Chapter 93
“Thank you for putting this together!” I say to Gideon, feeling the excitement bubbling up as we drive to Williams Bay.
“Happy Birthday, baby.” G squeezes my hand.
“I’m excited to get out of the city for a few days. August was fucking brutal.”
The media did exactly what I thought they would. The tone of the articles implied that Real-ity was overvalued and basically doomed. G should have waited until we had our messaging solidified.
He said he was feeling sentimental, but I don’t believe him. As his girlfriend, I can’t be mad at him about it, and that’s something I have to keep reminding myself. If he were any other client, I would have fired him over that ordeal.
“I like being your passenger princess,” he says after a moment.
“Where did you hear that phrase?” I tease.
“The office.” He leans across the SUV, pressing a kiss on my cheek. “Our August numbers were up, like really up,” he says. “Even though the tone wasn’t what you wanted, all that press got us a lot of new investors. You handled it so well.”
“I’m happy the stress was worth it, passenger princess,” I say, taking the moment to rake my eyes over him. “It’s my birthday, and I don’t want to think about work anymore.” He smiles at me, then squeezes my hand. “Your style … no notes.” I wink, changing the subject.
G looks unbelievable in a gray shirt with a black jacket over the top and black pants that hit him at the ankle with cool tennis shoes from an indie brand.
“You’re killing me in this look,” he growls, staring at my midi-length leather skirt and tastefully revealing bodysuit.
“Later.” I giggle.
“How come you don’t show off your thighs anymore?” he asks, checking me out.
“Because they’re too big.”
He shakes his head, disagreeing. “I love them.”
“They’re your fault,” I whine, and he gives me the naughtiest look. “Anyways, I’m thinking I’ll have two glasses of wine tonight. So, can you drive to Declan’s after the party?”
“Of course. Do you want me to hold you to that—two glasses?”
“Yeah, hold me to that.”
He leans over, placing a kiss on my cheek until the car’s Bluetooth alerts us to a new text message from Reporter Auden.
I tap the screen, and the car’s voice says, “Happy Birthday!”
G squints at me a little.
“He must have seen it on LinkedIn or something.” I tap the screen and then say, “Thanks! We should have a beer and real estate gossip session soon.”
I squeeze G’s thigh, refocusing on us. “You know … Sorin got Ben fired back in the day for warning me about how much of a player he was.” G raises a brow.
I’ve been finding it easier to talk about that time in my life lately, especially with Gideon.
“I think it’s perfect that he now owns the building and is running his dream restaurant in Sorin’s old space. ”
“Me too,” he says. “A lot of people are going to be there tonight. Everyone you put on your invite list said yes.”
“Closed for a private event,” I read the sign on the door of Bay as we approach.
Inside, the place is transformed. There are gold balloons spelling out “27” and flowers everywhere—on tables, around the bar, and even on the ceiling. I inhale the floral scent as I smile at him. “This place is incredible! Thank you.”
“Dani,” Mom greets. I’m happy my parents dressed up for the occasion.
“Gideon.” Dad shakes his hand, and I can tell he’s happy to see him. “You’re really spoiling her.”
G smirks, then starts a conversation with my dad about what motorcycle he should look into getting. That is a very safe topic and one my dad can talk his ear off about.
“Twenty-seven,” Mom says. “I’m so proud of you. Of everything you have going on. Look at all these people. You have such a full life.”
I hug her and scan the room, seeing Kelsey, Ben, Sam, Sarah, Kate, Brandon, and Declan mingling about.
Making my way over to Kate, I comment on her new brunette look. “Where’s the purple hair?”
“That was the old me.” I nod, considering that she’s likely committed to staying sober.
Gideon hands me a glass of red wine. “Do you want anything, Kate?” he asks.
“I’m good. I have to decide which of the non-alcoholic cocktails I’m going to get.”
“So, you’re sober?” I ask her.
“Yeah.”
“Dani,” Declan says. He’s wearing a tan sports coat with a white Shirts button-down, lighter wash jeans, and khaki Converse shoes.
It’s jarring how sometimes, when I look at him, I have to do a double take.
He can look so much like Sorin. I’m happy his hair is at least different from Sorin’s crew cut. It’s shaggy now … and hot.
