26. Gianna
After yesterday afternoon,going back to Henry’s apartment to collect my clothes feels risky. I know for a fact he won’t be home, but still. We didn’t talk about everything before Henry had to leave. I just wasn’t ready. It felt like too much too fast, and I didn’t have a plan to explain everything about working with his parents. But one thing is for sure.
Henry and I are no longer in the friend zone.
I’m trying not to get in my head about it despite the obvious conflict of interest. My phone vibrates in my back pocket, and I pull it out just as I’m walking up the porch to Henry’s apartment. Hitting accept, I cradle it against my shoulder so I can open the door.
“Hey hey, how’s it going, G?” Simone asks through the receiver.
“Hi! I’m just picking up my laundry. Actually, I wanted to talk to you. There have been developments.”
“Oh my gosh, me too. Tiny is growing so fast, it’s breaking my heart. He’s not going to be a baby soon.”
I pause on the stairs. “Are we talking about your cat?” I haven’t gone one day without getting at least a dozen photos of this kitten and I’ll be honest, I still don’t understand why she got him. Simone’s always been all about not having too much responsibility.
“Of course. What are you talking about?”
“I slept with Henry again.”
“Ohhhhh.”
“And we agreed we weren’t just friends.”
“Yessss.”
“I’m going to tell him today about me working with his parents. Even if it might get me fired.” Saying it out loud makes my stomach churn, but I know it’s the right thing to do. I don’t want to keep it from him any longer than I already have. Especially when I want to see where our relationship could go.
“Damn, G. That’s hardcore.” Even Simone sounds shocked at my declaration.
“Do you think it’s a bad idea?” For a moment, I’m worried she’ll say it is. But no. If anyone would be onboard with this, it would be Simone.
“Hell no. You have to live your life, Gianna. It’s not like you signed an NDA or anything, and you know Cam needs you. You’re not going to lose your job, but you might lose your man. I’m with you one hundred percent.”
Smiling, I let myself into Henry’s apartment and find his couch covered in my folded laundry. Certain items have clearly been ironed and carefully hung up. They’re just waiting for me to pick them up and put them in the closet back at the bed and breakfast.
The thoughtfulness hits me square in the chest, and I know for sure that I’m making the right decision.
“I’ve got to run, but send me some more pictures of that little baby of yours so we can always remember him being small.” I hang up shortly after she promises she will and see that I have a text notification.
Henry: Can’t meet up tonight, sorry, babe. Tomorrow?
I guess I won’t be telling Henry tonight, but tomorrow works.
“You know I’m only coming tonight because whatever Gina’s making for dessert is probably going to be the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”
Cam glances over at me as he slows his car down to take a turn. “Also, your presence was requested, and the Wrights are presently our bosses.”
“Aren’t you my boss?” I joke, but he always makes sure that I know that we’re more partners than anything else. As no nonsense as he is, he’s fair.
“You know that Gina and Marc still haven’t told their kids about the work we’re doing.” There’s a gentle warning there, one that he won’t elaborate on.
I have a feeling he knows more about my relationship with Henry than I’d like, considering the circumstances.
“Things with Henry may have escalated.”
“Henry?” He plays dumb, and it makes me want to throttle him.
“Henry Wright…we’ve been hanging out. He’s been a friend to me while I’ve been here.”
“Sounds like maybe he’s been more than a friend.”
“Well, yeah, that’s where it gets complicated. I obviously haven’t talked about what I’m doing here for work. I assume the Wrights have their reasons for not telling their kids just yet.”
“They didn’t have us sign anything saying we can’t talk about what we’re doing.” He pulls into a parking spot off to the side of the main building and cuts the engine.
“Right, but it wouldn’t be prudent for anyone to tell the kids before they’re ready. Especially me, considering the situation I’ve gotten myself into.”
It’s an easy out. If Cam explicitly tells me to keep my mouth shut, I could just wait for Henry to find out from his parents.
I almost want him to tell me not to say anything. It would be the easier route.
The easier route would have been to avoid this whole entanglement with Henry altogether.
The thought flits across my mind, but I don’t give it any attention. I’m finally at the point where I can admit that what happened between Henry and I, what’s happening now, was probably inevitable. It feels that way at least.
“Listen, I’m not telling you to give him the rundown of every plan we have or how dire things really are for their parents—”
“Yeah, but—”
“If you like the guy…I don’t know, Gia.”
“It sounds like you do know.”
“It’s not my business.”
This makes me laugh. “Technically, it is your business, considering that we’re here for a job, but thanks anyway.”
“All right.” He sighs, clearly over the conversation, and unbuckles his seatbelt. For the first time, I notice how tired he looks.
