Reno Gabrini: A Man in Full by Mallory Monroe

said. 
    “Oh, yeah?” Reno said as he sat in the booth beside his wife.  “That sounds all warm and fuzzy.” 
    Jody laughed, sitting down too.  He knew he had to tread lightly with Reno.
    Reno looked at his wife.  “Speaking of warm and fuzzy,” he said as he leaned over to her and kissed her on the lips. 
    Trina inwardly smiled when he kissed her, although she was pissed that he had followed her, or, more likely, had her followed. 
    “How are you?” he asked her.
    “I’m great.  And you?”
    “What are you doing here?  I thought I told you to stay away from this character.”
    Jody was surprised he had gone there this quickly, but Trina wasn’t.  “He has some great ideas that could help me turn Champagne’s around.  That’s what he does now.  He’s a turnaround expert.”
    “Oh, yeah?  And what’s he good at turning around?  His own bullshit?”
    Jody  laughed.  “No, Reno.  I’m good at turning around businesses.  I take failing businesses and turn them around.  Businesses like Champagne’s.”
    “All Champagne’s need is a change in location.  I put that store inside the PaLargio and it’ll run itself.  Tree wouldn’t have to lift a finger.  The solution is already at her fingertips.  She doesn’t need you to tell her shit about that store.”
    It was the first sign of Reno’s infamous temper.  But it was subtle still, although both Trina and Jody felt the heat.
    “Anyway,” Jody said, “I thought I could impart some of the lessons I’ve learned so that she could make her store a success right where it is.  Which, if I understand her correctly, is what she ultimately wants.”
    Reno stared at him.  “And what’s the bottom line?”
    “He says I need to change my perspective,” Trina said.
    “She needs to change the way she views her business,” Jody added.
    “No shit?” Reno said.  “It’s just a mind thing, is it?  It’s all in her mind?”  Reno couldn’t believe Trina was sitting up here buying this crap.  “So what does she have to do?  Will the people in?  Believe they’ll come, and they’ll come?”
    “Reno, don’t start.  It’s not like that.  He’s giving me some good advice.”
    Reno didn’t like the fact that she would let this guy within ten feet of her, let alone take his advice, but he held his peace.
    “I apologized to Trina,” Jody said, “so I think I should apologize to you.  Last year, when I intimated that your wife had some kind of interaction with me that wasn’t appropriate, I was as wrong as I could be.  And I apologize for that.  Will you accept my apology?”
    Reno stared at him, as if he was genuinely touched by Jody’s apology, but Jody knew better.  Reno was never touched by anything.  He just didn’t want to show his true colors in front of his wife.  “Yeah, sure,” Reno said without blinking an eye.  “I accept it.”
    Trina looked at Reno, amazed. “You do?”
    Reno leaned back.  “Why not?  We’re all adults here.  Used to be good friends.  I have enough sense to know people can change.  Most times they don’t, but sometimes they do.”
    “And I have changed, Reno. I have a steady girlfriend, a thriving business, things are going better than I ever thought they could when I left the PaLargio.”
    When he left the PaLargio, Reno thought snidely.  His ass was fired, but he was talking as if he simply walked away.
    But Reno went along with the game.  Trina was desperate to find a solution, anything to aid her business without his intervention, and then Jody comes along.  With all of this great advice.  And Trina was eating it up.  So Reno held his peace.  He even laughed and talked and placed his own drink and dinner orders.  And then Trina needed to get some relief.
    “Excuse me guys,” she said as she moved to get up.  She had to use the restroom.  She hated that she had to leave these two alone, but she had no choice.  She really did have to go!
    Reno stood, let her