by Kris Bryant
“I don’t have a single problem with the Pet Posh Inn. I’m going to try to give you exactly what you’re paying me for.”
“Your mom told me about what happened when you were little,” Serena said.
Gabrielle subconsciously rubbed her scars again. When Serena looked at her hands, Gabrielle thought about hiding them but ended up stretching her hand forward so that Serena could see.
“It’s not that bad anymore, but I had several surgeries to save my fingers.”
Serena reached out as if she was going to touch them, but pulled her hand back. “You almost lost them?”
“My ring and pinkie fingers were partially torn off.”
“I didn’t realize it was so bad. Do you have feeling in your fingers?”
Gabrielle nodded. “Sometimes they hurt because of the weather, but most of the time I don’t even notice.”
“I’m sorry L.B. scares you. I shouldn’t assume that everyone loves dogs.”
“I used to love them. Ever since then, I avoid them. Rosie has a really sweet dog, but I’m not going to lie. It’s hard. I’m sure it sounds ridiculous.” Saying the words out loud made her cringe. She’d never cared about her phobia until right now.
“Well, when we are working, I’ll make sure you aren’t in the same room with him ever. Even if we aren’t working,” Serena said.
What did that mean? Did that mean they would be together while not working? Gabrielle stared at Serena, trying to figure out what she meant until it was apparent Serena was uncomfortable under her scrutiny. She slipped her glasses back on and looked at her computer. “Thank you. Since you’re here, do you want to see what I’ve been working on?”
“Definitely.” Serena scooted the chair closer to the desk. “I mean, if you have time. I just showed up unannounced, which isn’t ideal.”
“Nonsense.” Gabrielle turned her monitor so they both could see the redesign of the rooms. She zoomed in on the deluxe room with the individual air conditioner and heating unit. “If you do it this way, it’s super posh and you don’t have to worry about the heat strips on the floors getting damaged. There’s a loft for the sleeping area. The steps will have traction so the dogs won’t slip and fall. It’s easy to clean up when they’re done with their stay.”
“I really want carpet. I think it adds to the warmth of the place,” Serena said.
Gabrielle bit her lip to keep from groaning out her disbelief. “I don’t disagree, but I think this is more practical for dogs. You won’t be able to replace the carpet every time they go to the bathroom if they aren’t taken out as often as they would like.” She was careful not to accuse Serena’s not-even-hired-yet staff of not letting the dogs out enough. Accidents were going to happen. It was a fact. “Okay, how about throw rugs? We can add some industrial-sized washers and dryers. We can add them to the pantry over here and just extend the east wall eight feet.”
“That takes away from the outside area.”
Gabrielle made a few adjustments and showed Serena the new backyard. “The area is still large and we can move this fort thing over so it’s up against the wall, but fully functioning.” After seeing Pet Paradise and the fun obstacles for the dogs, Serena had a change of heart and decided to add back some of the pet playground equipment she had Gabrielle take out.
“It just seems so small.”
“It’s larger than a backyard. There are only enough rooms for two dozen large dogs. There’s plenty of room. More so than what we saw at any of the places we visited.” Gabrielle was getting tired of trying to justify every change. She wasn’t an expert on dogs and other animals, but she was an expert on space.
“You’re right. It’s just hard to see it from a two-dimensional perspective. I should trust you more,” Serena said.
Neither one of them believed her.
“Are you okay with throw rugs, then? I’m sure there are carpet stores that would be more than happy to donate scraps of carpet they have left over from big house or apartment jobs.”
“I can afford it.”
Gabrielle looked directly into Serena’s eyes and was surprised how quickly her blue-green eyes escalated from happy-go-lucky to do-not-insult-me. She had fire after all, and that knowledge gave her a ripple of excitement. “I never said you couldn’t. It’s my job to get the most bang for your buck, and I just know that carpet isn’t easy to dispose of and donating it to the Pet Posh Inn might be beneficial to you and to them. Only a suggestion.”
