“Nina, I don’t know. Apparently, he’s lost his mind. He doesn’t even drink wine! How can he own a winery?”
“So, is that why he’s not around?”
“Yeah, he’s looking at property.”
He pulled up to the gym and took out his cellphone. He started scrolling through photos that Cyril had recently sent him. Most of them were of Cyril wearing cowboy hats, standing in rows of vines. It was actually really pretty, completely unexpected. I hadn’t visited Texas before and part of me just assumed it was mostly flat land and desert. The pictures proved me wrong.
“Apparently, Texas is a well-known wine-producing state,” Kenny mumbled angrily.
“By why Texas? Why not open a winery here in California?”
“California’s too expensive. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. He started taking sommelier classes and now he thinks it’s his life’s calling to grow grapes.” The way Kenny described it made it sound especially absurd.
“Not to be nosey, but how is he going to pay for a winery? I’m guessing even a cheap one is expensive.”
“Trust fund.”
“Jeez, is everyone in L.A. rich but me?”
“Some days it seems like it.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. We got out of the car and entered a weird looking metal building. It looked like an airport hangar in a Salvador Dali painting. The inside of the gym didn’t have a floor. There were a bunch of little rocks under our feet with large abstract sculptures artfully displayed a few feet from each other.
“This is different,” I remarked.
“I know. Isn’t it cool?”
I smiled tightly. Cool definitely wasn’t the word I would use, but I didn’t want to say anything that would offend Kenny. Clearly, this was unlike any gym I had seen before.
After we passed the rock garden, we entered a lounge with a concrete floor. The lounge was very minimalist with just a single steel bench in front of a large metal desk. Sitting behind the desk was a beautiful bald woman wearing a long flowing robe. She smiled at Kenny, who blew her a kiss. I followed him into a studio area.
Finally, something that actually looks like a gym, I said to myself. There were about 20 large punching bags in the room and the attendees stood around quietly wrapping their hands with long pieces of fabric or stretching, doing weird splits on the floor. Boxing gloves were scattered across the room, others were resting on top of the punching bags or near the wall.
Kenny waved hello to everyone and then went to a locker and handed me a pair of gloves.
“Pick a bag, hon.”
I did as I was told and then I stood awkwardly with my gloves in my hand and then started to put them on when the other girls did too.
“Ladies, this is my cousin, Nina!” he said into the microphone hanging from his ear. “Let’s give her a great big welcome!”
“Hi, Nina!” everyone shouted, making me smile.
“Nina here is visiting from Georgia! My old stomping grounds! She’s having some man problems…”
I shot Kenny an evil look as he shared my business with the other strangers in the room.
“But don’t we all?” he said, laughing and I could hear a snicker or two. I tried to keep from blushing, but I was sure I was turning red.
“Alright ladies, find a partner. Let’s do this!” shouted Kenny, and there was a lot of howling and whistling.
I found a partner and tried to keep up with all the jab, cross and uppercut sequences, but my coordination was mediocre at best. My arms got tired as I was practicing with my partner and her jab caught me in the eye, sending me sprawling.
“Uh oh!” Kenny said, running over to me. “Now class, this is an important lesson. This is exactly why we keep our guard up, right?”
“Right,” they echoed.
Kenny happily jogged away to continue teaching class and another assistant instructor gave me an ice bag. She was nice and asked me if I wanted to quit, but I wasn’t a quitter… usually. As soon as partner drills were over we started what he called bag rounds. I barely made it through to the end of class. When it was over, I collapsed onto the floor, breathing hard, covered in sweat.
Kenny said goodbye to all the students and then leaned over me. I stared up at him.
“Hey, hon. You ok?”
I shook my head. “My body. My poor body. And my eye… my body and my eye. Everything hurts.”
“She barely hit you,” he said, helping me up.
“Whatever, I’m sure it’s going to be puffy and swollen tomorrow.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’ve been hit by a truck.”
“You can tell you’re an actress, drama is definitely your specialty.”
“You’re so catty.”
“Meow,” he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I leaned on him, grateful that he was taking care of me. I’d missed him when I’d returned to Georgia.
When I started feeling less sore, I also started feeling more charitable. “You’re the best cousin in the world. Thank you for getting me off the couch.”
“You’re welcome… but honestly, I wanted to join in on your junk food binge since I’m so miserable, but I’m just too disciplined to eat crap like that.”
“Thanks for that insightful information,” I said sarcastically.
He laughed and then instantly his smile faded as he thought about Cyril. “This whole Cyril situation has got me down. I left Georgia for a reason and I have no interest in going back to the same type of situation. I’m pretty sure Texas will be just as welcoming to our kind as Georgia had been.”
I knew what he was talking about. As far as I knew, he’d been the only openly gay kid at school. He’d been bullied and picked on. The administration hadn’t done much. And so, his mother had sent him to L.A. to live with his father. I’d missed my cousin, but I’d understood.
“The world’s changing, Kenny.”
“Not fast enough,” he said softly.
