“The pizza.” I hold the slice out toward her before I take a bite. “It’s good, right?”
Stella heaves a big sigh. Rolls her eyes. Frowns at me. Then reaches into the box and takes out another slice, depositing it on her plate. “I suppose it’s all right.”
“Ha.” Triumph surges through me. “Told you I’d get you to try it. And that you’d like it.”
“I only said it’s okay,” she says primly. “It’s not my favorite.”
“Uh huh.”
“I doubt I’d ever order it again.”
“Sure.” I don’t believe her at all.
“You’re infuriating.” She grins at me.
“So are you.” Reaching out, I tap the end of her nose. “Wanna do it again when we’re done with dinner?”
“Such a romantic offer,” she teases as she gets up from the chair and starts toward the fridge. I smack her ass just before she walks away, and she glares at me from over her shoulder. “But I’ll take you up on it.”
Twenty-Five
I wasn’t surprised when Grace called me Monday afternoon, asking me if I could change our meeting time for Tuesday to happen in the afternoon versus the morning. No big deal.
What I didn’t expect was Grace to walk into my agency Tuesday afternoon just before two with Stella next to her. My roomie with benefits didn’t mention that she was going with Grandma to look for a condo.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Abbott,” Grace announces herself, making me smile.
Well. I’m smiling at Stella, who’s got an apologetic expression on her face. Does she feel bad for not telling me she would be here?
It’s kind of odd, that she didn’t tell me.
“Hey.” I was sitting at my desk when they entered, and I stand immediately, tempted to go to Stella and press a kiss to her pretty lips, but I restrain myself. Instead I go to Grace and take one of her hands, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “You made it.”
“Of course we did.” Grace practically harrumphs. I hope I didn’t offend her. “I’m sure you don’t mind that I brought my granddaughter with me. You two know each other well, hmmm?”
Her teasing tone reassures me that no, I didn’t offend her. “Never seen this woman before in my life,” I say with the utmost sincerity.
Stella reaches out and socks me lightly on the arm. “Whatever.”
“You two still living together?” When we both nod, Grace turns her attention to Stella. “And your father still doesn’t know?”
“No one in the family knows,” Stella admits. “Besides you.”
It’s the thing that bothers me the most about this entire situation. Well, that and the fact that we keep our relationship—whatever you want to call it—under wraps too. No one in her family besides her grandmother knows we live together. No one in her friend group knows we’re having constant sex and are basically together, as if we’re in a relationship.
I’m Stella Ricci’s dirty secret, and I kind of hate it.
“I don’t know how you’re getting away with this,” Grace mutters, shaking her head. “You need to tell them.”
“Dad will flip out.”
“You’ve made your father flip out, as you say, more times than not since you were born,” Grace retorts. “And he’s always gotten past it. He’ll get past this too.”
Stella sends me a look, one that says save me from this conversation.
So like the sucker that I am for this woman, I do.
“Are we ready to go?” I ask, looking from one woman to the other. “We have a lot to see this afternoon.”
“Yes, let’s go. I’m excited,” Grace says.
I load them into my car, Grace in my passenger seat, Stella sitting behind her in the back. It feels weird, the seating arrangement, but I go along with it so I don’t arouse suspicion. I have a feeling, though, that Grace is suspicious enough without us giving her any clues.
We start out looking at condominiums that are a little older, though with coveted addresses and expansive views. One in Pacific Grove, three in Monterey—two of those within the same complex—and another one in Marina.
“Marina is too far,” Grace sniffs as we look about the two-bedroom condo that’s recently been renovated. “None of my friends will come visit me out here.”
“I thought you wanted new friends,” Stella says.
“I do, but I’d like to keep a few of my old friends too. And none of them like Marina,” Grace continues.
Stella sighs. “You’re being a snob.” Marina is not a coveted address.
“Marina is just…Marina.”
“I grew up here,” I say, because it’s true. And yes, Marina is one of the less desired areas to live in on the Monterey Peninsula, but it was the only one my mom could afford. I don’t know how she affords to live here now.
Oh, that’s right, I help her with her bills on occasion. That one time I had dinner with her after I came back, she even suggested I move in with her and pay rent.
No thanks.
Grace stands a little straighter at my casual remark, her expression contrite. “I didn’t mean to insult your hometown, Carter.”
“I’m not insulted. You’re just stating facts. Marina’s not that great.” I guide them both to toward the front door. “Let’s look somewhere else.”
But see, I did this on purpose. Showed them some older builds in less popular areas. The condos in Monterey were nice, but they were close to Cannery Row and I don’t think Grace wants to be smack in the middle of tourist central.
I show a few others, all of them in Pebble Beach, a couple of them directly off 17-Mile Drive. “This is too close to Lorenzo’s,” Grace said about one complex, making Stella laugh.
“What, you don’t want to live too close to your son’s house?” she asks.
“Absolutely not,” Grace retorts.
On to the next one. One of the last ones. Still in Pebble Beach, in an exclusive, gated community. The neighborhood is quiet, and the condos are almost all single-level, including the one I’m going to show Grace. I figured she’d appreciate that.
“Oh, this is so lovely,” Grace says as she enters the living room, Stella and me right behind her. “So open and airy.”
“It’s a corner unit, so you only have one neighbor,” I say as I stop in the middle of the living room. Stella is checking out the view from the front window while Grace is already in the kitchen. “The kitchen’s been recently remodeled. There’s new flooring, paint and carpet.”
“What year was this built?” Stella asks me.
“1973.” Stella frowns, but I continue, “This is a prime location, though. Whenever one of the units comes up for sale, they disappear fast.” That’s what Jolene told me.
“Oh, look at the view,” Grace says, drawing both Stella and me into the kitchen. She’s standing in front of the sink, looking out the window that overlooks the ocean. “It reminds me of my view in Carmel.”
“Is it too close to Daddy’s house?” Stella teases.