Page 22 of And Everything In Between (Love By Any Means #3)

“Hello sir, I’m Glenda, Welcome to Lulu’s. what can I get for you?” Glenda asked when he got to the window.

“You know Paige at the bank?” he nodded in that direction before turning back.

“Yeah, of course. Everyone knows Paige. She helped us get the loan for this food truck.”

“That’s what’s up, I need to feed her today. Can you help me with that?”

“Ouu, ok.” She purred, hyping him up. Giovanni shrugged as she yelled toward the back of the food truck. “She’s a uhm… Bobby, Paige at the bank, what’s her order?”

Giovanni could hear a man running off the order.

“Steak quesadilla. Extra sour cream and cilantro. And she likes the fresh cucumbers on the side. I always give her extra.”

“That’s what I need, then. She like anything else? Any other trucks or spots she fuck with?”

“I mean, she practically helped all the food trucks on the strip get a loan. We love Paige. What’s up?”

“I’m a busy man, but I need to ensure Paige eats every day of the week. Until further notice. How much to do that for me? And get the others involved.”

“Young man, that is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. I’d love to help. I’m a hopeless romantic,” she swooned, but her face contorted before she yelled back to Bobby again. “Bobby, you never did this for me. Damn shame, I had all your big head babies and all I get in return is a damn headache.”

“Shut up, Glenda.”

“Look, we got it. I’ll get in our group chat, and we will take turns.”

“I’m forever grateful. What do I owe you?

” Glenda bit her lip. She loved Paige and would do it for free, but this man before her didn’t look like the type to go for that.

“Ok, I see you’re conflicted, that means she’s special.

I respect that. I’ll give each truck $500 a week to feed her and feed others, too, until the money runs out.

I don’t care, make sure she eats that’s the job. ”

“Deal.”

“Now, Bobby, this is effort. You used to do this for me.” Finally, Bobby came to the front and grabbed Glenda by the waist.

“So our Sunday ice cream dates chopped liver now? Young man, get on from here making it hard for us.” Bobby winked and extended his hand.

Giovanni shook Bobby’s hand, nodding once before sliding his business card across the counter. “Anything y’all need, hit me.”

“We gotchu,” Bobby said. “And tell Paige her lunch crew said she’s deeply loved out here.”

Glenda smirked. “And tell her I said if she don’t lock you down, I’m sending my daughter Tamara after you.” Giovanni laughed.

“Nah, I’m off the market,” he said with a wink. Glenda slapped her towel down with a laugh as he walked off. He pulled his phone from his pocket and snapped a picture of the food trucks lined up.

Giovanni: Heard you put the whole block on. My type of lady.

Paige: How do you know that? And what are you doing?

Giovanni: Streets talking. And I had to feed you.

Paige: Thank you. OMG, I didn’t know what I was going to do for lunch today.

He smiled.

Giovanni: I got lunch every day until Ashton is back. No back talk either.

Paige: Are you serious?

Paige set the phone down, smiling so hard her cheeks hurt. She knew she might be in trouble, good trouble.

Giovanni: Enjoy the rest of your shift.

With that handled, Giovanni headed toward his car. He slid in, and her vanilla scent filled his nostrils. He shook his head as he slipped the keys into the ignition and started the engine. His mind was already on her smile. Already on what the night might do.

But first?

He needed a nap. Tonight, might require more energy than he thought.

#

Paige

Paige couldn’t help but giggle at herself as she sat in her office, halfway through the quesadilla that had appeared like magic on her desk.

The steak was perfectly seasoned, the cheese stretched into those satisfying strings with each bite, and the container of extra sour cream on the side was exactly what she would have asked for.

She shook her head, muttering, “Damn,” into the stillness.

It was lunch, nothing to write home about, but the thoughtfulness of it made her feel important in a way she wasn’t used to.

But when she thought back to the flowers, he sent her, there was nothing about his actions that was just anything .

The man was consistent and a man of his word, she’d give him that much.

Now she was in her car, the bank finally locked behind her, the sky dimming and the streetlights starting to flicker to life.

Her mind kept drifting back to Giovanni’s visit and offer from earlier, wondering what exactly he had planned for tonight.

Whatever it was, she found herself looking forward to it.

