Page 31 of Thanks for the Love
“Gabrielle,” she scolds. “There’s a movie calledSingle White Female. I urge you to watch it.”
“Mom.”
“You never know who people really are until you’re around them for a while,” she reminds me.
That’s true. It took three years to find out the type of man Dustin was.
“My roommates are really nice,” I tell her. “And so are my co-workers. I’ve met some awesome people down here.”
She sighs. “Okay. Just please don’t let your guard down.”
“I know, Mom.”
She doesn’t say anything for a few seconds. I wonder if she’s going to bring up Dustin and Amber’s engagement. It’s definitely a sensitive subject for all of us.
“I’m really excited about the new life I’m building here.”
“Mmm …”
Is she even listening to me?
“Mom, I spoke to Nikki last night.”
“Oh?”
“You don’t have to avoid the subject.”
“Gabrielle, you know it’s terribly difficult for me to talk about.”
I scoff. “Yeah, I know a little something about that.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve had a conversation like this.
“I know, honey,” she says. “Dustin has caused so much pain. Breaking my baby girl’s heart and ruining life-long friendships. I wish he’d never come into our lives.”
I fall back on the bed. “Well, Amber had a little something to do with it too. Don’t excuse her behavior.”
“I’m not,” she snaps.
I glance at the time. “As much as I’d love to chat some more, I have to get ready for work.”
It takes me another five minutes to convince her that I have my Taser and pepper spray in my car and ready to activate when and if I’m in a dangerous situation.
There’s no way I’m telling her anything about Theo. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her anyway.
Chapter Nine
Ishould’ve moved to Miami years ago. I’m completely in awe of Danielle Sims’ condo, and if I could afford it, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. I pulled all the comps from the area before I arrived, and since the property appears to be in perfect condition, I think we can get it listed as soon as possible.
“This a beautiful place,” I say.
She nods. “Yes, but we’re ready for something bigger.”
She points to the tiny bump on her stomach.
“Oh, wow, congratulations.”
She beams. “Thank you. We’ve been trying for a while, so this is big news for our family.”
