I caught a glimpse of her pink-streaked blonde hair when we walked in. As tempting as it was to march over to the table she’s sharing with a guy in a suit, I resisted.
I greeted Marti with a kiss on her cheek, sat my ass down in a chair next to the table she directed us to and then turned to see if I could get a good look at the woman’s face even though her back is to me.
It took three glances over my shoulder before I finally caught sight of her profile.
She’s not my neighbor. This woman isn’t nearly as beautiful as the one who was undressing for me in front of her window earlier.
“I don’t know her,” I answer truthfully.
“You want to know her,” Gina counters with a smile.
I shake my head. “Not her.”
“Look at you acting all cagey.” She takes a sip of the wine, closing her dark brown eyes to savor the taste.
I ignore the comment. Most of my time spent with Gina is devoted to watching her put on a brave face in the aftermath of a break-up. She reaches out when her heart has taken a beating.
“You’re too good for him, Gina.”
She sets the glass down. “You always say that. It never helps.”
I heard about her ex and his new bride on the way here. He proposed to the woman he started dating after he dumped my cousin. They walked down the aisle earlier today, which is why Gina showed up at my place.
“Time helps.” I reach for her hand and squeeze it.” You’ll find the right guy for you.”
She looks down at our hands. “Do you think you’ll ever find the right girl for you?”
It’s a topic I’ll skip.
“I made you both the tortellini.” Marti appears next to the table with a server by her side. Two large white bowls of pasta are in his hands.
“I ordered the ravioli, Grandma.” Gina smiles up at Marti.
“You’ll eat the tortellini,” Marti quips as the server places the bowls down in front of us. “I made it myself. Now eat.”
Chapter 11
Dexie
“You’re going to walk out of that meeting this afternoon with a new business partner.” Sophia adjusts the collar of my dress. “I am telling you, Dex. Today is a day that will go down in history.”
I wouldn’t go that far.
I know she means well, but spending every evening with Sophia this week has started to wear on me.
Her help with preparing my pitch for the potential investors has been vital. I’ll never be able to repay her for the time she’s devoted to this.
I’ve stolen moments away from her husband, Nicholas, and her daughter, Winter. I had dinner with all of them the past three nights. Sophia insisted so that we could get to work as soon as she finished reading Winter her bedtime stories.
I turned her down when she offered her spare bedroom to me. She didn’t want me going home late every night. In her mind, I’d be safer tucked in the bed down the hall from her.
I admit I was tempted, and not just because the bed is a dream to sleep in. I didn’t want to get home and look out my window to see the man I’ve been fantasizing about with someone else.
I was disappointed when I saw the beautiful dark-haired woman with my half-naked neighbor. I had no right to be since I’ve never met the man and we don’t share anything but a direct view into each other’s apartments.
I went to a movie the night I saw them together. By the time I got home, his apartment was dark. I have no idea
if that meant he’d left or if he was rolling around in bed with her behind a closed door.