Chapter Twenty One
DIANE
Tuesday was a big day. First, I wanted to talk to my sister, so I woke up early, baked muffins, and headed straight to her apartment.
I also took muffins for the afternoon, when I was going to have a conversation with my boss.
I'd told Celia yesterday that I was dropping by this morning because I didn't want to arrive at a bad moment, so she was expecting me.
She opened the door the second I knocked. I held the bag of muffins up and gave her a huge grin. She smiled, but it was a bit uneasy.
"Come in."
"You slept in," I said.
She nodded. "I did. Don't know what's gotten into me. What did you bring? Smells like muffins."
"You're right," I replied as I put four on a plate.
We sat down in the kitchen, and she stared at the bag. "How many more do you have in there?"
"A few, but they're not all for you. I'm going to talk to my boss today."
"How come?"
"Let's go over that later," I said, biting the inside of my cheek. "Look, I know you said you need some time to process, but I'm on pins and needles. We need to talk about Gabe."
Celia sighed. "I'm sorry I gave you two such a hard time. It wasn't my place to say anything, or to react in any way. You’re adults, and what you do doesn't concern me."
She sounded as if she'd rehearsed this.
"You're disappointed in me, aren't you?" I asked. My stomach twisted.
"No, I could never be disappointed in you." She reached over the table, grabbing my hand and squeezing it lightly. "I'm just worried about you, that's all. I know Gabe is a good person. I just don't know if he's, you know, a good partner or if he'll break your heart."
I shook my head vehemently. "There's no risk of that. Believe me, I don't have any fantasies of this going anywhere, and besides, with everything that happened with Chuck, I'm in no hurry to be in a committed relationship. So… are we good?"
Celia nodded. Her smile was a bit tight, and I knew she was still feeling uneasy about it, but I was happy that at least she didn't seem to be upset anymore.
"Now, what's that with George?"
"Oh, yeah. That's going to be another tough one. I'm thinking of opening my own touring company."
Celia bit into a muffin, nodding thoughtfully. "I didn't see this coming."
"I only thought about it recently, but I like the idea of doing this on my own terms. "
"I think that's super brave and very, very smart. But health insurance and all that stuff will be a hassle.”
“Yeah, I thought about that too. I’ll manage somehow.” I grinned at her. "I could use a partner in crime, if you want in further down the road."
"I'll think about it. Do you think your boss will be annoyed?"
"I'm not sure how he'll take it, honestly. I don't have any noncompete clause or anything, so that should help."
"And the muffins," Celia said.
"And the muffins."
“You’ll do great, Diane.”
We chatted for a bit longer, and then it was time to continue on with my day. After I left my sister’s house, I went to see my boss before my tour started. I didn’t want to carry the muffins around for a few more hours because they’d get all squishy, so I thought it best to see him first.
He greeted me with a smile. "Sit down, Diane. What brings you here? Ah, muffins. Must be a special occasion."
I usually used my baking skills for bribing. "So, listen, George. You know I love working as a tour guide."
"You're one of our best."
My chest filled with pride. There was no way to soften the blow. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him, "Why did you cut my hours, then?" But it was none of my business.
"I want to do this on my own," I said.
He frowned at the muffin he'd just taken out. It was filled with blueberries, which he loved. "What do you mean?"
Come on, take a bite. Maybe that will soften the blow.
He didn't take a bite. Instead, he stared me down.
"I want to start my own touring company."
He jerked his head back. "Your own company? But why?"
"I’d like a bit more autonomy in my tours, and I need more hours."
"We can talk about that."
"And more money," I continued, and he pressed his lips together. "You probably figured out I'd be gone sooner or later after you cut my hours."
"I figured you were going to go back to one of those fancy hotels, not be my competition," he said, obviously hurt by my decision.
"Look, it really wouldn't be competition." I talked very fast so he wouldn't get any weird ideas. "My tours will be structured very differently, and they’d follow a theme. Most of your tours are general ones showcasing the top attractions."
"I don't feel good about this," he grumbled. "You're still doing your tour today, aren't you?" George said rather briskly.
"Yes, of course. I wouldn't bail like that."
"Hm," he said.
