Page 124 of Derivation

“I will. Thank you,” Sarai said. “I know the change is a good one, but I really liked what I had come up with. It also took me forever to trust that I was right, that it was good, and now, I have to do that all over again.”

“And it’s going to be great,” Gabi told her before she leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “ Just trust yourself, babe. Your whole team does, or they wouldn’t all be working on this new plan right now. They believe in you. I believe in you. It’s time you believe in yourself again.”

“Yeah, okay,” she replied.

CHAPTER 33

“How are you?” Gabi asked, finding her girlfriend in the kitchen at around eleven at night.

“Tired.”

Gabi walked up behind Sarai and began massaging her shoulders.

“Oh, that’s so nice. Thank you.”

Sarai leaned her head back, so Gabi kissed her neck.

“Why don’t you sit down? I can make you coffee. You haven’t taken a break since you started, babe.”

“I’m okay. I have to get this done. I owe them the email at eight in the morning.”

“Just remember, there are backup plans, so if you don’t, you don’t.”

“I don’t want to use the backup plans if I don’t have to.”

“I know,” she said and kissed Sarai on the neck again.

“How is your work with Arlowe coming along?”

Gabi wrapped her arms around Sarai’s waist, rested her chin on Sarai’s shoulder, and replied, “So far, so good. She’s checking something right now, so I have to wait until she finishes that before I can do anything else. She said it might be an hour.”

“You should take a break, then,” Sarai said and turned around in her arms, wrapping her own around Gabi’s neck.

“I’m okay, but I was thinking about doing that with you.”

“I can’t take a break right now, babe. I wish I could.”

“If I can’t convince you to do that, I can at least make sure you have a good cup of coffee and something to eat. Go back out there. I’ll bring you a sandwich. You hardly ate anything for dinner.”

Sarai smiled at her then.

“What?” Gabi asked.

“It’s nice,” Sarai replied.

“What is?”

“You trying to take care of me. I haven’t had anyone try to take care of me in a while, and I’ve never lived with a girlfriend, so it’s just nice.”

“Go.” Gabi smiled at Sarai before she kissed her. “I’ll bring you coffee and food. And you will take a break, Sarai. Prepare yourself because, at some point, I’m going to pull you away from that computer for at least fifteen minutes.”

“Yes, dear,” Sarai joked before she kissed her quickly. “And get yourself some food, too. You’ve hardly eaten dinner. Don’t think I didn’t notice that.”

Sarai patted Gabi on the butt and headed back into the garage, where they’d all been hard at work since Arlowe had had her epiphany. Violet had called Stella to get over there, so she’d joined them after her own workday, and she’d been helping Sarai with some of the copy and scripting, given her experience in sales. Sarai’s intern had worked on the website on the back end so that when they were ready to press publish, the changes would go live, but she had left around eight since those didn’t need to be finished or pushed out until the new version of the app was live. Mitchell and Clay had hung around until about nine, but they’d gotten what they’d need from Arlowe to get the rest of their parts done and work from home. They also didn’t have to work through the night like Sarai would. She was the only one who could recreate the commercial, so while Enya had helped Sarai with all the images and mock-ups that she needed, and Violet had helped Stella and the intern, it was Sarai who’d be pulling the all-nighter.

Gabi brought out a plate and a cup of coffee and set it in front of her girlfriend, who had her headphones on and was zeroed in on whatever she was doing. Violet looked completely wiped, and when Stella yawned and leaned into her body a little, Violet kissed the top of her head. Enya seemed mostly okay, but even she looked worse for wear. Arlowe was locked in completely; headphones over her ears, her fingers dancing along the keys.

Gabi rubbed Sarai’s back, and Sarai looked up at her and gave her a smile before Gabi went back into the kitchen to make her own food because she knew Sarai would get mad at her if she didn’t eat, too.