Page 19 of Sincerely Not Yours

Gigi had dressed warm—in wool socks, boots, jeans, a cable-knit sweater, her peacoat, scarf, and beanie—but sitting in thirty-degree weather required an extra layer. “Yes. A little.”

He unrolled the plaid blanket and shook it out. “Here.” Harris leaned forward, laying it across their legs, letting it bundle against their waists. “Better?”

“Better. Thanks.” She grinned, tucking the edge under her rump, appreciating his thoughtful gesture. “But we’ll be even warmer with the peppermint hot chocolate.” Tipping forward,Gigi grabbed both thermoses and offered one to Harris. He took it and they screwed opened the lids. “Cheers.”

“Cheers,” Harris replied. They clinked the metal canisters and took slurps of the rich chocolate drink. Gigi sighed and licked her lips as the cocoa warmed her throat, chest, and stomach.

“What a beautiful evening for a carriage ride,” Gigi said, taking in their surroundings. Dusk had settled on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, transforming the bustling street into a peaceful winter wonderland. The soft glow of wreath-covered streetlamps cast a golden hue over snow-lined sidewalks. Elegant storefronts illuminated holiday window displays and twinkling lights. Towering skyscrapers reached toward the darkening sky, enclosing them in an unexpectedly quiet cocoon.

“Have you lived in Chicago your whole life?” Harris asked, surprising her with a personal question. Until now, he’d stuck to the topic of business.

Gigi shook her head. “Moved here when I was eighteen. Actually, this is one of the first areas I visited when I got here.” Gigi scanned the glittering storefronts, remembering how she’d bopped through stores, mesmerized and blinded, looking through the hopeful, naïve eyes of a girl who’d previously never left the small town she’d grown up in. “Came to Chicago to go to college. Got a full-ride scholarship to Loyola University.”

“Impressive. That’s a great school.” Harris nodded, balancing the thermos on his thigh. “Where’d you grow up?”

“Kansas.” Gigi immediately pictured the trailer she, her sister, and mom had called home. Her childhood held both good and tough memories, but as an adult, she recognized how hard her mom had tried. As a single mom, she’d worked long shifts at the diner, doing everything she could to provide for her girls. “Honestly, I didn’t really grow up until I moved to Chicago. This city taught me to be independent, even if the lessons weresometimes a little rougher than I would’ve liked.” She gave him a lopsided grin. He returned it.

“The city isn’t just a place. It’s a process.” The words rolled off his tongue, like paint onto a canvas, creating an image Gigi immediately resonated with.

“It is, isn’t it?” She marveled at his flippant yet introspective comment. Trial, error, and the city had shaped her into the woman she was today.

“Your family still in Kansas?”

“My mom is. My sister and her husband live in a small town in northern Minnesota—Maple Bay. It’s absolutely adorable and I love visiting, but I’m not sure if I could live there.”

Harris finished a sip of cocoa. “Why is that?”

She looked ahead, down the lively street. “Chicago has an energy.” She pressed her lips together in thought. “Being here fills me up and keeps me going, like the city is a bottomless cup of opportunity, and I just want to drink it up all the time.”

“Interesting way to describe it.” His expression softened.

She shrugged a shoulder. “Some people need wide-open spaces. I guess I thrive in endless chaos.”

He chuckled, like he understood.

“What about you?” she prodded, wondering if Harris would open up. So far, he’d kept his personal life close to his chest—buttoned up like one of his suits. “You must enjoy chaos, too, since you’ve moved between Chicago and New York City.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Do a little research on me?”

“Isn’t it normal to google every new person you meet? I feel like it would be weird if I didn’t.”

He smirked, seeming to accept her answer. Maybe he’d even done a little research on her? “I guess I’ve never known any different. Grew up in Chicago and moved to New York City for business, but I think I like the city for a different reason than you do. I appreciate getting lost in the city.”

Gigi leaned back against the tufted leather, pondering his response, seeing a crack of light in his wall. “Care to elaborate?”

Harris took another sip from his thermos, staring out over the front of the carriage. He licked his lips before adding, “In a city, there’re people everywhere. You’re never really alone. Yet, everyone keeps to themselves and lets you be whoever you want to be.”

She stared at him, instantly understanding his perspective. “You’re surrounded by millions of strangers, but there’s also a certain freedom in that.”

He glanced at her, as though she’d hit directly on his point. “Exactly.”

Gigi smiled softly. “I get that. Being surrounded by a few million people makes me feel like I don’t need to fit into a mold. I know there’s a place for me here and people who get me. That wasn’t always the case where I grew up.” He tilted his head, and she continued. “My mom raised my sister and me by herself. She did the best she could, but we were always scraping by, and that somehow separated us from the other kids and families in town. When I graduated high school, I wanted to move somewhere and start fresh. Make my own way.”

“You wanted to reinvent yourself? Without the weight of judgements or expectations?” There was a hint of admiration in his tone. It caught her off guard.

“Yeah.” Intrigued by his insight, she wondered if he’d done the same. “Is that why you moved to New York City? To reinvent yourself?” This confused her, since Harris had plenty of opportunity laid out for him here in Chicago. Why would he need to start fresh?

“I moved for a business opportunity.” He straightened in his seat, not fully answering her question, and Gigi got the feeling she’d hit on something Harris didn’t want to talk about.Treading lightly, she moved to a topic he seemed more open on—work.

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