I looked at him and could see that he was truly upset. Not much got Kenny down, but apparently this situation with Cyril was weighing on him.
“Do you need a hug?”
“I’m not five anymore,” he said, and then looked up at me. “But I’ll still take a hug.”
I embraced him and as I pulled away, I heard someone clear their voice.
I instantly stiffened when I saw her. “Mrs. Wallace.”
“I see you’re still getting around,” she said succinctly. She was wearing designer leggings and a tank top. She looked like she was in great shape. What’s that saying? The evil ones are always well preserved. She then walked away from me without uttering another word.
“Woah, that’s one cold bi—”
“Kenny!” I admonished him.
“What? I wasn’t going to say anything bad.”
“Please! We both know that’s not true.”
He shook his head. “I think she covered me with frost by just glaring at me.”
I laughed. “Let’s go.”
When we were in the car, he said, “I’m sad that you had to deal with the Ice Queen alone. She’s no Elsa, that’s for sure.”
“Kenny,” I said, thoughtfully. “Earlier, Griffin said that he wasn’t married.”
Kenny glanced at me and then back at the road. “But I thought you said that you saw him with his wife and child…”
“That’s what I thought I saw, but what if I jumped to conclusions?” I shook my head sadly. “Then that would mean I single-handedly deprived Sadie of years she could have spent getting to know her father.”
“I don’t know,” Kenny said uneasily. “You did what you thought was right. You made the best decision you could based on all the variables around you.”
“I know, but—”
“No, buts. You can’t go back, so there’s no need to worry yourself about the past.”
He was right, but when we pulled into our neighborhood I couldn’t help but wonder if I had let the scared little Nina wi
n. Was it because of my cowardice my daughter didn’t have a father?
I was in a contemplative mood most of the night as I lay in Kenny’s guest bedroom. I felt ridiculous, staying up thinking about Griffin, but I couldn’t help myself.
I couldn’t deny that this trip to L.A. had me second guessing the decisions I made all those years ago. But Kenny was right, that was all in the past. I needed to focus on making things right in the present. Feeling conflicted, I closed my eyes and drifted off into a restless sleep.
Chapter 8
“So, are you really going to go out with him?” Griffin asked, sitting down next to me while I waited on set.
I sighed heavily. I hadn’t slept well that night and it was all his fault. I was naturally angry with him, even if he hadn’t done anything directly to cause it.
“What I do in my free time is none of your business, Griffin.”
“You know my friends call me Griff.”
“You’re not my friend.”
“I’d like to be…”
I looked at him sharply. The statement caught me off-guard. I stared into his eyes and realized that he meant it.
“Come on, Nina. I’m not a bad guy. You know that.”
“Actually, I don’t know. We barely know each other.”
“We could change that.”
He was right, but I didn’t want to talk to him. After all, he hadn’t answered my question from the other day.
“I know things between us didn’t end well. I know in your opinion you don’t have a reason to trust me, especially after the way things ended between us on the island. “
“That’s one way to put it.”
“Listen, join me for dinner. That’s all I’m asking for. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“Why? Why even bother?” I said mostly to myself.
“Closure?”
“Ha!”
“Ok, maybe because the other day you wanted answers that I couldn’t give you. I want to give you those answers.”
I considered his words. I needed answers… not just for me but for Sadie.
“Tonight then.”
He smiled widely. “I’m glad. I’ll see you tonight.” He walked away, clearly not interested in the commercial now that he had apparently got what he wanted. I was afraid I’d made it too easy for him.
“I’ll send the car for you,” he yelled as he sauntered out. I couldn’t help but stare at his butt and then his words sunk in.
“What? No! I’ll just meet you somewhere!” I yelled back, but it was too late. He was already gone.
“Great, just great,” I said shaking my head… what the heck had I just agreed to?
I spent the rest of the day trying to not mess up my lines. I was so distracted. I decided to call Mom and Sadie when I could no longer think straight. I missed home so much. I didn’t reach them and looked at the time. I forgot about the time difference and assumed they were probably watching TV together and Mom was away from her phone.
I decided to call Dad instead. I knew he would just be sitting around looking at some genealogy stuff while Mom and Sadie drifted off in front of the TV.
He picked up immediately, like I knew he would.
“So finally, you call your dad… I was beginning to feel like you forgot about us Southern folks down here.”
I laughed. “Hi to you too, Daddy. How are you? How’s work?”
“Work sucks.”
I shook my head. “Tell me how you really feel, Dad.”
He laughed softly. “Your mom and Sadie are knocked out on the couch. I guess you tried to call them already?”
“You guessed right.”
“I knew it. I’m second picking.”
“Hey, second picking is just as good as first.”
We chatted for a while until he gave a big yawn. “It’s nap time for me.”
“Dad, you’re so old,” I joked.
“Yep. Sure am. And proud of it. Stay safe out in California. We miss you. Don’t get tempted into staying, you hear?”
“Yes, Dad.”
“Did you talk to Sadie’s co-founder?”
