Page 34 of And Everything In Between (Love By Any Means #3)

A Month Later

Something was in the air. Paige felt it.

The way her coworkers smiled at her. The way Ashton kept peeking out of her office but also avoiding her.

Paige held it together, but her nerves were buzzing.

After years of grinding, of staying late and coming in early, of making herself indispensable, she could feel the shift.

But by mid-morning, Paige started to second-guess herself.

Maybe she was in a good mood. Maybe Giovanni’s texts from last night had her walking around grinning like a fool and not about the promotion.

But before lunch, Ashton stepped into her office holding a crisp manila folder and a bottle of peach lemonade Calypso, her favorite. That’s when she knew. Paige straightened in her chair, professional mask firmly in place even as her pulse quickened.

“I’m not pregnant again, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Ashton teased, plopping down in the chair across from Paige and passing her the folder.

Paige opened it slowly, hands steady but heart racing. Her eyes caught the letterhead, the congratulations, and then the words:

Loan Manager - Offer of Promotion.

“Oh shit.” She breathed it out as her frame stiffened. The words hit her chest before her brain caught up. “This is real?”

“Very real. You earned this. Not just because of how you handled everything while I was out, but because you’ve been showing up like a boss since the day you walked in here. I told them you were the future. They finally caught up.”

Paige blinked back tears, lips parting in disbelief.

A raise. A title. A team. A new chapter.

It couldn’t have come at a better time. She was floating on cloud nine.

Things had turned around for her completely.

Her dad was getting the help he needed, not stressing her so much by not doing his part, and even her mother’s help eased things off her plate.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Paige admitted, her voice trembling.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Ashton said, standing and grabbing her hand. “You accept the offer. Oh, and take the rest of the week.”

“What?”

Ashton raised her brows. “You heard me. Plus, it’s the policy. They need to change over clearances and access. Which means yours will be cancelled temporarily.”

“I have to leave, is that what you are saying. It’s the middle of the day, hell the middle of the week.”

“Friend, clock out, pack up, and go celebrate. Your new office will be ready on Monday.”

“Ugh, what the hell am I going to do for the rest of the week?”

“I don’t know, but there is cake in the breakroom. You deserve it, Paige, and not for what you do, but for who you are.”

Paige nodded slowly, emotion thick in her throat. As soon as Ashton left, she sat in her chair, staring at the offer again, then grabbed her phone.

Paige: Guess who’s the newest Loan Manager with a raise to match?

Giovanni: Good shit, baby. We’re celebrating tonight . I’ll handle everything.

Paige: I knew you’d say that. I’m off for the rest of the week too.

Giovanni: Spa. New dress. Good food. Good dick. You won’t lift a finger. I got you.

She laughed out loud, texted him back something slick, and leaned back in her chair, stunned and soft and full of joy.

Within thirty minutes, she got a text that her ride was outside.

A luxury SUV pulled up with her name on the passenger card.

The driver opened her door like she was somebody and helped her in.

She snapped a few pictures and sent one to Giovanni.

They pulled off, and her day started. She rode in silence and sipped her champagne.

They got to the spa first, and it was a dream. Eucalyptus towels. Hot stone massage. Deep exfoliating facial. More Champagne. She hadn't felt this pampered in years. As she finished up, glowing and fresh, the spa attendant handed her a sleek black box with a handwritten card on top.

I'm so proud of you. Beauty and Brains - G

Inside was a fitted burgundy dress, soft to the touch, with a pair of gold heels that matched the jewelry already tucked inside a smaller box. He hadn't missed a detail. She carefully placed everything back in the box to take with her.

“This is for you also,” she said handing Paige a bag. She grinned and shook her head. He was so good at paying attention. The Fancy Homebody set he got her fit perfectly as she slipped into it.

Paige: You are so good and sneaky. I love my outfit.

Giovanni: I’m just getting started.

Paige exhaled as the SUV pulled away from the curb and headed to the next destination.

Paige didn’t even realize she’d been holding her breath until the city started to move around her again.

She sat in the plush leather, the heaviness of the day finally catching up to her.

Champagne flutes clinked in a silver holder by her side, and Boney James played through the speakers.

