by Kris Bryant
“I told her the same thing,” Rosie said.
Gabrielle could feel heat blossom on her cheeks. She’d noticed Serena glancing her way a few times, too. She chalked it up to intrigue rather than interest. “I’m sure it was just because she was looking for a familiar face.”
Rosie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’s it. Because we don’t know anything about chemistry.”
“You should be around when we discuss the project. Nothing is right. We did have a breakthrough moment today, so that was nice. And Kittypurrs gave me a great idea for the cat wing just now, so I feel better about what I’ll show Serena next.” Gabrielle felt inspired. All she needed was quality time here with both Muppet and Kittypurrs. She knew it would be a long time before she’d feel comfortable, but this was the first step. Petting Muppet and just watching Kittypurrs walk around the house helped so much.
“You ready for step two?” Rosie asked.
Gabrielle finished her Diet Coke and nodded. “I’m ready.”
“Let’s go outside and see how Muppet does.”
Gabrielle followed Rosie, not too closely, and a very animated Muppet to the backyard. He had a tennis ball that he dropped at Rosie’s feet and waited. She threw it four times, and every time he retrieved it, he dropped it right at her feet. “I’m going to give you the ball and you just have to throw it for him.” She picked up the half-chewed ball and handed it to Gabrielle.
“Yuck. It’s wet.”
“Yes. It’s slobber. You can wash your hands later. Now throw it over by the trees.” Rosie pointed to an open area off the deck.
Gabrielle took a few steps back as Muppet danced around her, waiting for the toss.
“The longer you wait, the closer he gets.”
Gabrielle threw it and moved closer to Rosie as he charged back at them. Rosie held her hand out and he stopped three feet from them and dropped the ball.
“Come here, Muppet.” She held on to his collar. “Pet him.”
“Right now? But he’s very excited. What if he jumps on me?”
“He won’t. I’m holding him.” Rosie did a hand command and Muppet instantly lay down. With her hand still on his collar, she waved Gabrielle over. “Sit down next to him.”
“Are you crazy?” Gabrielle stared at Muppet, whose long tongue lolled out of his mouth, his white, sharp teeth exposed while he panted.
Rosie sat on the top step of the deck and Muppet put his head on her lap. She patted the empty spot on the other side of her. Gabrielle slowly slid down until her thigh was flush with Rosie’s. “Reach out and touch him.”
Gabrielle carefully rubbed Muppet’s head. Rosie whispered a few words to him and he didn’t move the entire time. Gabrielle moved her fingers down to his ears and rubbed the floppy tips until he sighed with contentment. When he licked her hand, she didn’t pull back. A look of pure disgust was on her face, but she kept rubbing his head and ears.
“He likes his neck and chin scratched.”
“Too close to the teeth. Let’s stick with this for now.”
“I’m going to slowly move so that you end up next to him. Don’t be nervous. He’ll probably roll over.” Rosie commanded him to stay and stepped away so he and Gabrielle were maybe a foot apart. Muppet stretched his head back and looked up at Gabrielle. “How can you resist him? He’s so loving and he trusts you. Look into those magical brown chocolate eyes.”
Gabrielle rubbed his shoulder until his tail wagged. He leaned up, but Gabrielle pulled back and stopped petting him.
“You’re doing great. He loves you already. Remember, he’s around the most precious people in my world, and I trust him implicitly.”
“I know. He really is a good boy.” She resumed petting him but made the mistake of looking away to ask Rosie a question. Before she even registered what was happening, Muppet leaned up and licked her from chin to eyebrow, leaving a slobbery trail on her shocked face.
Chapter Fifteen
The open house dinner turned into a “let’s get Serena ready for her date” evening instead of a “welcome to my new house” party. Once Chloe, Jackie, and Faith found out Serena had asked Gabrielle out to dinner, everyone had advice.
