“How was the honeymoon, Mrs. Higgins?” I asks into the phone pressed to my ear, fingers tapping away on the keyboard in front of me.
Della and Paul are back from their two week honeymoon in Bora Bora. She sent me a few photos from their trip as soon as they were back on American soil. My pale, red headed friend had a gorgeous tan going on.
“It was amazing. I never wanted to leave. Except to get my son, but then I would go back and never leave.”
“I don’t think I have ever seen you with a tan,” I tease.
“Turns out the key for me to get a tan is to keep going back out into the sun even after I burn.”
“That doesn’t sound safe for your skin.”
“No, probably not. But I have documented enough proof that I can, and have been, tan at least once in my life.”
“Potential skin cancer aside, it looked like a beautiful place to vacation.”
“It was! We had our own private section of the beach with a butler and a maid. I spent the entire time bathing in the sun nude.”
“You did not!”
“Yes! Why not? It was just us. We paid for privacy, so I was getting my monies worth.”
“Even if I paid for it, I would be afraid someone was there peeping at the goods.”
“Who cares. Go there for vacation and I bet you’d never wear clothes. Something to keep in mind when packing too. I definitely over packed for once.”
“Since I will never be able to afford a place like Bora Bora, I’ll take your word for it.”
“Psh. Luke can afford it. Make him take you.”
If Luke and I ever go on a tropical vacation, we’ll split the bill. Accepting a short Spring Break trip in an RV is nowhere equal to Bora Bora. My pride likes the comfort and stability of paying my own way.
My neck cramps from having the hardened plastic phone pressed between my shoulder and ear. Tapping the speaker button, I set phone back in the receiver.
“After two weeks off, shouldn’t you be at work right now?”
That’s where I am on this Monday morning. In my seat behind the desk for close to an hour when she called my office. My desk is swamped with paperwork for new accounts. The process of running credit and setting them up in our system is tedious, which is the main reason I do them first thing when I get in. Before all the interruptions start.
“I took two weeks and a day. For Ethan. Paul went back to work but I’m spending the whole day with my little guy because I knew I would miss him like crazy if I went straight back to work.”
My door sits ajar. I look up when Gio pokes his head in.
“Good morning, sunshine! Are we— Oh. Sorry. I’ll come back.”
I wave him off, telling him to come in regardless. Della will go on forever if I let her, and I as much as I would love to hear more about her newlywed status, I have a ton of work to do.
“Dells—”
“Who’s that?” she asks.
“Gio. Who are you?” He responds with a quirky grin.
“Della, my new boss, Gio, just walked in. Can we catch up later? I’ll call you tonight.”
“New boss,” she repeats. “Connor quit because he can’t stand that he lost you?”
I nibble at my lip.
“Nope,” Gio answers for me. “I’m the new middle man between them.”
“Don’t make it sounds so drastic. We’re getting along fine.”
“Even if he begged for you to come back to him, I wouldn’t let you,” he says, tucking both hands in his navy slacks. “Luke is fucking hot.”
“Did he just say…”
“Yes,” I grin up at him.
“Well, I’m glad there’s more than me helping guide you in the men department. You could have married that bore one day if it wasn’t for me telling you to end it.”
I roll my eyes, forgetting someone is standing directly in front of me and witnessing my reaction. She makes it sound like I should be praising her for my recent love life. Hardly.
Gio lifts an eyebrow. I shake it off.
“Now, if you marry Luke you can move back home!” She cheers.
“Or Luke can move to Tampa,” Gio throws in.
“Luke’s company is here.”
“Liv’s career is here.”
“She can find another job with the same skills down here.”
“Not if I put in a ridiculous pay raise request that she won’t be able to refuse.”
I couldn’t get a word in edge wise as they battled over me. Finally, when Della paused just the slightest in her tirade, I jumped in.
“Luke and I just started dating. I’m not even at the point of thinking about moving anywhere, but when we’re ready, him and I will figure it out.”
“But you’ll give it thought?” Della asks, hesitant. “If you’re serious about Luke you have to be weighing the better option, which is to move back to Calusa.”
Wow, Gio mouths, eyes bulging out.
“I weigh a lot of options. Luke, my dad, Brady…”
“How’d Brielle take it, by the way?”
I tilt my head.
“Luke emailed Paul while we were on vacation. Luke shares everything with us. He said y’all told Brielle about Brady.”
Luke shares everything with us.
What the hell? The hits keep coming today.
“She took it fine,” I say in a bland tone. “Though I am a little concerned about his criminal record.”
Like a lit candle being snuffed, Della and her fire goes out within seconds.
“I’m surprised Luke told you that,” she mumbles.
“I’m his girlfriend. Why wouldn’t he?”
