Overly excited about the prospect of opening up a second location and what my father's agreement to something like that might mean about his trust in me, I didn't let Enzo's shake of his head bother me. His eyes darted all over the lobby, noticing everything so he could complain about it down the line.
David walked around the side of the desk as Rebel trotted at my side, and Enzo glared. Only a glass panel separated us from the gym Dad and I would soon own. Shoving the key into the lock and turning it eagerly, David stepped into the space. The bright smile he turned my way contained all the excitement I’d expressed in our various text messages about what I wanted. When he’d told me he found a space in this location, I’d about died.
“It's in the budget?” I asked, walking the outer walls of the space and glancing around.
“Slightly above, but nothing that can’t be negotiated,” David said as I turned a bright smile his way.
It might not have been everything I loved about our original location, but it would serve a purpose. Instead of a mix of warehouse architecture and old charm, everything was polished chrome and modern lines. Still, I could picture where the rings would go and where we'd line up the weights and other equipment. It would need to be smaller than the original given the limitations of finding space in the Loop, but I didn't doubt the location would flourish.
"Sadie," Enzo said, interrupting my musing.
"Hmm?" I hummed, spinning around in the empty space.
"It's a no. There are way too many security risks here. That door might as well not be there with the glass. Those windows are floor to ceiling. Drive-by shootings are a genuine possibility with a full-blown war brewing, and there's literally no place to hide in here if that happens. You'd have a roomful of dead customers, not to mention you'd probably be killed too. It doesn't work for your life as a Bellandi," he said. His tone was soft, the remnants of his guilt from the night before clinging to him throughout the day. I tried not to let it bother me, because I knew I'd feel the same if I'd unintentionally hurt him, too.
"I'm not a Bellandi," I murmured back.
He raised an eyebrow at me, sighing as he stepped into my space. His hand came down on Rebel's head, touching her gently so that she took it for the cue it was and settled in to sit down like the lazy dog she was. "Do you think a Bellandi man tells his woman he loves her without intending for it to go in a certain direction, Baby Girl?" he asked, touching my arm gently as I stilled.
"You're not a Bellandi either," I said, changing the tone of the conversation. Or at least attempting to.
"I'm a Bellandi man, no matter what my last name is. A made man. I'm not sure you understood what I meant when I told you I loved you the other night. So I’ll break it down for you. I'm a Bellandi man. You're a Bellandi woman, and we'll make that official sooner than you'd like in typical Bellandi fashion, I'm sure."
"Even if that were true," I paused, giving him a pointed look that communicated just how not on board with marriage I was just yet. "I need this location. The Loop is perfect for the expansion, and I will not let you decide for me. Do you have any idea how long I had to work to convince my dad that the second location was a good idea and that the timing is perfect? Years, Enzo. I've worked for this for years, and I will not let you take it away from me."
David grimaced with wide eyes, stepping away to the other side of the room to give us a semblance of privacy.
Smart man.
Enzo sighed, but his eyes warmed as he watched me. That spark of independence that he seemed to love so much, the challenge in my face as I stared him down, only made him more determined to win. He liked a challenge, but he didn't like to lose either. "We'll make the second location happen. Just work with me on the location itself. We'll find you something you love that is safe and in a prime spot. I think we can compromise in that way. A building we own outright would be best,