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