Serena leaned back in her chair and sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t come here to argue. You’re right. You’re the professional.”
“I want to give you what you want.” Gabrielle cleared her throat at the implication of that. “You’re paying me to design your dream business. We can have twenty rounds of changes. I’m charging by the hour.”
Serena threw her head back and laughed. “You’re totally right. I’m sorry. Yes, let’s add the washer and dryer. That’s a good idea even for towels and stuff. That way we don’t need to use a service to wash linens. I was going to cart things back and forth to the house, but Faith pointed out I should keep work at work.”
“So, you won’t bring work home with you. I like it.” Gabrielle winked at Serena, their testy moment already defused. “It’s lunchtime. How about we get out of here and not talk about animals.”
“I’m meeting with my lawyer, so I can’t today. I’m sorry. Maybe next time?”
For some reason, that stung a bit. “That’s fine. I’ll probably just go harass my nephew into giving me free food.”
“Phillip’s a really a nice kid. Faith has been texting him since the barbecue,” Serena said.
“Did you fix my nephew up with your baby sister?” Gabrielle could tell Serena was trying to hide her smile.
“Guilty. He’s a nice young man, and Faith could use a break in the dating department.”
“They did hang out at the party pretty much the whole time.” Gabrielle couldn’t recall a time when Faith and Phillip weren’t together last Sunday.
“I coaxed her into going because I want her to know people here in town. Thanks to you, she knows Phillip, Piper, Shaylie, Rosie, Anne, and a few of Phillip’s friends. I think she’s starting to get excited about moving here.”
“And the travel time isn’t bad. You’ll be able to visit her whenever. You said your mom moved to California recently, right? That’s just a plane ride away.” Gabrielle noticed Serena bristle at the mention of her mother. The money probably made it one hundred times worse. She changed the subject. “In other news, Rosie and Anne really enjoyed spending time with you.”
“Care Bear is a character. I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with their other children, but she was a doll.”
“She knows she’s adorable. That’s the problem. She gets away with anything and everything.”
Serena shrugged. “I don’t blame her.”
“I don’t either.”
Gabrielle stood when Serena stood.
“I guess I should go. My meeting is across town.”
“Thanks for stopping by. I’ll drop these off at my mom’s on the way home. Or I’ll keep it for myself, eat the brownies because they’re my favorite dessert, and never tell her that you returned her favorite dish.”
Serena whirled, surprising Gabrielle, who stopped short of running into her. Gabrielle watched as Serena looked down at her mouth and back up to her eyes.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“You stood me up for lunch. Of course I would.” Gabrielle smiled to let Serena know she was kidding.
“How about lunch Friday? Or better yet, how about dinner?”
Gabrielle stuttered for only a moment. Dinner was a different game altogether. “Sure, that’s fine. Maybe by then I’ll have a lot more for you to look at.”
Serena shook her head. “No, no work. Just a casual dinner out to get to know one another better.”
Chapter Thirteen
Did she really just ask her architect out on a date? Was
it a date? What just happened? Because Faith was in class, Serena dialed Chloe to calm her down.
“You’re never going to believe what just happened.”
“Well, I’d say you won the lottery, but that already happened. Everything else pales in comparison.” The sound of crunching followed.
“What are you eating?”
“A carrot. Don’t judge.” Chloe was making so much noise, Serena turned down the volume on her speakers. “What am I not going to believe?”
“I asked Gabrielle out to dinner.”
Coughing ensued as Chloe choked on her carrot. “Are you kidding me?”
“Was that the wrong thing to do? I mean, I made it sound like it was just a casual dinner. She invited me to lunch but I have a meeting with my lawyer, so I asked her to dinner instead.”
“You could have warned me before dropping that bomb,” Chloe said between coughing fits. “And no. It’s perfect. From what you and Faith have told me, she sounds great.”
“Maybe she’s not one to mix business and pleasure. She was kind of standoffish at the barbecue.”
