26. Chapter 26
”Aurora?” A woman called out to me while I browsed clothes at Custard Boutique, which specialized in environmentally-friendly clothing.
I turned around, and it was the woman I”d seen Gabriel with, his cousin he”d said. Was she? I pushed that thought aside. Gabriel had never lied to me, and I shouldn”t add to his sins.
She held out a hand. ”I”m Rose Dixon, Gabe”s cousin.”
I shook her hand. She knew my name. Why did she know my name?
”I love this place and it”s very much your style, I can see,” she remarked.
I looked at my white sundress with blue flowers. ”Yes, they have some great clothes here.”
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and I”d decided to treat myself to some shopping, especially since I was going to Miami Beach soon. I wasn”t trying to dress up for Gabriel, absolutely not; I was just upgrading my closet. That was all it was.
Yeah, I didn”t believe that either.
”Gabe”s told me so much about you,” she continued as she pulled out a dress and looked at it critically.
I froze. I wanted to ask what he”d told her, but I decided to keep my mouth shut.
”Oh, honey, he can be a complete git, bless his heart. The family knows that about him.” She put the dress back on the rack.
I stood still like a moron for a few seconds and then decided to do what I was here to do, shop.
I looked through the next rack, and Rose kept talking like we were friends.
”I hear you”re working on his Miami Beach hotel project. It”s going to be amazing. I”m so excited about it.”
”Me too,” I managed to squeak out. This woman was in my personal space. She was loud, and she was crowding me. It was disconcerting.
”I”ve been trying to find Gabe a new house.” She looked at a sheath dress and handed it to me. ”More your style than mine.”
I took the pale yellow dress from her. It certainly was.
”A house?”
”Oh, I”m in real estate, honey. And Gabe is selling his place…well, his and hers, which, of course, I”m selling for him.”
”Selling his place?” I was now repeating things like an idiot.
She smiled. ”Yeah, honey. He doesn”t want to live so close to his ex. Don”t blame him, she”s such a bitch, bless her heart.”
I just stared at her, not sure if I could believe that Gabriel was taking such a big step. I never thought he”d do it. He”d always been clear that he wanted his daughter to not choose which parent she spent time with.
”He still wants to stay in The Landings, and I have no idea where Iris will move to and don”t care.”
We walked around the boutique, looking at clothes while she chattered away.
”He wants a place with a pool; and big enough for Sophia and him and any guests who may come by. He wants room for a studio.”
”A studio?” My pulse raced.
”You can work here while I”m out, Aurora.”
”No, I need my studio. I”ve set that up in my second bedroom. I need my draft table to design; and supplies to make models.”
”Damn it, I was really hoping you”d stay, and I could come back to you.”
”Come back to my place.”
”I have Sophia tonight.”
”Next week, then.”
”I”m going to set up a studio for you here so you can work from my place whenever you want.”
We never had the chance to make that happen.
”Yes. Natural light. Room enough to store materials and make models. I”m assuming that”s got something to do with architecture?”
I stopped walking and looked at her. ”Why are you talking to me about this, Rose?”
She grinned. ”Lord, I thought I was losin” my touch, honey. Cause I”m talkin” away here, and you”re not even throwin” me a bone.”
”I don”t understand.”
”He wants to make sure you can work at his new place. What”s there to understand, honey?”
I took a deep breath. ”We broke up.”
”Oh, I think he”s hopin” to change that.”
”I…I don”t think that will happen,” I told her sadly.
”Why not? You obviously still love him.”
I raised both eyebrows. ”Excuse me?”
”Oh, come on, at the restaurant, you were just about ready to poke my eyes out because you thought I was goin” with him. Don”t deny it. Woman to woman, I know that look.” She put her hands on her hips and looked saucy as hell when she spoke.
”I can”t trust him again. He…I…it doesn”t matter.”
”It does,” she replied softly. ”I know what he did. I know he”s ashamed of himself for hurtin” you. Of taking your childhood, which sounds like it was hard as hell, honey, and usin” that to hit at you.”
I hung the sheath dress that she”d given me on a rack. ”I don”t trust easily. I never trust a second time.”
She nodded. ”Well, why don”t we try some dresses and if you have time, I”d love to have lunch with you. What do you say?”
”Lunch?”
”Yeah. Come on. Let”s have some fun.”
I bought two sheath dresses, and she bought half the store. Rose was fun and funny, interested, and interesting.
”Why don”t you drive me, and I can ask my driver to pick me up at Husk Savannah?” she suggested.
”You want to go there for lunch? It”s going to be impossible to get in without a reservation,” I warned her.
”They”ll seat me regardless,” she chuckled with the same confidence Gabriel had. It was their last names and status in society; reservations during lunch hour rush were not an issue.