"I know." Gabe raked his fingers through his hair then laced them together behind his head and stared at the ceiling. "I shouldn't have lied to her. The words just slipped out, and suddenly she was so happy. Then it became one of those things where I feel like if I tell the truth now, she'll be more disappointed in me for lying than for not being married. I'm just adding to her regrets."
"Seeing that look of disappointment on your mom's face is the worst, isn't it?"
Luke was raised by a single mom too. He understood the discomfort of disappointing the only parent who cared.
The door opened with Paige's arrival, and Luke reached across the desk to smack his shoulder. "Don't worry, man. We'll figure something out."
Gabe turned to greet Paige. "How was your weekend?"
"It was good. I'm glad to see you back." Concern creased her brow. "Is everything okay with your family?"
"They're fine," he lied, then deflected. "You've ditched the crutches completely. You must be feeling steady."
"I’m getting there." She smirked. "I just have to be careful not to move too fast or do too much."
"It’s easy to forget you can't do everything you used to."
"Do me a favor?” She propped her hands on her hips. “Next time you can't make it to aqua therapy, shoot me a text and cancel."
"That bad, huh?"
Paige's hands moved through the air emphasizing her words as she explained the new exercises Toa made her do and how she hated them.
Gabe felt bad about subjecting her to that, but he was so distracted by the way she used her hands to talk that he couldn't help chuckling.
Her hands landed on her hips again. "What's so funny?"
"You talk with your hands. The more passionate you are, the faster they move."
She gasped. "I do not."
He gave her a sideways grin as he motioned for her to sit on the first table. "Tell me again about that last exercise Toa made you do. Did you use something to provide additional resistance besides the water?"
Paige had barely settled on the table before her hand sliced through the air, demonstrating the exercise.
Gabe grinned and made a show of watching her hands as she continued to talk.
Realizing what she was doing, she clasped them together, but they didn't stay clasped for long. When she changed subjects to talk about how cocky Toa was, they started moving again.
Gabe and Luke stayed busy assisting Paige and Nikki with theirexercises. Gladys had bumped her appointment until later that afternoon.
"I'm telling you, man," Luke looked over his shoulder at Gabe as he bent to put a band around Paige's knees before she started her squats on the total gym. "All you have to do is walk out on the street and ask any woman."
Gabe glared at his assistant. He should have known Luke's solution would somehow humiliate him.
Paige and Nikki looked at each other with raised eyebrows, curiosity filling their faces. Understandable, since Luke acted like he was picking up an earlier conversation. Technically, he was, but Gabe wished he'd keep his big mouth shut.
"Ask any woman what?" Curiosity shone in Nikki's hazel eyes.
"Nothing," Gabe said with finality, shooting Luke a warning glare.
Luke gave a casual shrug. "Gabe needs a fake girlfriend, like yesterday."
Nikki gasped. "Seriously? That's totally my favorite romance trope."
Gabe bit back a groan. Just when he thought it was impossible for this situation to get any worse, he discovered he was wrong. Resisting the urge to hide his face in his palm, Gabe busied himself setting up Nikki’s next exercise. He angled his head enough to look at Paige out of the corner of his eye. What did she think of Luke's announcement?
She'd stopped mid squat to stare at him, a puzzled look on her face.