“She was charming and babysitting a bunch of kids and staying as far away from L.B. as she could.”
“I apologized to her for L.B. and having him around a lot.” Serena’s heart dropped as she thought about the psychological issues Gabrielle had endured her entire life. She wondered if she’d ever been to therapy. No way was she going to ask. Therapy was too personal.
“You couldn’t have known that. Gabrielle is a smart lady. She’s just not ever around pets. If she wants to have a relationship, she’s either going to have to be really good in bed for somebody to get rid of their pets, or she’s going to have to figure out a way to be around them.”
“I wouldn’t dream of giving up L.B. Ever. As a matter of fact, now that I have all the furniture in the house, I’m thinking about getting another dog or a few cats. I’m pretty bored most days. I can’t wait until the Pet Posh Inn is up and running. Then I can work there.”
“I love the new you. I mean, I loved the old you, but the new you has something the old you didn’t.”
Silence. Serena smiled. “Really? A dramatic pause?”
“Hope. It’s beautiful on you.”
“I love you. Get back to your carrots.” Serena wasn’t used to hearing praise, even though Chloe and Jackie were nothing but the best support group she could have. It embarrassed her.
“I love you, too. See you tomorrow.”
Serena had invited Chloe and Jackie over to see the house. They’d done a walk-through before she furnished it and knew they would be more than happy to help her decorate. She drove the rest of the way to Mason & Grant law firm with the air conditioner on high, a luxury she was thankful to have, and even turned up the music. She had it tuned to satellite radio on a hit music station. Even though she didn’t know the songs, she sang the chorus as if she was in the band. Thirty minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot feeling pretty damn good about her day. She considered her impromptu meeting with Gabrielle a success and managed to get a date out of it. Today’s conference with her lawyers was hopefully going to be quick and painless. She wasn’t familiar with any of the laws and barely understood what her lawyers were suggesting, but since Chloe and Jackie trusted them, she did, too.
“Ms. Evans. Nice to see you again. I’ll let the team know you’re here.” Heather smiled while she picked up the phone and softly announced her arrival. “Please have a seat. They’ll be with you in just a moment.”
Serena liked visiting the firm. It was spacious and welcoming. Most law firms she saw on television or in the movies screamed wealth with mahogany walls and oversized offices with large views. Mason & Grant was contemporary and bright. Serena didn’t feel out of place. As a matter of fact, they treated her with a lot of respect there, but then a lot of money demanded a certain top-tier-type treatment.
“Nice to see you again.”
Serena stood to shake the hand thrust in front of her. “Ms. Grant. Nice to see you as well.”
“Come on, let’s head to Mr. Randall’s office and get started.”
Serena followed her lawyer, admiring her tight form and shapely calves. As attractive as she was, she just struck Serena as being cold and direct. Beautiful smile, but the warmth didn’t quite meet her blue eyes. She was one hundred percent business, which Serena appreciated, but she couldn’t help compare her to Gabrielle, who was just as attractive, but treated her more like a person rather than a client.
“Ms. Evans. Good to see you again,” Mr. Randall said.
Serena shook his hand, too, and sat when they did. The advisory meeting wasn’t as painful as she expected, and she approved of the division of the rest of her money. She had several accounts, and even set Faith up with one. Moving to Denver wasn’t going to be a huge expense, but she wanted her sister to have the best of everything.
Since paying off her mother’s house and giving her a modest stipend, she hadn’t heard from her since their big blowup. She wasn’t going to give Diane any more money, but if Faith wanted to give her some of hers, that was her decision. She signed form after form until her hand cramped. The entire process of reading all the documents, asking questions, and signing her name took almost two hours. Serena was exhausted but happy that most of it was wrapped up. The Pet Posh Inn was going to be a well-oiled machine that would generate good, repeat business. At least, that was the goal, and she had every intention of holding her staff to the highest standards.
