“Sure,” he replied on a verbal shrug.
“Masterful, oh Sage One,” I joked.
“Smartass,” he replied, but I still heard his humor. “See you later, babe.”
“Definitely.”
We hung up.
And I started my car and drove to Gabe’s.
TWENTY-FIVE
YOU BITCHES ARE THE SHIT
It was post pork chops, potatoes and roasted carrots that Gabe and I had thrown together in his kitchen (he was impressed with my use of mayo and Dijon to get the panko to stick to the pork chops, so dinner was a win for me).
It was also post hearing word that the parental units were safely back in Prescott and headed into town to find somewhere to eat dinner.
We were cuddling on the couch in the last minutes we had to cuddle before I had to head to the storage units to meet up with the girls and go see Titus.
Gabe was fiddling with a lock of my hair and seemingly happy being quiet and Zen.
I was multitasking. Wallowing in a moment of peace and stillness in a life overflowing with busy, enjoying Gabe playing with my hair and thrilled he seemed happy being quiet and Zen.
Gabe broke the silence.
“Drove by this afternoon, didn’t have time to stop, but saw your sign. It’s even better than the picture.”
This caused me to feel so much, I shifted up and shoved my face in the side of his neck.
“Your cupcakes are the best I’ve ever had, baby. Cookies too,” he said softly. “You’re already killing it. This means you got the chance to own it completely. And you’re gonna do that.”
He mistook my movements.
I wasn’t worried that I wouldn’t do Tex, Tito, Mom and Robbie, but mostly myself, proud (okay, I was, but not overly worried).
I was thrilled I had a man who would take time out of his busy day to drive by that sign.
I didn’t correct him about that because now I was dealing with having a man who believed in me and didn’t mind sharing it.
Instead, I whispered, “Yeah.”
“Now, don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m super fuckin’ glad you’re pulling Titus into this sitch.”
I lifted my head to look down at him. “Why?”
“Because Titus is not a gung-ho type of guy. He’s thoughtful. Methodical. And he’ll take risks, but they’ll be calculated.”
Although I could have guessed this, it was good to have it confirmed.
“Also because he thinks the world of you women,” Gabe continued. “So he’s gonna tell you what you need to know and advise you on how to sort it. Listen to his advice. He’s probably gonna know the players, so he’s gonna know the right plays.”
I nodded.
We were already going to do that, hence our meeting with Titus.
Though, it was also nice to have it confirmed that Titus “thought the world” of us.
