70. Aarya #2
The gate swings open before I can finish. “Come in! Come in,” the woman says.
As I walk along the path to the house, a short, brown-haired woman with olive skin waits in the doorway wearing a wide smile.
Giuliana pushes past her and runs to me, with Ellie hot on her heels. “Hi, Aarya!”
I can’t help but smile as I set the bags down at my feet and brace for impact. “Hey, girl.”
Giuliana jumps into my arms and Ellie smacks into my legs.
“Stop running with your cast!” The woman I assume is Annie scolds the duo as she scurries down the path toward us.
I stumble backward but regain my balance. “Come on, let’s get inside before you catch a cold. It’s freezing out here.”
“I didn’t know you were coming over today,” Giuliana says, wriggling out of my hold and peering inside the bags at her feet. “You brought Chinese food!”
I offer Annie an apologetic look. “I’m sorry for showing up unannounced.”
She waves me off and throws her arms around me. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Annie.”
Jesus, what’s with all the hugging today?
I lower my voice so Giuliana can’t hear me. “I saw the press conference, and I just wanted to make sure he was okay.”
She cups my cheeks as she pulls back. “He’s going to be so happy that you’re here.”
We head inside, Giuliana leading the way as she attempts to carry one of the shopping bags, dragging it mostly, and talking the entire time.
“I love Chinese food. Especially the noodles. Daddy says we can’t eat it too often because it isn’t good for you.
Did you get fortune cookies? Daddy holds them behind his back and makes me pick a hand. ”
Giuliana’s rambling continues as we step inside, but I lose track of what she’s talking about as she hops from one topic to the next.
In the kitchen, Annie gestures to a drawer. “Giuls, get out the silverware and set the table. I’ll get the plates down for you.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Giuliana salutes her with her little hand.
Annie chuckles as she turns to face me. “I didn’t get to listen to the whole thing because I was with her. How did Alexander do? Poor thing was so nervous.”
“He did great. He answered their questions perfectly, and he looked like his usual cool and collected self.”
Annie heaves a sigh. “Of course. He never lets anyone see past that.”
We watch as Giuliana trots back into the kitchen and reaches for the plates stacked on the counter, humming a tune, completely oblivious to the way her life is about to change.
“I hate that his grandfather put him in this position.” My jaw clenches. “That little girl doesn’t deserve to be used as a pawn against him.”
Annie squeezes my forearm. “I think you gave him good advice. You reminded him that he can take his control back. He’s been feeling so helpless with everything his grandfather added to his will. If I could, I’d kill that man myself.”
I let out a surprised laugh. “Hell, yeah, Annie. I like you already.”
Her cheeks tinge red as she covers them with her palms. “Forgive me, I shouldn’t have said that. Some first impression I’m making.”
“Don’t worry. I’m with you on murdering his grandfather.”
Giuliana pops her curly haired-head into the kitchen. “Helloooo? Are we eating dinner, or what?”
Annie’s head whips around. “I know you’re not talking to us with that attitude, little miss.”
Giuliana giggles. “Just joking.”
Annie purses her lips. “Uh-huh. Get your butt in the dining room and find your manners.”
Giuliana holds out her hand for me. “Come on, Aarya. You can sit next to me.”
I watch as Annie serves Giuliana a small pile of lo mein, noting the way she cuts it up for her. Then she scoops a couple of broccoli florets onto the plate beside the lo mein, cutting it into smaller pieces as well.
Giuliana scrunches her nose. “But I don’t want broccoli.”
“You only have to eat these few pieces.” Annie sets the plate down in front of her. “No broccoli, no fortune cookie.”
She pouts, turning those big round eyes to me. “Do you like broccoli?”
I nod, having enough sense to lie as I flick my eyes to Annie. “I do.”
As if Annie can see right through me, she puts a scoop of broccoli on a plate for me. “Good, then you can eat it together.”
Giuliana lets out a whine, and I’m right there with her. I try not to let anything green infiltrate my diet, but something tells me Alexander is strict with the way Giuliana eats, and I won’t be the one to mess this kid up.
I lift it off my plate by the stalk and shove the whole thing into my mouth, chewing and trying not to gag as I give Giuliana a thumbs up. “Eat it first, and then you can wash it down with the noodles after.”
Her eyes light up as she copies me, both of us contorting our faces as we force a swallow. Then she mimics me as I shovel a heaping forkful of lo mein into my mouth.
Annie shoots me a wink from across the table. “You’re going to fit in just fine around here.”
I sure fucking hope so.
Halfway through our meal, the front door opens and Giuliana leaps out of her chair. “Daddy!”
“Hi, baby girl.” His voice sounds tired, and when he finally comes into view in the dining room, I can see the evidence of his stressful day all over him.
His tie is completely undone, as are the first few buttons on his collar.
His hair looks like he ran his fingers through it a million times over, and his dark eyes have a dull hue to them.
“Aarya came over. She wanted to surprise you.” Giuliana waves her arm, gesturing to me. “She brought Chinese food!”
Alexander’s feet falter when his eyes land on me. For a split second, I worry that he’ll be angry that I’m here intruding on his privacy. But his expression morphs, and his eyes light up the same way Giuliana’s did when she saw me walking toward her house.
“Hey.” I offer him a sheepish shrug because I don’t know what else to say.
“Hey.” His eyes bounce around the table before landing back on me.
Giuliana kicks out of his hold and slides down his body into her chair beside me. “Aarya and I ate our broccoli first. Then we washed it down with the noodles.”
“Good girl, eating your vegetables.” He bends down and presses a kiss to the top of her head before moving around the table to take his seat at the head of it.
“Daddy, tell Aarya she’s a good girl too. She ate her broccoli.”
I smirk as I lean back against my chair. “Yeah, Daddy. Call me a good girl.”
My eyes widen as soon as the words leave my mouth.
Oh, fuck.
Annie chokes on her Pepsi.
Alexander’s mouth opens but no sound comes out.
Giuliana looks up at her father, no doubt waiting for him to call me a good girl, and shit, I am too.
Instead, he pops up from his chair and bolts into the hallway. “I’m going to get changed before I eat.”
This is exactly the reason I know I’m going to suck at this whole kid thing.
Annie steers the conversation back to something appropriate. “So, Alexander told me that you’re going to open up your own art gallery.”
I shake my head as I swallow. “Not for a while. I don’t think I’m ready for that yet.”
“I’m sure there’s a lot that goes into something like that.” She dabs the corner of her mouth with her napkin. “My husband used to fill every wall of our house with paintings. He hated watching television, so he’d sit in the living room and stare at the artwork instead.”
It’s not lost on me that she’s speaking in past-tense, and that notion is confirmed when Giuliana says, “He died.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” I glance at Annie. “What kind of paintings did he collect?”
“All kinds, but his favorite was abstract.” She laughs, shaking her head. “It never looks like anything but a bunch of scribbles to me, but he swore he understood it.”
I smile. “Some people have a knack for interpreting abstract art.”
Giuliana slurps up a singular noodle. “What’s abstract?”
“Art that uses shapes and colors instead of pictures of a specific thing.” I slip my phone out of my back pocket and Google an example for her. “See this? This is abstract art.”
She peers down at my phone. “That looks like scribble-scrabble. My teacher says we’re not allowed to color like that.”
Alexander waltzes back in the room, wearing those damn gray sweatpants and a black Goldfinches T-shirt. “People pay a lot of money for that scribble-scrabble.”
Giuliana scrunches her nose. “People are bonkers.”
Alexander shakes his head as he lowers himself into a chair. “Let me guess: Uncle Mac taught you that word?”
“Yup,” she says with a giggle. “Bonkers.”