Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 121755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
He came to me, slung an arm around my shoulders, curled me into his side and said, “Good news.”
I looked up at him. “The best.”
He took in my face, his eyes roaming over it leisurely, and he didn’t hide his happy, or the fact he wasn’t just happy about Cap and Raye (super good guy), before he turned to Shanti. “We’re goin’ to brunch. Wanna come?”
“Abso-fuckin’-lutely,” she replied.
Having reclaimed the true Shanti, she strutted to the open door, stopped, turned and aimed her eyes at me.
“Glad to have you back, sis,” she said.
Shot to the heart, and it felt amazing.
“Glad to be back, honey,” I replied.
Her attention shifted to Gabe. “Forty-five?”
Gabe looked down at me.
Yeesh.
There it was again.
This was a man who knew the woman was the one who needed the time to get ready, so it was her who should dictate the amount of time that would take.
I didn’t climb him like a tree because I loved learning he got this (more’s the pity).
I turned to Shanti and answered, “Sounds good.”
“We’ll meet at the man-mobile,” Shanti said as she walked out the door.
“You mean the Wrangler?” I asked.
“What else would I mean?” she answered. And to Gabe she said, “Obviously, you’re driving, because we’re gonna get our mimosas without juice on. It’s a celebration. For several reasons.”
With that, she winked at me.
Then she closed the door, and she was gone.
TEN
ARTIE
Shanti and I were only a little bit tipsy when Gabe dropped us off at Angels Headquarters.
But it was only me that was wildly disappointed when he didn’t kiss me on the mouth to say his goodbye, but instead he did it on my forehead, then he swung into his man-mobile and took off.
It was clear throughout brunch with how chill he was, being his normal quiet, observant but attentive (especially to me…yum), that he was in no confusion about where I was at.
So, um…
No kiss?
And, um…
It seemed he bested the challenge.
Therefore…
Now what?
I shook off that disturbing thought because, so far, it appeared Pessimism had taken a hike, and I didn’t miss her, so I didn’t want her back, therefore I shouldn’t give her an opening to come back.
I then headed into the unit.
I was surprised to see Gemma and Joey were there, because they should be on shift at The Surf Club.
I was unsurprised Raye wasn’t there.
After I entered, I noticed Luna at the pretty secretary desk in the front corner, scowling at the bank of computer screens there.
Weird.
I wondered if she was upset about the Raye and Cap news.
Not that she’d be upset upset. There was no mistaking those two were perfect for each other and this was a good thing. I knew Luna adored Cap, like we all did.
But I got it when, all around you, your girls were hooking up with good guys, and they were deliriously happy, and that didn’t seem to be on your horizon.
It stung.
Making matters worse for Luna, we all knew she had a thing for Knox, like we knew Knox had a thing for her. They’d been circling each other for forever but never went there, and I wasn’t sure why, I just knew they didn’t, and it was abundantly clear the reason they didn’t was because of Luna.
And now, Knox had given up on Luna and was seeing another woman.
That wouldn’t sting.
It would bite.
So, yeah.
I got it.
Weird again, I was rolling out of that zone.
And I was tentatively rolling toward deliriously happy.
Wild.
But wonderful.
Just as long as Gabe wasn’t one of those guys who lost interest when there was nothing left to chase.
Again, I buried that thought.
Instead, I decided to be sensitive just in case Luna (or Joey or Gemma) were feeling sensitive. I’d focus on the briefing and not share I was going to give the whole Gabe-and-me thing a shot.
This became tough when Luna’s attention drifted away from the screens to where Gabe’s Wrangler was driving away.
I braced, but she just gave me a look, ascertained by some girl bond (correctly) I hadn’t yet been laid by Gabe, and mumbled, “There went my hundred bucks.”
A hundred bucks?
No wonder people were peeved when they lost.
Outside Luna watching Gabe leave, everyone else was gabbing, so it appeared no one had noticed the drop-off and forehead kiss, except Harlow, who was aiming a blinding bright smile over the back of the couch at me.
Shanti and I rolled down the door.
“Who’s taking care of SC?” Shanti asked as she made her way to the ginormo curved red couch with black piping that sat in front of a huge desk that had nothing on it but an old-fashioned phone speaker (just to say, whoever Arthur was, he was hardcore feeling the Charlie’s Angels vibe).
“Tex didn’t want us to miss our first briefing,” Joey said. “So Nancy came in, and Dream called Louise and she’s in too.”