Romancing Tommy Gabrini (30 page)

She
was at a conference table in the Logistics department, in Nayla’s office, when
the call came in.
 
Grace had to spend
time with all of the supervisors individually to discuss the new strategies
that Jillian had put in place.
 
She had
to make clear what was expected from each department head.
 
Nayla was her first stop of the morning.
 
As Logistics supervisor, Nayla was
responsible for the trucks getting out on time, which was, perhaps, the most
vital part of their revitalization.
 

Then
the call came in.
 
And, to Nayla’s shock,
Grace turned down his invitation.

“Why
not?” he asked Grace on her cell phone.
 
“Are you busy tonight, or what?”

“Something
like that.”

There
was a long pause.
 
Then he seemed fine
with it.
 
“Okay,” he said.
 
“Perhaps we can hook up this weekend.”

This weekend
, Grace thought.
 
Today was only Wednesday and he was talking
about not seeing her until the weekend?
 
She hadn’t expected that reply, but it only made her all the more
confident that she was doing the right thing.
 
He apparently wasn’t nearly as attached to her as she had become to him.

“We’ll
see,” she said, he said he’d call her later, and that was that.

Grace
looked at her cell phone before sitting it aside.

Nayla
looked at her.
 
“Trouble in paradise?”
she asked her.

They
were knee-deep in paperwork, and they still had a lot more to cover, but Grace
did take a minute and leaned back in her chair.

“I’m
not sure,” she said.

“I’ve
never known you to ever turn Tommy Gabrini down for any reason.”

“I
know.
 
That’s why I think I had to turn
him down this time.”

“He’s
beginning to take advantage of your, shall we say, puppy dog devotion?”

Grace
looked at Nayla with alarm.
 
“What puppy
dog devotion?
 
I’m not like that.”

“Not
yet,” Nayla said, “but it’s coming faster than shit in a windmill.
 
I mean, anything he’s wanted, you’ve been
right there to give it to him.
 
Jamie
said one time that he was halfway expecting you to say,
yes, sur, boss
, the next time Tommy ordered you to do
something.
 
It was getting just that
bad.”

Grace
stared at her best friend with eyes as big as saucers’.
 
All she was trying to do was be a good woman
to her man.
 
Was she wrong for that?

“I’m
in a relationship with him,” she eventually said.
 
“I try to make sure his needs are being met,
and he tries to ensure mine are being met.
 
There’s supposed to be some give and take.”

“Right,”
Nayla agreed.
 
“But where’s the give from
him?
 
All I see is take.
 
He’s out of town all the time, sleeping
around with who knows what, and then as soon as he gets back he expects you to
just be there ready to give him exactly what he wants.
 
But what’s he giving you, Grace?
 
Other than a big dick, what’s he giving you?”

Grace
shook her head.
 
“It’s not even like
that.”

“I
say you can do bad by yourself.
 
Because
you was doing fine without him.
 
You was
hanging with us, doing your thang.
 
Then
he came along.
 
Besides, you need to find
you a brother anyway.
 
Successful, smart
sisters like us have a responsibility that way.
 
But every time you turn around these white men wanna get in your
panties.
 
You’ve got to stop letting them.”

Grace
was offended by that.
 
“What are you
talking about?” she asked her friend.
 
“I
don’t just let anybody get in my panties, and you know it. You’re the one who’s
had ten boyfriends in two years, so don’t even trick that.
 
I’m with Tommy and I’m going to stay with
Tommy.
 
Yeah, it’s a little rocky now,
but we’ll get through it.
 
And you say
all he’s done is take from me?
 
That’s
not true, either.
 
He’s the one who came
all the way back from Australia just to be with me when my stepfather
died.
 
He’s the one who held me all night
and made me realize that my problems with my mother are her problems, not
mine.
 
Sometimes, Nay, you make it seem
like . . .”

“Like
what?” Nayla asked.

“Like
you don’t want me to have anybody.”

Nayla
smiled.
 
“What?
 
Are you kidding me?”

“That’s
how you act sometimes.
 
You really
do.
 
And I’m over it already.”

“You’re
over what?
 
You’re the one who be telling
me about your problems, I don’t just make that shit up.”

“You’re
right.
 
I shouldn’t have been doing
that.
 
You’re my best friend and I
thought I could trust you like that, but you’re right.
 
What’s between me and Tommy needs to stay
between us.
 
So from here on out, no more
discussions about my relationship with Tommy.
 
Okay?
 
None.”

Nayla
stared at her best friend.
 
She didn’t
like it, that was obvious right off.
 
But
she had no choice but to accept it. “Whatever you say,” she said.

“Now
let’s get back to work,” Grace said.
 
“I’ve got more department heads to see.”

And
they did get back to work, although the tension was high, and Grace did see the
remaining department heads.
 
But early
that afternoon, when she was back in her office reviewing the manifest for
their southwest shipments, and still worrying about everything under the sun,
Tommy knocked on her door.

When
she looked up, and saw that it was him, a part of her wanted to jump from her
chair and run to him the way she usually did.
 
