The days had been moving fast since Zay's business partner, Max, called him into the office for that situation. Gabby had her hands full with managing the store and continuing to grow her candle business, but there was always a lingering thought in the back of her mind about what was going down with Zay. She could feel the tension between them when he came back late that night, his face unreadable as he stepped through the door.
"Everything alright?" Gabby asked, looking up from the couch as Zay set down his keys.
Zay didn't immediately respond. He went straight to the kitchen, poured himself a drink, and leaned against the counter. His shoulders were tense, his jaw clenched, and that wasn't like him at all. Gabby stood up, walking over to him. She could feel the weight in the air.
"What happened, Zay?" she asked, her voice soft but firm, her concern showing in her eyes.
Zay sighed, putting down the drink. "It's business, babe. Nothing you need to be worried about," he said, but the way his eyes narrowed told her that it wasn't just business as usual.
Gabby took a step closer to him, gently placing her hand on his arm. "You know you can talk to me, right? I'm not just your girl, I'm your partner, too."
He stared at her for a moment, as if weighing his options, then nodded slowly. "Max got some bad news today. A deal went south with some of our suppliers. We're lookin' at a loss if we don't get this handled quickly."
Gabby felt a twinge in her chest. She knew how hard Zay worked to keep everything in line. "What are we gonna do?"
Zay ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "I gotta make some moves. Might have to pull in some of the money we've been saving, maybe even change the plans for the new store."
Gabby shook her head. "You've been bustin' your ass to get to this point, Zay. We can't just let this slip away."
"I'm not," he said, his voice low and serious. "But I gotta make sure I got everything covered. This might take more time than I thought."
Gabby stepped in front of him, placing her hands on his chest. "I know you can handle it, but don't forget, we're in this together. We've built this thing from the ground up, Zay. You don't have to carry it all on your own."
He looked down at her, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I know, baby. But you know I like to protect you. I don't want you stressin' about this."
"I'm not stressin'," she said with a smirk, "I'm just ready to make some moves with you."
Zay raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"
"I'm all in," Gabby said, her voice steady and confident. "Whatever it takes to make sure we win, I'm right here with you."
Zay pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing the top of her head. "I love you, Gabby. You keep me grounded."
"And I love you, Zay. We got this. Together."
Zay smiled down at her. "Together," he repeated.
A Week Later
Zay had been deep in work over the last week. He'd barely had time to catch up with Gabby, but when he wasn't at the office or making business calls, he was at home, working late into the night. Gabby knew it was stressful, but she also knew he'd never give up. That's just who Zay was.
But she couldn't help but miss the old Zay—the one who would come home and joke around, take her out for a spontaneous dinner, or just chill with her on the couch. She knew things had to get done, but she was ready to show him that, even through the rough patches, they could still have their fun.
She decided to surprise him.
She went into the kitchen, pulling out ingredients for his favorite meal—chicken, rice, and collard greens. She set the table with candles, lit some incense, and made sure everything was perfect. She even picked out a playlist of songs they both loved, hoping to bring some calm to the chaos.
Zay came home around 8:00 PM, looking worn out but surprised when he walked through the door. The soft music and the smell of his favorite food filled the house, and he immediately paused.
"Damn, babe, what's all this?" he asked, a small smile breaking through his tired expression.
"I figured we could take a break from all the stress," Gabby said, her voice light. "We don't always have to be working. I want to remind you how good life can be, even when everything seems hectic."
Zay walked over to her, pulling her into his arms. "You're something else, you know that?"
Gabby smiled up at him. "I just want you to know I got your back, Zay. Always."
They sat down to eat, talking about the business, but more importantly, laughing and enjoying each other's company. Gabby knew there was still a long road ahead, but as long as they were in it together, she knew they could overcome anything.
After dinner, they sat back on the couch, Zay pulling her close to him. The chaos of the world outside seemed to fade away as they held each other.
"You ready to handle whatever comes next?" Gabby asked softly.
Zay kissed her forehead. "With you by my side? I'm ready for anything."
To Be Continued...
