I completely understand why they waited, and I appreciate their concern, but it still sucks to hear.

"Bo did ask about you." Georgia's smile is as big as the Grand Canyon. "He wanted to know if you were settled."

Immediately I can picture his note.

"I hope you don't mind, but I gave him your email addy. He said something about a note he gave you and something about you losing it during your move." She shrugs, looking at me suspiciously.

"What does he want? Did he say?" I wonder why he confided in Georgia out of all three of them.

"No clue. I do know if he and Piper are an item, they sure don't act like it. She was paying for her drinks and he made her wait like the other drunks." The three of them carry on about how Piper was bent over the bar flinging her money around.

"He did take her money." Lucy laughs. "I bet she thought she was going to get it for free."

We spent the rest of the night, and most of the next day catching up, relaxing, and enjoying our friendship.

For dinner, we decide to leave the resort, hit the local Mexican restaurant and throw back a few margaritas. Well, Georgia knocked back a few waters. It is perfect timing for my presentation of the bracelets and the big reveal of my plan with Dee.

"You are such a liar!" Lucy holds the bracelet up, squealing with delight, almost knocking over her margarita glass. "You don't have a creative bone in your body other than Gucci." "Where is it?"

I help Georgia put hers' on. "Where's what?"

Her hand digs in the bag, sending tissue paper flying everywhere. "The designer's card." Lucy really doesn't believe me.

Prudence is busy trying to figure out the toggle clasp.

"I want order a few more pieces. Oh, I'll be living with you so I can go to the place where you bought it." Lucy won't let it go.

"Really, Lucy. I did it."

It's at that moment I begin to feel so proud of myself. They all have promising futures in their careers.

Let's face it, I love Gucci and it turned into my career. Now I have another hobby, beading. Why not turn that into a money maker and sell my designs through Dee?

"You tried to help out with decorating the apartment, and it looks like a cross between country and India," Lucy says. But I love my shabby chic furniture and my Buddha. They may not look the best when put together, but they work for me.

"Seriously." I tell them about One Bead at a Time and Dee. I blab on and on about all the different styles of glass beads, sterling silver findings, charms, spacers, toggles and clasps.

"We get it." Prudence put her margarita glass in the air for the server to refill. "More con queso too." I can't stop staring at her wrist, adorned with a Hallie original. The bracelet really is pretty.

"I haven't seen you this excited since your hire interview with Gucci." Lucy glows for me.

"I have to come up with a business card and a name." I sat back and look around. Even though I had two more months in Cincinnati, I'm happy. The thought of those two months doesn't scare me like it did before.

"What about Beadnicks?" Lucy is licking the salt around her strawberry margarita. "Get it, Beadnicks. Beatnicks, hippy, beads."

Beadnicks.

The girls' weekend went by so fast. We spent a lot of time laughing, and cherishing our friendship.

"Henry?" Lucy and I open the door to the best greeting from the cutest little white poodle. Pink Henry is no longer pink, and I was getting used to having a metrosexual dog.

Henry bounces between Lucy and I, as we both try to retain his attention. Lucy concedes and goes up stairs while I bathe in doggie licks.

"Wilson?" I scream through the floor vent between kisses.

"Welcome back." Wilson creeps around the door from the kitchen. "You don't have to yell." He points to Henry and starts to pat the furry white poodle. "I hope you don't mind. I took him to the groomer."

Henry jumps from my arms to follow Wilson back to the kitchen as I lag behind.

Wilson's voice changes into doggie voice, "He loved it, and he was such a good boy. He is so handsome. Isn't he, momma?"

Wilson picks Henry up and lets him smoother him in kisses. There definitely had to be some male bonding going on over the weekend.

"Momma?" I take Henry out of his arms.

I can't believe it. Pink or not, I'm actually happy to see the little fellow.

Week Five.

Happiness is a handful of beads.

Author Unknown.

Chapter Twenty-Five.

"Hallie, line one." Beatrice buzzes the phone. I set aside the buying catalog for the spring collection. Usually I fold down the pages of the items I want and most certainly can't afford. This time I'm not even looking for that, I'm folding pages down making note of color creations for Beadnicks bracelets.

"This is Hallie." I haphazardly answer the phone.

The new color schemes for the fall season will make great bracelets.

"I hope you're settled now."

My heart stops when it hits the pit in my stomach. Never in my wildest dreams did I really think he'd find me here, and a smile appears across my face once I realize the effort he had to make.

"Hallie?"

"Bo! Hi how are you?" I try to keep my voice from squeaking. "Yes, yes. I am settled."

"Good. I'm still running and people are still coming out to the bar."

"That's great."

My heart is pounding so hard, I'm afraid he can hear the thud through the phone.

Breathe, Hallie.

"How's the store?"

"Boutique." I correct him.

"Oh. Well, how's the boutique?"

