Page 4 of Say I Do

“At the moment, yeah, but what the hell is going on with the building?”

“What do you mean?”

“You bought it?”

“Yes, the sale has gone through. Just waiting on finalized paperwork”

“Well, everyone is being kicked out.”

“What?” I bark.

“According to some of the neighbors, the new owner has purchased the property and wants everyone out by the end of the day so they can begin construction.”

“I have no fucking clue what you’re talking about.” I stand up from my desk and grab my coat. Yes, there will be relocations due to the construction, but I have already arranged temporary housing.

“Everyone is packing up and leaving as we speak. Your girl hasn’t come out yet, but I’m guessing she will soon.” I’m not sure who fucked this up, but I’m going to find out soon enough. Once I do, they’ll be the ones to be vacating their job. But right now, I needto get to the building and make sure my girl is okay. That she doesn’t take off.

“I’m on my way. Don’t let her out of your sight.” I hang up before he can respond. I already know he wouldn't, but I have to be sure. I have a sense of what I think is panic. It’s not a feeling I’m used to.

“Sir.” Lauren jumps up from her chair when I exit my office. “Are you leaving?”

“I want you to pull up whatever paperwork we have on hand for the Kingston building. All of it. I need to read it back over. And get me the finalized copy. How many times do I have to ask?” Lauren falls into step beside me.

“Is something wrong?”

“For some reason, the tenants believe they are to vacate the premises immediately.”

“Won’t they need to be out for renovations?”

"I'm setting up the necessary arrangements for that." It can be done by floor and so on. I never once mentioned that I was kicking all of them out.

“Right, of course not.” There is a hitch to her voice that causes my hackles to rise. “Are you leaving?” I hit the button for the elevator. I don’t have time for this. Gabriella was fired, and now she's under the assumption that she’s been kicked out of her home. It’s in part my doing. I have to fix this. I wanted to make her life better, not worse.

“Yes, I have somewhere to be.”

"We have dinner reservations with the Greens." Fuck, I’d forgotten about that. How had I? I’ve been working on this deal for months.

“Cancel it."

“What? Securing a meeting with them has proven to be challenging. In fact, the only meeting they had available was for dinner.”

“Cancel it.” There is no amount of money, real estate, or any other asset that would keep me from straightening out this mess that I’ve somehow caused for Gabriella. The thought of her crying again for the second time today is enough to send me over the deep end.

“Sir—”

“See if they’ll move it.” I step onto the elevator. “Keep me updated,” I say as the doors close. Thankfully, the elevator doesn’t stop on a million floors and goes straight down to the parking garage.

I don’t have to plug in the address for Gabriella’s place. No, I've driven by it more times than I care to admit. The girl has a spell on me. She brings out a side of me that I didn’t know was there. I could fight it, but I already know it’s not a battle I’d win, and no one is stupid enough to go into a fight they think they’re going to lose.

4

GABRIELLA

“Whoa.” I gasp when I almost slip on the stairs. I’m lugging a suitcase and two trash bags. Thankfully, I right myself before I fall on my ass. That would have really been the icing on the cake for the day. I make my way to the sidewalk that leads toward the street.

I set my belongings down in order to retrieve my phone and check if the car I ordered is close. The stupid screen freezes. I need a new phone but can’t afford one right now. Before I get a chance to reset it to check, it pulls up, stopping right in front of me. It said it was a black SUV. I open the door.

“Right on time,” I say to the driver, shoving the first trash bag in and across the seat and then the other. “Should I put this in the trunk?” I ask, holding up my suitcase. It’s not very big. “Never mind. I think it will fit. Don’t get out. It’s snowing.” I get in, closing the door behind me. I click my seat belt on, but we don’t move. “I’m ready to go,” I tell him, letting him know it’s okay to take off now.

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