“That should do it. If anything comes up, just give us a call, night or day,” Mr. Randall said.
Serena shook his hand and followed her lawyer out to the lobby. “Thanks so much for taking me on as a client.”
“Are you kidding? You’re a dream come true. I wish all of our clients were as easygoing and as trusting as you are,” Ms. Grant said.
Serena stifled a slight surge of fear and a squeezing in her chest as she processed what she’d just done. She reassured herself that she’d hired this firm to work on her behalf and invest her money because they came highly recommended. She tamped down the panic that nestled in her throat and took a deep breath.
“Thanks. I’ll call you if I have any questions.” Serena gave a half wave on her way out the door and dropped her hand because her social awkwardness was embarrassing. With an afternoon free, she decided to roam Denver and ended up in a quaint neighborhood that had local businesses including a bicycle store, a coffee shop, a pet boutique, a donut café, and an old bookstore. She checked her watch, knowing she’d hit all the stores. She missed the peacefulness of being around books and the adventures she had with them daily. That was her first stop. She pulled open the door, smiled at the small bell that signaled her arrival, and took a deep breath. Coffee was brewing somewhere close, or the smell wafted over from Peak Brew next door. There was a distinct difference in the smell of freshly printed books to ones that had been shelved for decades, even centuries. She loved both. That meant people were reading.
“Can I help you find anything?”
A sweet elderly woman who looked like the quintessential librarian approached her.
“No, thank you. I’m just looking,” Serena said.
The woman smiled and excused herself. She was nothing like Mrs. Brody, Serena thought. She walked up and down the aisles, her fingertips brushing the spines of all types of books. There was something satisfying at feeling everything from the ribbed, faded spines of classics to the new smoothness of dust jackets.
“Serena?”
As if busted, Serena stood up, instantly dropping her hands from the books. Piper, Gabrielle’s friend from the barbecue, pulled her in for a quick hug. Serena tried not to tense up.
“Piper. Hi. How are you?”
“I’m great. What a nice surprise. What are you doing in Denver? And specifically, my neighborhood? You should have called.”
“I had a meeting with my lawyer, who’s not too far away, so I’m just killing time now.”
“Would you like to grab a cup of coffee or tea? I have an hour before my next class starts,” Piper said.
It was hard not to stare at Piper. She was gorgeous. Shaylie was a lucky woman.
“Yeah, sure. That would be great.”
“Let me just buy this book and we can head next door. If you’re finished here.”
Serena nodded. “Oh, I was just looking around. I saw the little shops here and they all have things that interest me.”
“You work in a bookstore, right?”
“I used to. Not anymore.”
“That’s right. Gabrielle is designing your project, right?” Piper asked. She paid for her book and followed Serena out.
“A pet inn. We’re getting close to finishing the design part of it. Do you have any pets?” Serena asked.
“We have Clifford, the yoga cat, and a ton of fish. We’re only a year out from a dog. We’re just waiting for Maribelle to get a little bit bigger. Your dog is adorable.” Piper held the door open for Serena and was immediately handed an iced tea. She turned to Serena and shrugged. “They know me here. What can I get you?”
“I can get it. I’ll have an iced blackberry sage tea.” Serena said the first tea she read on the list. If Piper wasn’t standing next to her, she would have taken a solid five minutes to make a selection.
“Valeria, please put it on my tab.” Piper gave a single nod to the barista. “Come on. Let’s sit at that table back there.”
“Thank you for the tea.”
Piper put her hand on Serena’s arm. “You’re welcome. Now, let’s get to know each other better in the next forty-five minutes until my next class.”
“What do you want to know?”
“What do you do for fun?” Piper sipped on her tea and gave her undivided attention. It was unnerving, but in a pleasant way. Piper was gorgeous, nice, thoughtful, and Serena often forgot that there were good people out in the world who didn’t want her for anything other than her friendship.
“My life in the last three months has been a whirlwind, so my level of fun has been shopping and working on the pet inn.”