Barnes
I couldn’t believe it – just a couple of weeks in LA, and I was feeling like a new man. I had a new job, a new woman in my life, and an unbelievable sense of energy and reinvigoration that was like nothing I’d ever felt. I hadn’t even felt this good in college, and that had been almost two decades ago.
That night, I took Gianna out dancing at a fancy club, then for a late-night meal at a posh steakhouse. Seated across from me with her long red hair in a high bun and her cheeks glowing pink from the dancing, I realized that I was falling in love.
“Tell me about your family,” I said, taking my glass of wine in one hand. “What are they like?”
Gianna made a face. “Nothing to talk about, really,” she said. She sighed.
“Oh, I’m interested.”
Gianna wrinkled her nose. “You shouldn’t be,” she said. “They’re just the typical overprotective American parents.”
I snorted. “I have a hard time believing that when they raised such a wonderful daughter,” I said.
Gianna rolled her eyes. “I don’t know,” she said. “I mean, when I was growing up, I was close to my mom. But all she cares about is appearances, and charity balls. They basically treated me like a prisoner in my own house, like I was made of glass or something. It was seriously awful. I couldn’t even spend the night with my best friend without fending off an argument.”
“Really?” I frowned. “That’s surprising.”
Gianna laughed, but she didn’t sound amused. “Why?”
I shrugged and took another long sip of wine. “Because, you’re a smart, strong, independent woman.” I glanced at her – the poised way she was sitting and looking at me like I was actually a man deserving of such beauty. “And I have a hard time believing your parents would’ve tried to suppress that.”
“They did,” Gianna said. “My younger sister, Diane, is dealing with the same shit now. She’s only twenty-one, and she’s got a lot more ahead of her…at least, unless she gets married.” A sour look came over Gianna’s face, and she reached for the bottle of wine, filling her glass nearly to the brim.
“That’s a little young to get married,” I said.
“Yeah, but if she doesn’t get married, she can’t move out. And ever since…” Gianna trailed off and flushed.
“Ever since what?”
“So, I sort of took money from my account without telling my parents,” Gianna said. She gave me a guilty look. “I mean, it was mine and all. When I was born, It was given to me by my grandparents. But their names were on the account, too. I lied to the bank.”
I burst out laughing, and Gianna glared. “What?” I asked innocently. “What did you think I was going to say?”
Gianna shrugged. After a few seconds, her frown melted and she giggled. “I know, it sounds like something a crazy person would do…but maybe I am crazy. I ran away from home.”
“You’re twenty-five,” I pointed out. “It’s not like you were held in some high tower, like Rapunzel. You’re a legal adult – and your sister is, too.”
Gianna snorted. “I always forget you’re a lawyer,” she said, tossing her head. “And it wasn’t like that. We had security cameras, motion-sensing lights…the works. Just leaving the house for a couple of hours always felt like a major coup.”
I stared. “I can’t believe that,” I said. “I mean, I believe you – of course. I just…what the hell were your parents thinking? What was the logic of keeping you and your sister locked up like that?”
Gianna shrugged. “Honestly, I wish I knew,” she said. She sighed. “The plan was for me to marry some old stuffy family friend of theirs – some old man, that I’d never even met. And I kept putting it off, which was actually easy…he never showed, either, so it wasn’t like I was actually worried about it. But the years kept passing, and I guess my parents never gave up hope that I’d respect their wishes.”
“And what about your sister?”
“I don’t know,” Gianna said. “She was never the type to want independence, at least not the same way that I did. I don’t know what’s going to happen to Diane. I told her that I’d send for her and that she could come out here and live with me, but I don’t know.”
“Why not?” I frowned. “Aren’t you close?”
“We should be,” Gianna replied. There was a trace of guilt in her voice. “But four years felt like such a big gap when I was growing up. She always seemed so much younger than me – like a baby, you know? And when we got older, she clung to Mom and Dad like she was still a girl.”
“I see,” I said quietly.
“But I’m happy now,” Gianna said. She reached across the table and put her hand on mine.
“And I want to hear more about you.”
I laughed. “There isn’t much to tell. I’m thirty-seven, and I’ve never been married. Hell, I haven’t even been engaged.”
“That’s hard to believe,” Gianna said slowly. She bit her lip. “You’re a great catch, Barnes. Any woman would be lucky to have you.”
I snorted. “I’m a workaholic who chose a career over having relationships. You think that makes me a great catch?”
Gianna laughed. I was relieved to hear that she sounded much more relaxed than she’d sounded a few minutes ago when we’d been discussing her family.