“I’m going to show you how to apply makeup,” Faith said. She pulled out a cosmetics bag that was bigger than Serena’s purse and rolled out all different kinds of makeup and brushes. Jackie squawked about how she should wear her hair and decided to take her for a mani-pedi in the morning. She strongly suggested getting Serena’s eyebrows waxed, too. Serena was too tired to be offended and truthfully had never had a spa date before. It sounded wonderful, even though she pretended to be put out by all of their suggestions. Now, twenty-four hours later, she stood outside North Italia waiting for Gabrielle, feeling beautiful for the first time in her life. She was polished and had allowed herself to be pampered and felt fabulous.
“You found it.”
Serena turned to find Gabrielle walking up behind her. There was a tightness in her chest when Gabrielle’s eyes traveled up and down her body. Gabrielle, her hair loose and flowing over her shoulders, wasn’t wearing her glasses, and the transformation, like before, was breathtaking. She was beautiful at the barbecue, but this was a mature, sophisticated Gabrielle who wasn’t holding a baby on her hip or handing out drinks to guests. This was dateable Gabrielle who wore a sleeveless blouse and pants that clung to her hips and thighs and gathered fashionably at her thin ankles. The three-inch heels gave her height that made Serena look up at her and instantly regret wearing flats.
“You look great,” she said. She almost regretted saying it, but when Gabrielle’s smile blossomed, she knew she’d said the right thing.
“Thank you. You look great as well. Have you been waiting long?” Gabrielle asked.
Serena shook her head. “I just parked. Right there.” She pointed to her Jeep, which was only a few spots down from the front door.
“You’re so lucky.”
Serena smiled, knowing that she meant so much by that statement. “Only for the last few months.”
“Come on. Let’s sit down and drink wine and talk about only fun stuff,” Gabrielle said.
Serena smiled when Gabrielle held the door for her. The low lights and soft music gave the place a romantic glow. She was going to kill Chloe and Jackie for recommending it. She should have let Gabrielle pick the place since she lived in Denver, but having extended the invitation, she wanted to seem mature and in control.
“This place is gorgeous.” Gabrielle leaned down and spoke softly in Serena’s ear as they followed the hostess to their booth. When Serena had suggested it, Gabrielle said she’d heard only good things. Apparently neither of them knew this was the hot spot for date night. “I’m surprised you were able to get a reservation.”
“My friend Chloe is friends with the manager. I had no idea it was so intimate.” Yep, she was definitely going to kill Chloe for setting this up.
“I think it’s great. Even though it’s packed, it’s pretty quiet. We’ll be able to have a conversation,” Gabrielle said. She smiled at Serena and slid across from her in the booth near the back of the restaurant. They agreed on a bottle of pinot noir and sipped on water until the waiter returned with the bottle.
“How was your appointment with your lawyer? Did you get everything squared away?” Gabrielle asked.
Serena was seriously going to lose herself in the amber warmth of Gabrielle’s eyes. The candle flickered between them and filled her head with inappropriate thoughts. “I did. Just a heads-up, if you win the lottery, the money goes fast.”
“Only if you’re setting yourself up for life it does. I think your business plan is actually very smart and has the longevity that a lot of businesses now don’t. People love their pets, and allowing them to bring them on vacation is brilliant. A lot of wealthy people ski in Vail.”
“That’s exactly why I want it upscale. I know I’ve been a massive pain about all of this, but I do have my reasons.”
“You’re not a pain
at all, trust me.”
The sommelier returned with the bottle of wine and poured a taste into a glass. Serena nodded at Gabrielle to try it. After the single nod of approval from Gabrielle, he poured a second glass. He assured them their waiter would return shortly.
“I have news,” Gabrielle said.
“Is it good news?” Serena leaned forward and put her elbows on the table for just a moment before she remembered her manners. She leaned back and kept her hands busy by playing with the stem of her glass.
“Ask me what I did yesterday.”
The smirk was so damn charming Serena couldn’t help but smile back. “What did you do yesterday?”
“I played ball with a dog.”
Serena grabbed Gabrielle’s hands. “That’s the best news. How was it?”
Gabrielle looked down at their entwined fingers. “It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be, but Rosie has a very chill dog named Muppet and he was calm and gentle. I petted him and even threw the ball for him.”
