thought as she watched him weigh up his options. She wasn't going to ask him what he was looking for? Instead, she folded her arms and looked at the dance floor and pretended not to see him, as he got nearer.
Her expression cooled another fraction as she felt his presence as he stepped into her personal space. Her palms started to sweat. Her pulse raced But she kept her gaze on the people on the floor, dancing.
Where the hell was the bag, David thought as he scanned the table. David couldn't see it anywhere. And he was damned if he was going to ask Ella for help. He tried, unsuccessfully, to look beneath the table. He really didn't want to come across as a peeping tom. Why didn't she ask him what he was looking for? Then he could tell her and she could hand it over, or point to it, or just tell him where it was.
David finally grated, "I'm looking for Amelia's hand bag." Ella said nothing. She continued to pretend she did not see him and ignored his statement. He gritted his teeth in frustration. Instead after a few seconds, when she had still failed to say anything to him, he added. "Miss Jones, ..."
Ella glowered at him, idiot, she thought when he addressed her with her surname.
He corrected before he carried on, "Gabriella, do you know where Amelia's bag is?"
"Yes." She replied and added nothing else. Her eyes returned to focus on the dancing groups. Sightlessly she kept her eyes on the dancers while surreptitiously she kept him in sight. Ella felt a touch nervous as she wondered why he was talking to her. If he wanted to find Amelia's bag, he could ask any of the people who were close to the table. Instead he had approached her. Surely he had run out of witty, let alone sarcasm, rejoinders. Right at the moment she was still angry and humiliated by his earlier statements. But she made sure she remained unruffled. All she had to do, is to remain calm, cool and composed, then perhaps he could disappear, she thought.
"Care to tell me where?" David knew it was a stupidly phrased question as soon as he'd voiced it, but he was trying to hold onto his temper. In any case, he didn't need her permission; he just needed to know where the damn bag was.
This circumstance, something that was pretending to be a conversation, confirmed his realisation: they would have to talk if Jack and Amelia start a relationship, and talk would not be easy.
Ella still hadn't bothered to look at him. She had no intention of talking to this man, especially after he used her for target practice earlier tonight.
Through his teeth, David repeated and barely held onto his temper, "Just tell me where Amelia's bag is?"
"No." Came the calm response, albeit with a smile. She portrayed tranquillity and serenity. She was pleased to see that David was frustrated by her equanimity. Good. About time, she thought.
"She's asked me to collect it for her." He stated bluntly, with a slight modification as to who'd asked him to collect the bag and without bothering to explain. And David worked hard to stop grinding his teeth. This woman was aggravating. After all this time he should have worked out how to deal with an antisocial diva, or his unwelcome and annoying feelings for her. But, he'd had most of tonight to think about this type of situation, given his brother seem determined to pursue Amelia and despite that, his approach did not work in this situation.
"I doubt that." Came the calm response but her eyes flashed with ire. She polished an invisible speck off her arm and looked away.
She was a beautiful woman, but when she got cross, she went from beautiful to downright gorgeous, thought David. Even so, for a second he really contemplated throttling her.
Her eyes returned to focus on the dancing groups. David considered, he could kneel, get to his knees to scour the floor for that bloody bag! But he thought he had already sacrificed his reputation tonight by taking pots shots at her earlier. See him on his knees at her feet, would give their audience the wrong impression.
David poked his tongue into his cheek before he growled, "Jack asked me to get her bag for her." Amelia was just outside in the car park with his brother.
Gabriella simply raised a brow and said nothing else. David gritted his teeth. She had this routine down pat. Obviously she was a good learner, given they had only spent a few days in their company over the last two years. She was now driving him mad, all because he was asked to collect Amelia's bag and she has the opportunity to force him to beg!
"Just give me the bloody bag so that I can give it to Amelia." He finally demanded, his patience at a complete end. Two years of tactics had gone up in smoke tonight. In fact, he knew he would have to change his tactics when Amelia signed up to the trip, but tonight he realised he wouldn't have to change his tactics, he needed a complete overhaul of his strategy. The trip threw Ella into his path because of Amelia, but now, Amelia and Jack's relationship didn't just threw Ella into his path, it actually lodged her into his head and heart.
"No." She was happy with her response to David.
Deciding that he was going to have to tell her the truth he folded his arms, his back ramrod straight. "Ok, fine. You bring the bag and we'll take it to her."
This is what he was worried about when he realised tonight, that if Jack went out with Amelia, he would have to meet Ella often. But David wasn't expecting it to happen so soon.
"She's going home with Jack."
And for the first time that evening he saw some emotion in her eyes. "Why?" She got to her feet instantly, reached for her jacket, shrugged it on quickly and demanded, "Is she ok?" She moved a couple of chairs. "Why the hell didn't you say something?"
She leaned over and picked up two bags, one that David recognised from the description Amelia had given Jack to give him on the phone. Why hadn't he been able to see that before having to get involved in a conversation with this harridan?
"Because she's fine."
"If she was fine, she wouldn't need you to collect her bag!" She threw him a pouty look, and it reminded David that she would be one of those classic, timeless beauties.
"She is fine." David told her and at her upraised brows added somewhat reluctantly, "She wants her bag."
Her eyes wide she looked at him and asked with more firmness in her voice, "That doesn't explain why you are picking up her bag?"
His eyes flashing to meet hers as he replied in a no nonsense voice, "She wants her bag because she's leaving." David threw Ella an aggrieved look.
"If she..."
David interrupted with exasperation, "With Jack. I already told you that!"
Gabriella hesitated. Wondered if he was up to something, and then decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, but not give him the bag. "Fine. Take me to her." She ordered.
"As you asked so nicely." He muttered and then gestured for her to head for the door, and followed behind her.