Page 40 of A Lot Like Adiós
“Ha. Like I could ever stop worrying about you.”
“I know. That’s why you’re mi prima favorita.”
“Don’t let Jasmine hear you playing favorites.”
“She’s my prima favorita too. But for real, donottell her about Gabe.”
“You know I can keep a secret.” A shadow passed over her expression, and Michelle guessed Ava was thinking about the years she’d suffered in silence in her marriage. Michelle still felt guilty that she hadn’t noticed Ava’s unhappiness sooner. “Is Gabe moving back?”
“No. He’s only here until Friday.”
“Right before your parents get back. That’s cutting it close. And what about his family?”
Michelle shook her head. “They don’t know he’s here.”
“Whatever happened between them, it must have been really bad.”
“Yeah, it sounds like it.” Michelle stirred her own fresh cup of tea as Ava’s words sank in. No wonder he’d been pissed at her for bringing him here.
“But for real.” Ava lowered her voice. “Did you and he...?”
Michelle’s heart pounded, but before she could try to play it off, Ava’s jaw dropped.
“Youdid,” she said with a gasp. “You’re blushing.”
Michelle slapped her hands over her hot cheeks. Damn her pale complexion. “It doesn’t mean anything,” she hissed. “Don’t get excited.”
Except... maybe that wasn’t entirely true.
Don’t worry, I’ve got you.
I never wanted to hurt you.
Maybe it meant... something. What, she didn’t know.
She’d gone down to the basement to tease him. It hadn’t been smart, but on some level she wanted clear evidence of how much he wanted her. To know if what they’d done had been a onetime thing or not. If he’d ignored her and continued working out, she would have handled it like a grown-up and locked her feelings away.
But he hadn’t. He’d climbed on her and brought her pleasure right there on the yoga mat, without pressuring her to do anything for him in return. It was stupid to pretend their emotions weren’t involved, but she was going to try anyway.
“What are you two doing next?” Ava asked innocently, raising her eyebrows as she sipped from her mug. “Since you’re doneexercising?”
“More work.” It wasn’t entirely false. Michelle did have a good reason for taking Gabe to the zoo, and it wasn’t just for nostalgic shits and giggles.
Although she hoped there’d be some of those too.
“ALL RIGHT, ALLright, I get it. The Bronx Zoo has much better branding than my gym does.”
Gabe had been walking around the zoo with Michelle for two hours. It was hot, there were screaming kids everywhere, and the scents of popcorn and cotton candy mixed with the general odor of animal and dung. It was a perfume that specifically said “zoo” and instantly brought him back to his many trips here in his youth.
Michelle grinned and elbowed his side. At some point they’d started holding hands, like a real couple. He didn’t know how it had happened. Maybe she’d taken his hand to pull him toward an exhibit, or he’d reached for her so as not to lose her in the crowd. But then... they hadn’t let go.
“I’m just saying, you want to pay attention to howallthe messaging reflects the brand’s core values. Remember, the Bronx Zoo is run by the Wildlife Conservation Society, so you see the values of conservation and education all over the place.”
She was right. Everywhere he looked, there were signs with information about each creature, maps with where in the world they could be found, endangered species list details, graphics of what the animals ate, and more.
“The ‘story’ of the zoo is present everywhere,” Michelle went on as they passed a kiosk selling stuffed giraffes. “But of course, they also sell toys and food. That’s the commercial aspect. First they sell you on the values, then they get you to buy the products.”
“That makes sense,” he said. “We’re more likely to buy from a brand whose values align with our own.”
