Lock You In My Heart novel Chapter 341

Gabrielle walked out of the shop with her dress in her hand. It was quite late, and she was exhausted.

"Jackson, thank you very much for accompanying me to buy the dress today. It's getting late..."

"Treat me to dinner then. You said you were poor and couldn't afford such an expensive dress. I already helped you on the reimbursement from Jason. You should have enough money to treat me to a meal, right?" Jackson had always been straightforward. He never saw the point in beating around the bush. He was known in the office for being direct.

Gabrielle initially wanted to tell him that it was time to separate and go back to their respective homes. She wasn't tired because of the shopping itself but the people she had to deal with while buying a dress.

She was surprised when Jackson told her to treat him to dinner. So even though Gabrielle was dead tired, she had no reason to refuse him. It was a small favor, after all.

Of course she had money for a meal. She wasn't that impoverished.

Besides, Jackson helped her a lot, so it was a small thing to buy him a meal. She owed him that at least.

"Okay, sure. You can pick the place, Jackson," Gabrielle agreed readily. She was actually surprised that Jackson wasn't as insufferable as other people in the studio made him seem.

Anyway, it was just a dinner—nothing special.

The place where Jackson picked was cozy and quiet. He didn't like noisy establishments.

He drove directly to a restaurant that didn't have plenty of patrons dining at the time. It was private, and not everyone knew about it.

The owner of the shop was an old acquaintance of his. He was an enthusiastic middle-aged man, just like Akiba, and he became more animated when he saw Gabrielle. He welcomed them with a huge smile on his face.

"Jackson, I see that you're not eating alone here today. Finally! It's the first time you're here with a girl for dinner. Welcome, welcome you two! Come in and have a seat. Your usual spot has been reserved for you,"

the man greeted them warmly. He even patted Jackson's back as he led the way.

Gabrielle was shocked by the man's enthusiasm. He didn't treat her as a typical guest. In fact, he looked at and talked to her as though she was his daughter-in-law.

Anyone watching Jackson and the man could see that they had a close relationship. Jackson, who was usually cold and distant, was clearly comfortable speaking to him.

"Talon, this is my colleague, Gabrielle. Gabrielle, this is the owner and chef of this private restaurant, Talon," Jackson said. Talon puffed out his chest, proud of the way Jackson introduced him.

Jackson also emphasized that they were nothing more than colleagues, so Talon didn't think much about it.

Still, Talon couldn't stop grinning. The fact remained that Jackson brought a girl to his restaurant for the first ever—it was quite an improvement. He had been dining alone for so long.

This was a good start. With his hands clasped behind his back, Talon quietly observed Jackson's companion.

She was beautiful, warm, and gentle—a total opposite of Jackson's icy demeanor. Jackson had his default frown on while Gabrielle was smiling sweetly.

Maybe they had chemistry—it was too soon to tell. But Talon thought there was hope for them in the future.

"Hello, Talon. I'm Gabrielle—Jackson's colleague,"

Gabrielle greeted Talon, reaching out to shake his hand.

"Okay, okay. Hello. You and Jackson should have a seat first,"

Talon said happily.

Jackson led Gabrielle to a private room and sat down, handing a vintage handmade menu to Gabrielle. The pages were tanning, and Jackson probably held it so many times already. "Have a look. What do you want to eat?"

"I'm allergic to seafood. Apart from seafood, anything else is okay for me," Gabrielle told him calmly.

"They don't serve seafood here, only homemade dishes," Jackson responded indifferently. He always liked to talk as though he didn't care either way.

"Then I have nothing to worry about. I know you and Talon are pretty close. You can order anything you like. I'm not a picky eater," Gabrielle said casually. She kept looking around the interiors, admiring how everything was put together really well.

It was the first time she had dinner with Jackson. She was nervous, especially because he could be rude and unpredictable.

Her workmates always spoke about him being the most difficult person to get along with in the studio. Even so, Gabrielle had to acknowledge that he had been patient and accommodating with her today.

At least in Gabrielle's mind, he was so much better than Vivian. That woman was a thorn in Gabrielle's side.

"Since you are not picky about food, then I'll order for you." Jackson spared her a glance but didn't say anything more. He laid down the menu on the table and went out.

There was no waiter here. The customers would have to go to the kitchen and tell Talon what they wanted to eat. They could even order dishes that weren't on the menu—just as long as Talon could make it.

Talon had been working as a chef for twenty or thirty years, and he was good at cooking homemade dishes. He was fiercely proud of the foods he served.

