Always the sweet one, Crystal patted Gwen’s arm and said, “That was very nice of you; I’m sure he appreciated that.”
“He never knew it,” Gwen continued morosely, “because I heard Gage ask him when he was going to find out if I was pregnant or not so he could go back to his ex-girlfriend, Kandi.”
“Kandi?” Mia shrieked loudly before popping her hand over her mouth. “Shit, sorry, but that sounds like a stripper name or something.”
“It is,” Gwen moaned into her hands. “He dated a stripper before me and from what he told Gage, she is the love of his life and he plans to go back to her as soon as I give him the all clear. Maybe she hates kids or something and won’t take him back until he knows for sure that he’s not going to be a father.”
“No fucking way,” Mia deadpans. “That’s something you’d read about in a book, but never happens in real life. Are you sure you aren’t mistaken? Maybe he just said something that sounded like that?”
Throwing her hands in front of her in exasperation, Gwen asked, “How many words rhyme with Kandi? I don’t think I could have heard that wrong.”
Taking her question literally, Crystal began saying, “Well, there’s Mandy, Randy, dandy, Sandy . . .”
“You are so not helping, Crys,” Mia said, stopping her. Turning back to Gwen, she asked, “You said there were a couple of things that happened yesterday. What was the other?”
Gwen told them all about their movie evening and his strange behavior afterward. “And then he asked as he was leaving when I’d know if I was pregnant or not. He went so far as to suggest an early pregnancy test. That was too much of a coincidence after what I heard that morning—don’t you think?”
When instead of having a good explanation for his behavior, Mia simply said, “Damn,” Gwen knew she hadn’t jumped to conclusions at all. “But, he seemed so into you this morning,” Mia added weakly, looking mystified by the whole thing. “I just don’t think it’s that black and white. You should talk to him. He doesn’t seem the type to have a woman on the side while seeing another. You hear plenty of rumors at the office about the players and his name has never come up. Now, Gage—he’s a different story.”
When both Gwen and Mia looked at Crystal, she blushed and shook her head furiously. “I’m not involved with him. Plus, I saw him Monday afternoon in the parking garage kissing some girl. He’s cute and going out with him would drive my mother crazy, but he’s just too much for me.”
“And Mark DeSanto isn’t?” Mia said incredulously.
Crystal’s pink cheeks had now become a bright shade of red, Gwen noted curiously. “Who’s Mark DeSanto?” she asked, glad for a reprieve from her pathetic love life.
“Oh, honey,” Mia let out a very unladylike wolf whistle. “Come on, surely you’ve heard of the DeSanto group that is partnering with Danvers? Mark DeSanto is the owner.”
Snapping her fingers, Gwen nodded. “Of course, yes. I’ve never actually met him, though. Is he cute?”
“Hot as the fires of Hades,” Mia gushed. “He’s young, probably in his early to midthirties, with dark hair and a kicking body. Apparently, he’s taken some office space in the Danvers building now that they’re doing so much business together.” Pointing to Crystal, she added, “I caught our girl here drooling over him in the coffee shop this morning. She poured half a container of sugar in her cup, watching him add cream to his a few feet away. Show her the picture, Crys.”
Gwen gaped at her innocent-seeming friend. “You took a picture of him?”
“Thank God for cell phones!” Mia enthused as she motioned for Crystal to find the picture.
Instead of looking embarrassed now, Crystal looked almost proud of herself as she hit some buttons on her phone, before handing it to Gwen. “He’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen,” she sighed dreamily.
Gwen found it hard to argue with Crystal’s assessment as she stared at the phone. Whereas Dominic was all rugged masculinity, Mark DeSanto was polished perfection in a fitted suit that looked expensive even on camera. His black hair was the only part of his appearance that wasn’t immaculate. It was tousled as if he’d run his hand through it several times that morning. Somehow, that only added to his appeal. “Wow,” Gwen murmured, as she looked her fill before returning the phone. She might be totally infatuated with Dominic, but there was no way any woman wouldn’t look twice at a man like that.
Mia grinned. “I know, right? That man is a walking sexual fantasy.”
“But doesn’t Seth dress the same way?” Crystal asked as she cradled her phone to her chest as if it were the actual man himself.
Mia smacked her lips in obvious appreciation. “You bet your ass he does, and I love it. There is nothing quite like a little game of bad CEO to get me going.”
As Crystal opened her mouth to speak, Gwen cut her off by saying, “Crystal, honey, didn’t we cover the part about not asking questions like that? I get that you’re ready to spread your wings and fly, but you might want to think twice about being educated completely in just one day.”
Mia snorted, sticking her tongue out. “You’re no fun at all, Gwen. I’m just trying to help her land that bad boy. Because I’ve heard the rumors, and that’s exactly what he is.”
“He’s innocent until proven guilty,” Crystal defended her new crush.