“What are you talking about? That’s a wonderful picture and you look lovely!” Ben protested. He noticed she had on a different outfit than the one in the image and grinned. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
Miriam’s face lit up with a huge grin. “So much! I only wish Karlene was here to share it with me!” shemented.
“We’ll ask her mother if she can join you next time, ok?” he suggested.
“Oh my god yes!” Miriam gushed. She looked over her shoulder as she heard the modelsughing and calling her name. She nced back at Ben. “Thank you so much for this, Ben!”
He just smiled and nodded so she turned and rushed back over to thedies who whisked her away.
Gabrie showed up at the table with a stylishly dressed older woman at her elbow. Ben stood as the woman was introduced as Monique Lemoine, a good friend of Brezza for years and a reporter for one of the more popr and well respected fashion magazines. She was the only member of the press invited to this party. Her grey streaked ck hair was pulled back into a long ponytail and she favored the color ck for her blouse, cks, and high boots. She kissed his cheeks as this was the ritual he’d gone through all night.
Ben gave Gabrie a quick look when he heard the woman was a reporter then they all took seats with Monique across the table from Ben and Gabrie.
“I understand your hesitance to speak with someone in my field. Many of the articles released about you have not been fair or impartial,” Monique said with a small knowing smile.
“Yes, my rtionship with the press hasn’t exactly been smooth,” he admitted with a cautious look.
“Everyone wants your story and will make one up when they can’t get one,” she continued.
Ben frowned but nodded. He wondered if she would do the same.
“I was asked toe tonight not in my official capacity but as a long-time admirer of the designers and the brand. Brezza has done some truly innovative work and I was horrified when that jackal Leone and his bitch tried to destroy it. It is my understanding that you two are the reason thepany and all these good people,” she swept her hand out to indicate the celebration around them, “are able to continue to innovate and share their beautiful creations with the world.”
Ben squirmed. “It’s Gabrie’s efforts that made it possible, not mine. All I did was buy some shares.”
The woman looked at Ben with a smirk. “I think your investment cannot be minimized in this case.”
“But it can and it should. Gabrie stepped up and through her blood, sweat, and tears made it possible to merge thepanies so they could produce these amazing clothes. My involvement is purely financial. It was herpassion, brilliance, and strength that saved all these people!”
Monique was still giving him a skeptical look. “Purely financial,” she said and Ben nodded.
“Are you an investment specialist?” she asked and he had to shake his head. “Maybe you are a gambler?” she said giving him an evaluating look and again he shook his head. “Investing in the fashion industry is one of the riskiest gambles you could do so I think you are a gambler,” she insisted.
“Not at all. I didn’t invest in the fashion industry. I invested in Gabrie. I trust her. There was no gamble at all,” he said calmly.
Gabrie hugged him and turned his face so she could give him a kiss. Ben blushed at her disy of passion in front of this stranger.
“I think this is a love story, yes?” Monique said smiling at the couple.
Ben looked at her for a moment then slowly smiled and nodded. “Yes… yes it is. Gabrie loves these wonderful people and needed to save them. I love Gabrie beyond measure. I trust Gabrie with my heart so trusting her with my money is nothing.”
“Well put,” Monique smiled happily as Gabrie teared up at Ben’s words. He kissed her tenderly then she leaned against his side as he put his arm around her.
“If the buzz is to be believed Brezza is going to have an extraordinary season. Is it true that a major American retail chain has ced an order for a portion of the collection?” the reporter asked.
Ben looked in surprise at Gabrie who smiled and nodded. “But I’m not at liberty to say which one at this time. You’ll have the exclusive in about five days,” she said.
“Would you mind if I included a small piece on the two of you when I release that news?” Monique asked.
Gabrie looked hopefully into Ben’s eyes and he sighed with a smile. He focused on the reporter. “Gabrie trusts you so I’m going to say go ahead. Please pardon my reluctance. I’ve been burned too many times to befortable by having additional attention.
“Yes, I’ve read the articles. They are poorly written and I assume are filled with inuracies?” she asked.
Ben nodded but didn’t rise to the bait. She smiled. “Presented with an opportunity to clear the air and set the record straight, you choose silence instead. You are consistent at least.”
“My life story is mine,” he replied. “If you wish to write about your personal impressions of who we are, that’s your story.” He leaned forward. “Nothing would make me happier than to fade from the public’s attention. I’m told it will happen eventually when someone else excites them. I’m hoping that happens soon.” He looked over the shoulder of the woman as he saw Chanel walk into the room. He smiled and looked back at Gabrie. “She made it.”
