Page 21 of Wish You Would

“See, I would beg to differ.” She reached for her coffee and took a sip, her eyes holding mine. “I think we’re just scratching the surface here.”

“I’m afraid baseball butts is about as interesting as it gets.” I pressed the pad of my thumb onto the button hard enough to leave an indentation. “I’m pretty boring.”

“Now, that,” Gigi said, reaching over to cover my fidgeting hand with hers, “I do not believe.”

Heat filled my cheeks. I pulled my eyes from hers and focused them on her fingernails, short and shiny black. Did she ever wear anything else? I searched my memory and came up empty. Suddenly, it felt imperative that I know. “Do—”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” she said before I could finish. “I have known you for almost a year, and I’ve yet to get bored of you.” As she said it, she pulled her hand from mine and sank back in her seat.

I looked up to find her grinning, a playful glint in her eyes.

Laughing, I dropped my hands to my lap. “Thanks? I think?”

Instead of replying, she winked. Then, she pushed her chair back and stood. “All right. Time to wrap this up. I’ve gotta get this joint opened for the night.”

She started passed my table, but I reached out, grabbing her arm. “Wait.” Gigi turned back toward me. I scrambled to my feet. “I just…what if I don’t know what to say?” My heartbeat thrummed fast in my veins. “What if I open my mouth and the dumbest shit falls out? What if I ask her if she likes bologna?”

There was a flash of amusement in Gigi’s eyes. She didn’t try to hide it. “Well, you better hope she likes bologna,” she said, laughter lacing through her words.

“Nobody likes bologna!” I wailed, dropping back into my seat. “You’ve known Halle for a long time, right?”

Her gaze narrowed. “I have.”

“Could you, like…give me pointers? Things to talk about that she’s into?”

All traces of amusement evaporated. “I will not Cyrano you, Samuels.” Gigi leaned a hip against the table and drummed her fingertips against her coffee cup. “I’m all for helping you feel more comfortable, but I will not be your cheat sheet.”

I pressed my lips together and looked down at my entangled fingers. “I wasn’t—”

“At the end of the day,” she continued, reaching over to tilt my face up to hers. “If you two hit it off, great. If not, that sucks.” I inhaled, the sharp stab of possible rejection slicing under my ribs. Gigi kept talking. “But it’s not the end of the world. And winning someone over by pretending to be someone else is never the answer.” As she took a step back, she added, “And, who knows? Maybe baseball butts and bologna are exactly what she’s into.”

And, with that, she flashed me a grin and walked away.

I stared after her, thoughts and emotions a swirling tornado inside of me.

After a minute or so, I stood from my seat and pulled my still-damp sweater from the back of the chair. I started to pull it on, but the sleeves of Gigi’s flannel got in the way. Glancing toward the Employees Only door, I thought about giving it back. But then I looked out the window, where it was still pouring rain, and wrapped the shirt tighter around me, its warmth—Gigi’s warmth—still soaking through to my bones.

Later, I decided, heading for the exit. I’d return it later.

11

GIGI

STUPID GIRL

“So, give it to me straight.” A couple days later, I leaned a hip against the prep counter and leveled Dante with a stare. “How’s Kai doing?”

Dante, who was prepping the kitchen for open, blew out a long, long, long sigh as he turned to face me. I winced, waiting.

“I don’t know, girlie.” He threw his hand towel over his shoulder and folded his arms across his chest. His dark eyes leveled on mine. The pit of disappointment in my stomach widened to a canyon. I hadn’t realized I’d pinned so much hope on this lark of an idea, but dammit. I’d been hoping real hard.

“Shit.” I pushed my fingers through my hair and sighed. “I really thought they—”

“They’re killing it,” Dante cut in.

My mouth snapped shut, then dropped open again, like a fish gasping for air. “What?”

“I wasn’t too sure at first, but sure as shit.” He shook his head, disbelief on his face. “Something clicked in that kid’s brain, and now they’re running that shit like they’ve never done anything else.”

---