“Yeah,” Gianna said softly. She reached under the table and put her hand on my thigh. Even though it was more comforting than sexual, I still felt a powerful wave of desire crashing over my body at the warmth radiating from her palm.
“Well, then I guess you’re one lucky woman,” I said with a smirk. “More wine?”
Gianna nodded. “You must have friends,” she said. “What are they doing now?”
“My best friend, Jack, and his wife just had their first child,” I said. “He was sort of like me – a late-bloomer when it comes to relationships. But he’s really happy now, and I’m happy for him.”
“That does sound nice,” Gianna said. She smiled. “My best friend got married a week or so ago, back home in Boston. Her name is Jessica – I was supposed to be a bridesmaid.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here instead,” I said.
Gianna nodded. “Me, too,” she replied. “But I think Jessica was pretty angry with me.” She sighed. “I wish I could make her understand – hell, I wasn’t even allowed to go to college! And Jessica just acted like I was spoiled and bratty because I couldn’t ever stay out late or go on vacation with her.”
“So, you’ve never really gone for a vacation?”
“Not without my parents,” Gianna said drily. “So, no, I guess. I haven’t.”
“We should take a trip,” I said impulsively. “What do you think about that?”
Gianna grinned. “That sounds perfect. But what about Heaven Cove?” She pulled out her phone and flipped through her calendar. “I’m working every day next week, and after that, too.”
“I’m the director,” I said with a smug grin. “I could find a way to write you off the show.”
Gianna frowned. “Well, I don’t want that,” she said. She bit her lip. “I’m really enjoying it.”
I laughed. “Okay. Well, how about this – let’s take a weekend trip somewhere, you know – somewhere almost local where we could drive?”
Gianna relaxed against the back of the booth. She took her hand away from my thigh and reached across the table to hold my hand. “That sounds perfect,” she said quietly. “I’d really like that.” She grinned. “Hey, could we go to Vegas?”
I snorted. “Really?”
“Well, yeah,” Gianna said. She sounded almost hurt. “I mean, I’ve obviously never been…and it’s always looked like it would be kind of fun, don’t you think?”
“Hey, baby,” I said with a grin. “If you want Vegas, let’s do Vegas. And we’ll do it right – stay in the biggest hotel, play the biggest casino…we could even go to a show if you want.”
“Oh, I want everything,” Gianna said. She took a sip of wine and sighed. “I really do, Barnes. I can’t believe I’m saying this – it makes me sound so naïve – but I feel like I’m eighteen, or something. I feel like I wasted so much of my life waiting for it to change without ever taking control of my own destiny.”
“I’m glad you feel that way,” I said. “Because honestly, I do, too. And I don’t mean to sound patronizing because I know I’m so much older than you, but I think being here and meeting you has changed my life in a way that I would never have thought possible.”
Gianna smiled and sighed happily. “I know exactly what you mean,” she said. She rubbed her thumb on the back of my hand. “And it’s perfect.”
Just as I was about to lean across the table and kiss her, Gianna’s phone buzzed. She glanced down at the screen and gave me a guilty look.
“I hate to be rude,” she said, picking up her phone. “But do you mind if I take this? Eric keeps calling from different numbers, and if it’s something about the show, I don’t want to miss his call.”
“Of course,” I said.
Gianna flashed me a grateful smile. “Thanks.” She swiped open the call and held it to her ear. “Hello?”
I watched in silence as Gianna’s smile faded. I could hear the faint, tinny sound of a voice on the other end of the line but there was just enough ambient noise in the restaurant to make the words sound like a blur. Gianna’s expression grew steadily more horrified by the second, and after only a few moments, she gasped and threw the phone down on the table.
“I’m going to guess that wasn’t Eric,” I said slowly. “Is everything okay?”
“No,” Gianna said in a shaky voice. “Nothing is okay.”
“Gianna, what happened,” I said urgently. “Tell me – I can help you.”
When Gianna looked into my eyes, I saw that she was about to cry. “I think my family sent someone after me,” she said softly. “And they’re threatening me – blackmail, kidnapping…” She trailed off, gnawing fiercely at her lip. “Oh, Barnes, I don’t know what to do.”
I got up from my side of the booth and pulled her into my arms.
“It’s okay,” I said softly as I stroked her hair. “We’ll figure something out.”
That night, I took Gianna back to my condo. I stayed with her all night – even waiting outside the bathroom at her request as she peed. And in the morning, I knew I had a solution.
“How are you feeling?” I asked Gianna. I passed her a cup of coffee. “I made this for you.”
Gianna smiled weakly. “Not good,” she said softly.
“Well, that’s about to change, I hope,” I said. “Because until we get this mess straightened out, you’re moving in with me.”