“So European,” I say, after checking out his look.
He shrugs, then takes an envelope out of his jacket. “Happy Birthday,” he says, extending the envelope to me.
“We said no presents!”
“This is for all of us, speed demon.”
I open it and see membership details to Autobahn Country Club outside of Chicago.
“Declan,” I murmur, knowing this track has like a fifty-thousand-dollar initiation fee.
“Keep your speeding for the track.”
“I can’t?—”
“Gideon also got a membership,” Declan says, interrupting me. “We talked about it.”
“Thank you.” I reach my arms out to hug him.
“I love seeing you this happy,” he says, kissing the top of my head.
I tense, feeling like this is crossing our friend’s boundary. We’ll talk about it later.
“Sam!” I yell, breaking her conversation with a group.
“Dani! Happy Birthday!” She hugs me. “I’m hoping to be out of the cottage by the end of the year,” she says after our hug.
“No rush,” I softly say, not wanting my parents to hear. I still haven’t told them that I have the cottage now. I don’t know what I’m going to do with it once Sam moves out.
“Can I please pay you something? I feel like I’m taking advantage.”
“You’re paying all the utilities. It’s fine,” I say, and then my memory flashes to me, asking Adam if I could pay rent.
I understand now why he didn’t want me to pay. Well, assuming it’s coming from the same place as why I don’t want Sam to pay. I want her to save her money to get back on her feet.
“I’m going to send you a month-to-month lease to sign.
I want to protect myself in case something crazy happens.
” Gideon has been on my dick about that.
He has a lot of scary squatter stories from his investment properties.
She doesn’t need to know that. “I’m proud of you for calling off the wedding,” I softly say, hugging her, and she squeezes me tighter.
More local and college friends and family make their way into Bay, and I’m swept up in a whirlwind of conversation with everyone before Gideon pulls me away. “We should do cake.”
Ben carries a beautiful cake from the kitchen and places it on the dessert table.
Gideon clinks his glass to get everyone’s attention. “Thank you for celebrating Dani this evening.” He looks around the room, and my heart flutters. I’m getting the vibe he is going to propose. I hope he doesn’t. It’s too soon for that.
“I love you, Dani,” he says, looking into my eyes.
“Happy Birthday.” G lights the candle and then starts singing, and everyone joins in.
My cheeks flush with all the warmth and attention, and then I blow out the candle.
Gideon dips me into a kiss that earns cheers from the crowd. This moment feels perfect.
“Take a seat. I’ll bring you a slice,” he says, and my heart rate begins to slow. This moment is exactly what it should be.
I sit at the closest table, and Kelsey joins me. “With how over-the-top this is, I thought he was going to propose,” she whispers.
“In a group setting? No way. That’s not him.” I’m so relieved he didn’t though. “We’ve never talked about it, and I’m happy with the normal pace of our relationship.”
“I like him. A lot.” She squeezes my hand. “I’m happy you guys aren’t rushing too.”
“Me too.”
As the party wraps up, I stand in front of a table filled with presents, even though I requested no gifts. A small gift bag catches my eye, and I peek in. A ring box and a card are inside.
“Did you forget something?” I nervously ask G.
Looking at the gift bag, he says, “That’s not from me.”
Curious, I open the ring box, and anger courses through me. Fuck you, Adam Harris! My heart sinks seeing the ring he bought me last year for my birthday, the same ring I threw at him. “It’s from Adam.” I show G the card, which reads: last chance.
Declan steps over and reads it, his expression hardening. “Do you want me to go mafia?”
“How does he always know where I am?”
Declan frowns. “Give me your phone. Let me see if he downloaded an app or something.”
I unlock it and hand it to him, feeling a bit rattled. “He did know my passcode.”
Declan’s face darkens as he opens Find My. “He’s been tracking your location.”
“What?” I’m seething.
I click to stop sharing my location and immediately block his number.
“If he does anything else, Dani, you tell me,” Declan says, his tone deadly serious.
G wraps his arms around me. “Breathe. Don’t let him ruin tonight.”
“Ben,” I call, and he joins us. “Can you check the camera to see who dropped this off?”
Moments later, he returns with a printed screenshot of some guy I’ve never seen before, leaving the gift on the table.
When is Adam going to stop?