“That man is so irresistible; I can’t stand it,” she said. “First, luggage. Now, a trip.” She leaned up on her elbow to look at me. “You know how huge this is, don’t you? He’s taking things to the next level.”
“I don’t know about that,” I whispered. I felt her eyes boring through me, so I turned my head to face her. “But yes”—I swallowed—“it’s huge.”
She stared at me silently. “Isn’t this what you want? More from Mr. Delicious? He must be losing his mind over you moving to LA.”
“He doesn’t know.”
“What? You haven’t told him?”
I took a deep breath, and just as I was exhaling, her hand went to my shoulder, shaking me.
“Girl, this is what you’ve been waiting for—for the two of you to be in the same city. Why aren’t you calling him right now and screaming the news?”
My chest was so tight; I was having a hard time breathing. “I just found out, Mon. You’re the first person I wanted to tell.”
“And you don’t want to tell Jenner?”
I swallowed again, my throat even tighter this time. “Of course I do.” I pushed against my chest, trying to loosen it. “Maybe I’ll wait until Utah and surprise him with it.”
“I can see it now …” Her eyes closed, and she continued, “The mountains in the background, the two of you cuddling close, the news trickling into his ear, and then the biggest smile on his face before he grabs you and lays one on you.” Her lids opened, and she looked at me. “Okay, I approve. That’s the perfect time to tell him.”
“I like the plan,” I said, sitting up, my feet falling to the floor. “Now, I need to go be productive and find us a place to live.”
“Don’t forget, you need to shower too. The girls are coming over soon, and we’re heading to South Beach tonight.”
I nodded. “Right.” I moved over to her doorway. “You know, on second thought, I’m going to run out for a little bit. Don’t worry; I’ll be back in time.”
Her brows rose. “You’re leaving?” When I didn’t immediately answer, she added, “Where’s all the weirdness coming from?”
I shook my head. “Nowhere. I’m not acting weird. I’m fine, really.” I paused. “I’m just suddenly very overwhelmed with all the things.” I forced a smile. “I’ll be back, and then we can celebrate all this epic news.”
“I’m just as overwhelmed. I get it, babe, but I promise, this is going to be amazing. This is what you’ve wanted—what you’ve always wanted—and now, you’ll have Jenner and me by your side.”
“You’re right.”
I couldn’t say any more.
So, I lifted my hand and waved and grabbed my keys on the way out. In my head, I told myself I was just going to get some treats for my friends tonight.
But I knew that wasn’t the reason I was driving to the bakery.
The truth was, I needed to talk to Gloria.
And I swore she could sense that the moment I walked through her door.
“Jo,” she said, looking up from the newspaper she was reading. “It’s so nice to see you. How did graduation go?”
The last time I had been here, buying Jenner some fudge before my trip to LA, I’d updated her on school.
But I couldn’t even imagine talking about that now.
As I got closer, the lines etched in her forehead grew deeper, and her eyes turned worrisome.
I stopped at the counter, placing my hands on the glass.
She immediately placed her palms on top of my hands. “That boy doesn’t get many surprises in his life. You showing up to LA was one.”
I tried to breathe. “Yes.” I attempted a smile despite how I was feeling. “We really had the best time.”
“I know.” She stayed quiet as she watched me, her thumbs grazing my skin. “He’s about to be in for another surprise … isn’t he?” Her hands rose to my forearms, clasping them. “Oh, honey …”