Page 24 of Gin & Trouble

I’m more than making an appearance. I’ll be there with jingle-bells on.

I’d stayed true to my word. I hadn’t texted or called or stopped by Julia’s cubicle since she’d asked me not to. However, I’d exploited every freaking loophole in the history of loopholes.

Leo said, “I take it this has to do with the woman you’ve been trying to impress all week?”

I grinned before I could stop myself. “What makes you think there’s a woman involved?”

“Besides that goofy lovesick expression on your face?” He sat on the edge of the desk. “Gabe’s pissed you’ve been paying Zach to stalk her online.”

“It’s not stalking. I’m busy and don’t have time to sit and wait for her to log on. I asked Zach to let me know if her user name happened to pop up while he was playing.”

Okay, I’d totally paid the kid to cyber stalk Julia because she’d blocked me. Lame? You bet, but I’d rather follow her character around and kill orcs than stare at my ceiling wondering what she was up to.

He nodded. “Enzo said you bought lunch for the entire IT department.”

“It’s the holidays. I thought it would be nice.” To keep from over-explaining, I shifted the topic to our big-mouthed brother. “Enzo shouldn’t have said anything. It was supposed to be an anonymous gesture.”

“Uh uh. So, what was the deal with the Ds on the cupcakes?”

Because I wanted a certain someone to know I’d sent them.

I rolled my eyes and lied. “Enzo screwed up. They were supposed to have Ms, as in Marchionni.”

He seemed to struggle to hold back laughter. “And the singing telegram?”

“For Pete’s sake, is nothing private around here? How the hell did you find out about that?”

“You should know nothing is sacred in this family.” Leo hitched a shoulder.

By Friday, I’d run out of ideas and sent her a singing telegram for her birthday, even though she’d been born in June, not December. Needless to say, it hadn’t gone over well, but shehadsent me a text to inform me I’d gotten the date wrong.

“Okay, okay. You got me. There’s a girl.”

Leo stared as if he didn’t know what to make of my confession.

“Do you have a problem with that?” While I understood his reaction, I didn’t like it. Just because I didn’t troll the Quarter looking for one-nighters, and hadn’t serial dated my way through college, didn’t mean I was a freaking monk.

“Not at all. It’s about time.”

What can I say? I’ve been holding out for the right woman, and Julia is it.

Leo nodded to the baby blue board. “It’s hard to believe Rocco is almost a year old.”

The color coding made sense after he’d mentioned my youngest nephew’s name. Rocco was Gabe’s son. Technically, I should say he was hisyoungestson, since Gabe and Maggie were raising Joe’s three children, but I’d never get used to calling Zach, Chloe, or Ryan Gabe’s kids.

“It’s crazy. Who would have thought Gabe would make such a good dad?”

Leo’s shoulders slumped. He’d seemed off lately, almost lost. “It’s weird to think you and I are the last single members of the Bourbon Street Bad Boys’ Club…or is it just me now?”

“I’m single for the time being.”

Personally, I hated the nickname Enzo’s wife had given me and my brothers. I’d never considered myself a bad boy. My brothers? Yeah, they’d raised some serious hell and had left a trail of broken hearts in their wake. Me? Not so much.

Leo scrubbed his hand over his jaw. “A little unsolicited advice?”

“Sure, why not?”

“If you have feelings for this woman, tell her. Don’t wait and risk her getting away without knowing where you stand.”

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