Page 32 of Love Blitz

“Gigi.” Tatiana waved her hand in the air, and I walked over to the bar. A small space to squeeze in next to her.

“Tatiana,” I said, hugging her around her shoulders. “Thank you for meeting me.”

She scoffed and waved a hand in the air. “I wondered how long it would take before you caved.” Laughing, she said, “That shit was getting rough, huh?”

I flopped into the seat beside her and said, “Was it?” My eyes bulged. “If you weren’t available tonight you would have had a nice, crocheted crop top for summer.”

“You didn’t?” Tatiana always joked about my hobby in college. Telling me I was too young to crochet. “I’m glad I was available then. The scarf you made me for Christmas fell apart. Woulda had me out here with my nipples out with a crocheted crop top.” She reached for her drink. “Order something.”

I did as she suggested and ordered a martini. The bartender placed it in front of me and I raised it to her. “To better days that don’t need crochet needles.” We clanked and sipped. “Who would have thought I would be back to the single life?”

She scoffed. “You act like it’s that bad out here.”

I side-eyed her. “Did you forget how much you complained to me?” I always listened to her dating tales. Cringing at the audacity of most of the men. The ones who would invite her on a date but look crazy when the bill came to the table. Or the ones who wanted to sit at the house instead of taking her out. And the worst one, I laughed as I reminded her, “Remember the guy who had you riding around in the car as he Ubered?”

She gasped and placed a hand over her face. Through her fingers, she said, “Claimed to be a mastermind. Make money to spend money.”

“Exactly. Can’t convince me this isn’t the pits.” I twisted my lips to the side. “Starting from scratch.” I sighed. “Ugh.”

“Scratch?” she questioned me with a look of confusion. “What happened to Angelo?”

I hunched my shoulders. “I mean.” The start of the week I would have agreed Angelo was a contender. Someone who would have kept me away from the dating scene. As the week progressed though, reality hit me. “I don’t know if that’s realistic.” I shared, “Monday he showed up to the office. Brought me lunch.” The whole day etched into my memory. No matter what happened with me and him, or me and anyone else, I’d never forget it. “Okay, Monday was legit the best day ever.”

“Ever?” Her eyebrows hitched. “Like better than the day you became a fiancée?”

I scrunched my nose. “Sounds crazy, right?”

“A little.” Then she laughed. “I mean, buddy didn’t do what he should have done for that proposal, so I understand.” She smacked her lips then sipped her drink. “I mean, he could have asked for a little help.”

At the time, I thought a proposal on campus where we met was cute. Thoughtful. But later, I realized it lacked any elements of romance. He didn’t even drop to his knee. Later telling me he didn’t want to mess up his pants on the gravel. “Next time I fall for the okie doke,” I told her, “slap me.”

“Hand all in the face.” She laughed. “So, what made Monday thebest day ever?”

“We were in my office, eating lunch, and it was…” I tried to find the word to describe how it felt. “Sensual without being sexual.”

“Damn.” She sucked the rest of her drink down. “I don’t even know what that means, and I want it every day of the week. What’d he do?”

“It’s what he said. He makes it known that he wants me.” Shawn lacked in that department too. “Then after I told him the folks in the office would gossip about his visit and us being in my office behind a closed door.” My cheeks warmed telling her. “He walked out in front of the receptionist and kissed me.”

“Okay, Angelo.” She tilted her head to the side. “He got a brother?”

“Ugh. I know he has a sister.”

She winked. “A sister. Never tried it, but…” She threw her hand in the air to grab the bartender. “I need a shot.” She ordered two and handed me one. “Drink up.”

After drinking it down she asked what else happened on Monday. “I mean, keep it coming. Don’t spare any details. I need to live through you.”

“He came over and I tried to cook dinner for him.” That part of the day made me roll my eyes. “I burned it. And then cried.” I shook my head. “Like alligator tears.”

Tatiana put her hand on top of mine. “You what?” Her neck strained. “Did you say you cried?”

I nodded. “Like a damn baby.” Then I smiled. “But he ordered food. Put me on his lap and asked me what was going on.”

“And?”

“It was everything that happened. And the two of us getting wrapped up so fast. It all hit me at once. A little overwhelming. Especially knowing it could all come to an end.”

“Like the burnt food?”

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