Page 70 of Quake

“No.” Gloria huffs, folding her arms across her chest.

“No?” Charlie asks her, confusion lacing the word.

“You’re a hater. So see you later, alligator! You aren’t profiting off my good ideas. Not till I die and leave you my millions, anyway.” She chuckles, though, and her expression gives her away.

“I’m sorry I didn’t support your ideas, Mom.” She rolls her eyes. “These are really cute, though, and I think you’ll make a killing, so let me know how I can support you.”

“Could you help me set up my website?”

“Of course I can, and I’m sure Rose will be happy to help too.” She smiles lovingly at her wife, who’s now sitting on the love seat across from me, a small smirk dancing across her lips.

“She already is,” Gloria deadpans.

“What are you on about?” Charlie asks.

“Rose is helping me already. She set me up with a cosmetic chemist, and we’re working on these gorgeous eyeshadows,” she tells us as she flutters her lashes.

Charlie spins to face her wife. “Rose!”

She raises her hands, palms up. “Hey, if you can’t beat ’em, join them. And after being married to you for almost a decade, I can genuinely say thatno onebeats Gloria De Laurentiis.”

“You’d think I’d know better,” Charlie grumbles, taking a seat beside Rose. She lifts her legs up into her lap and rubs small circles along her calves.

Kat and Arielle arrive a few minutes later, and once we’re all here, the guys start to head out.

“You know what? I’m kind of curious about what goes on in these book clubs. Maybe we should skip guys’ night and join the ladies,” Luca pipes up just as they’re almost through the front door.

“Why would you want to hear your mother talk about books with sex?” Angelo grumbles, with his hands on his hips.

“You know, I’ve always been curious too,” Alessandro adds, a grin playing across his lips.

Gianni’s eyes dart to mine, holding my gaze as Dante calls to Gloria. “Hey, Mom, would you mind if we intrude on your girls’ night, just this once?Feel free to tell us to leave,” he adds almost pleadingly.

“Not at all, honey. Come on over.” She waves the men back over but looks around the room. “That okay with you, ladies?”

“Absolutely,” Kira says. Everyone else nods their agreement, each of them giving me a peculiar look that fills me with anxiety.

Gianni pulls a chair up next to Kat, sitting directly across from me. I’m regretting not sitting somewhere with space for Gi to sit beside me.

Over the next hour, we discuss this month’s novel and take a vote on what next month’s read will be.

“I vote forShiverbecause we haven’t read a hockey romance in a while, and the tropes are top-tier in this one!” Charlie suggests.

“Yes! We love a single-father romance!” Kira agrees.

“And the FMC sounds super promising. I think we’re all really going to like her. She sounds like a badass lawyer,” Arielle points out.

“Completely agreed,” Jade chimes in.

“Alright, I think it’s settled then.” Kat chuckles. “Shiverit is!”1

Kat’s sitting on Alessandro’s lap with his arms wrapped around her waist, his head on her shoulder. They’re the epitome of relaxed when together, and I can’t believe I ever thought she and Gianni were dating. Just the thought makes me squirm.

I have no idea what Gianni and I are actually doing, but I know I don’t want him with anyone else.Ever.

***

We continue chatting, with Gloria telling us about all of her fun merchandise until the night winds down. As soon as I’m in my car, my cell goes off with tons of messages flooding in.

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