Chapter 22
“S he sent a bailiff to evict me?” Gina stared at the paperwork the policeman handed her two minutes ago.
After spending the night flopping around in bed, she woke to a heavy atmosphere she couldn’t shake despite the many prayers and affirmations she said. Something told her more was coming after Nichelle’s refusal last night.
Gina still didn’t understand her need for vindictiveness. Relationships went sour all the time, but they didn’t have to lead to the sort of madness she was dealing with now.
She faced the policeman who delivered the eviction notice. The irony was that they met him after another driver ran into the back of Gina’s van and refused to honor his promise to fix the vehicle.
Constable Russell had been helpful and eventually got the man to pay. She wondered how Nichelle had gotten the officer to serve her this notice, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of asking.
Why so many things were going against her now was hard to understand, but Gina ignored the start of that pity party and focused on the present moment. The officer’s clean-shaven face reminded her of a young boy’s. That alone made her soften her attitude when she said, “As you can tell, I’m in the middle of prepping for a function.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Wright, but I have to serve this eviction notice. Miss Wedderburn wants you out today.”
Nichelle had lost her mind. Or, Gina was in the middle of a nightmare, but Anna, the kitchen assistant who stood next to Gina, carried the same anxiety that weighed her down.
Gina massaged her temple, where a dull thudding started. Her heart was crushed. The fight left her and her knees almost gave out, but she stood her ground. She’d made it this far and overcame too many issues to let this situation get the best of her.
“Tell you what,” she said. “Let me finish up here, basically complete what I need to do for this function. Then, I’ll start packing. You can tell Miss Wedderburn she’ll have the building tomorrow.
Gina didn’t know how she’d cater the function, plus pack up and get out by the following day, but as her mother like to remind her, nothing was impossible. Not if she wanted it badly enough and was willing to fight for it.
The policeman scanned the corridor, where boxes lined the walls. “I’ll make a call and let you know what Miss Wedderburn says.”
“Thank you.”
He turned away and went through the front door.
Gina leaned against the wall, wondering if she could stop Zack en route. What had possessed her to call him when she was in the middle of a disaster?
Seya. Her sister was the one responsible for that moment of madness, but Gina couldn’t put off speaking with him any longer. Not if she expected to have a good Christmas holiday. Zack was on his way over while she had her entire work life to rearrange.
She reached for the phone in her pocket. If he wasn’t here yet, she might be able to stop him before he arrived. She speed-dialed his number, and he picked up after the second ring, as though he’d been waiting for the call.
“Hey, this may be inconvenient, but can you take a rain check on that conversation I wanted to have?”
“Sorry.” Zack sounded crisp and clear as he walked through the door. “I’m here already.”
Her face fell before she could mask her disappointment. He was a full fifteen minutes early.
Zack didn’t take his eyes off her as he ended the call. “What’s the problem? You look like the Grinch made off with Christmas.”
Her wan attempt at a smile matched her ragged emotions. “Trust me, it seems like that’s exactly what’s happened.”
He glanced around, taking in the empty boxes stacked in one corner of the room. “You’re moving?”
“Against my will,” she said.
Zack’s eyebrows peaked, and his attention returned to the cartons. “Now?”
Hot tears burned her eyes and Gina wanted to do nothing more than walk into Zack’s arms and have him close them around her, but that wasn’t an option. Her tears would carry in her voice, so she nodded, but didn’t speak.
“You want to tell me what happened?”
She pulled in a breath, cleared her throat, then laid out the situation in a few sentences.
Zack bounced on the balls of his feet with both hands in his pockets. “This is what you didn’t want to tell me last week?”
She nodded to avoid talking.
After a stretch of uneasy silence, Zack gazed at the seven-foot synthetic Christmas tree on the other side of the foyer, then focused on her. “You’re a tough nut to crack, you know that?”
She didn’t want to laugh, but Zack had the weird ability to lift her spirit and make her heart sing. Even with a less than complimentary remark, like the one he’d just made.
“I don’t appreciate you referring to me with nut in the same sentence.”
“Oh, I believe you’re a nut. A fierce independent one, who would rather die than let other people in.”
Her breath hitched, and she mirrored his stance, except for the defensive folding of both arms across her chest. Although she wanted to devour him with her eyes, Gina stared at her sneakers. Better that than have him think she missed him. Now that he was here, she couldn’t lie to herself. She was happy to see him. In fact, ecstatic.
His Clarks and the bottom of his jeans came into her line of sight, and when she raised her head, he murmured, “I’d hug you, but you might throw a fit, so I won’t.”
She surprised herself when she smiled. “Why would you think that? A quick one wouldn’t hurt.”
Before she drew her next breath, Zack pulled her close. “I was never one to miss a good opportunity. Come here.”
Gina hugged him back, her nose pressed into his navy polo. He smelled of vanilla, citrus, and musk. His soft beard caressed her forehead and she would have stayed locked in his embrace all day, except she had people coming and going. Any moment, someone would interrupt them.
As though wired to the same frequency, they stepped away from each other.
Zack pressed a kiss to her forehead, then asked, “How can I help?”