"And I'm going to honor all the tours I've already booked, of course."
He looked up at me briefly. "No. If you want to leave, it's effective immediately. Starting tomorrow."
I felt like he'd slapped me. This was not what I'd expected at all. "But what about the other tours?” I'd been counting on that money.
"No, I want a clean break. You said you want to start on your own, and I respect that. I will simply assign your other tours to the other guides."
"George, I didn't think today would be my last day. I simply wanted to let you know so you have time to look for a replacement."
"No need for that. The others will be happy to take over."
Crap. "Well, then, that's it, I guess, George."
“It is.”
I headed straight to the meeting point with my group, feeling like everything was crashing down around my ears. Why was I so stupid? I thought I was doing an honorable thing, letting him know ahead of time. Truthfully, we didn't have any clause in the contract that told us to give advanced notice.
It was the first time since I'd started doing tours that I couldn't muster too much enthusiasm, and that was reflected in the tips.
Great! Am I about to embark on another spiral downward?
No, no. I just started on the wrong foot, that was all.
After the tour was over, I walked down the Freedom Trail lost in thought, already trying to make a plan. I still had enough of my tutoring sessions booked this week to make rent. And I had a bit of a nest egg that I'd built up since I'd started tutoring. I was sure it would all work out.
I arrived at the house at six o'clock. Gabe's car was already here. Oh God, I could imagine how this conversation would go.
I opened the door and momentarily forgot all my troubles, watching my sexy man walking barefoot through the living room.
He looked over his shoulder. "Hey. You're late."
"I had a long day. I'm a bit exhausted."
"Good thing you don't have to do anything except relax tonight."
That's when I started to sniff the air. "You ordered takeout?"
He grinned. "Even better. I cooked."
"How? What did you cook?" It didn’t smell like burned food, so that was a plus.
He rolled his eyes. "Have a bit of confidence in me, would you? I followed a recipe this time."
"I’m curious."
"What's wrong?" he asked and tilted my head upward. "This is more than just tired. Something happened. Tell me. I need to know."
"Um… well, I told my boss today that I intend to start my own company."
“How did he take it?"
"Said there was no need for me to turn up for the rest of the tours I've been booked for."
"Fuck."
"I just don't know why I told him."
Gabe stepped closer to me. "Because you're honest and you wanted to give him a shot to find someone to replace you."
"Yes, exactly."
He kissed my forehead. "Right. Change of plans. My dinner is no compensation."
I looked up at him, inhaling deeply. His scent calmed my senses. Feeling the heat of his body grounded me. "What do you mean?"
"Clearly you need something to lift your mood, and my stir-fry won't cut it."
"You made stir-fry? I love it."
"Yeah, but as I remember—" He pressed a thumb against the corner of my mouth. "—it's not comfort food, is it?"
"No, it's not. But I’ll enjoy it anyway. You're not mad?" I asked him cautiously.
"What would I be mad about?" He furrowed his brow.
"Because I essentially blew it."
"This isn't your fault. Sometimes things just don’t work out."
I laughed nervously.
"Diane?" He stepped closer again, cupping my face with both hands.
"Nothing, I'm just… My ex would have thrown a fit. Said I couldn’t even get this one thing right." Why did I even say that?
"What the fuck?" He skimmed his hands down my shoulders and arms, resting them on my waist. "I would never treat you like that. Putting each other down isn't the answer."
I nodded, unsure what to really say. This concept of lifting each other up was a bit alien for me.
I'd tried to do that constantly with my ex whenever he hit a roadblock, but the reverse wasn't ever true.
I'd never really felt like he was in my corner when something went wrong.
He always managed to make me feel even worse about it.
"All right, then. Let's see what you think about my stir-fry."
It was surprisingly delicious. "Hey, this is really good."
Gabe smiled smugly. I laughed, realizing this was truly a victory for him. He also poured us white wine, and let me tell you, that was elevating the whole meal to comfort food. I felt more relaxed, and it wasn't because of the alcohol. Being around Gabe had that effect on me.
Once we finished dinner, he led me to the couch and poured more wine. "Tell me what I can do to make this evening better."
"You're off to a fantastic start," I said, taking a sip.
