Page 19 of Hitting the Gap

Damn, he was coming at her with the straight talk before she’d even had her first cup of coffee. And almost like he could read her mind, Gonzo pivoted. “This place makes the best coffee in the city,” he said, pulling open the door to the cafe.

“The best? That’s a bold statement.” Bailey inhaled the fragrant aroma of coffee. If the smell was anything to go by, it just might be up to the challenge.

“And I stand by that statement.” He eased into the line behind a group of women. The blonde in front of them smiled. Gonzo flashed her a quick smile back, then turned to Bailey. “What are you having?”

Bailey chewed her bottom lip as she studied the menu board. When she glanced over at Gonzo, she could swear he’d been staring at her mouth. He cleared his throat. “They make a mean breakfast sandwich if you’re into that.”

She peered around the girls to look at the display, then looked at him. “Breakfast sandwich sounds good and a non-fat, sugar free vanilla latte.”

Gonzo wrinkled his nose. “Why the hell would you want to ruin a beautiful coffee with that fake sugar-free crap?”

Bailey rolled her eyes. “If I’m going to start eating better, it would probably be smart not to drink my daily allotment of calories.”

“If you’re drinking crap coffee, I get it, but good coffee doesn’t need all that other shit.”

“Well, I haven’t tried the coffee here to know if it’s good. How do I know you have good coffee taste buds? I seem to remember you thinking condiment sandwiches were the bomb, so—”

He winced. “Okay, yep, those were kind of gross.”

Bailey laughed as she remembered the disgusting mustard, mayo, and ketchup sandwiches on Wonder bread he used to make. He swore the Wonder bread was the secret ingredient that took them to another level and made them gourmet. It wasn’t. Not even close. Nothing could have saved those sandwiches.

Gonzo stepped up to the counter and placed their order. Bailey reached into her purse to pull out her wallet and he stopped her. “I got it,” he told her.

“You won’t let me pay you any rent. The least I can do is pay for your breakfast.”

He shrugged. “You can pay next time.”

Bailey wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

She tried to ignore how good it felt to have his big arms automatically wrapped around her, even briefly. He’d always given great hugs. But now that he’d been working out so much, it actually felt like he could pick her up with no problem. And she kind of liked it. Not that she would ever admit that out loud.

He gave her a tight squeeze and released her hold. “What are friends for?”

The barista called their order. “Let’s eat.”

Chapter 6

When Gonzo left for the game later that afternoon, Bailey stood in the empty apartment and looked around the spacious room.

What would she have done without him? She trailed her hand along the back of the sofa as she walked toward the balcony. As she reached for the door handle, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the glass. Her hand flew to her head, flattening the hair that stuck up in every direction in the back. She removed her hand and the hair sprung back up. Oh god. Had she really gone out in public like that? She tried to flatten the hair, but it seemed to have a life of its own. Maybe it didn’t really look as bad as she was envisioning.

Changing direction, she made her way to the bathroom. The second she rounded the corner and glimpsed herself in the mirror she pulled up short. Yikes, it was so much worse than she’d pictured. Who knew a reflection in the window could be so forgiving? She dropped her gaze to her baggy, stained T-shirt as it clung to her stomach. What the hell was the point of baggy clothes if they were going to stick to your flippin’ rolls? That was the whole point of wearing baggy. They were supposed to camouflage, not emphasize the damn things.

Taking a deep breath, she flipped on the bathroom light and winced. Wow, it just kept getting worse. She puffed out a breath and stood squarely in front of the mirror. Bailey fingered her hair in the half-in-half-out messy bun. She’d always loved her hair and been proud of how thick and shiny it was. Women regularly asked her about the color and how she styled it so artfully casual. Those days were clearly long gone.

Stepping closer to the counter, she leaned toward the mirror. She could practically park a car in the bags under her eyes. Everything about the way she looked said she’d given up. And honestly, she had.

Tears burned as they fought to escape. She’d wallowed in being dumped before she moved. She should have moved on already. San Diego was supposed to be a fresh start. A new Bailey. A chance to reinvent herself and instead she’d become this. Gonzo was right, she’d become a person she barely recognized.

Fuck that. Brad had ruined their relationship, but he didn’t get to steal her new start from her as well.

Bailey ripped her hair out of the bun and tossed her hair elastic onto the bathroom counter. It was time for a new Bailey. Time to practice what she taught. She couldn’t be an empowered woman if she hated what she saw in the mirror. If she wanted to wear stained clothes, she was going to do it by choice, not because she just didn’t care what she looked like anymore.

She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and searched for hairdressers in the area. Finding one with a good rating, she pushed the call button. Several minutes later, she leaped at the chance to fill a cancellation the next day.

Her gaze landed on her bare nails and a rush of excitement ran through her. Painting her nails was exactly what she needed to feel powerful and in control. Brad had always hated when she decorated her nails. Told her she made a spectacle of herself by painting them anything other than a plain pale color. Well, screw Brad. He wasn’t here anymore, and decorating her nails made her feel beautiful. So fuck him. She’d spent enough time letting that asshole affect her decisions.

Eyeing her toiletries on the bathroom counter, she realized she was missing everything she needed. Well crap, guess she was hitting the storage unit.

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