Giana leaned into me, legs bouncing up and down, and I placed my hand on her thigh to help her relax.
“It’s almost like Giana and I picked up right where we left off.” Those words were meant to boost the story, but in reality, they couldn’t have been truer.
“Have you two set a date?”
I scratched my head. Shit, we didn’t decide on a fake date.
Giana blinked, her smile mirroring her sister’s. “September seventeenth.”
Nice save, Gigi. September seventeenth happened to be the anniversary of our first date, too many years ago. Her remembering was like a whisper to my heart.
“So…” Sofie tilted her head to the side, gaze locked on her sister. “You’ve sorted out the whole kids thing, I assume?”
Giana froze, eyes wide. “Um, we’re planning to—”
“Have two, maybe three,” I chimed in, relying on chats we’d had years ago when mapping out our future. Then, Giana had her heart set on having at least one boy and one girl—one boy andtwogirls, a definite plus.
“Wow,” Sofie said, brows raised. “That’s interesting.”
The sisters exchanged an odd glare, and I noticed Giana fidget in her seat.
“How about that dance now, baby.” Springing up from the chair, I straightened my blazer. “It’s been great catching up, Sofie. Best of luck with your nuptials.”
I took Giana’s hand and ushered her far from her back-stabbing sister onto the dance floor.
* * *
After shaking our asses to a few upbeat songs, I was relieved when the band began playing slow music. I craved an excuse to take Giana in my arms.
Drawing her into my chest, I held her close, our hips swaying to Ed Sheeran’s,Perfect.
Ironically, its lyrics captured how I felt about Giana back in college and how I’d begun to feel about her now.
Maybe the older gentleman I’d encountered on the plane had a valid point: when life gives you a second chance at love, it’s because you weren’t ready for the first.
The more I thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
If Giana had moved to California six years ago, she would have resented me for giving up her dreams. Likewise, if I had declined the Niners’ offer to play, I would have resented her for giving up my dreams. Being apart allowed us time to discover who we were without each other, time to grow into ourselves as we navigated the ups and downs of chasing dreams.
“You okay?” I pulled back to look at her, tugging her chin up.
She smiled with her majestic blues as she wrapped her arms around my neck. “I’m okay, just taking it all in.”
I splayed the small of her back, my hands gliding up and down. “I’d like to kiss you again.”
Giana’s gaze dropped to my mouth as she licked her lips. “I’d like you to kiss me again, too, but not here.”
Mouth curled upward; I nudged her nose with mine. “Even after our heated practice session to prepare for a kiss in front of all these people?”
“That’s when it was fake, when we had something to prove.”
“Are you saying we’re not faking anymore, Gigi Rossi?”
She shook her head, and the smolder in her eyes made my cock twitch. “Not even if we tried.”
Resting my forehead on hers, the struggle to hold back one kiss became unbearable. “Let’s get out of here.”
She tucked her arm into the crook of my elbow, and I led her out of the room toward the elevator.
