Chapter 521
Gavin's POV
The rest of the evening went by amazingly smoothly. Rachel was the real prize of the evening. The shareholders and businessmen were obsessed with her, and it wasn't just because she was gorgeous, but because she had such great knowledge about literally everything. She brought up possible problems that she came across while listening to their propositions, and then she helped them come up with probable solutions that made everyone nod and stare at her in wonder.
She was also funny, having them laughing and ordering more drinks as the night progressed. Her witty jokes were perfectly timed, and the fact that she was pretty didn't go unnoticed by the men who couldn't seem to tear their eyes off her. Even those who weren't at our table couldn't help but look over at her.
She certainly had a charm about her that made men fall at her feet.
I would know because I used to be one of those men.
Since she pretty much told them that she was my Luna, I didn't correct her, though every fiber of my being wanted to. But this business deal was important, and I knew right away that they were more drawn to her than they were to me.
Plus, there was no harm in them thinking we were a couple. She did come in on my arm, so I would have looked bad otherwise. As if I hired an escort for the evening or something.
Towards the end of dinner, and our conversation about the upcoming changes that will soon take place, we started talking numbers and how much each shareholder will need to give in order to make these plans a reality. I was surprised when Rachel pitched in with her own ideas and made adjustments to the revenue.
The men were equally impressed, if not more so.
"You have a keeper on your hands, Alpha Landry," one of them said, his eyes never leaving Rachel.
"Gorgeous, charming, and good with business. What more can a man want?" Another said, a smile lighting up his face.
I glanced at Rachel and felt a sense of pride as she basked in the compliments. Bringing her along was a good decision.
My phone rang and I frowned as I fished it out of my pocket. Leroy's name flashed across my screen. My brows furrowed as I stood to my feet.
"I have to take this," I told them. "Excuse me."
I stepped away from the table and B-lined towards the bathroom hallway where I could speak in private. It was strange that my driver was calling me in the middle of an important business meeting, which he drove us to.
"What is it?" I asked, cutting all casualties.
"I have a personal emergency at home I need to tend to," Leroy said, his voice sounding strained. I know he's been caring for his sick mother, and it's been taking a lot of his time, which is why I've been using Taylor as my personal driver as of late. I knew there was a possibility that Leroy would need to dismiss himself early tonight.
"Do what you have to do," I told him. "I'll find a ride back to the villa."
"Thank you, Alpha. I am so sorry."
Without another word, I hung up the phone and shoved it back into my pocket. I would have to see if one of my other gammas could pick us up; that's the risk I took not driving us myself, but I knew we'd be drinking tonight, and I wanted to be safe.
Taylor was having a date night with his mate, and Erik was out of town for a few days. My mind was flipping through all the people who could potentially pick us up when Rachel stepped around the corner.
"Is everything okay?" She asked.
"Yeah, we have to find a new ride home. Leroy has an emergency," I explained.
She nodded.noveldrama
"The men are all leaving. After we say goodbye, how about we go to the bar for some drinks and alone time," she said, her meaning not lost on me. "It's been a while since we've just hung out."
I nodded and took her arm, guiding her back to the table where the men were packing up their things.
I gave them each a handshake, and Rachel made sure to hug each one of them; some lingered a little too long, and some hands rested a bit too low.
After we finished without goodbyes, Rachel and I headed to the bar. I sent out a few text messages to some other gammas that I knew would drop what they were doing to pick me up from this hotel casino.
We ordered a couple of drinks, and I excused myself to the restroom to freshen up. When I returned, our drinks arrived, and Rachel was beaming at me, a wide smile on her lips as I took my seat.
"I'm glad we got to do this. Thank you for inviting me," she said, batting her lashes.
"I had no idea you were so good with business-related topics," I told her. "Last I
remembered, you were a nurse, not a businesswoman."
She giggled as she took a sip of her bright green drink.
"I am a woman of many talents," she told me; then her face grew serious for a moment. "There were a lot of things you didn't know about me back then, but I want to make amends now and have you get to know the real me."