I beam at the news. “That’s great! Who is it?”
Josh lets out a dramatic sigh as if he’s about to drop a bomb. “It’s Gabby,” he says, giving me a wink.
I stand there, frozen for a beat before my brain catches up.
“Wait, what?” I blurt out, my voice rising in shock.
Later that night, as I walk into Harlow’s house, I’m already bracing myself for the onslaught of girl talk that is sure to follow. As soon as I step inside, I announce dramatically, “Honey, I’m home!”
Harlow and Mel tumble out of Harlow’s room, giggling, clearly mid-conversation about something ridiculous. Mel’s the first to run up to me, pulling me into a hug.
“Hey, girly pop! I need the truth about this morning. I know Har is blowing it out of proportion.”
Harlow scoffs from behind us, clearly having her own version of this morning’s events in her mind.
“Where to begin?” I sigh, collapsing onto the couch.
“Gabriel-”
“Excuse me? When did you learn his name?” Harlow interrupts, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“I’m getting there, be patient!” I giggle, shaking my head at my best friend’s enthusiasm.
I tell them about the awkward encounter this morning, the coffee cup, and how he stormed back after closing to yell at me.
“Why would that bother him?” Harlow asks, trying to process it all.
“Well, apparently his mom is staying with him while she takes care of his infant daughter,“ I explain, feeling a little surprised by how much I’ve opened up to them about this strange encounter.
“Wait—he has a daughter!” Harlow nearly yells. She’s practically bouncing in her seat now.
“Yeah. Or so he says,” I add, unsure of what to make of it all.
Melanie, who hadn’t been there this morning, is taking it all in with wide eyes. “He’s got everything going for him. He’s sexy, grumpy, and a dad.WAIT!Does this kid have a mom? That may cause some trouble for you, but I’m sure you’ll handle her just fine.”
I stare at her, blinking, trying to process what she’s saying. What?
“Why would the baby’s mom have anything to do with me, and why would she cause me trouble?” I ask, confused.
“Well, obviously she would cause you trouble because you would be dating her baby daddy,” Harlow states matter-of-factly.
I just stare at her for a second, trying to wrap my head around the idea. And then I snap back to reality.
No way.
I shift the conversation to something lighter. “Okay, Har may know what this guy looks like. But Mills, tell me—what do you see when you look at him?” she says, changing the subject.
I hadn’t thought about him in that way, but now that they’ve put the idea in my head, I guess I noticed a few things.
“Well, he’s tall for starters. He has long black hair, silky, and these eyes that are dark brown with flecks of gold, like when you stir cream into coffee. His arms are enormous, and I thought I saw a tattoo peeking out from his sleeve. In his uniform, he looks like a snack, but when he’s just… relaxed? Casual? He’s a five-course meal.”
Harlow and Melanie stare at me, wide-eyed.
I shift uncomfortably in my seat, realizing how much I just revealed.
“Oh girl, you are downbadfor this man,” Melanie says with a knowing grin.
And just like that, I feel the heat rise to my cheeks. Maybe they’re right. Maybe I’m too curious about Gabriel.
