Page 31 of Tattered and Torn

He nods and pats my leg. “Of course. I hope you’ll come with us.”

Chapter 10 – John

Monday morning, I meet up with Gabrielle in the restaurant. While she’s helping out with breakfast, I grab a quick bite and a cup of coffee. “Have you eaten?” I ask her. “It’s a long drive. You should eat first.”

“I’ve eaten,” she assures me. “I’ll be ready to go in just a sec. I just need to grab my purse.”

As we head out to my truck, I say, “You sure look nice.”

Gabrielle’s dressed up in a black skirt, a white silky top, and a cream-colored jacket. Her hair is up in some type of complicated bun, and she’s wearing those gold hoop earrings again.

“Very professional,” I add.

She looks pleased by the compliment. “Thanks,” she says as I help her up into the truck cab. She lays a slim black leather purse with a long gold chain strap on her lap. “I want the sales person to pay attention to me. They won’t if I look like I don’t have a big enough budget to work with.”

“I see.” Not really. But damn, she looks amazing. How can she look like a fresh-faced goddess and a polished career woman at the same time?

It’s an hour-long drive to Denver. We chat the entire time about everything from the lodge to horses to Gabrielle’s life back in Chicago.

“Do you miss it?” I ask. “Chicago? And your friends?”

She nods. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. But I’m also really enjoying the lodge and meeting new people. I’m excited about the restaurant. It’s a blank slate, and I get to shape what it turns into.”

We arrive at our destination and cross the parking lot as we head for the entrance. As I stare up at a huge warehouse building, I realize we’re here for more than just pots and pans. “So, what’s on your shopping list?”

“Pretty much everything,” she says. “I need to bring that kitchen into the twenty-first century.”

I rush forward to open the door for Gabrielle.

I shouldn’t be surprised, but the moment we enter the place, we’re swarmed by two salesmen, both vying for her attention. I wonder if they work on commission or if they’re just waiting on her because she’s pretty.

Another man, dressed in a suit and tie, shows up and shoos the first two away. “I’m Kyle, the sales manager here. How can I assist you today, Ms—”

“Hunter.” She pulls a small notebook out of her purse. “I’m renovating a restaurant, and I need pretty much everything.”

Kyle’s dark eyes widen. “I can help you with that, of course. Where do you want to start?”

She reads from her list. “Industrial sinks with sprayers, dishwashers, refrigerators—both for the kitchen and for customer self-serve—a glass top display freezer, a bakery case, stainless steel food prep station, four gas ranges, three griddles, four deep fryers, two commercial ovens, mixers, and meat slicers.” She grins. “I warned you—it’s a long list.”

The sales manager’s eyes are round as saucers, and I imagine he’s calculating his commission. “It sounds like you’re starting from the ground up,” he says.

Gabrielle nods. “Pretty much.”

He gestures for us to follow him. “Let’s get started, then.”

I follow Gabrielle through the showroom as Kyle shows her the appliances she’s looking for. Of course she doesn’t need me, but I don’t want to leave her alone. “Kyle, do you work on commission?” I ask.

Sheepishly, he nods.

As he makes note of everything she picks out, I’m thinkin’ he’s gonna make bank on today’s transaction. Based on these prices, he’ll probably pocket enough to buy himself a new car. It’s his lucky day.

As I follow them, I listen to her talk. She clearly knows what she wants for the kitchen. She’s assertive and confident, and I can’t help but be impressed.

By the time we’ve been at it for a couple of hours, my left leg aches something awful. Standing around on these hard concrete floors isn’t doing it any good. I try to stretch my leg muscles when Gabrielle’s not looking.

Finally, she says she has everything she needs. We return to Kyle’s desk, and he writes up the order. When he reads her the total, I about crap my pants. Damn.

Gabrielle writes him a check for the deposit. The balance will be paid upon delivery and installation.

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