“Hey, is everything okay with you?”
“Oh, yeah. Just late nights. You know how I get on a project.” He forces a grin that looks so wrong on his face, but I don’t bother pushing it. It’s not like he’ll tell me if something really is wrong.
I follow Cam up the steps to the porch. He knocks twice before stepping back.
“Do you think they’ve got some questions about the timeline of everything?”
“They might, but Gina just really wants to thank us for the work we’ve done.” Cam shoves a hand through his hair.
“We really haven’t done much yet,” I comment quietly.
“We’ve given them hope that things can turn around, Gia.”
“Hope means we get cake?”
“Or pie,” he offers.
The door opens, but instead of Gina or Marc, Henry is there.
Shock rocks my system, and it’s reflected right back at me in the way he looks at us.
“Hey, Gia.” Henry’s eyes dart between Cam and me. “Sorry, this probably isn’t the best—”
“Hammer, you get back to the dining room. Thank you.” Gina comes up behind her son and shoos him away. He pauses for a moment, then walks back the way he came.
“Hey, you two. Come on in.” Gina greets us with a bright smile and ushers us inside.
“Thanks for having us. Are we interrupting?” Cam doesn’t take his jacket off, so I don’t either.
“No, no.” She moves farther into the lodge and starts down the hall.
Before following after her, Cam looks over his shoulder. A crease forms in the middle of his forehead, but I’m speechless. And worried.
I try my best not to jump to any conclusions. Mostly because if I do, I’ll start and never stop. Maybe Henry is here fixing something for his parents. Or maybe he dropped by randomly.
Maybe he forgot something here the last time he came by.
He can’t be here for the same reason we are. That would be…that would be bad. Tonight’s not the night his parents are going to tell him and his siblings about Cam and me. It can’t be.
Gina just wants to show off one of her famous cake recipes or something, and Henry being here is a coincidence. One that can be explained away.
I’m halfway to convincing myself that all of that is more likely than the worst-case scenario that’s pinballing around inside my head when Gina stops outside of the small dining room where we usually meet. The two pocket doors are closed almost all the way. The small crack allows the not-so-quiet conversation that’s happening on the other side to filter through.
“I hate to spring this on you two, but Marc and I spoke to the kids. It’s going…” Gina takes a deep breath and smiles a patient smile only a mom could pull off. “Well, it’s going as well as expected, I suppose. We’re just about to cut the cake.”
With that, she slides the doors open, and suddenly Cam and I are face to face with the entire Wright family.
No, that’s not right. Two of the brothers aren’t here.
But Henry is. He’s sitting at the large table next to his sister and dad.
And he’s staring right at me.
“Gia?” His voice stokes the anxiety that’s been spreading through my limbs from the moment he opened the door.
“You know her?” the man sitting across from Henry asks gruffly.
I remember him from the night I met Henry, and the face he’s pulling now doesn’t change my impression of him. He looks angry. The complete opposite of Henry’s usual demeanor.
Except Henry doesn’t have a smile on his face like usual. The confusion I saw in his expression at the door is still there, but only for a moment.
“This is Gianna.” Henry pulls his stare from me long enough to give his brother a meaningful look.
“Oh.” His brother seems to think for a moment. “Oh. Fuck.”
“This guy? This is who you think is going to bring us back from the brink of bankruptcy?” Mackenzie gapes at her mom before swiveling her head to her dad.
I watch in real time as Henry puts together all of the puzzle pieces, and his face crumbles into something worse than confusion. Worse than the anger on his brother”s face.
He’s upset, devastated even.
He looks betrayed.
“Let’s all table the discussion for a few minutes while we enjoy dessert.” Gina gives her kids a stern look before returning to her seat next to her husband.
Glancing at Cam, his face is beet red, and he looks as uncomfortable as I feel. Despite that, he takes a few stiff steps to the table and takes one of the open seats at the end. I join him, taking the seat to his right in an attempt to avoid Henry’s gaze.
Everyone stays quiet while Gina takes her time slicing into a truly wonderful looking chocolate cake. Too bad my appetite is long gone at this point. Once everyone has a slice, forks are passed around, and I have to force myself to wait to take a bite.
Not because I’m hungry or because it looks so good that I can’t wait. Because I need to do something other than sit and wait for this whole thing to blow up. And it’s going to; it’s just a matter of time. When Gina and Marc start eating their cake, I take that as my cue to do the same.
As I shove the first forkful of cake into my mouth, I almost whimper. I can’t even taste it. I know it’s good—everything Gina makes is—but it sits like tar on my tongue.
“So did you know who my brother was when you slept with him, or did you just not care?” This comes from the angry brother, of course.
And that’s when I start choking.