Aprons For Gayle Ch. 17

Reaching across the table, David put his hand over hers in a friendly manner, not sexual at all. "Please, don't be embarrassed. I'm a little surprised he... misled you, but it wasn't your fault."

"There's no justification for lying. He made me think you were gay! I was... I was naked in front of you! I've never been so..." She sighed heavily and ran her free hand through her hair out of frustration.

David suddenly looked over her shoulder and pulled his hand back quickly; his face was taut with tension, as were his shoulders. But he knew their hands couldn't have been seen.

Standing up, David said, "Hello, Mr. McDougal. I was just leaving."

Oh, my God! How much did he hear? Gayle wondered, though she didn't look over her shoulder.

"Nonsense, Hodges," Hamish said as he walked in, threw his keys on the counter and approached the table. "Hello Gayle. What's this?"

David cleared his throat. "I brought you two some fruits and vegetables I picked these morning."

"That was kind of you. Thank you, Hodges."

"You're welcome. Gayle, thank you for the tea. Have a good afternoon."

As Hamish walked David to the door, Gayle called out for Bessie to take her outside, and she entered the hallway on the way to the back door.

"Gayle, wait. We need to talk."

She paid him no mind. She was so irate, beyond pissed, she was afraid to say anything for fear of what she would say, though she didn't care less if he sent her back home for her disrespecting him.

When he caught up to her, she said, "No! Nothing you say can -"

He grabbed her arm rather roughly and forced her to stop just as she opened the French door; neither paid attention to Bessie when she bolted outside right away.

"Did you forget who you're talking to?" he asked tersely.

"No, I didn't," she replied, her voice full of venom.

He was at a momentary loss for words at her disrespect, and he knew she was angry with him. But he certainly wasn't used to being spoken to like this. He wanted to defend himself, to be honest and open with her, but that wasn't very easy for him at all. He never had to explain his actions to anyone, except his father, but now...

Pulling her arm away, she walked through the door and past the fountain on the way to the Tithe barn, where Hamish practically had to run to stand in front of her to block her.

"Gayle! Youwill listen to me!"

"No! I am really pissed at you right now!"

"I understand that. Just let me explain."

"I don't give a flying monkey's ass! Leave me alone."

She tried to walk past him, but he held onto her shoulders tightly. Giving him a look of disgust and rage, he finally relented and let go of her. She promptly headed to the far end of the property.

"Ms. Boyce!" he shouted, not willing to allow her to just walk away from him.

Abruptly, she stopped, turned around and took a few steps back to him. Bessie had been running after her but stopped, sat on her hind legs and looked between Gayle and Hamish, wondering what the hell was going on between the two.

"You know what?! I am getting so tired of you barking orders at me! You want me to be open with you, yet here you are lying to me, humiliating me and made me look like a fucking idiot with David and his brother! Why would you do that?"

Hamish opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't get the chance.

Lowering her voice, though it was still harsh, she spat, "I am not your property, Mr. McDougal. I am your employee. You pay me, I work, among other things when you'rein the mood. When you do something nice, I get whiplash the next day when you act a dick! I... You can't keep... I don't want..."

She ran her hand through her hair and looked away to gather her thoughts, but she had run out of steam at that point. She sighed exasperatingly and walked away, Bessie in tow to comfort her human sister.

Watching her, he cursed under his breath. He fucked up, he knew that. He fucked up big time. He turned around and headed to his office, where at least he could see her when she came back in... whenever that would be. What he was going to say was another story.

In the Tithe barn and garden...

Gayle paced back and forth in the grass of the ruins of the Tithe barn, cursing angrily. Occasionally she'd kick a flower or a stray rock in the ground, not even feeling the pain in her toes from the hard surface of the rock, even though she still wore her sneakers. Her breathing was rapid, and she felt a sickening headache coming on. Her thoughts went manic, almost irrational, and she couldn't stop them. Her PMS didn't help, but she had every damn right to be upset.

"Okay, okay. Breathe. Relax."

That did nothing to calm her, and she threw herself down in the grass and cried, rocking back and forth with her head in her hands. She wasn't even aware of Bessie licking the back of her hands from the salty treat as she tried to soothe the distress away. Finally giving up, the dog sat down as close to Gayle as she could and placed her chin on her thigh.

Not knowing how much time went by, she felt something warm yet heavy over her shoulders and looked down on the blanket. She hadn't realized she was then sitting in the shade from the trees. The sun hadn't set yet, and it had grown chilly from a light breeze.

Looking up to just about knee level, she saw Hamish standing a foot away holding a bottle of water. She had long since stopped crying, and she wasn't as angry as she was at first, but she was still holding onto some of it. Finally taking the bottle, she took a sip, as if that would magically help her find the right words. She found none.

Hamish stepped back and sat on a three foot high brick wall of the ruin. "Gayle, I am truly sorry for lying to you. It was stupid. I'm a glaikit."

I'm not going to argue with you there, whatever glaikit is.

