“It’s not shallow, and Gabriel will appreciate the fact that I’m making an effort, so thank you again.”
His blue eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled at me and said, “It’s my absolute pleasure.” When we climbed into the SUV, Will asked his fiancé, “How did we do?”
Lorenzo glanced at his phone and told him, “Seventeen minutes. Impressive.”
Our next stop was a tiny barbershop maybe seven blocks from the department store. “That’s one of the great things about San Francisco,” Phoenix said. “Everything’s all crammed together. Not like L.A., where you might need to take three freeways to reach your destination.”
He waited in the car with the cat and resumed his search for date ideas while the rest of us went inside. Lorenzo and the silver-haired gentleman who owned the place greeted each other like old friends, though that was based solely on their earlier phone conversation.
As I hung up my jacket and sat in the only barber chair in the tiny shop, the man asked, “So tell me, what can I do for you?”
I gestured at my friends and said, “I’ll go with whatever they suggest.”
Will asked the barber to trim the sides and back while keeping a little length on the top. “Then we’ll see about cleaning up that almost-beard,” he added.
The barber misted my hair with water as I told my friend, “A shave is a bad idea. I don’t want to look like a twelve-year-old.”
“We’re not going for clean-shaven,” Will explained. “But we can definitely trim your facial hair and make it look neater.”
I relaxed a bit and said, “Okay. I trust you.”
Maybe half an hour later, I exchanged my T-shirt for a new, black button-down, then turned to study my reflection in the mirror. My hair had some shape and style to it for a change, and there was just enough of a beard left to stop me from looking like a kid. I actually liked what I saw, which wasn’t always the case.
Lorenzo insisted on paying, no matter what I did to try to convince him otherwise, and we all thanked the barber before returning to the SUV. As Phoenix cut across town, he said, “I had a pretty inspired idea for tonight, if I say so myself. The bed and breakfast where I’m staying has a gorgeous backyard, so I called the woman who owns the place and asked if you could use it for your date. She was all for it. I’m her only guest right now, and she says she’s glad the garden will get some use.”
I said, “Thank you, that sounds nice.”
“That just leaves dinner, and I texted you a list of options,” he said. “There are a few affordable local restaurants that sound good and offer free delivery, and there’s also a food truck court about two blocks from the B and B. It just depends on what you and Gabriel are in the mood for.”
I browsed through the links he’d sent me for a few minutes, and when we pulled up in front of Will and Lorenzo’s hotel, I turned to my friends and said, “Thank you again for everything. I’ve never been taken care of like this.”
Will shifted the cat in his arms and smiled at me as he squeezed my shoulder. “Thank you too for letting us be the pit crew for your first date, and good luck tonight.” Lorenzo handed me the flowers, which had somehow ended up in his care, and they both said goodnight to Phoenix and me before heading into the hotel.
I fell silent as Phoenix pointed the SUV toward the apartment, and after a while he asked, “Are you nervous?”
“Yeah, and I wish I wasn’t.”
“I know it’s easier said than done, but try not to put too much pressure on yourself. He already likes you, and he’s not expecting you to prove your worth or anything like that. He just wants to have a nice evening with you.” He was absolutely right.
Once we reached the apartment building, Phoenix parked in the loading zone and said, “Don’t feel like you have to hurry, seriously. I’ll sort through my in-box while I’m waiting.” He turned his attention to his phone while I went inside.
When I got to the apartment I had to knock since Gabriel had the only set of keys, and when he opened the door, I whispered, “Wow.”
He was dressed all in black in a button-down shirt, slim-fitting pants, a sexy pair of stilettos, and a tailored knee-length jacket that corseted his waist. His glossy hair hung from a side part and partly covered one eye, and red lipstick emphasized his gorgeous mouth, which curved into a smile as he blurted, “You look amazing!”
“You took the words right out of my mouth. My God, Gabriel, look at you. You’re absolutely breathtaking.”