He set his glass down on the coffee table and then put one hand at the back of my neck, drawing his thumb from my hairline downward until it disappeared into my shirt.
"Hmm, we could watch a romantic movie," I suggested.
"Sure. You pick."
I turned around. "What's your take on Christmas movies?"
His mouth dropped. "It's not December."
"No, but they'll lift my mood. What do you think about watching Love Actually?"
"Why not? I've never seen it."
My eyes bulged. "That's not possible."
He laughed. "I haven’t."
"Then you will totally enjoy this evening."
I was happy to share this with him. And I got to curl up next to Gabe. That was all I needed.
I kept my eyes glued on the screen the entire time. "Oh, this is my favorite part," I said when Mark came to Juliet's door and started playing carols, asking her not to tell her husband that it was him, then proceeded to tell her how he felt about her on huge posterboards.
"What exactly do you like about it? The guy's a creep. She’s married to his best friend," Gabe said.
"It is pretty messed-up. But I don't know, I think it's so romantic. You know, the notes and everything."
"Only because the guy's too much of a coward to actually tell her all that."
I pushed at his shoulder playfully. "Don't be such a grinch. I still think it's romantic."
He shook his head but didn't say anything else, just pulled me even closer to him.
"How many times have you seen this movie? Ten?"
"More like forty, I think.”
"How is that even possible?"
"I watch it every year for Christmas, and I also watch it once or twice during the year when I feel low."
He turned to me, kissing one corner of my mouth and then the other. "I’m here. You can tell me when you need to be cheered up, and I’ll do it."
"Huh, you think you can replace Love Actually? That is some heavy lifting."
"I’m very confident.”
I smirked. “That you are. Now stop distracting me. I don't want to miss the rest."
"Of course," he said sardonically.
"Come on, tell me the truth. You don't even like it one bit?"
"It's not too bad," he admitted.
"Ha. I knew it."
His phone pinged toward the end of the movie.
"My interior designer sent me some proposals. I'll look at them after we finish," he said, putting it down and focusing on the screen again.
I was giddy that he stayed with me to enjoy it until the end. He was becoming my best friend and partner. I had to be careful so I wouldn’t get hurt.
My body and mind were so relaxed. It wasn't just the feel-good movie but the sexy man next to me too.
I paused the TV once the credits rolled. He took out his phone and opened what looked like a PDF with some interior renderings.
"This looks so realistic and professional," I said. The designer had chosen a mix of white and gold and light greens for the living room. She'd done a rendering of every room, even the gym. She was a pro.
"This looks good," Gabe said. "But she wasted that alcove by the brick wall."
There was nothing there.
I blushed violently, and he wiggled his eyebrows.
"I’d do a reading corner there," I told him. "It's perfect."
“No natural light. It's far away from the window."
"Who cares? I mostly read on my Kindle anyway."
He stared at me. "So then why do you have all those books?"
"I buy my favorites as a paperback and collect them."
"Your brain is fascinating."
"I know, right? I’d put a shelf there for all of my books. Oh, and a reading chair.” Taking out my phone, I pulled up my favorite furniture website. I’d bookmarked the perfect reading chair. I held the phone in front of Gabe.
“It looks comfortable,” he said.
“I bet it is.”
I pursed my lips together. Crap, what am I doing? This isn't my house.
Gabe nodded, scrolling farther down on his phone.
"So, do you have an estimated date for when the house will be ready?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as neutral as possible.
"A lot of things are still up in the air, but Mateo said he thinks two months is doable."
"Two months? Wow, I, uh, thought something like four," I said, stumbling over my words.
He shrugged. "Honestly, the faster, the better."
A knot of panic rose in my throat. Where did that leave me?
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask what he intended to do about the lease, but I didn't know how to bring up that topic without making it sound like I wanted to move in with him. So I didn't.
Two months.
I really had to kick ass with my new tour business.
I put my head on his chest, considering replaying the movie just to calm down.
Oh come on, Diane. Everything will work out fine. Don't ruin this great evening. You watched Love Actually with this handsome man who cooked you stir-fry and is currently massaging the back of your neck. What more could you want?
Oh, just happily ever after…