Page 23 of Body

Dios Mio, are you okay? Call me. Now!

Oh no. She knows. Shit! This is not going to be good.

“Everything okay?” Chase asks at the same time another ping rings out from my cell phone. I glance down.

To: Gillian Callahan

From: Bree Simmons

What the hell happened? Where are you? I’m freaking out! Call me.

I look up at Chase with what must be a miserable expression, because his gaze fills with concern. “Um, looks like the girls found out about last night?” Another ping. I roll my eyes.Not now!I look down. It’s Kat. I sigh loudly.

To: Gillian Callahan

From: Kathleen Bennett

I just heard. We’re worried about you, Gigi. Please tell me you’re okay? How can we help?

“What the hell is going on?” Chase’s voice rises above the static of irritation swirling around my subconscious.Damn that Phillip!

I turn my phone off and concentrate on him. “They found out. I’m going to kill Phillip tomorrow,” I say annoyed. Phillip can’t just leave well enough alone. I should have never told him. No, that was never an option. I should have told himnotto say anything to the girls so that I could tell them first. Preferably after they’ve had a couple glasses of wine. None of us take kindly to the other being hurt and being mugged at gunpoint… I take a huge gulp of my wine and am momentarily assaulted by the lush berry notes. It’s delicious.

“Who found out? What did they find out?” I wasn’t planning on going into detail about my family. Technically, they’re not my blood but they are the only family I have and they are fiercely protective.

“The girls. Phillip must have told Maria what happened. Now they’re all freaking out and blowing up my phone.”

“Gillian, back up. Who are the girls?”

I light up at the mention of my soul sisters. I miss them terribly. My huge grin must have set him at ease because his eyes twinkle as he smiles at me. “This could take a while,” I joke.

“I’ve got all night, especially when you have that gorgeous smile on your face. Tell me about them.”

Jeffery brings a cheese, olive and meat appetizer that pairs perfectly with the wine. After a few nibbles, I explain the loves of my life.

“Maria De La Torre is half Italian, half Spanish. Very feisty. She’s the most incredible dancer you’ve ever seen. Watching her dance is like…” My hands and arms flair out trying to show it. “…like watching a painting come to life, it’s breathtaking.” He nods, and I continue. “We’re roommates. We’ve lived together the past couple years, but have been friends for half a decade.” I stop a moment when the memory of that first meeting invades my mind.

We were both black and blue, sitting quietly with a group of other battered women who’d escaped their bad relationships. The other women were there to coach us. But neither of us felt a connection to them. They looked perfect, didn’t have a scratch. Even though they said they’d been in our same chair a time or two, Maria and I looked at one another and clasped hands. Right then and there, I knew we’d support one another for life.

“You’ve got this glazed look in your eyes. Tell me.” Chase breaks into the memory.

I smile, trying to recall where I was before I took a detour down memory lane. “Maria just has a fire in her. When you’re near her, she’s warm and comforting. She traveled the world dancing until she had uh…an accident.” I settle on accident. I don’t intend to go into the details behind the particular event that almost ruined her career. “But she’s back to her old self and working at The San Francisco Theatre with one of the local dance companies.”

“I know the company and the theatre. Beautiful architecture,” he says.

I nod. “You should see one of her shows. Everyone is impressed when they see her talent.”

“Looking forward to meeting her. Maybe tomorrow when I take you home from the airport?” I nod and he smiles before plopping in a bite of meat and cheese. “Continue.” And I do because it’s fun and easy to talk about my girlfriends.

“Bree Simmons owns “I Am Yoga” in downtown San Francisco. We met several years ago when I took up yoga. She’s absolutely gorgeous, flexible.” I waggle my eyebrows at him and he laughs. ”She has the voice of an angel. She will bring any grown man to their knees through her songs, flexibility and huge heart. But what is so amazing is that she doesn’t even have a clue about her beauty.”

“Neither do you.”

I tilt my head to the side in question.

“I think you’re gorgeous. You have no idea of your own beauty.”

I know my cheeks are back to being rosy as I smile shyly, then take another bite of brie cheese and think about how funny it is that I’m talking about Bree and eating Brie at the same time. I tell Chase, and we both laugh.

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