Blayne's hands caressed her body as her mouth traveled down her throat. "Gabriella…Oh God, Gabriella."
The phone began to ring as someone knocked yet again on the door.
"Damn!" Blayne growled. As the door was opening she reached for the phone.
This time it was not Diana but Arthur who walked in. Gabriella turned away as Blayne began to speak into the receiver. "Matt? I said I would…." She began to listen.
Arthur walked up to Gabriella who did not seem to want to meet his eyes. He was experienced enough to now know for a fact that there was something going on between them. Of that he was now sure.
"Gabriella dear, I need to speak to Blayne, I need to speak to her alone."
Blayne met Gabriella's eyes as she still listened to the telephone call. "Matt, schedule a meeting with them for next week and call the London office. I want them in this too. I'll call you back within the hour. Good job, Matt." She hung up. "Arthur, Gabriella and I are in the middle of something."
"Your husband called, he needs to speak to you about your dinner party scheduled for tomorrow," Arthur said to Gabriella but the hardest blow of the statement was visible in Blayne's face, as he knew it would be. Blayne turned her back to them as Gabriella walked out of the room without saying a word.
Blayne closed her eyes tightly. I am such a fool, she told herself. She has a husband…whom she runs to. And I am standing here like a…
"Blayne," Arthur waited for her to turn and face him. When she didn't turn around he said her name again. "Blayne!"
"What!" She said irritably as she turned around.
"Stay away from her."
"I didn't….she is the one that ….she's married, as you said Arthur." Blayne repeated as she walked around the desk and sat down. "I need to call the office. Is there anything else you wanted to discuss?"
"I…. No, except that I wanted to see if you might want to go out on the boat with me this Sunday," Arthur asked. They had always gone out on the boat at least once whenever she visited. Their love of sailing was something that they had always shared and he hoped even under these uncomfortable circumstances they would again.
"No, I have to be in LA on Tuesday and I have to get everything ready for a meeting that we are scheduling with London," she said as she picked up the phone.
"All right. Perhaps soon then." Arthur walked out leaving her to her work. He had lost her and he knew it. How had he managed to loose control of everything?
"Arthur? Is everything all right?" Abigail asked him as he walked out of the Library.
"Yes, yes it is my dear."
Two hours later Blayne walked out into the gardens from the Library. She needed to find something to hold onto. Why had she suddenly lost control of herself? Blayne Samantha Anberville had always been her own self-sufficient world. She had loved people but never really needed them. And now someone had appeared out of nowhere and somehow in a matter of hours, because if she was honest with herself, Blayne had to admit that she had been under Gabriella's control after that first moment that they had breathed the same air. And that realization more than anything else in her life made her tremble. Her world was dependent on another human being and she didn't want it to be.
Blayne walked in silence thinking and regretting every step she had taken ever since she had met Gabriella Matheson.
She suddenly became aware of voices and walked tentatively towards them. Blayne came upon Chaz and Gabriella sitting in a nearby bench. She couldn't exactly hear what was being said but when she saw Gabriella quickly rise and Chaz grabbing her by the arm and pulling her towards him nothing else seemed to matter. Blayne felt an unfamiliar heat fill her body and an anger that began to take over her senses.
Why should I do anything? She asked herself. This worked until she realized that Gabriella was not welcoming the attentions that Chaz seemed to be intent on giving her. When Gabriella pushed him away and he refused to release her, Blayne's resolve disappeared and her feet could not get her there fast enough.
Chaz felt the impact of her before he actually saw her coming. He landed hard on his back as Blayne grabbed Gabriella and pulled her to her so that she would not fall as well.
"Are you all right?" Blayne asked as she looked deeply into her eyes. "Did he hurt you?"
Before Gabriella could answer Chaz blurted out the inevitable. "Oh, so that's how it is isn't it? Now it's quite obvious," he said as he started getting up, dusting the dirt from his clothes.
"Shut up, Chaz!" Blayne threatened.
"Or you'll what? Throw me down again? I don't think so. This time you are the one that's going to hit the ground after I take you out, you sick fucking dyke!"
Blayne was about to strike him when Gabriella's hold on her tightened. "Don't let him goad you. Leave it be Blayne, please! Leave it be."
"Hiding behind your dyke friend?" He taunted her.
Gabriella could not hold her as Blayne threw her whole self into Chaz. They both landed on the ground. She managed to hit him hard on the face before he threw her off. Blayne landed hard on her back and for a moment the wind seemed to be knocked out of her.
"Chaz! No!" Gabriella screamed.
Chaz was suddenly above Blayne and about to hit her when his fist stopped in mid air as he heard the anger in Arthur's voice behind him.
"Don't you dare strike her!" Arthur demanded.
Chaz turned at that moment and Blayne hit him hard on the chest. "You son of a bitch!"
Arthur pulled her off Chaz and Gabriella went over to her and held her back.
"Enough!" Gabriella said to Blayne.
"Chaz, go inside. I will talk to you later." Arthur left no room for argument.
Chaz looked towards Blayne. "Sick bitch!"
"Chaz! Go!" Arthur insisted.
As Arthur watched Chaz walking away Gabriella directed her attention to Blayne.
"Are you all right? Did he hurt you?" She caressed Blayne's face softly.
Blayne pulled away from her. She hated herself for what she had just done. She had brawled like an animal over a woman! She ran her fingers through her hair as she walked over to the bench and sat down.
"Blayne?" Gabriella sat next to her and slowly tried touching her again. Blayne moved away slightly.
"Leave me alone," Blayne said softly as she closed her eyes and tried to disappear.
"Did he hurt you?" Gabriella asked again softly.
"No," Blayne finally answered as her eyes opened and turned to the woman sitting next to her. They both just looked at each other as Arthur watched the scene in front of him unfold.
Gabriella's hand again went out and this time Blayne did not stop her. Her eyes closed as Gabriella's hand caressed her face softly.
Suddenly, Blayne got up and looked down at the woman sitting on the bench. "I have to go…"
"I will walk her back." Arthur finally spoke.
Blayne looked in his direction as if suddenly remembering that he was there. She looked down then at Gabriella again. She was about to say something then seemed to think better of it.
Blayne walked away without looking back.
Gabriella watched her as she saw the distance once again growing and growing between them.
"What happened?" Arthur brought her back to the present.
Gabriella turned towards him. "Chaz…he tried to bestow affections that I didn't want. Blayne must have seen him from somewhere and stopped him. They…I thought he was going to really hurt her." Gabriella looked away.
"I will deal with Chaz, don't you worry. Are you all right?" Arthur took a few steps closer to her.
"Yes…No, I …everything seems to be…" Gabriella trailed off.
"You've had a lot of shocks lately. It's understandable. And Blayne's behavior of late hasn't helped."