“No, I mean, I’ll just evict him.”
“That’s up to you, but I don’t think it’ll work. If you want to end something, you end it.”
He stood up and brushed the wrinkles out of his pants. “Get me the codes by Saturday. I don’t want to repeat this.”
She took a shaky breath, crisis averted, at least for the moment.
“And don’t try anything. I’m going to have people watching the house until I get those codes. No sneaking the kids out. No getting a new security system. No nothing.”
Gabby nodded.
He stood. “I’ll see myself out. Good to see you again, Gabby.”
An hour later, Gabby finished cutting the last of the duct tape off of Bubbles. Thankfully, she hadn’t taken him to the groomer’s for a while, so she didn’t have to cut close to the skin. As she finished, Granny wandered out in the satin robe Gabby had bought thinking she might be able to glam up SAHM life. It still had the tags on it.
Granny went straight to the liquor cabinet and poured two fingers of whiskey in a tumbler and slid it to Gabby. She poured another for herself.
Plopping down on the stool Smirnov had vacated, Granny said, “Okay, tell me what’s going on.”
With a dumb stare, Gabby just managed an “umm.” There was nothing she could say. Also why burden her grandma?
“Is it man trouble?” Granny asked with a knowing look.
Bingo. That was safe. “Yes. You met Markus last night.” Last night felt like a week ago so much had happened.
“Mm-hmm. Easy on the eyes, that one.”
“It’s just that we work together, and…”
“Gabby, you’re an assistant. If you find true love, or even just some really hot—”
“Yes, good point, Granny.” Gabby cut her off. “Also, I’m not sure if I can trust him.”
“Listen to your gut, but remember you don’t have to trust him to enjoy him, if you know what I mean.”
Gabby shook her head. “We only have a few days left working together.” Laughing at herself, she said, “I gave him a thank-you gift.”
Granny burst into laughter. “A what? Isn’t the man supposed to be giving you the gifts? Gabby, play hard to get, why don’t you?”
“It’s 2024, Granny.”
“Things haven’t changed that much.”
“Anyway, it was a little awkward.”
Granny shook her head. “Okay. Here’s my advice—no more gifts. You wait for him to make the move. And if he wasn’t sweet enough when you gave him that present, tomorrow, go in salty. That’s what works for me. Keep ’em on their toes.” She nodded, satisfied with her own wisdom.
“Good advice, Granny.”
“You can invite him over to watch that Russian psychic show we both like.” She popped an ice cube out of her whiskey and crunched it. “I want to get to know this boy you don’t trust a little more.”
Gabby harrumphed. That wasn’t a bad idea. Let Granny vet him. They each finished off their whiskeys, and Gabby crawled back onto her futon. What were the odds the Mafia would haul her out of bed twice in one night?
Friday morning, Greene household
The good news about Friday morning was that Gabby awoke to an alarm clock instead of 1) the rhythmic thumping of her grandma’s headboard against the wall, or 2) an abduction by Russian mobsters.
Gabby was adding another of her own chapters toDivorce: A New Beginningalong with retail therapy and eating your feelings. This one would be called “Low Expectations: If You Don’t Expect Anything, You Can’t Be Disappointed.” Sloane Ellis hadn’t covered this topic.
