Page 17 of Sincerely Not Yours

He squinted at that one. “Rudolph?”

“Yes, it’s perfect!” She ripped off a piece of licorice and threw it in her mouth. “You found him just before Christmas. He’s a bit of a misfit since he was a stray. Plus, I know he’s going to blossom into the most special kitten. He’d be a perfect Rudolph.”

“Hmm,” he hummed, his initial reaction wavering. He liked the meaning behind the name.

“Plus, we can call him Rudy.”

Plastic crinkled as Harris unwrapped a peppermint. He enjoyed Gigi’s awaiting stare as he did. “I like it,” he conceded.

“Rudy, it is.” Gigi shrugged her shoulders in delight. “Rudy, the cutie.”

He chuckled and Gigi bent forward, angling the frosting bag at the front of the gingerbread masterpiece. She started making the sign, determination clear in her features as she spelled out The Sweet Spa. Harris watched, admiring the effort she was putting into the task at hand. He was also somewhat stunned that this woman had gotten him to enjoy a Christmas activityandto like the name she’d given his temporary kitten. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually enjoyed a little holiday cheer.

Harris leaned back in his chair, watching her create. “You’re really good at this.” He tapped the sticky peppermint between his thumb and forefinger.

Gigi glanced over, a pleased smile on her face. “It’s all about the details, right?”

“Right.” He couldn’t agree more. Which caught him off guard because he’d spent the last few days criticizing all the details Gigi was getting wrong with SheTime. Was he overlooking what she brought to the company? “Dean said you started at Ryan & Ryan as a product manager for the men’s bar soap line?” he prompted, wanting to learn more about her.

She kept her eyes on her task. “I did. That was a little over seven years ago. It was my foot in the door, and I wasgrateful for the opportunity, because I really wanted to work at Ryan & Ryan. I’d been working as a marketing associate for a small company, but there wasn’t much room to grow there. But once I started at Ryan & Ryan, I knew pretty quickly it wasn’t the position I wanted forever. There’s only so much room for creativity in that space. It’s mostly centered on making a good product for the lowest cost.” She gave him a quick glance, seeming to acknowledge the extensive conversations they’d had that morning about expense reductions. “While I was managing the bar soap line, I started writing down all the ideas I was getting for women’s beauty products. Stuff I’d buy as a consumer. Those notes morphed into a business plan, and one night, a couple of glasses of wine gave me a boost of courage. I sent the business plan to your brother. He liked it and offered me a product manager position once the new division was formed. The next year, I started as the marketing director.”

Harris raised a brow and caught her eye. “You created the business plan for SheTime?” Dean hadn’t mentioned that seemingly important piece to Harris.

“I actually enjoy data when I can put it to good use.” She gave a crooked grin. “My market analysis helped me find a niche in the industry and an area the company could thrive in.” She swooped the cursive frosting at the end of the spa sign and eased back to access her work, poking her tongue out as she did. Harris was so focused on Gigi that he jerked when she twisted toward him.

“You were definitely keeping a secret from me,” she said, her stare turning serious.

“I—” Harris’s heart bounded, caught off guard. Had Dean told Gigi that Harris had suggested dissolving SheTime and moving the team to other positions within Ryan & Ryan? Was she concerned about getting thrown back into a world of boring bar soap? Or losing her job?

“You’ve been hiding your secret talent for gingerbread architecture.” She smirked. “I mean, look at the masterpiece we created.” She waved her hand at the structure proudly.

Harris smiled, covering the anxiety that had hit him. Could he look Gigi in the eye with a clear conscience once he convinced his father and brother that dissolving SheTime was best for the company? “No hidden talent here. I was just following your lead.” He tipped forward and added the peppermint to the middle of the wreath on the door.

“I disagree.” Gigi shot him a wink and a sidelong glance. “You’re definitely keeping secrets.”

Harris forced his smile to stay in place as guilt stirred in his gut. He tossed a gumdrop in his mouth, chewing the candy like the sticky truth. This was exactly why he maintained a strict boundary between personal and professional matters. Now he was second-guessing business decisions he’d made with cold, hard facts.

He swallowed the gumdrop. Gigi was a complication he couldn’t afford. So why couldn’t he resist being pulled into her orbit?

Chapter Eight

Gigi stared at her phone. She opened the group text with her friends, not sure how to explain her evening with Harris. Yesterday, she was determined to sabotage his involvement in the Gals’ Gift Guide. But then he’d saved a kitten. And she’d had fun building a gingerbread house with him. What parallel universe was she living in? And how did she get here?

Gigi: Hey, ladies! Survived last night’s gift guide event.

Paige: Spill the tea, G! Did the robe and fuzzy slippers put him over the edge? Send him running into the abyss?

Alice: Details! Did Mr. Grumpy Pants actually build a gingerbread house with you? Was he scowling the whole time?

Gigi: The robe and slippers didn’t scare him. We made a gingerbread spa. With a gumdrop hot tub and candy cane lounge chairs.

Paige: Excuse me, what?!

Gigi: I know, right? He was actually . . . pleasant?

Alice: Did you make Mr. Grinch’s heart grow three sizes?!

Paige: Wow . . . we really need to up our game with our sabotage tactics.

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