Temptation on Ocean Drive - Jennifer Probst Page 0,94
and Amy shared an uncomfortable look. “Amy’s right,” Kelly said. “You can go ahead and ask Christina from Bagel Time Cafe. She was at the Acme supermarket, and Gabe handed Devon a bouquet of flowers, then she gave him a full kiss on the lips. I swear to God, I’m not lying. She saw it with her own eyes.”
The ground shifted, but she held strong. A bouquet of flowers? Could it be possible he was stringing both of them along and bought them both flowers? No, Gabe wasn’t like that. But the doubts had drilled into her brain and wouldn’t quiet.
“Well, I’m sorry, I just don’t believe it. Listen, I have to go.”
“Sure, we’re sorry. But hon, I gotta be honest. You’re way too good for a man like that. He’ll only end up breaking your heart,” Amy said.
She didn’t answer. She walked slowly away with her shoulders squared and back straight, pretending she wasn’t dissolving inside. She drove home carefully, ignoring the nip of panic at her nerves.
She had to find out what the hell was going on.
Gabe fished out his turkey club for dinner and settled down with his laptop. He’d had back-to-back appointments all day for the Alperson wedding next weekend, and he was beginning to worry. The FOG was flying in from Colorado, and a snowstorm was ready to hit right around the day he was supposed to fly out. He’d gone back and forth with the bride, who was seriously starting to lose it, and managed to get him an earlier flight out.
Gabe had felt like a fucking superhero. But had he gotten the deserved gratitude and high fives? Nope.
The FOG told him he refused to leave early due to some big business meetings. So now he was dealing with a hysterical bride, a pissy FOG, a frustrated groom, and a ticket that wasn’t going to be used.
Wasn’t he supposed to just plan weddings? How’d he get roped into making sure entire families kept his clients calm? It sure as hell wasn’t in his job description, but then again, it’s what made Sunshine the best. It wasn’t just about the details—it was the entire experience. He was a support system.
He thought about having a beer, then settled on seltzer. When the phone rang again, he almost didn’t look, not able to deal with another call from the bride where he did nothing but soothe her rantings. Lord, wasn’t that what her fiancé was for?
Good, it wasn’t her. He picked up. “Hello?”
“Gabe? It’s Michelle from Exit Zero magazine. How are you?”
Ah, the famous glossy that had made his life a living hell two years ago. “I’m good. Say, if this is about the advertising, Avery’s in charge of that.”
“No, actually, I have great news. You’ve just been picked as the Sexiest Beach Bachelor for the June issue!”
No. Fucking. Way.
He cleared his throat. “Ah, Michelle, thanks but no thanks. I’m not interested.”
A heavy pause pulsed over the line. “Gabe, are you kidding? This is an honor—we polled hundreds of people all the way down to Wildwood and Long Beach, and you were number one! This is our biggest issue, and we’ve booked out our ads way in advance. Everyone’s waiting for the announcement!”
His temples began to throb. He could not go through this again. First Bridal Style, now this. He just wanted to be left alone. “Again, thank you, but I’m going to decline. Besides, I’m involved in a relationship, so that negates the whole bachelor thing.”
“You are?” Her shocked tone irritated him. “Well, you’re still not married, so it counts. I’m really disappointed by your reaction here. I guess this means you don’t want to do a photo shoot?”
“Umm, no. Definitely no. But good luck to the new winner. Can’t wait to see who it is.”
“Oh, we’re not picking another winner. We’ll just run the article without your pic. How about a quote?”
His heart sped up. He looked at the phone with a touch of wariness. “Wait—I just said I don’t want to be involved.”
Her laugh reminded him of a tinkly bell he wanted to mute. “Gabe, don’t be silly, we have to run the article! You were chosen whether you like it or not, and it’s the biggest spread to kick off summer. I can use your picture from last time or pull it off the website. No problem.”
“Michelle, listen to me. You know Pierce? Put him down as the new beach bachelor—he’s perfect for the job. I don’t want anything to do with this.”