20. Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty
“Hang on a second, Sis,” Gigi spoke into the phone, before pulling it from her ear. She’d called her sister, Val, while walking to her favorite coffee shop—the one across the street from her apartment building, where they knew her by name.
Gigi waved at the barista behind the registrar, Nico, who was sporting his signature bowtie and tweed fedora. “The aqua bowtie is killer. Really brings out your eyes.”
Nico’s face lit up, and he touched his bowtie. “Ms. Gigi, you are the sweetest! What can I get you this beautiful morning?”
“Truck driver coffee,” she replied, tipping her head to give him her serious eyes.
“You got it.” Nico flipped a paper cup off a stack and scribbled her name across it. “Steaming hot cup of truck driver expresso blend. Room for cream?”
She shook her head, and Nico whistled, raising his brow. “Coming right up.” He turned toward the back counter and Gigi pressed the phone to her ear again.
“Okay, I’m back,” she said to Val.
“Sissy, what is truck driver coffee?”
“It’s the kind of coffee you get when you have to drive from here to Florida in one shot.”
Val cackled, clearly entertained by Gigi’s explanation. “Why do you need that strong of coffee?”
Gigi paused, considering her answer as Nico clicked a top on the steaming cup. “Thanks, Nico.” She slid him a bill and told him to put the change in the tip jar. He winked and handed her the cup. “I got sucked into a movie and was up way too late.” She padded the truth. In reality, she’d stayed up into the wee hours of the morning, talking with Harris. They watched a movie, but Gigi had been more focused on their conversation and each stolen kiss. They’d talked more about Adam and their families. Conversation spiraled into hopes and dreams. As for the show, she couldn’t remember the plotline. She barely remembered the actors.
But Gigi wasn’t quite ready to tell her big sis about Harris. Val had taken care of Gigi while their mom worked long hours to keep food on the table, so Val was as much of a mom to Gigi as their mother was. Gigi wanted to be one hundred percent certain of her relationship with Harris before breaking the news to Val. She wouldn’t gush to her sister ever again about a man that might not stick around. No matter how crazy she was about him.
“Was it a romance or a murder mystery?” Val asked, knowing Gigi’s genres of choice.
“Definitely a romance.”
“Any good?”
“ Really good.”
“What’s the name of it? Evan and I are picking up pizza tonight and we want to watch a movie. I need a suggestion. With all the snow we’ve been getting, we’ve had a lot of movie nights. I think we’ve watched all the new releases.”
“I’ll text it to you later.” Gigi added a cardboard sleeve to her coffee cup. “But you need to save some movies for me!”
In just a few days, Gigi would fly to Minneapolis—on Christmas Day—where Val would pick her up at the airport. From there, they’d drive four hours north to the charming town of Maple Bay, where Val lived with her fiancé, Evan. Val and Evan had dated in college and, through a crazy twist of fate, had rekindled their romance this past summer. Val had redesigned Evan’s house for the fixer-upper reality TV show she hosted.
“I’m going to be there for almost a week, and I definitely want to be curled up next to your fireplace, watching a ton of sappy, funny rom-coms and creepy murder mysteries. We need to make a list.” Gigi tapped her chin thoughtfully.
Val giggled. “I think we need a re-watch party. Want to watch all our favorites from childhood?”
Gigi sucked in a breath, loving Val’s suggestion. “Yessssssss, let’s do it!”
“Issy will love that too,” Val added, excitement in her voice as she referred to Evan’s teenage daughter. Val and Issy had hit it off from the moment they’d met, and it was sweet to see Val’s maternal instincts kick in on someone other than Gigi.
“Yay, girl movies!” Gigi took a sip of her piping hot coffee. As it burned down her throat, she wondered if the jet fuel might sear a hole in her stomach. Licking her lips, she sighed happily, not caring. The coffee would definitely wake her up. “Watching Dirty Dancing and The Breakfast Club won’t annoy the crap out of Evan?”
“Nah, he’s a girl dad. He’s used to it,” Val replied. “But we should probably mix in the original Top Gun , so he doesn’t go completely crazy.”
“Good idea. Also, I’d never complain about having to watch a young Tom Cruise saunter around on the screen.”
“Same,” Val agreed. “That’s good for everyone. But besides movies, we’ll also bake with Evan’s mom, go ice skating on the lake, and have Sunday supper with the family. Plus, Issy is part of a Christmas art show at the high school. I might even get you on a horse.”
“Gah, I can’t wait!” Gigi exclaimed, stepping out of the coffee shop and into the crisp winter air. “We’re going to have so much fun.”
As she wrapped her scarf snugly around her neck, a genuine smile spread across her face. She was truly happy for her sister. Val had rekindled a romance with the kindest, sweetest man. Evan was perfect for her, and Gigi was thrilled they were back together. Plus, Evan’s family was wonderful, and Gigi was excited to spend a week with them all.
It warmed Gigi’s heart to see Val creating a family of her own, but a small part of her felt envious. She hated admitting it, but deep down, she longed for the love and stability Val and Evan had found. For so long, Gigi had prided herself on her independence, determined to navigate life on her own. But watching her sister settle down had shown her that a relationship could be stable and healthy—unlike the tumultuous ones she’d witnessed growing up.
“You said you’re meeting Alice and Paige?” Val asked, breaking through Gigi’s thoughts.
“Yeah, we’re going to the farmer’s market together.” Gigi’s boots crunched through a snowbank as she crossed the street, headed toward the train station where she’d hop a ride to the indoor market. “We like to be the first ones there, before it gets really busy.” Even though she was tired, Gigi wasn’t about to miss out on the Saturday morning ritual with her besties, especially since their Christmas pajama party got cut short last night.
“What’re you shopping for?”
“Lots of stuff. Local honey, fresh ricotta, salami, and veggies. There’s this lady that sells microgreens and I want to pick up garlic, onion, leek, and fennel to try in a few new recipes I’ve been experimenting with.”
“New recipes? You’re making me hungry. You know I love your cooking.”
“I’ll make them for you when I visit. I want your feedback.” Gigi had also been playing with a business plan for the food delivery service she’d told Harris about. It was coming together, making her excited for a side hustle of her own. Maybe somewhere down the line it even could blossom into a full-time gig. But first, she’d need to save and plan. Hitting her bonus this year would be enough to get it started, and she was so close to making that happen.
“Getting on the train soon,” Gigi said, picking up her pace as the caffeine set in. “But I can’t wait to see you. I’ve got so much to tell you, Sis.”