“That’s great. I’m proud of you,” Serena said. She knew Gabrielle didn’t need her praise but couldn’t help but want to encourage her even more. “When you’re ready to meet L.B. again, then we can maybe take him for a walk.” Serena softly pulled her hands away from Gabrielle’s when salads arrived.
“So, I have to know. Why do you call your dog L.B.? I’ve heard you call him a few different things.”
Serena laughed softly before she explained. “So, Chloe and Jackie went with me to the shelter. There was one scruffy dog that had brown wiry fur and was super happy and kept making eye contact with us. They didn’t have a name for him yet. Chloe called him Lucky Bastard when I picked him.”
“His name is really Lucky Bastard?” Gabrielle laughed at the silly name.
“No. Here’s the best part. I asked the clerk there why he didn’t have a name, and a little girl, who was waiting for her parents to pick out a dog, turned to me and said his name was Lucky Baxter because she misheard Chloe.”
“That explains why when I first met him, you called him Baxter.”
“He answers to Lucky, Baxter, Lucky Baxter, and L.B.”
“And one day I’ll be able to pet him, I promise.”
“Wait. Are you doing this for me? Because of the project? I promise, I can put L.B. in a different space. It’s no trouble at all.” Serena was proud of Gabrielle for facing her demon but didn’t want her doing it just for L.B.
“It’s time. Most of my friends have dogs or are getting them. Even though I might never get comfortable around them, they will be around me, so Rosie is offering me Muppet anytime I need to work on it.”
“I think that’s incredible. And makes you brave. And if you need L.B., you can borrow him, too.”
“See, I have this client and she wants me to build this corral for all kinds of animals, and I figured it’s a good idea if I get used to them being around. I mean, I’m only the designer, but I usually stick around until a project is done,” Gabrielle said.
Serena laughed. “A corral? That’s not true.”
Gabrielle put her hand over her heart. “Wait, are you making fun of my client? Because I take that personally. She’s a nice young woman. She just loves animals. All of them, so I have to at least try.”
“I’m glad you’re trying. I’m sure she is, too.” Serena smiled at Gabrielle and took a sip of the pinot noir.
“But enough about work. Tell me about you. What do you like to do? What do you do now that you didn’t like to six months ago?” Gabrielle leaned forward and gave Serena all of her attention.
“You have the prettiest eyes. I can’t believe you hide them behind glasses all the time.” Serena covered her mouth at her outburst. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sure you have to wear glasses to do your job. Yikes. Never mind. Anyway, I don’t really know what I like to do. I’ve always worked.”
“No hobbies? Like scrapbooking or collecting thimbles or building furniture out of matchboxes?”
“Definitely none of those. I like to read. I watch movies. I pretty much keep to myself. Chloe and Jackie are my best friends. They’re a couple, but they include me in a lot of things.”
“They sound really nice and I can’t wait to meet them,” Gabrielle said.
Serena looked over in time to see Chloe and Jackie weaving their way through the restaurant. “Son of a bitch. Looks like you’ll get to meet them sooner than later. They’re here.” Serena rose out of her chair as Chloe and Jackie approached their table. “What are you doing here?” She hugged them both and introduced them to Gabrielle.
“We’re not trying to crash, but after making reservations, we decided to grab dinner, too. Later, much later, than your reservations. We’re going to have a drink at the bar. It’s nice to meet you, Gabrielle.” Chloe shook her hand and turned to Serena while Jackie shook hands with Gabrielle. Chloe quickly fanned herself and mouthed “wow.”
“Maybe we can all meet up later for a drink when you’re done,” Gabrielle said.
“We might do that. Enjoy your dinner,” Jackie said.
Serena watched them walk away and shook her head apologetically at Gabrielle. “They live ninety minutes away. This was planned.”
“I think it’s sweet that they’re looking out for you. Don’t be mad at them. They’re your closest friends and they want to make sure I’m not a murderer or trying to take advantage of you.”
“I know, but it’s childish of them.”