"Better than I could've imagined."

What is up with all the small talk? Go ahead, ask me to marry you. I can forgive him for being with Piper, as a lapse of judgment on his part. Everyone deserves a second chance. Right?

"I'm coming to Cincy for a meeting and I thought we can hang out. I mean...if that's okay?"

"When?" My head reels with a million ideas.

"This weekend." The silence is deafening between the lines. "I know it's not much notice, but I just found out."

I flip my calendar to find an empty two days off, but I'm supposed to work on Beadnicks. I would've killed for this a few weeks ago. While he's gone to his meeting, I can work on beading.

"Sure, this weekend is great." I rub my hands along my hair not sure if I'm happy, nervous or both.

"Super. Email me directions, and I'll be there by noon on Saturday."

"Okay." I note it on my calendar as if it isn't already burnt on my brain. "See you Saturday."

"And Hallie?" Bo catches me just before I hang up and start doing the Snoopy dance.

"Yes?" I bit my bottom lip. Is he already backing out?

"I'm looking forward to seeing you."

Why? Why'd he say that? I don't understand why he's telling me all this right now. He's had the last couple of years to figure this out and now that I don't live near him, he decides to get personal.

I dwell on his last words the entire week. It's hard to stay focused at work, home, and beading, so I went through my routine until B-day came.

B-day is what Beatrice and I called Bo's arrival. It's hard to concentrate when I say his name, and using the code name made it seem more like a mission then actually seeing Bo.

On B-day, my morning run definitely doesn't help my jitters. It only makes them worse. Thinking about Bo, and what might happen on his visit, turns my mind a big fat mosh pit. I trip over every pebble and crack. With my last tumble, I decide to stop at One Bead at a Time and check on the debut of Beadnicks.

"Good morning." Dee chimed over the teenagers she's working with.

She's showing them how to make chandelier earrings, which I can't even do-yet. I look over her shoulder watching her manipulate the pliers in one hand and the pins in the other.

"I thought you're having a guest today?" Her voice rose an octave. She rolls her eye, "Teenagers."

She better not let them get under her skin, they are the majority of her business.

"They come in here wanting to make the next cool thing and they can't focus long enough to string one bead. And look they're too busy texting instead of listening."

"They are our future." I nod toward the young girl, at the counter, trying on a couple different Beadnicks bracelets.

She has them layered up and down her arm. I walk over, not only to see if I can answer any question, but see how amazing they look on her.

"What do you think?" I wonder and hope she tells me the truth.

I've always heard teenagers don't have a problem telling how they feel, or speaking their mind. I want to know exactly what's going through her head. I know that I love them, but can my designs hold up to the American teenage-girl standards? In theory, if they like it, it's trendy and ready to take off.

"Really?" She seems surprised that I'd be interested in her opinion.

"Really." I don't want to tell her I made them. I want a real hand-to-God answer.

The girl points from one bracelet to the next. "Love this one. This one is kinda for older people, you know, like, in their thirties, and I love this one."

OMG! Only three are left on the display. I look under the counter where I put my extra cards to find ... nothing. Not even a card. I glance back at Dee, who's got a huge-ass grin on her face and mouths, "I told you so."

"As a matter of fact, my friend came in here and bought this really cool bracelet." She put the two "love this one" bracelets on her wrist. "I came in here hoping to just buy one, and decided to make some earrings."

She doesn't look at me-after all, who am I to her-because she's too busy admiring my creative designs.

"What did the bracelet look like?" I lean in a little closer, not wanting to miss a detail.

She walks around the store looking at all the different beads. She carefully inspects each basket. "These."

She picks up a handful of funky beads with spikes all over them. I made a couple in different colors that I thought would be perfect for summer.

"Great. Pick out what you want and I'll make you one for twenty dollars." I turn, not bothering to take in her shocked expression now that she knows I'm the designer, and I pick up the bead board. I got a few scrap materials I know Dee won't mind. I watch the teenager pick out several different beads. I have to make the bracelet perfect.

The summer colors she picks matches her cutoff jeans, tanks and flip-flops. With twenty more dollars in the register and a new design in my head, I realize two hours have passed without a single thought about Bo, or his impending visit.

"I'll be back later." I yell out to Dee, who's bent over, helping another future beader. "I have a couple ideas with stretchy cord."

Because I lost time, I have to jog back and immediately get ready for Bo, only I can't get the new designs out of my head. Quickly, I jot down my ideas.

My skinny jeans with my white tapestry hippie blouse, is casual and cute. Minimal makeup and my tassel hair are my best accessories. Well, maybe my seven-millimeter sterling silver ball beaded bracelet I throw together is the best accessory.

When a car door shuts, I pull back the curtain to peek at the most beautiful man I've ever laid my eyes on. I stop myself from flinging the door open and running out to profess how much I've missed running behind that perfectly shaped head of his.