Lift Me Up | A Gabenath Story

Chapter 10: You Are My Everything

Nathalie toured around the city nearby the hotel without saying a word to Gabriel. She did not respond to any of his questions, nor did she glance at him. Nathalie took care of giving him a taste of his own medicine─ neglect. Besides, he did not deserve her attention anyway.

In the afternoon, Nathalie led them into a pub so they could rest. Gabriel followed her like a puppy, waiting for any command. He wondered if this was how Nathalie felt working for him.

"Sit," Nathalie said, gesturing to the bar stool next to her.

"So, you're finally talking to me?" Gabriel asked, taking his seat.

"No."

"Yes, you are. Can I buy you a drink?"

"No, thank you. I just came here because I have nothing better to do," Nathalie scoffed, looking away.

"But, I'm right here. We can talk," he insisted.

"What, so you can sweet talk me again? Are you planning to use me?"

Gabriel winced at her words. Although they were true, they still cut him like a knife. He really hurt her more than he imagined. Gabriel turned to look at the scenery outside the window. The Big Ben tower caught his eye. Suddenly, he formulated a plan.

"I'll be right back, Nathalie. I need to use the restroom," Gabriel sighed, ignoring her question.

Nathalie simply nodded with a cold stare, still not giving him a glance. She couldn't care less if he came back or not.

After what seemed like an eternity, Gabriel returned to the pub. As Gabriel took his seat next to Nathalie, he noticed her glancing at him with worry.

"Sir, that took too long," Nathalie sighed, relieved that nothing bad had happened to him. She did care, afterall.

"I'm sorry, Nathalie. The line was long," Gabriel explained. He noticed the drink in Nathalie's hand. "What's that?"

"The 1789 cocktail," Nathalie replied, moving her wrist to swirl the liquid in the glass she held. She longfully stared at the drink. It was the same type of cocktail Jean had served her the night they started talking.

"Is there something wrong with the drink?" Gabriel asked, noticing her gloom.

"No, Sir," Nathalie uttered, turning her gaze to meet his soft stare. Her eyes widened when the air rang as Big Ben chimed out the hour. "The day has quickly gone by. What time is it?"

Gabriel ignored her question, replying, "You've shown me around this city. . . in your own manner. But now, it's my turn."

"What do you mean by that, Mr. Agreste?" Nathalie quirked an eyebrow.

"Have you ever been inside Big Ben?"

"No. For one, I don't have time to travel. Also, tours of the place sell out months in advance. And, it's a UNESCO Heritage Site."

"Well, a former colleague's son is currently interning for UNESCO here in London. I gave him a call while you were looking through shops and asked if he could pull some strings. If we head to the tower after it closes for the night, his son will let us in."

"After it closes? Will anyone else be there?" Nathalie carefully considered his words. This was completely spontaneous of Gabriel to do. Normally, Nathalie made calls and scheduled things for him and Adrien.

"No. . . Just you and me. What do you say?" Gabriel leaned in to whisper.

After moments of hesitation, Nathalie finally replied, "Fine."