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Epilogue
Gabriella
Two months later…
“Piper,” I speak into my monitor. “Spill.”
It’s Monday night and Carter and Dominic have cleared out, taking Noah with them. They said something about going to get dinner with Ed, followed by ice-cream. Noah solemnly promised to bring back some for me. “I know you like strawberry, Gabby,” he said. “I’ll remind Daddy and Uncle Carter.”
Dominic pulled some strings, and Ed Wagner is working as a dealer in the Hellenic. He’s really good at it. He’s also living in a nicer apartment, one that even Carter approves of.
Whether it was a result of Ed’s assault, or the magic of mediation, or because Ed saved my life, the relationship between Ed and Carter has never been better. The two of them agreed to joint custody. Two weeks in a month, Noah spends the week with his father and the weekend with Carter, and the other two weeks, it’s flipped around.
It’s working great. It’s absolutely wonderful to watch Noah’s eyes shine when he talks about his daddy. Carter grumbles a little, but even he doesn’t try to deny that this was the right thing to do.
I tried to visit Vittoria in hospital, but she didn’t want to see me. She’s physically recovered. Mentally? That’s a harder road. She found out her husband was cheating with her best friend, and then he was shot in front of her. Does she mourn him? Does she rage at him? Given the role I played, I’m not surprised she wants nothing to do with me. I hear she’s running Mitchell’s various businesses now and doing a much better job of it than he was.
A week after the shooting, I went back to the hospital for a follow-up, and Dr. Rosenthal cleared me to resume normal activity. There was sex, of course, and then we went back to Dalian. This time, I ate all fifteen courses. I have no regrets.
In other wonderful news, Zach Hewitt is doing amazing in rehab. He’s walking again. It’s the kind of progress that was inconceivable two months ago. When Dominic had heard the news, he cried. I teased him about it later, of course, and he spanked my ass for my cheekiness. Win-win.
Speaking of Dominic; it turns out he was right about Fred Jefferson. Fred has definitely opened doors for me. I’ve had three prospective clients call me in the last week alone. I gave up my apartment in Park Slope. I’m living in the Grand River rent-free—I’ve tried convincing Dominic that I’m mooching off him, but he refuses to listen—and saving a ton of money. I’m still a few months away from being able to quit my job, but I’m closer than I thought I’d be when I first arrived in Atlantic City. I can’t wait.
I used to be one of the people that never wanted to leave the city, but although I miss New York from time to time, plenty of other things make up for it. Reading Noah a bedtime story. Soaking in the hot tub with Dominic and Carter. Sharing a bed with the two of them, and waking up tangled up in their limbs, every single morning. Above all, being utterly, completely loved.
Last month, I put on my big-girl panties and told my parents about my unorthodox relationship. They took it much better than I expected. Okay, the truth is, they saw a photo of Noah and melted. Now, they send him toys from London, and spoil the shit out of him.
Hey, Noah’s adorable smile works on everyone. I’m not too proud to use it to get what I need.
Right now, I’m chatting with my girls through the magic of the Internet. Bailey’s still with her billionaires, and all’s well on that front. Wendy’s kicking ass at work, as usual. Miki’s somewhat subdued, and I wonder if she’s okay. But the bulk of our attention is on Piper. She’s got that ‘I had mind-bogglingly good sex’ look on her face. I should know that look—I see it every morning in the mirror.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” she says weakly.
“Piper,” I warn. “There are consequences to keeping secrets from your best friends.”
“Shot, shot, shot,” chant the others. Piper grimaces and takes her penalty shot from the bottle of vodka next to her. “We miss you, Gabby,” she says. “There are no sandwiches.”
“I’ll be in New York in two weeks,” I tell them. “Dominic has some kind of work thing, and we are all coming down for the week. I’ll bring sandwiches then. And Piper?” I glare through the screen at her. “I know an attempt to change the topic when I hear it.”
“Okay,” she says sheepishly. “I may have been inspired by you and Bailey and done something stupid.”
“Wait a second,” Wendy leans forward, her mouth open. “You jumped on the ménage wagon?”
“I didn’t go all the way,” Piper protests.
“Who with?” Miki asks. “Anyone we know?”
Piper gulps and avoids looking at us. “Sort of,” she whispers, her cheeks scarlet. “It’s Wyatt and Owen.”
I can’t help it. I burst into laughter. Wyatt and Owen are a couple of genius restaurateurs who are helping Piper make a success of her own New York eatery. But in the process, the three of them have been fighting like cats and dogs.
It seems like hate and love aren’t too far apart in this case.
“What about you, Gabby?” Piper makes another frantic attempt to change the topic. “Two months in Atlantic City, two months into your relationship. How’s it going?”
I think about the way Carter massages my feet when I take off my high heels. The way Dominic makes sure he’s got my favorite tea in stock. I think about our Friday night routine, where we all go out to dinner, and our big, boisterous family lunches on Sunday.
“You know something?” I say, beaming from ear to ear. “It was the best gamble of my life.”
* * *