I sighed. He was referring to Griffin. “No. I haven’t spoken to him yet about Sadie.”
“Well, you should. It’s important for a little girl to know her father.”
“Well, no matter what happens with her co-founder, she always has you.”
“Hmm…” he grunted. “I’m old.”
“Yet when I say it, you have an issue with it?” I loved teasing him about his age.
“Hey, you know what they say, you never ask a gentleman his age.”
“It’s actually you never ask a lady her age.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
I laughed and we hung up after I promised to do a better job calling him. After speaking with my dad, I felt better about my plans with Griffin. I didn’t tell Dad my plans to meet with Griffin, but I knew he would approve. I thought how funny it was that even when we’re older our parents’ approval still mattered. I guessed even an adult never stops being someone’s baby.
I focused on getting dressed for the evening. I noticed that Griffin hadn’t asked my number or where I was staying. Either he stalked me or he went through my HR file. Probably both.
An hour later I was ready and sitting on the couch with Kenny. The doorbell rang and I had to fight with Kenny to get to the door. He dashed in front of me and pushed me back.
“Kenny!” I hissed.
He stuck his tongue out at me and said, “I just want to meet him and I know you didn’t plan to introduce me.”
“I sure didn’t because you’re crazy.”
He curtsied to me and then opened the door. “Hiii! You must be Griffin!”
Griffin smiled charmingly, not missing a beat. “I sure am. And you’re…”
“Her cousin, Kenny.”
“Of course… and you own this fine establishment.”
“Guilty as charged,” Kenny said with a wink.
Griffin gave him a devilish smile that for some reason made me jealous.
“Kenny, don’t you have something you need to take care of?” I cut in, ducking under his arm to join Griffin on the other side of the door.
“No.”
“Bye, Kenny.”
I walked out the door leaving Kenny pouting. “Have fun you two!” he called. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Griffin smiled and tried to wrap an arm around my shoulders. I pushed his arm down.
“Well, this night is getting off to a great start.”
“Tell me about it,” I growled. “Oh, you’re actually driving.” For some reason, I had expected to see the Bentley, but instead there was a large luxury SUV sitting in our small parking lot.
“Well, I didn’t plan to, but my driver, who you met in the parking garage that time, insisted on spending this evening with his wife celebrating their 20th anniversary.”
“How selfish,” I joked.
“That’s what I told him.”
He opened the door for me and tried to help me in. It took all my strength not to hit at his hand.
“Aren’t you the perfect gentleman?”
“I try.”
“Not hard enough.”
“This is going to be a great evening. I can already tell.”
I laughed.
I was silent in the car. And grateful for the darkness and spacious interior. It gave me room away from Griffin and time to think. I didn’t have anything I wanted to say that hadn’t already been said. I was just waiting for him to speak.
“So, how’s your brother?” I asked when I couldn’t take the silence much longer.
“Great. He’s expecting a baby soon. I think in a month or two.”
So, Sadie was going to have a little cousin, I thought to myself.
“That’s great. Tell him I said congratulations.”
“I will.”
We pulled up to a stop sign and he took his hands off the wheel. “I don’t even know wh
ere to start,” he said, turning to me. “So, let me start at the beginning.”
“What beginning?”
“The island.”
“Yeah, that’s a great place to start.”
“I left that day on the island because my sister needed me. Well, my niece needed me. I got a call from my niece’s nanny. My sister had been gone for a week, no call, no show.”
“Did something happen to her?” I was instantly worried, but didn’t want to show it. What if this was all a well-orchestrated lie?
He nodded, “Rehab… eventually. She was in the hospital. She’s in recovery now.”
I shook my head, “So you left to—”
“Go get my niece. I didn’t want her sitting in foster care for even a few minutes and I knew once the authorities found out that my sister had abandoned her kid to get drunk and high, that they would remove Rory from my sister’s home.”
“So, your sister just didn’t come back home and checked herself into rehab?”
“Not exactly. We found her in the hospital a few days later. She had overdosed and someone had brought her in as a Jane Doe.”
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry… How old was your niece at the time?”
“Three.”
“She must have been traumatized.”
“Her nanny did a great job staying when she wasn’t even being paid. She’s a good person. And she also happened to be a close friend of mine from college.”
That explained the beach scene… I thought to myself. I must have seen him with his niece and her nanny, who was his friend.
Now that I thought about it… Mrs. Wallace had never called the kid Griffin’s kid. She’d only referred to the little girl as her granddaughter. She’d been careful not to fully lie to me… she’d just planted the seed. She had played me like a fool as I had initially expected.
“I thought… I thought you were married. I saw you on a beach a few years ago with your arms around some woman and you guys had a little girl.”
“My dad raised me better than that. I’ve never cheated on anyone and I’ve never been married. The only thing I’m guilty of is failing to tell you that I was leaving the night after we made love, but I was operating on not much sleep because of our lovemaking and when I got that call in the middle of the night, I just left. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
Billionaire Retreat Page 9