Giovanni knew she loved him. He was so perfect.

Her phone was in her lap, but she didn’t even reach for it.

Not yet. She stared out the window, soaking it all in.

She wasn’t used to someone thinking through what she might need before she could even ask.

Giovanni didn’t play about her. He would be rewarded for that.

Her fingers brushed the edge of the black box again, smoothing over the card he'd written.

Giovanni was building a life with the woman beneath all that armor.

He wanted to love the Paige who needed a day like this, the one who needed someone to see her win and clap the loudest. But also, Paige who didn't need anything.

He loved her independence just as much as her vulnerability.

The SUV didn’t pull up to her apartment like she expected; it rerouted, gliding down a familiar street until they stopped in front of Blake’s.

The driver stepped out and opened the door before she could ask questions.

But when she saw Blake standing at the top of her steps, hair pulled up in a bun, smirking, she knew what was up.

Blake was a sap, and they could only blame Emon.

She loved doing this. She wished and prayed for love on all her loved ones.

And some days she prayed it for her enemies, too.

Love was that powerful to her. It had changed her life, given her the things she desired after it had taken so much. Each of them understood that sentiment.

“Girl, what is this?” Paige called as she stepped out, eyes narrowing but smile widening.

“This is me being your hairstylist for the day,” Blake said, tugging her inside. “He told me not to let you touch not one strand. So come on.”

Inside, Blake’s setup was already prepped, oils lined up, edge control waiting, curling iron plugged in. Paige slid into the chair, as Blake slid the smock on her shoulders. She relaxed as the champagne was replaced with ginger tea and the playlist switched from jazz to a soft R&B mix.

“The last time I was doing your hair, it was you cheering me on from the back of my one-bedroom apartment.”

“Yeah, with a missing couch. Hoodie hoodrat.”

“Whatever, I knew Gio was going to be the one. I called that shit.”

“You did,” Paige mumbled through a grin. “It’s like the softest, healthiest obsession.”

Paige closed her eyes, thinking of him.

“It’s scary. But it’s...good scary.”

“See what happens when you stop tryin’ to be everybody’s everything and let somebody be something to you?” Blake teased.

Paige opened her eyes, emotion bubbling behind her lashes. “I feel like I’m in a fairytale. Floating.”

Blake got to work on Paige’s hair first. She wanted to do something soft, since the dress was already bold.

They talked of course like girl cousins did throughout their time together.

Paige gushed about the last few months with Giovanni, in how even with the distance sometimes she felt closer to him than she ever felt with anyone else.

They understood each other on another level.

Blake finished her hair in no time, giving her soft, cascading curls to one side.

Paige reached for her phone and snapped a quick pic of herself. She looked the fuck good.

“Come on you can use the guest room to get ready.”

She helped her slip into the burgundy dress, and when Paige stepped in front of the mirror, she nearly gasped.

The woman staring back was the Paige who’d survived some shit, made peace with herself, and stepped into her soft era without apology.

Power and femininity lived in the curve of her smile and the way her hips filled out her dress.

Gold accents sparkled on her skin, and her glow was unmatched.

“I’m proud of you,” Blake said softly from behind her. “Not for this promotion. But for choosing this version of yourself and trusting yourself.”

“Me too,” Paige whispered. “I didn’t even know she was still in here.”

Blake handed her the matching gold heels and waved her toward the door. “Now go. He’s waiting.”

The driver reappeared like magic, and this time, when Paige stepped back into the SUV, she did so like a woman who knew her worth. She sat back, legs crossed, hand resting on her knee. She didn’t know what Giovanni had planned next, but she was walking into it with no hesitation.

#

Paige had no idea how she changed the beat of Giovanni’s heart.

What she had given him mentally. She hadn’t asked for anything, hadn’t demanded he prove a thing, and that only made him want to give her more.

All she did was show up, be herself, and still, she made him want to build something he’d never had before.

That’s why today mattered.

That’s why he rented out the space, cleared the bay, and worked his fingers to the bone to get this surprise done for her.

Not because he needed to flex, but because he needed her to see herself through his eyes.

This was more than a gift. It was proof of what he could create when he was centered, focused, and loved correctly.