Page 32 of The Wrong Move

After borrowingmy mother’s car, I meet Paige at a café. She greets me with a hug.

“How are you settling back in?”

“It’s nice to be back at home. I missed my parents.”

Paige coughs.

I laugh. “And my friends.”

“From what I hear, Byron missed you as much as you missed him.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” She pulls a cheeky face.

“Just what did you hear?”

“That you spent time with each other at the beach.”

I sigh. “We did.”

“Mason said all he talks about is you.”

“We’ve spent one day together.”

Paige places her Gucci bag on the chair beside her. “He said he’s happy you chased your dream and is amazed at everything you’ve achieved.”

Her words warm me. Byron is the one who encouraged me never to give up on my goals.

“I had a fabulous time in Italy and was lucky to secure the design work.”

She pushes short strands of blonde hair behind her ears. “Luck had nothing to do with it.”

We all need friends like Paige. She is the one person I kept in contact with during my time in Italy. I didn’t share a lot of details, but we did talk.

“What’s next for the famous Giana Monroe?” Paige asks dramatically.

I laugh. I amnotfamous. “Don’t famous people drive fancy cars and live in luxury houses?” Like Byron.

“You had a villa.”

“Still do. I never sold it. But I’m back driving my parents’ car and living with them. Does that sound famous to you?”

She narrows her eyes. “Don’t pretend you’re poor.”

“I’m not. I have savings. I’m the world’s best procrastinator. Do I buy a car? A condo? Because if I do, it means I’m taking a step toward staying in LA.”

“Buy a car, Gigi. It’s independence. You’ll use it on return visits.” She’s right. “But you don’t need a condo when you have your studio above your parents’ house.” She pauses. “Unless you need more privacy…”

“Stop it. What about you? How are you and Mason?”

“We went on our third date last night.” She beams her big smile. “Why did we wait so long?”

“Why do any of us wait? The future holds no more safety than today.”

Her eyes round. “Right?”

We order coffee and chat some more, laughing a lot.

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