He paced back and forth; looking out the same window he’d looked out so many times before when he’d come back for summer break. He watched as a little old lady stepped out of her brownstone across the street carrying a plastic bag in one hand and holding a leash that was attached to a small white dog in the other hand. “I don’t know. Financially, it would be smart on my part. With this trip coming up, I’m seriously considering it. More so than I was before. It’s easy to get pulled into it and see the benefits when I’m standing inside his office versus being in my office in Colorado and just thinking about it. What do you think?”
“I think if you give it some time, an answer will come to you. You will know soon enough.”
“That wasn’t helpful advice, Gabriella,” he teased.
She laughed. “Sorry! I just have my own issues with you moving away.”
His interest was piqued. He sat down. “You do? Such as?”
“I would miss you terribly. I know that’s not a real good reason, but I would be lonely without you. I would miss Sundays.”
“You would still go to Donna’s house on Sundays, my spot would just be empty. They wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“But you wouldn’t be there. Which doesn’t mean I don’t want you to go, I do want you to have the best life…the best opportunities, you know? I better get going, I need to get some clothes on. Logan, thank you for the amazing invitation. There are no words to describe the gratefulness I feel about you asking me to go.”
She was still naked. Yummy. “Don’t go getting all mushy on me. I knew I couldn’t go there without you joining me. Talk to Brandi. I’ll call you sometime tomorrow to find out what she says.”
Even if he had to bribe Brandi himself, he had to get her to cover. Come hell or high water, Logan was going to do everything in his power to get Gabriella on a First-Class seat with him to Japan.
Chapter Eleven
Brandi walked into Lolita’s, carrying take-out food in one hand and trying to tighten her ponytail with her other hand. Her red hair stuck out with massive curls in all directions. “This is why I can’t stand ponytails. How in the fuck is it supposed to hold all of these damn curls?”
Gabriella smiled at her friend—who had a mouth like a sailor. True to stereotypes, Brandi was a red head on a rampage. She exuded more energy, all of the time, than Gabbie ever had half of the time. Brandi set the take-out down on Gabbie’s counter and pulled out the ponytail band. Shaking her head, all of her curls sprang free, creating a vivid firestorm around her pale white face.
Gabriella had never seen anyone more beautiful.
Blessed with bountiful hair, the Gods hadn’t stopped there. Her eyes were turquoise. Not blue or green, but both. Drowning in her eyes was not a metaphor. You just did. They were the color of an exotic island’s ocean—the color you see only in magazines unless you were lucky enough to have visited such a place. The mole above her lip made her look like a Pin-Up girl—like some sexy vixen that walked right off a movie set into Gabbie’s store. Some women had all the luck.
“Yum, Ginger, are these the fish tacos I’ve been telling you to try?”
“Hell yeah, they are. I’m no slouch when it comes to food.”
The girls dug into the bag and began eating. Gabbie wiped the side of her mouth with her hand. “I have a huge favor to ask you.”
“What? These are delicious.”
“I knew you’d love’em. Would you be able to cover the store for me for a few days while I go to Japan with Logan?”
Brandi stopped chewing and spoke with her mouth full of food. “What?”
Gabriella smiled and nodded her head. “Yup. He asked me to go with him. He has to go because of his father’s law firm, blah blah blah. He knows I’ve always wanted to go. It’s all been bought and paid for. I just need you to run the store while I’m gone.” Gabbie squinted her eyes shut, opening just one. “What do you think?”
“Logan did that for you? Jesus Christ. Are you sure you guys aren’t more than friends and you aren’t telling anyone? Fuck buddies?”
Gabbie cocked her head to the side and thought of the look he’d given her that day when she came out of the fitting room wearing the red lingerie. She got that same feeling in the pit of her stomach as she had gotten then.
“Yes, I’m sure. We have always been just friends.”
“What were you just contemplating? I saw the wheels turning.”
“Nothing! I would tell you if something was going on between Logan and me. Can we please not talk about us like we’re a couple or something?”
“Well, I’m just saying. I don’t have friends like that.”
“What about me?” Gabbie asked.
“You’ve never taken me to Japan. Who does that? Friends don’t do that for friends.”
“You’re crazy. Sure, they do. Logan is a sweetheart. We’ve been friends forever and he’s known I’ve always wanted to go there. It’s nothing more than that.”
“Oh, whatever. Mark my words, friends don’t do that. When would you need me?”
Gabbie opened her calendar and showed her the dates she wanted her to cover. “What do you think? Could you do it? Are you free then?”
Brandi was looking at her calendar on her phone. “That’s the same week as the kids’ spring break… Hell yes. I can do it. Do I get to play dress-up?”
“Yea!” Gabbie clapped her hands. “I’m so excited. Thank you so much. Yes, you can play dress-up. In fact, I will give you a store credit and you can get whatever your heart desires—well, within reason. How does that sound?”
“Sounds like I’m gonna need to line up a man to show off my newly acquired goods to! I