"I can't explain to you why, but yes, when you first asked about Hodges I was jealous. I've never been a jealous man. But I'm finding I enjoy your company... and I'm feeling... The first time I saw you, I was... You were... Fuck." He threw his head back and looked up at the sky.

"Hamish, it's not just that you lied. You had me parading around him like I was a... My god, do you realize how mortified I was? You agreed there would be no humiliation."

He could no longer look Gayle in her eyes, but she had her eyes locked on his face, which was laden with shame. Her eyes were red and swollen, and it killed him knowing he'd caused her to be so upset.You are shutting off the cameras tonight.

Getting back with the topic at hand, he told her, "I have already spoken with Hodges and apologized. It willnever happen again."

"How can I know that? You know how hard trust is for me."

"I more than fucked up, Gayle. I realize that now. I should have told you the truth earlier, but I... I couldn't. For now, all I can do is ask for your forgiveness."

"Oh, and I'm just supposed to accept your apology like it never happened?"

He sighed. "I never said that. I can't take back what I did to you. I wish I could, but I can't."

"Why, Hamish?"

His eyebrows furled deeply, causing creases on his forehead that she had never seen before from her boss. "Why what?"

"Why are you jealous?"

"I have no fucking idea. When I thought of taking in a maid, I had no idea I would feel..." He turned around so she couldn't read his facial expression.

Now it was Gayle's turn to be confused. But then it hit her. Shewas becoming jealous of him going on dates, just as he was of her looking at the men at the pubs and being asked out by a man at the church.

"Hamish, what's happening between us?" She didn't want to ask, but she had to.

He shook his head, paused then knelt in front of her. "Gayle, I'm not used to this, to... Scots don't carry their hearts on their sleeves. They protect it to the death. But once they're in... With you, I've found..." He sat down hard, looking like a lost puppy. "I've never been this happy before."

The pain in his eyes was unbearable to see, and she knew,felt that he was truly remorseful. She could have cried with his admission, but she would never allow him to see her.

"I need some time, Hamish." He nodded, stood then put out his hand to help her up. "I'm not forgiving you yet," she sneered up at him.

"I hope you will, eventually."

Sunday, September 15th, 2013

Gayle finally arrived home around three o'clock after spending most of the morning looking for an evening gown with Jessie and her daughter Kelsey in St. Andrews. Kelsey's friend, Olivia Thompson, had her own shop and was an up-and-coming fashion designer. Gayle wanted to buy a genuine pearl necklace, earrings and bracelet set just to piss Hamish off, but she decided against it, though she was really, really tempted.

Hamish. Her boss hadn't been out of her head since the night before. She'd barely slept the night before and felt like death. She hadn't forgiven him, but she had to be honest with herself. There was something changing between them, but she didn't want to admit it. She just couldn't.

Practically dragging herself up the stairs to her bedroom, she smelled a fire burning and saw Hamish's bedroom door was open. As she reached the end of the hall, Bessie tore out of Hamish's bedroom and greeted her, her tail wagging crazily. He called out after the dog but as usual was ignored. She grinned as she walked into her bedroom and closed the door.

Maid: One. Boss: Zero.

She was so focused on putting the bags on her bed that she hadn't noticed her personal items on the nightstand were missing until she opened the wardrobe and found... nothing. Not one apron was hung up. Confused, she went to the dresser and pulled open the drawers - her jeans and sweaters were also missing.

He's sending me home! He's probably got a suitcase packed in the kitchen and David's waiting to drive me to the airport. For fuck's sake!

Suddenly fuming, she put the garment bag on her bed and stormed out into the hallway to Hamish's bedroom. Not controlling her voice, she asked, rather snottily, "Sir? Where are my clothes and my things?!"

"Welcome home," he said cockily from the sofa. Putting the book he'd been reading down, he approached her with a smile on his face. "Were you successful in -"

"Are you sending me home?!" she asked angrily.

"What?" he asked. "Of course not, Gayle." He went to the doorway. "Follow me."

"No! I will not follow you. What the hell is going on?!"

Without a reply, he walked into her bedroom then walked out carrying her dress. She stood in his doorway with her arms crossed over her chest as he passed the hallway bathroom into the spare bedroom at the top of the stairs.

"Come hither, woman!" he called out, his voice much softer.

Giving him a dirty look, not in the playing mood, she stepped through the doorway but then stopped when she saw him by the armoire with the doors open, and hanging there were her aprons and the garment bag with her dress. She looked around the room and saw a huge bouquet of freshly-picked flowers on the dresser, her books and alarm clock on the nightstand. A blazing fire was burning in the fireplace, and her cheeks blushed, from embarrassment or the heat from the fire, she didn't know.

Frowning, she looked at him dumfounded. "What is this? What's going on?"

"I told you that you'd be in here by the end of September, so I lost that bet as well."

She didn't smile. She didn't thank him. She just stood there staring at him.

Closing the armoire door, he stepped to her. "I was planning on giving this room to you before... everything went to shit. But you deserve it."

She sighed heavily. "Well, I do appreciate the thought, but this won't make everything right between us."

"What will?" he asked.

Shaking her head, she answered, "I have no idea."