Page 42 of Fighting Gravity

“Sure,” they said in unison.

Rosie nodded. “Okay, have a great week, everybody. As always, support each other. Let me know what you need. My non-door is always open.”

The team dispersed, but Gigi hung behind. A sly smile filled her face. Paired with her recurring twin buns, she looked a bit maniacal. Rosie wondered what the tarot deck had revealed now.

“So? The gorgeous man waiting for you at your car Friday morning?”

Crap. Rosie had thought having Tate meet her in the parking lot would be subtler. She did not want her staff knowing she was involved with a client in any capacity but a professional one. She hated to mislead Gigi, though. Trust was too fundamental to her and her business. Luckily, she could lean on pieces of truth in this instance.

“That was Tate Geier, our hotel client. He was in San Diego on business and needed a ride back to OrbitAll, where I was going anyway.”

Gigi mumbledmm-hmmhalf-a-dozen times. “So, a man who’s wealthy enough to commission a hotel doesn’t have a ride home? That same man, with no ring, just happened to be at our office twice last week and that has nothing to do with his beautiful architect?”

There were several points in which Rosie could argue. She chose the most important one. “He wasn’t in twice. He wasn’tinat all. He never came inside.”

Gigi shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t forget that face. He was here earlier in the week talking to Anne. You were out.”

Rosie’s heart stuttered and dropped.

“Wh—what?”

Gigi didn’t know Rosie’s history with Chad, her utter abhorrence of people sneaking around in her office. But Tate did.

Her mind ran through every possible scenario for his being at Abode. Was he interested in an office remodel at OrbitAll? Scoping hers out for ideas? Was he checking on the status of his design? Had he just wanted to see her? In any case, he should have mentioned the office visit during the three-hour drive on Friday. He hadn’t. Actually, Tate had evaded answering why he was in San Diego at all. Fear sliced through her. Real fear.

“Hey. Where’d you go?”

Rosie snapped her gaze to Gigi. “Sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry.” Gigi’s forehead crinkled. “I was just teasing. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“Tate was really here last week?”

She nodded, looking torn. “I thought you’d be happy, but I’m getting a super weird vibe from you right now. He seems nice. And, I mean, look at him. Spirit save us. I thought I might faint when he smiled at me.”

“He has that effect,” she replied drily.

“What other effects does h—”

Rosie cut her a look.

“Okay, I’ll stop. But I really want to kiss him.” She exhaled. “Now I’ll stop.”

Rosie couldn’t help but chuckle. “Thanks for telling me, Gigi.”

“Don’t be mad at him, okay? I swear his aura is clean. He sparkles.”

No offense to Gigi or the occult, but Rosie couldn’t take sparkling auras as evidence. No, she needed to talk to the man himself.

But two days of worrying and wondering instead led her to Selah’s, who told her what she already knew. She needed to ask Tate why he’d come by, and she needed to allow herself to be open to his answer. She was debating asking over the phone or waiting until their Friday meeting at OrbitAll when the long-awaited text from Elle came.

The message did not contain the exclamation marks or heart emojis she’d expected. Instead, the two words held heartbreak she could feel even through text.Chen’s leaving.

For the rest of the week, Rosie put her own worried heart on hold and instead focused on her friend.

23

Tate couldn’t believe Chen was fucking leaving.

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