Gabrielle reached across the table and held Serena’s hands. “It’s okay. I’m not offended. I like them more now since they’re looking out for you. That’s what makes friends your family.”
Serena tried to ignore the softness of Gabrielle’s touch, tried not to think how strong and long her fingers were. Even in the few seconds they were physically connected, Serena felt something she hadn’t felt in a long time. Safe. Even though they had very little in common, even though up until this point they had a professional relationship only, the gesture felt intimate and stirred something deep inside Serena. “It’s nice to have people I can trust.” When the waiter showed up with their entrées, Serena reluctantly pulled away from Gabrielle’s warmth.
“Back to what do you like to do. What have you been doing since you quit your job?”
“Truth?”
Gabrielle nodded.
“I’m bored. Legit bored. Everybody works,” Serena said.
“You’ll just have to come up with new and exciting things to do. And once the Pet Posh Inn is up and running, you’ll be so busy, you’ll cry for some alone time,” Gabrielle said.
Serena looked down at her serving of rigatoni with sausage and fennel. There was too much on her plate, but Gabrielle didn’t seem like the kind who wanted to share an entrée. She smiled thinking about all of the meals she and Faith shared growing up. She always gave Faith an extra chicken nugget and gave her most of the fries when she could scrape together enough money for a Happy Meal at McDonald’s. How long ago that was, but not really.
“What are you smiling about?” Gabrielle asked. Her dinner of the citrus Italian steak with a tomato salad smelled delicious.
“I was remembering something my sister and I used to do. It’s nothing.”
“I love that you two are so close. Phillip only has good things to say about her. Are you sad that she’s moving away?”
“Yes and no. Denver isn’t far, so I’m good with that. I’m also so proud of her for getting a job, a good job, before she even graduated.”
“What are you doing for her graduation? Anything?”
Serena put her fork down and sighed. “That is a hot mess right there. I don’t want to have a party at my house, and we aren’t sure who’s going to show up. For sure her three roommates, plus my mom and stepdad, and Faith. We’re better off going to a restaurant, but we don’t know if any of her classmates want to attend. I want it to be open so people can come and go as they please.”
“Does she live in an apartment building? They
probably have a community room you can rent. Most places do. You can host in a club room.” Gabrielle shrugged when Serena looked at her.
“That’s a great idea. That way we can decorate and people can come and go as they please. Thank you for the idea.”
“That’s why I get paid the big bucks. I solve problems. Even when it takes me a million tries.”
Serena lifted her glass and clinked it with Gabrielle’s. “And the Pet Posh Inn will be fabulous when it’s all done.”
“I have a great idea that I’ll share with you next week, but tonight, no shop talk. Tonight I’m going to get to know you and you’re going to get to know me.”
They spent the next hour slipping into comfortable conversation about things they liked, things they disliked, music, favorite movies, and television shows that ended prematurely. They were still sitting at the table laughing and talking when Chloe and Jackie finished their meal and asked if they would join them for drinks at the bar. Serena insisted she pay the bill, since it was her invite, and the four of them found a high top at the bar.
“We’ve heard good things about you,” Chloe said.
“And some questionable things, I’m sure.” Gabrielle smiled.
“Not at all. One thing you should know about Serena is that she’s never said a bad thing about anyone. She’s perfect.”
“Oh, stop. I’m far from perfect. I’ve said a few choice things about people in my past.”
“Pfft. Take the compliment. You’re perfect.” Jackie leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Serena blushed as her friends talked her up, telling Gabrielle how nice she was when she did this, or heroic she was when she did that.
“I’ve raised my voice a time or two,” she said. Thankfully, everyone avoided talking about her mother. That was the only time she got angry. The only time she raised her voice at someone. Now that she was an adult, she knew she was going to have to let it go and possibly find a therapist.
“She is pretty sweet,” Gabrielle said.
Serena held her breath at the look Gabrielle shot her. It was sexy and flirty and Serena allowed it to flutter inside, tickle her stomach, brush her ribs softly, and explode in her chest. Chloe nudged her under the table. It was apparent to her, too.
