“Who’s that?” Gloria asked.
“Saks.”
Gloria rolled her eyes. “He can’t leave you alone for two seconds, can he?”
“Nope. And I don’t want him to.”
“All I can say is that, after that mess in England, you’re lucky he’s here.”
“Give it a rest, Gloria.”
“I still can’t believe he let you get in that car to go to that warehouse.”
“He didn’t have a choice. I had the phone the police were tracking, and I wasn’t going to give it to him.”
“Still, you’re awful lucky they didn’t press charges. He did threaten people with a gun.”
“You know why. Grandpa agreed to testify against Kosikov and Pearson.”
“It’s still crazy weird what Pearson did with that dress and all. I mean seriously, what woman would think a dress is really to mark them as someone to kidnap? Sure, we worry about spiked drinks, but dresses?”
“Yeah, I know.” Chrissy sighed at the thought that a man she’d worked so close alongside could’ve sold her out like that. “But, I mean, there’s always the chance he didn’t know why they wanted me. Interpol said he owed that syndicate a ton of cash, and now whoever is left has to be pissed since they got Jessica and not me. No wonder he ran.”
“But they haven’t caught him yet. Right?”
“They will. Now, go, do something useful. Like, fix your hair we just spent two hundred dollars doing up.”
The phone pinged again, reminding Chrissy of Saks’ text which she hadn’t answered.
Chrissy: Not at all, babe. But I prefer private shows.
Saks: Noted. Then shall I pencil you in for tonight?
Chrissy was about to send Saks another teasing message, when a knock on the door sent Gloria into a tizzy.
“She’s here, she’s here,” Gloria said, bouncing on her toes. Honestly, Chrissy reflected, her sister acted like a three-year-old getting ice cream instead of a woman soon to be married.
Gloria opened the door while Chrissy sent a hurried message to Saks to let him know she needed to go.
Rose Serafini swept in, and her husband followed with two long dress bags slung over his shoulder. Rose wore a fifties-style dress with a wide skirt and a pinched waist, made up in a dark beige lace that complemented her olive skin. Vince Serafini wore a black tux.
“You both look great!” Chrissy exclaimed. It was amazing to see her parents looking healthy and happy again.
“Where do these go?” Vince asked, looking entirely out of his element.
“Here,” Chrissy said. She took the bags and hung them on pegs by the door.
“Let’s see,” Gloria exclaimed as she rushed over and tried to identify which bag was which.
“Honestly, Gloria Rose Serafini, you are worse than a kid,” Rose scolded.
“I’ll leave you ladies to what you have to do,” Vince said.
“Thank you, Daddy,” Gloria responded, giving him a big hug.
“Just one daughter?” Vince asked, arching an eyebrow and holding out an open arm.
“Love you, Dad,” Chrissy murmured as she snuggled under his open arm. “And, thank you.”