4th & Girl

In an impressive feat of contortionism, I could practically feel my foot kicking me in the ass as I stood there.

If I’d come earlier. If I’d made lunch work the week before…that would have been a week fewer of suffering.

Good thing I was too fucking thrilled at the sight of her to spend any real time on self-deprecation.

That would come later, I was sure, but something way more important came now.

Gemma.

I took her extended hand in mine and squeezed as warmth ran all the way up the length of my arm. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Gemma.”

She blushed, no doubt still embarrassed by the way we’d met, and I pictured that blush spreading all over her petite body.

God, the fantasies I’d had over the past weeks had nothing on the ones I was conjuring up now, and I knew it was because she looked even fucking better than I’d remembered her.

Blond, petite, adorably dimpled cheeks.

But my God, her eyes were some of the most striking blue beauties I’d ever seen, and the line of her shy smile was enough to make me go weak in the knees.

“You’re even better than I remember,” I said aloud, totally losing all sense of cool.

She flushed again, pulling her hand from mine on a startle and looking to the ground, just as my Nonna came grumbling into the middle of us. Apparently, she’d missed the weird meeting between us completely.

“Now that the pleasantries are out of the way,” she said, “let’s get to eating. I’m starving, and the two of you can make moony eyes at the table.”

Orrrr not.

Shit.

Panic grabbed Gemma, it was clear to see, as she backpedaled toward the front of the room and a few steps closer to the front door.

I stepped with her, scared I’d have to make a bid to grab her if she made a run for it.

I felt like a crazy person even considering the idea of keeping her here against her will, but Christ, I’d been looking for her without success for almost three months.

I didn’t know what I’d do if she just took off again without giving me any real information.

Of course, my Nonna was cruel and unusual, and sometimes, too astute for everyone’s good.

She glanced up to see Gemma’s moves and called her out on it.

“Where are you going?”

Gemma stumbled to come up with an excuse. “Well, see, I forgot I have a dentist appoint—”

“Nope,” my great-aunt Alma cut her off. “Next.”

Gemma’s eyes widened almost comically.

“No, really, I have to—”

“Sit down.”

“No, I have to—”

“Get the rolls for me, would you, dear?”

I couldn’t hide my smile as Gemma gave in to the power of Nonna, her shoulders sinking slightly in defeat.

I’d been on the other side of this rundown many a time, but somehow, it was a lot more amusing from this sideline.

In fact, I could kind of see why my Nonna seemed to like doing it so much.

“Don’t worry,” I told Gemma softly as she finally made her feet move and my great-aunt disappeared into the kitchen. “You’ll get used to her.”

She looked to the carpet and back up again before gracing me with a small smile and a laugh. “I don’t know about that. I mean, I’ve been working here for a little while now, and I’ve yet to really feel prepared, if you know I mean.”

Working for her a little while now? Who would’ve thought selling T-shirts online would require my eighty-year-old Nonna to turn entrepreneur and start hiring employees?

Certainly not me.

But in my and my family’s defense, ever since Great-Uncle Donnie passed away a few years back, no one could really predict what dear old Nonna had up her sleeve.

The old biddy was a fucking wild card, that was for sure, but despite her important presence in my life, in that moment, she wasn’t my main focus.

I smiled at Gemma, nodded knowingly, and admitted the truth. “Yeah. Okay. So you probably won’t get used to her,” I said through a soft snicker. “Lord knows, I’ve known her my whole life and never have. But you’ll never be short on laughs.”

Her pretty blue eyes lit up with amusement. “That much I know. I don’t think a day goes by here that I don’t laugh.”

I looked to the kitchen and back again, and when I met Gemma’s eyes once more, they’d changed—warmed.

“She’s the best.”

With a quick lick of her lips, Gemma gained control of all of the wild emotions cascading through her body. And in the same moment, I lost every bit of control I had.

Good God, I was in trouble when it came to her.

Weeks of not seeing her, minutes of confirming my feelings, and a simple movement—all enough to impact me for a lifetime.

With a gallant hand, I offered her the space to walk into the kitchen ahead of me, and thankfully, she tucked her head and did so.