Page 15 of Sincerely Not Yours

“You don’t have to go shopping for me. I don’t want you to feel like you’re my assistant.”

“It’s not a problem,” she replied, appreciating his awareness with the ask. “I’d be happy to help. Actually, the shopping part sounds fun. And I know the pet store delivers. I can have the supplies sent to your house and here to the office.”

“That’d be great,” Harris replied. “I’d really appreciate that.”

They exchanged a look, a shared understanding that extended beyond the immediate task. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to discover beneath the surface of Harris’s prickly presence.

“It’s not a problem,” Gigi said, giving the kitten a kiss on his head before handing him back to Harris. “Plus, it’ll be great to have an office kitten until we can find him a home. Maybe someone in the office will adopt him?”

She smiled at the thought, and Harris nodded. But as she turned to leave his office, Gigi stopped, remembering what she’d come here for. She swallowed, the truth bubbling inside her, ready to spill out. “I sent you an email with a sarcastic signature. I’m sorry about that. I don’t want to be disrespectful. Sometimes I type snarky signatures on emails just to make myself laugh, but I always delete them and write something professional. I just wanted you to know that before you read it. Please ignore my ill-placed sarcasm.”

Harris looked perplexed for a moment. Then he nodded, rolling his big hand over the tiny kitten’s head. The kitten closed his eyes in appreciation. “Consider it ignored.”

Chapter Seven

The kitten’s supplies arrived at Harris’s doorstep not long after he got home, which Harris greatly appreciated. He’d given Gigi his credit card and told her to buy whatever she saw fit. The supplies could go with the kitten to his new home or be donated to a shelter, and Gigi had done a great job. She’d gotten all the necessities without going overboard. When Gigi had returned Harris’s credit card, she’d given him a breakdown of all the supplies, as well as tips to get the kitten comfortable at home. She was very knowledgeable and thoughtful. Now, Harris had the wire kennel setup in his bedroom, complete with a fuzzy bed, toys, food and water dishes, and a litter box.

“Put him in the kennel when you aren’t home,” Gigi had said. “It will make him feel safe. Plus, I have a feeling he’s going to be worn out from today. He’ll probably sleep the whole time you’reat the gift guide event. And leave a light on for him so he can check out his surroundings.”

Harris clicked on the lamp next to his bed before bending down toward the kennel. “I’ll only be gone for a few hours, okay?” The kitten blinked up at him from the fluffy cat bed he’d curled into. He was trying hard to keep his eyes open, and Harris smiled, knowing his little belly was full of organic, grain-free paté. He was safe, warm, and sleepy. “I’ll be back tonight. I just have a work event to go to.” Harris paused, laughing at himself. He was telling this kitten about his schedule. But it was kind of nice to have someone to report to.

After shoveling some takeout leftovers into his mouth, Harris threw on his jacket and hit the streets, toward the Four Seasons. The hotel wasn’t far from his brownstone. Maybe a fifteen-minute walk. He’d be right on time, according to the information Gigi had put in her email. As he walked the frosty sidewalks, Harris smirked, thinking of the signature she’d apologized for.

If you have any questions, ask someone else.

If he’d read that without her explanation, Harris would’ve likely gotten annoyed and written her up. Instead, he’d chuckled. How many times had he wanted to respond to an email with his honest thoughts? Put someone in their place without the use of corporate jargon? It happened daily. Actually, Gigi’s idea to type what she really wanted to say—just to get it off her chest—was genius, as long as the email was corrected before being sent. Harris might have to try that himself. It could lift stress from his day. Not to mention, it would be very entertaining.

Navigating the hotel lobby, Harris followed signs to the ballroom, though he knew where he was going. The reception for his dad’s third marriage had been at the Four Seasons. He specifically remembered his dad’s new wife going on and on about how the peach roses in her extravagant centerpiecesclashed with the silver tablecloths. Harris didn’t know what she was talking about. Did peach clash with silver? But she’d complained enough that the hotel staff had switched out all the table clothes to a mute gold a half hour before the reception.

Harris hadn’t been back to the hotel since and wasn’t necessarily in the mood for a stuffy event tonight. So, when he stepped into the ballroom, he huffed a laugh.

The high ceiling with intricate molding was the same, framed by tall windows and rich burgundy drapes. But Christmas chaos muted the formality of the room. It had possibly been the first time in years that Christmas had made Harris smile.

Life-size, colorful wooden cutouts of Santa, snowmen, reindeer, and trees lined the edges of the ballroom. Long tables filled the center, each covered in red plastic and topped with bowls of candy. Spiced ginger filled the air, and the crowd in the hallway was filtering in, picking up packets at the entrance and claiming seats. Harris spotted Gigi and walked toward her. She was putting the finishing touches on the SheTime product display in the sponsored area. Even though her back was turned to him, she couldn’t be missed. Over dark jeans, Gigi sported a baby-pink silk robe and matching fuzzy slippers. When she turned toward him, Harris eyed the sleep mask, which was pulled up on her forehead. It had the SheTime logo and the wordsHello, Gorgeousembroidered on it.

Harris stopped before her, considering how passionate she was about her job. Gigi seemed more invested in the business than he’d ever been, even though his last name made up the entirety of Ryan & Ryan.

“Just finishing up here,” Gigi said, setting down a stack of brochures.

“It looks great,” Harris replied. The holiday gift sets were displayed amongst white-flocked Christmas trees decorated with shiny pink ornaments. Fake snow covered the table.

Gigi squinted her eyes, shooting him a tentative look. “Was that a compliment?”

“It was.”

She shrugged before grinning. “I’ll take it.” Turning toward the ballroom entrance, Gigi pointed toward the miniature store setup, which contained an array of products supplied by the event sponsors. There was already a line to the cashier. “We delivered a pallet of product this time, but if we run out, I put a QR code on these brochures so customers can just scan them with their phones. It’ll take them directly to our website to purchase.”

“Sounds like you’ve got it all handled.”

She sighed. “I hope so.”

“And we’re going to be building a gingerbread house?”

“Yep. At the table closest to the store, with the rest of the sponsors.” She glanced at her watch. “We start in ten minutes. We’ll have a half hour to build our gingerbread spa and then all the houses created by the sponsors will be displayed for the rest of the night. The public can vote for their favorite.”

He slid a hand into his coat pocket. “The favorite gets to donate to a charity, again?”

“Look at you.” She put fists on her hips, scrunching her robe and drawing Harris’s attention to her hourglass shape. “You catch on fast.”

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