“It’s why you love me.” She grinned back at him.
“Fine,” he said with an exaggerated sigh. “I’ll handle it, but you owe me.”
“I always do. One day I might even pay up.” She pulled him into a hug and whispered, “Thanks.”
“Anything for you, babe.” When he stepped away, he added, “Now get yourself together. We have somewhere to be.”
Gigi glanced down at her long skirt and fitted white T-shirt. Then she eyed him. “Considering you look like you raided your teen wardrobe, I’m guessing wherever we’re headed it’s not exactly formal?”
“I never wore this as a teen.” He raised his head and sniffed as if she’d insulted him. “If you must know, I was preppy back then, and the thought of ripped jeans was horrifying. I’ve since found the light. And thanks to Always in Fashion, I found this wonderful vintage T-shirt. Tell me this isn’t fabulous.” He waved a hand in a flourish, indicating she should study his look again.
“I thought you said you wouldn’t be caught dead in that store,” Gigi said, raising one eyebrow.
“So I lied. Sue me.” He rolled his eyes playfully. “I actually went in to reassure myself they wouldn’t be my competition, and that’s when I found this fabulous thing. They have an incredible selection of vintage Tees. I’m almost a little jealous. Still, it’s not the kind of thing I plan to sell, so I guess it’s all right. Now what do you really think if my outfit?”
“I’m telling you, if those jeans were acid wash, you’d be a shoo-in for an 80s Madonna video.”
“Really?” he asked, beaming. “That’s just about the best thing I’ve heard all morning.”
“You’re too much.” Gigi laughed. “Now, tell me my outfit is fine for wherever we’re headed.”
He eyed her for a moment and nodded. “Just grab your checkbook and your keys, and let’s go or else we’re going to miss it.”
“Miss what?” she called as she disappeared inside to grab her bag.
“You’ll see.” He followed her, and once she was ready to go, he slipped his arm through hers and said, “Come on, Rapunzel, let’s blow this castle and have some fun, shall we?”
Gigi happily let him lead her out of her house and was grateful he’d arrived to take her mind off Sebastian. She shook her head. No more thoughts of him. She was headed out on an adventure with her new best friend. And she couldn’t wait to see what he had in store for her.
Chapter Five
“Where exactly are we going?” Gigi asked as she squinted at the winding road in front of them. They were headed through a thick patch of redwoods, away from the coast. “You’re not taking me into the forest and forcing me to hike five miles again, are you?”
Skyler scoffed. “Would I be wearing my favorite Gucci sneakers if I was going to go traipsing into the woods?”
She glanced down at his feet that were clad in beige and maroon colored tennis shoes. Sure, they looked brand new, but if it weren’t for the Gucci logo on the side, she never would have guessed they cost almost as much as rent on a small apartment. “I’m guessing that’s a no. I’m glad to hear it,” she said with a chuckle. “So? Where is our final destination?”
Skyler grabbed a folded piece of paper from the console of his Lexus SUV and handed it to her. “This, my friend, is where we’re going to find some fabulous treasures.”
Gigi unfolded the paper and scanned the advertisement. It had a picture of a large Victorian on a perfectly manicured lot with directions on how to get to the estate sale. The doors were opening in fifteen minutes. “Ah, I see. Is this the one you told me about a few days ago? I thought we were supposed to go on Saturday at the crack of dawn.”
“Nope. That’s a different one, and I still expect you to go even after your rager on Friday night.”
She laughed. “The last time I was at a rager, I left at ten thirty after James drank so much that he didn’t even recognize me. I was kind of hoping he’d pass out there and give me some peace, but somehow, he ended up in a cab and I ended up taking care of his ass for two days after. I haven’t felt the need to attend a rager since then.”
“Gigi,” Skyler said, shaking his head. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but your ex is shit.”
“No kidding,” she said with a sad shake of her head. “I should have left a lot sooner, but it just wasn’t that easy. He was a master manipulator.”
“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Sky said. “You’re not the only one who has found herself in a shitty situation. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out how to change it. But you have, and your life is fabulous now. So fabulous that you’re with me, headed to an estate sale with a pocket full of money and no one to answer to but yourself. Sounds great right?”
“You can say that again,” she said, making a concerted effort to put all thoughts of her ex behind her. Nothing good ever came from thinking about him. Instead, she focused on the task at hand. “How did you hear about this sale? I thought the one this weekend was the only one happening for at least a few weeks.”
“This one showed up in my email box first thing this morning. The door opens in fifteen minutes, and the email listed designer garments,” he said with a reverent sigh. “Some from Alexander McQueen.”
“Oh, goodness,” Gigi said, grinning at him. “Jackpot.”
“I just hope I’m the first one in the door,” he said, pressing on the gas and taking a corner at a speed that made Gigi uncomfortable. She grabbed onto the edge of the seat and pumped the imaginary brake out of reflex. He glanced over at her and chuckled. “Relax, babe. I used to race cars when I was younger.”
“You did?” Gigi’s eyes widened, and she wondered what else she hadn’t yet learned about her neighbor.
“Yep. Used to go down to the track with my brother and his best friend, Jake. I was good enough that I won a few races, but it was too expensive. Besides, I was just there to ogle Jake.”
“Did he play for your team?” Gigi asked, chuckling at her friend.
“Not at the time, but when we ran into each other a few years later when my totally masc, straight brother wasn’t around, he didn’t hesitate to take me up on my offer to go back to my dorm room.” He gave Gigi a wicked grin. “I swear if he hadn’t still been friends with my brother that we’d have had a salacious long-term love affair.”
“Sounds like the time you put in at the track paid off after all.” Gigi winked at him. She really enjoyed her time with Skyler. His stories were always entertaining, even if she did suspect he embellished at times. Who cared? He was fun and great at getting her out of her house, where she was in danger of becoming a recluse if left to her own devices. She’d spent too many years hiding away from the world. After the trauma of losing her mother and then enduring her controlling husband, it had taken her a long time to come into her own. But when she’d kicked her ex’s ass and left him last year, she finally felt the sweet taste of freedom. There was no going back. Not ever.