Gabrie looked in the direction Ben was pointing and smiled. She slid out of the booth and went to collect the woman who found herself surrounded by Brezza’s excited models and Miriam who was wearing yet another example of this year’s collection.
Chanel’s expression rxed when she saw Gabrie who rescued her from the models, gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek and whispered in her ear, then brought Chanel back to the table to make the introductions.
Once she was seated next to Monique the reporter turned to her with a smile. “I’m going to be writing a brief profile on Gabrie and Ben for my story on Brezza’s rebirth. Would you care to share your personal impressions of the couple?” Monique looked at Ben with a raised eyebrow to see if he’d challenge his own words. Ben just smiled at her and nodded.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.
Chanel looked between Ben and the reporter. “Shouldn’t you just speak with them?” she said.
“Ben has stated that he does not intend to personally share his story but I am free to write my own ‘personal impressions’ of who he and Gabrie are. I’ve known Gabrie for some time but her interaction with Ben is new to me and Ben himself is a stranger to me. My impression will be too limited for the story. You have history with them. Your impression would be richer. Ben, you don’t object to others sharing their impressions do you?”
“I’d only request discretion when ites to information that you think I might consider private and personal.” Ben said to the reporter and Chanel.
Chanel grinned. “That does not leave much as I know Ben is a very private man.” She paused to look critically at the man as she considered her words. “I know he is a man with a very deep well of love. I know Gabrie is a ‘Goddess of Love’.” She grinned when the woman blushed and Ben nodded enthusiastically. “They are a perfect match.”
The reporter saw she was not going to get an inside scoop from Chanel and wondered at the seemingly imprable wall around the man. Her instincts were telling her there was a story to be had but her good sense told her to let it go. She knew Brezza would live because of these two and Gabrie hinted at good things toe for thepany which meant exciting times ahead and stories for her. She would be grateful for that.
She nodded to Chanel for her ‘quote’ and bid them all a good night as she slid from the booth. She’d spotted one of the senior ountants who looked like he’d helped himself to the free wine a little too much. He might be an excellent source of information.
When they were alone Ben leaned forward. “Thank you,” he said to Chanel.
She grinned at him and nodded. She spotted Daniel taking pictures and her mouth dropped opened in surprise as she realized some of the images on the big screen hade from his camera. She turned to Gabrie who was once more wearing a proud smile on her face. “He’s a very talented photographer!”
“Thank you!”
Then Chanel looked over at her shoulder to spot the group of modelsughing and giggling over by the bar. Sure enough Gabrie’s daughter was amongst them. “And your daughter is a model? Is this a family business?”
Gabrie smiled. “Miriam is just having a good time. She’s actually expressed an interest in marketing. This is excellent experience for her. I would love to work with her! Daniel’s grades are top of his ss but he hasn’t really indicated what he would like to do as a career. I’m delighted he’s enjoying photography. If it will be his upation, it’s too early to say. To work with him as well? Heaven!”
Chanel grinned at the other woman’s look of joy. She wasn’t interested in having children of her own but she could appreciate good parenting when she saw it. “They are wonderful kids! You have reason to be proud.”
Gabrie beamed a smile across the table.
The DJ announced his arrival and the dancefloor came alive. Grinning happily, Gabrie tugged Ben and Chanel from the booth and they headed out onto the floor to enjoy the music with the others. A cheer went up when the staff saw Ben and Gabrie join them. Ben rxed and just let the beat take over. Gabrie danced close to Ben and there was a fair amount of bumping and touching. Gabrie smiled happily as she saw Ben’s eyes on her and the heat in them.
They stayed on the dancefloor through set after set. Chanel was out there with them the entire time.
Finally Ben caught sight of a clock and realized he had to be the responsible one and get them to their beds so they would be able to wake for their flights the next day. He gestured back to the table and got nods from Chanel and Gabrie. He looked over the heads around him and saw Daniel dancing as well, the camera still in his hands. He grinned and pointed towards the corner table and the young man nodded back.
Gabrie collected Miriam and they all met at the table.
“Time to call it a night,” Ben said to the group. He looked to Chanel. “As you are staying here I suppose you could keep dancing but we have to be at the airport by 8AM tomorrow, uh today,” he said realizing again that it was almost 1AM.
“No, I will head off to bed now. I’m done for the night as well,” she smiled in return. She pulled Gabrie into a hug and gave the kids hugs as well. Finally she faced Ben. “I cannot tell you how much this means to me.”