Gio walks over to the short table in the corner. His back to me, but glancing over his shoulder when I reply to her in a sharp, quick deprecating tone.
He pours coffee into his mug from the small machine I keep in here. Bill, from sales, is first one in every morning, and the first to make a pot of coffee in the break room. It’s too strong and a hell of a lot more bitter than Starbucks. Gio beat him to the punch one morning, and the old guy has never let it go how weak Gio makes his coffee. If everyone knew I kept a coffee machine in here, Bill would be the only one drinking the black tar he makes every morning.
He watches me. I watch the phone sitting on my desk waiting for Della’s remark.
“Yeah, of course. Just surprised because he and I talked about it right after you came back. We agreed not to tell you until the time was right.”
My teeth grind down, locking my jaw tightly closed.
“Brady wants to be in Bri’s life. I think the timing is right.”
“I wish he would have waited for me, though.”
Luke not telling me about Brady’s past until recently didn’t phase me before. But hearing that he and Della “agreed” to keep something like that from me ruffles my feathers.
“Olivia, I hate to cut you off but I really need that paperwork for Robins,” Gio speaks up.
There is no paperwork for Robins. There is no Robins.
Swallowing my pique, I ground out in to the line, “Della, I’ll call you later.”
“Okay. Bye.”
As soon as the call is cut off, I fling my back onto the leather backrest of my chair. Eyes blazing so strong on the phone I picked up and slammed down to end the call, it should be bursting into flames.
“Soooo,” Gio drags out, taking a seat in front of me. “Are we mad at Luke? I can do that for you, girl, even though I’m a little in love with him already.”
So am I.
Only a little.
In the two weeks since running in to Gio and Matt at the park he and I have gotten to know each other better. He’s aware of my background, and who Brady is to us. Matt’s grown an attachment with Brielle. The four of us are together multiple times a week.
I’ve known Della my whole life. There may have been a gap in that friendship, but it wasn’t our choice to have it that way. Yet I feel more like myself with Gio and Matt who I have known less than a month.
“I don’t know. I need to hear his side. Della could be exaggerating it.”
“Uh, yes. She sounds like the type to do that.”
“You get why I feel like something is off?”
Does Della have feelings for Luke still? Or is she upset she doesn’t have Luke all to herself anymore?
“Not sure what was worse.” Gio crosses a leg over the other, getting comfortable. “That she assumed your life is inconsequential and needs to be given up to make Luke’s better, or that there’s a third person in your relationship and you’re not even reaping the benefits of a threesome.”
Leave it to Gio to make me laugh through the anger.
I had been upset with Luke when I found out he knew my dad had cancer and didn’t tell me sooner. After explanation, I understood, though. It was my dad’s story to tell.
But this…
He asked me to open up and share responsibilities with him as my partner. Yet he was making decisions with someone else on what to keep from me?
Speaking of sharing, I was not about to share Luke with Della.
My ego is a little stunned that even after all this time, after finally getting to be with him, a part of him remained attached to her.
“Luke told you about his brother, and that’s the important part,” Gio says when the humor dies off.
“Yeah,” I nod.
“I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation why he lets Della dictate his every move.”
“Do you think I’m wrong for wondering how deep her claws are set in to him?” I ask softly, giving away the real amount of concern I have over this. “She’s mentioned how she had to run off some girls he’s dated in the past. That he shares everything with them. Now I’m learning she’s pulling strings when it comes to me.”
“Sounds like she needs to be taught she can’t have her cake and eat it too.”
My gaze meets his.
“I’m saying stake your claim, mama.” Gio stands. “Is the birthday girl ready for this weekend?”
“Ecstatic.”
Brielle turns six on Wednesday. Luke offered up his house to throw her a party, but he said it’s a mess at the moment with a few projects under construction. My apartment was too small, and honestly I don’t know what kind of entertainment I could have done with such little space.
Gio and Matt lived in a newer, gated community. Their house was big, beautiful and they had a pool. Not only were they offering to host the location, but Matt was covering most of the food, and the cake.
Seems it comes in handy to have a chef friend.
In most situations I felt out of place to be accepting as much as Gio and Matt were handing out. And I did argue and refuse for my prides sake, but they were unwilling to take no for an answer.
Between Luke, Gio, and Matt, and after Paul and Della’s Spring Break trip, I learned a big lesson. This is what friends do. I wasn’t taking advantage, and I had to stop assuming they all thought that of me.
“Matt is stupid excited about Bri’s cake. He can’t wait for her to see it Saturday.”
“He sent me a sketch of what he’ll be doing. That boyfriend of yours is crazy talented.”
