Page 78 of Love Redesigned
Chapter Twenty-Six
Alex
I didn’t exactly have a reason to hang around the hotel lobby. And there were any number of things I could have done to keep busy across the street at the venue. But I had my phone on me. If anything were to go wrong, I’d know and could be there in a matter of seconds. That argument worked for a solid twenty minutes before I nearly caved, deciding I couldn’t wait any longer before checking in with Isaac in person. But then the elevator doors dinged open and I’d never been so happy to have wasted twenty minutes playing Ball Blast on my phone.
Dani stepped off the elevator, wearing a red dress that both hugged and flowed at the same time, flattering her figure in an understated, classy way. I’d spent time enough around women who dressed in a way that begged for attention; that wasn’t Dani. She exuded confidence, poise, elegance.
She smiled as she approached in a way that filled me with hope. She’d pushed me away, and I respected her need to do so. But maybe she wouldn’t push me away forever. “You’re still here,” she said.
“Yes.” I slipped my phone into my pocket. “I realized I hadn’t yet defeated level one hundred and twelve on Ball Blast and it really felt important that I take care of that. Now. Here. In the lobby of this very elegant hotel.”
She raised an eyebrow and I shrugged. “It seemed like an appropriate location for such an important task.”
“I’m sure.” Her eyes said she completely understood why I was still around, but they also said she didn’t really mind it.
“You look beautiful.”
Her eyes dropped to the floor, but only for a moment before she met my gaze head-on. I’d always loved that about her. She never shied away from a compliment. “Thank you. I thought the dress felt like Christmas.”
“Ah, see? I had the same thought.” I motioned to my red and green striped tie.
“I noticed that earlier,” she said. “Very festive.” She motioned to the front doors of the hotel. “Shall we?”
As we turned, we both froze, until Dani reached over and gripped my hand. Sasha and Alicio, as well as Gabriel and Victor, were directly in front of us, not ten yards away.
“What are they doing here?” Dani asked, her voice strangled and small.
“Having a family dinner, apparently.” The restaurant in the hotel lobby was nice enough to warrant their patronage, but still. What were the odds?
Dani dropped my hand, and slipped an arm around my waist, turning me slightly so she could lean up on tiptoe and whisper in my ear. “We’re together, all right? Dating again. Desperately in love. And we can’t wait to see them at the wedding next week.”
I leaned back and looked at her, a question in my eyes. “What? Why?”
She pressed her body against me, placing a small kiss just below my ear. “Trust me.”
Sasha noticed us first. Her eyes narrowed before she slid an arm through Alicio, pulling herself closer to him.
Dani tugged me forward. “Sasha,” she said as we approached, a wide, genuine smile on her face. “It’s so lovely to see you again.” She let go of my arm and leaned forward, giving Sasha air kisses on either side of her face.
I pushed my hands into my pockets, nodding a brief acknowledgment to my stepfather, and brothers. Gabriel, at least, extended his hand. “How are you, Alex? Merry Christmas.”
“Thanks. Same to you.”
He looked over his shoulder at the rest of his family. “We didn’t know you were in the city or we would have asked you to join us.”
It wasn’t true, but I appreciated that Gabriel would try and make me feel better anyway. “That’s all right. I’m working tonight, actually. We’ve got a thing across the street.”
“Oh. Cool.” He looked at Dani. “You’re back together?”
I nodded, wishing I didn’t have to lie to say yes. “Yeah. We are.” Dani still spoke to Sasha, her expression warm, her body language open. What was she doing? “I’m bringing her to the wedding next week.”
“You’re coming to the wedding?” Victor said, suddenly joining the conversation.
Alicio turned as well, his eyes meeting mine.
“Ididreceive an invitation,” I said hesitantly.
Alicio smiled tightly. “Of course. If you want to come, we’d love to have you.”