As soon as Jackson went out, Gabrielle felt like she could breathe again. She didn't realize how tense she was until he left her alone. Then, a shrill soun

d pierced the silence. She looked at her phone and saw that Westley was calling her.

After hesitating for a while, Gabrielle answered it. "Hello."

"Where are you now?" Westley asked her directly.

'Where am I?' Gabrielle ran her fingers through her hair; her face screwed in frustration.

She actually didn't pay attention to the road signs. Jackson was driving, and she didn't even bother looking at where they were headed.

"I'm having dinner outside," Gabrielle could only answer vaguely. She honestly didn't know her exact location.

"With whom?" There was an anxious lilt in Westley's voice.

Gabrielle had guessed what caused Westley to worry. He wasn't the type of guy who constantly checked on her whereabouts. Besides, he sounded like he was more concerned about who she was with than where she actually was.

He probably heard some rumors, which wasn't exactly surprising.

She immediately thought of Mindy, who she saw in the clothing store. That woman threatened Gabrielle that she would tell Westley about Jackson.

Mindy wasn't above spreading false stories, so Gabrielle assumed she told Westley that Gabrielle was out with another man.

There was seriously something wrong with Mindy. No one in her right mind would resort to something this desperate—all for one dress.

"I'm having dinner with Jackson in a private restaurant. Why? Did you receive any message or photo about us?" Gabrielle asked frankly. She didn't have time to entertain Westley's silent accusations, so she went straight to the point.

After a short silence, Westley breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled. "Yes, I received a message a minute ago from an anonymous sender. There is a photo attached in which you were shopping with a man. Is it Jackson?"

"Yes, it's him." Gabrielle closed her eyes and pressed her finger on her lids. Mindy surely didn't waste any time sending "proof" to Westley.

Gabrielle didn't even know when Mindy took the photo. That woman was stealthy; Gabrielle had to give her that.

"He went shopping with you and paid the bill? Where is the card I gave you? Why didn't you use it?" Westley's voice became increasingly colder. Gabrielle knew where this conversation was headed.

She could tell that he was getting jealous. She didn't know whether she should be amused or irritated.

So, Westley didn't take issue that another man accompanied her while she went shopping. However, it bothered Westley that Jackson paid for her dress.

Westley probably wondered how close she was with Jackson for the latter to pay her bill.

"I didn't have the card with me when I went to the mall. Besides, I was there to buy a dress because I have to pick up our guest at the airport. It's a work-related purchase, so the studio will reimburse me. I don't have to pay for it myself. See, Westley? I actually saved some of your money." Gabrielle's tone was soft and low. She was trying to make him see her point. She didn't want this to escalate into another senseless fight.

The last sentence made Westley happy. She was willing to save his money and not spend it carelessly, which meant that Gabrielle really treated him as her own man. She wouldn't care that much if she didn't.

This made Westley happy. He didn't know why but it warmed his heart to know how Gabrielle felt.

"Gabrielle, I don't need you to save money for me. I make enough money that you can buy anything you want. It doesn't matter how much. If you want it, you can buy it," Westley reminded her. It apparently still irked him that another man paid for Gabrielle's dress.

His wife, of course, could spend the money he earned any way she wanted to. He could afford it if she decided to live luxuriously. In truth, she didn't need someone else buying her clothes for her—even if it was for work. Westley made so much that he could have bought it for her in every color.

But his wife only needed his love and affection. That was all she wanted from him—not luxury bags or expensive clothes. As for Westley, he didn't need others spending money on Gabrielle.

"Okay. I see!" Gabrielle agreed. Over time, she had learned to pick her battles. This time, she knew it would serve her if she simply relented.

"Send me the restaurant address. I'll pick you up in half an hour." Westley dropped the subject and decided to change the topic. Anyway, Gabrielle already agreed with him. There was no point making it a big issue.

"No, thanks. It's too far if you come here from the company..."

"Gabrielle, I'll pick you up," Westley insisted. He heard her sigh on the other end.

Gabrielle had no choice. Again, it wasn't worth fighting over.

"Okay, I'll wait for you." Gabrielle looked for the address and gave it to him. Even while she sounded annoyed, it warmed her heart that he was offering to fetch her.

Westley had already hung up the phone. With a small smile, she put her own phone on the table.

As soon as Jackson came in, he was surprised to see a faint smile on Gabrielle's face. He sat down and raised his brow.

"What's the good news? Why do you look so happy?" asked Jackson. He was genuinely curious.

"Someone will pick me up later. You don't have to bother sending me home," Gabrielle said. With her elbows on the table, she rested her chin on her hands as she continued to survey the decorations.

"Who? Your husband?"