But another part of her, the bigger part, forced her to stay put.

“Hello,”
she said to him.

Tommy
was disappointed beyond measure when she didn’t run to him.
 
But he was relatively certain that he knew
what was going on.
 
“Have you had your
lunch?” he asked her.

Grace
shook her head.
 
“Not yet,” she said.

“Will
you have lunch with me?” he asked.
 
“We
need to talk.”

Grace’s
heart dropped.
 
She stared at him with
pained eyes.
 
What did they need to talk
about?
 
Moving their relationship
forward, or stopping it now before they were both hurt beyond repair?
 
She didn’t know.
 
But she knew she had to find out.

She
closed down her computer, grabbed her purse, and stood to leave.

“Get
your jacket,” he said.
 
“It’s still
chilly out there.”

Grace
moved to grab her jacket off of the rack, but then she thought about it and
kept going, leaving the jacket right where it was.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

With Grace
at his side, Tommy made his way to the private VIP dining hall in the back of
Diamante’s, and Grace couldn’t help but think that the fact that he was
commandeering the entire room just for the two of them was a bit much.
 
But it was his restaurant, he probably wanted
them to have some serious privacy, so she didn’t say a word.
 
Besides, she was too nervous about the words
he had to say to her to even consider worrying about the room.

Once
he helped her to her seat and notified the manager that he would inform him
when they were ready to place their orders, the manager bowed gracefully and
left.
  
There was, however, champagne on
ice and glasses at the ready, and Tommy sat down and began pouring each of them
a drink.

“It’s
a beautiful room,” Grace said, looking around.

“I
agree,” Tommy said as he poured.

“For
VIPs only, I take it.”

“If
every man’s a VIP, then yes.
 
All they
have to do is reserve it.”
 
He handed her
a drink.
 
She thanked him and immediately
took a sip.

Tommy
looked at her as he sipped, too.
 
She
seemed flustered to him, even though she was attempting to appear at ease.
 
He exhaled.
 
“What’s wrong, Grace?” he asked her.

Grace
didn’t expect him to be that direct.
 
She
sat her glass on the tabletop.
 
“Maybe I
should ask you that same question.”

Tommy
leaned back and unbuttoned his suit coat.
 
He was tired, and had an overwhelming amount of work waiting on him, but
he felt this was more important.
 
“Is
what’s bothering you the fact that I didn’t come and see you last night, or the
fact that you wanted me to come see you last night?”

Grace
was always astounded by how perceptive Tommy could be.
 
“Why didn’t you come?” she asked
 
him.
 
“You always have whenever you’ve returned to town.
 
And you’d been gone for almost a whole week.”

“I
didn’t think about it in terms of any pattern of behavior or anything else like
that.
 
I just went by the office to pick
up some paperwork and then went home and went to bed.
 
I phoned you.”

“I
know.
 
I just. . .”

“You
just what?
 
What is it?
 
Then I phone you today and ask you to dinner
and you say you can’t make it.
 
And when
I come to see you, I’m at least expecting you to welcome me back with a hug or
a kiss, but I don’t get either.
 
I still
haven’t gotten either.”

“I
would love to hug and kiss you,” she said, “but I can’t just dismiss my
feelings.”

Tommy
frowned.
 
“Feelings about what?”

“Me
and you, Tommy, and my . . .”

“And
your what?”

“And
my attachment to you.”
 
Grace said this
and looked at him.

Tommy
stared at her.

“I’m concerned
I’m getting too attached to you just when you’re getting tired of me.”

Tommy
was puzzled.
 
Was she kidding?
 
“Tired of you?” he asked.
 
“Why would I get tired of you?”

Grace
didn’t know how to say it.

“Why,
Grace?”

“Because
I’m not . . .freaky in the bedroom enough for you.”

Tommy
slowly began to smile, and then he laughed.

“It’s
not funny, Tommy!” Grace said, unable to stop from smiling at the way he
couldn’t stop laughing.

“It’s
not funny!” she said again.

“It
is funny,” Tommy said.
 
“Freaky?” he
asked.
 
“I don’t want a freak in my
bed.
 
I want you.”

“And
I’m not boring sexually to you?”

“Boring
sexually?” Tommy asked, astounded.
 
“Excuse my French, but are you out of your fucking mind?”
 

Grace
laughed this time.

“That
is not an issue, babe.
 
None.”

Grace
felt so relieved.
 
“So I don’t have to
worry about the Margarets of the world then?” she asked.

Tommy
snorted.
 
“Not even,” he said.
 
“She’s not my type at all.”

“You
mean she’s not one of your former friends with benefits?”

Tommy
shook his head.
 
She really still had a
lot to learn about him.
 
“No, babe,” he
said.
 
“She’s never gotten any benefits
from me.
 
And never will.”

“Oh,
Tommy!” Grace said, getting up and going to him.

She
put her arms around his neck and he pulled her down on his lap.
 
“Why would I get bored with you, sexually or
otherwise?
 
Give me one good reason why?”