“In many ways.” Gio winks. “But seriously, though, he’s nuts about Brielle. And I love your daughter, but I’ve had to stop him from going too far on some things and remind him she’s not our kid.”
“I can only imagine,” I smile.
Turning to go, he stops at the door and spins around. “Thanks to you, he’s probably going to ask for a baby soon. You just had to go have the sweetest, cutest little girl known to man.”
“I made a good kid.” I shrug with smugness.
“Wouldn’t say that in front of him if I were you. He’ll be asking you to be our surrogate, and you can’t say no to a gay couple when they ask you that.”
“Oh my god. Leave, please.”
He raps his knuckles on the door, chuckling. “Only way to say no is if you’re already preggers. Tell Luke he should get to work.”
“Okay, Della.”
“Now that’s just rude.” His voice carries down the hall as he walks out.
~~~
Monday’s suck. This Monday is the suckiest of sucks.
I had a difficult time getting back into the groove of workflow after Della’s phone call. Aggravated over her pushy behavior, and perturbed at Luke for leaving me out of things. I lost all concentration for the day.
One minute I wanted to call him. The next I was refusing to speak to him the rest of the week.
I decided to give it a day. Let my anger cool some before I spoke with him and said things that were uncalled for.
Mainly, I wanted to talk to him about keeping secrets from me, and teaming up with Della to do it.
If he wanted to share his thoughts and concerns with her, then he can date her.
See?
That is exactly why I can’t talk to him right now. Anger may be justified, but pettiness won’t get us anywhere.
When the steam started to burn off in to sputters of mist, Gio’s comment would smash through like a block of ice. Visions of me pregnant with Luke’s baby cooled my anger.
At home that night, Brielle approached me with a request. For her I held strong and supportive. On the inside I was falling apart.
She was ready to meet Brady. And she wanted him to come to her birthday party.
If everything stayed the same we would all eventually find life boring. But dammit, I still hated changes. This was going to be a huge adjustment.
Despite concluding I would avoid Luke for the day, I had to call him for Brady’s phone number. He wanted the opportunity to meet his daughter he better damn well take it now that there’s an offer.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Luke purrs into my ear when he picks up the call.
I bit my lip, wanting to cave already. It’s been a week since we were together. I’m weak. His rugged voice kisses my ear and irradiates my body like a thousand lights shining all at once.
“Hi,” I reply with a short snap. “Can I have Brady’s number, please?”
Best to cut straight to the point of the call.
“Why?” Luke’s tone drops.
“Because I need to talk to him.”
“Tell me what you need to say, and I’ll speak with him for you.”
My hackles started to rise.
“Luke, it’s regarding Bri, so I’d like to talk with him myself.”
“Thought we agreed I’d handle the go-betweens,” he starts.
“No. That’s what you wanted. Probably to keep lying to me about his criminal record.”
“I told you about his record,” he argues. “There are no lies.”
“Yeah, you told me despite it not being what you and Della agreed upon.” He falls silent. I don’t allow him a chance to respond. “Now my daughter is asking for him to come to her birthday party this weekend.”
“She wants him there?” he asks, sounding like a wounded animal.
I won’t feel bad for snapping at him. I won’t.
“Yes.”
“I’ll call him.”
“No,” I bite. “He’s the father of my daughter. I’ll speak with him.”
This is why I preferred not talking with Luke today. That was harsh, and unlike me, but I was just so angry with him and Della for keeping things from me.
My leg bobbed out of an anxious habit.
“Fine.” Luke rattles off Brady’s number.
Then we sit in silence, neither one attempting to hang up yet.
“I don’t know what Della said to you, but I’m sure it’s being taken out of proportion. It wasn’t meant to be kept as a secret. Della just thought telling you about Brady’s history would run you off right after we got you back.”
“Is that what you were afraid of?”
“No—”
“‘Cause all I’ve heard so far is ‘she’. Della made the choice. Della was afraid.”
It wasn’t about them keeping a secret for what they thought was my own good. It’s insecurity.
I was disappointed in myself to admit that, but hearing Luke and Della pair up for anything triggers feelings of a jealous girlfriend to his ex. It’s unfair to Luke, because I did trust him, and I’m not proud of it. You can control the reaction to your feelings, but not the actual feelings themselves.
“Liv, you know how she is.”
“That makes it acceptable?” I raised my voice. “I don’t know why I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about Della having leverage over you just because she’s got herself a new guy.”
“Whoa whoa whoa.” Luke fires back. “That’s not how this is at all.”
“Isn’t it, Luke? Is there anything else she’s suggested you keep from me because it’s better that way?”
He pauses.
Pauses too long.
I laugh bitterly. “That’s what I thought. Let me know when I have all you, Luke. I’m not a woman that likes to share.”