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“Very,” I tell her. “My closet is overflowing, Palla. Please come by and save me.”
A light laugh escapes her. “Name the day, and I’m there.”
I yank my phone out of my bag to peek at my schedule.
Before I can pull up my calendar, a text message lights up my screen.
Daniel: Turn around, Mrs. Lawton.
The phone almost tumbles from my hands as I rush to delete the message before Palla can get a glimpse of it.
“Daniel Lawton just walked in,” she says with a lilt in her tone. “I always thought he was cute as a button.”
I smile at that description of him.
He’s more handsome than cute to me, but I know Palla views him through a different lens than I do since she’s madly in love with her husband.
I don’t bother to glance over my shoulder. “Daniel is here?”
“He most certainly is.” She raises a hand to wave toward the entrance. “I thought he moved to California. I wonder why he’s in Manhattan.”
I tap my finger on the rim of the mug. “Can you pour this into a to-go cup? I need to run.”
“Sure.” She reaches for it. “You don’t want to stick around and share a coffee with Daniel? He’s not wearing a wedding ring, Gina. I can’t understand how a man like that can still be single.”
He’s not…unfortunately.
That thought swims in my head as I hear heavy footsteps on the approach behind me.
“Palla and Gina Calvetti,” he says in a tone that hints at the amusement that must be visible in his expression. “Is there a gathering of the most beautiful women in New York here today?”
I roll my eyes, but Palla is too focused on my husband to notice.
“It’s good to see you, Daniel,” she says warmly. “What brings you to New York?”
“Business.” He pauses before continuing, “and a cup of your coffee, Palla.”
Smitten, she giggles. “You’re good for my ego. Arlo will be sorry he missed you.”
“I’ll be back,” he tells her as he stops beside me. “It seems my business will keep me in New York for at least the next few days.”
My gaze snaps in his direction, and I immediately regret that.
He obviously didn’t shave this morning, so the stubble that has settled over his jaw has shot his hot factor into the millions on a scale of one to ten.
The suit he’s wearing doesn’t take anything away from how gorgeous he is.
“That’s a Berdine suit, isn’t it?” I ask before I realize what I’m doing.
Palla glances at me, but Daniel is the first to respond. “Leave it to the fashion expert to notice a great suit. It is a Berdine, and it’s custom-made.”
I shouldn’t be surprised. Berdine is owned by the same corporation as Ella Kara. The men’s clothing line is my brother’s favorite.
Palla nods. “Gina knows best. She’ll let me rummage through her closet for a few designer pieces. To top it off, it’s all free.”
Daniel’s gaze jumps to me. “Gina’s very generous.”
“Would tonight work for you, Gina?” she asks. “I can bring dinner.”