She drummed her nails against the steering wheel, Giovanni's address glowing on her phone’s GPS. His casual “just come on in if I'm knocked out. Code is 8732” text made her smile, refreshing honesty from a man who didn't need to posture.

Her father could learn a thing or two. He was always acting like tiredness was something only the weak experience. Now he had no choice but to acknowledge his limitations, and there was a strange beauty in that surrender.

The thought of her father reminded her she should call and check in before she got to Giovanni’s. Making sure Perry took his evening meds was still part of her routine, even on nights like this when her mind was elsewhere.

“Call Daddy,” she instructed the car’s system.

The phone rang a few times before he answered.

“Daddy, you feeling okay? How was today?”

She’d finally gotten his Medicaid and Disability approvals pushed through.

Perry now had income, his own little place, and access to healthcare benefits that would take some weight off her shoulders.

Assisted living communities weren’t cheap, and she was grateful for the help.

There was no way she could keep dishing out two grand a month and stay sane.

“Yeah, today was a good day. I told you things would work out.”

“You did.” She smiled softly. “Okay, I wanted to check on you before I headed home. Call if you need me.”

“Uh huh. You ain’t never rushed me off the phone. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Daddy. Work was work, and now I’m calling it a night with some food and silence.” She lied smoothly, well, not entirely. Food and silence would be involved, but she wouldn’t be alone.

He had asked about Giovanni a few times, but she’d been dodging the questions. Not because she was hiding anything, but because she honestly didn’t know what this was yet. And she wasn’t about to start explaining something she hadn’t even figured out herself.

“Ok, well, whatever you do, enjoy yourself and know that you deserve it.”

She wasn’t used to this kind of freedom, not from him, not from herself. Part of her wanted to embrace it fully. The other part kept waiting for the sky to fall. Letting go too much had always come with consequences.

She blew a raspberry and tapped her nails against the steering wheel, again something she did when she was nervous.

The light was green now, and she took off.

As she drove, the butterflies in her stomach multiplied.

It wasn’t fear exactly. It was that delicious anticipation that came from actually liking somebody.

Liking the rhythm they were building. Liking the thought of pulling up somewhere and knowing someone was waiting, not because they needed something, but because they genuinely wanted her presence.

She wasn’t used to this, looking forward to someone instead of calculating what they might take from her.

And damn if it didn’t feel good to just.. . be wanted.

She made the turn slowly, headlights sweeping across the gate Giovanni had described. It opened for her in one long, unhurried sweep, like it had been expecting her.

The driveway curved longer than she anticipated, lined with subtle lighting and meticulously trimmed hedges that spoke of attention to detail.

When the house came into view, Paige eased off the gas allowing her mind to catch up.

She hadn’t realized Giovanni was living quite like this.

She wondered if he’d deliberately downplayed his success, and if so, why.

Paige’s grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel as she took in the full view of the estate.

The house sprawled confidently against the sky.

The dark gray stone screamed elegance. She swallowed hard.

It wasn’t that she felt out of place. Paige didn’t do insecurity.

She’d been around men with money before; none of this impressed her to the point of thirst. But Giovanni had earned her respect, this was his hard work manifested on two acres of prime real estate.

This wasn’t a house, it was an assertion about how he moved through the world. How he thought. What he valued.

She stepped out, locked the car, and made her way up the stone path to the front door. Her heels tapped quietly, but her thoughts were screaming. This wasn’t just a dinner invite. It was him giving her access to his sanctuary.

Why was she here? Had she changed her mind? They needed to talk. But Lord help her, she kinda wanted to ride his dick and then talk. She was caught between deep conversations and deep strokes.

“Snap out of it,” she said, coaching herself. She couldn’t keep standing outside debating with herself. She typed in the code with a hand that betrayed her nerves, heart thumping, but face composed. The door beeped once, then clicked open.

Inside, it was quiet, cool air, open space, marble floors. Her heel tapped once and echoed. She stopped mid-step, not wanting to wake him. Carefully, she slid her shoes off and held them in one hand as she padded barefoot into the house.

There was a note stuck to a bottle of Calypso, near the entryway in his neat, handwriting.

Downstairs. Second door on the left.