“Hi. This is Bobbi. My mother said you called and needed my help.”
“That I do. Are you free tonight?”
“Yes I am.”
“Did your mother explain what I needed?”
“Yes. I can’t believe you’re going to let me pick first. That’s so cool. I mean, kind. I saw how you dress. Your stuff is so nice. I can’t believe you want to get rid of it.”
“I’d rather give it away than let it sit in my closet. Here’s my address. I’m also going to order pizza. Do you feel like joining me?” She didn’t know a nineteen year old who ever turned down food. At least they didn’t when she was that age.
“Sounds great. And my Mom just made brownies. I’ll bring them with me for dessert,” Bobbi said.
When the call ended, Gianna no longer was tired. If anything, she was almost as excited as Bobbi. But the clothes that she was passing along really should’ve been given away a long time ago. These weren’t things she’d purchased. It was the wardrobe that Marvin had purchased for her. She’d kept it all these years as a reminder never to be blinded by bling again. It was time for her to close that chapter in her life for good now. And by giving it to Bobbi, that was yet just another positive thing coming out of her stupid mistake.
Looks like my day just turned around for the better.
She called and placed the pizza order. Hawaiian. It had become her favorite since the night Jordan had brought it. Although she had to admit, none of them ever tasted as good.
Gianna’s cell phone rang again, and she looked at the caller ID. It was Mary-Lou. Oh how she missed her friends. Answering it she asked with a laugh in her tone, “What’s the drama of the day?”
“Oh you’re not going to believe who I just saw.”
“Mary-Lou, I don’t have time for guessing games. I have someone coming over.”
“Please tell me it’s a date,” Mary-Lou pleaded.
Gianna rolled her eyes. “You date enough for the both of us.”
“I know. I hope you see the problem with that,” she said. “If you don’t pick up the pace, there won’t be any guys left in Queens for you to date.”
“Unless you’ve forgotten, I don’t live in Queens any longer,” she reminded her friend.
“Well you’ll be glad you’re not when I tell you who I saw. Marvin came in the bar. I can’t believe he had the guts to show up here.”
“Mary-Lou, it’s been twelve years. I think it’s time for you to let it go. I have.” That didn’t mean her stomach didn’t turn when she heard his name. Gianna hadn’t seen or heard from him. The anger behind it faded with the hope of receiving any apology from him.
“Gianna, you know me better than that. I mean he just walked in and sat down as though he’d never hurt my best friend.”
“Please tell me you didn’t assault him.” She still couldn’t believe Marvin even went there. He’d stopped in once when they were pretending to date just so it looked believable to even her friends. But she had to hear his whining for hours afterwards about how he didn’t frequent places like that. Gianna never told Mary-Lou because it’d only have pissed her off even more.
“I wouldn’t say pouring a beer on his head was assault,” she laughed. “You should’ve seen his face. He was livid. Marvin started mouthing off, which isn’t wise in that place. You know how these guys are.”
“I do. What happened?” She asked, but not sure she really wanted to know.
“Just before he was about to get his ass beat, his friend showed up and dragged his sorry ass out of there.”
“Which friend?”
“I forget. I think his name was Justin or something,” Mary-Lou said.
“Jordan?”
“Yeah that’s it. God that man is gorgeous. I wouldn’t have minded him hanging around longer. But he was probably as pissed off at Marvin as I was. Too bad you weren’t here to see it.”
“I’m glad I wasn’t. I told you, Marvin is history,” she said firmly.
“But you’re not even curious as to why he was here?” Mary-Lou asked.
Of course she was. It didn’t make any sense for him to show up there. He wasn’t from Queens and as far as she knew, he didn’t know anyone there except for her. God, please tell me he’s not looking for me. She said it was all in the past, but the truth was, the hurt really never left. He was supposed to have been a friend and friends don’t treat friends like the way he did her.
“No. I’m not interested one bit,” she replied.
“Well I guess that’s a good thing, because I haven’t got a clue anyway. I poured the beer before asking,” she laughed.
Gianna chuckled. “You’re crazy, do you know that?”
“Yup. But at least I still know how to laugh. When was the last time you just relaxed and had a good time?”
She couldn’t recall. There was always one more thing she needed to do before taking a breather. Tonight was a prime example of that. “I’m busy right now, but I promise next time I’m in Queens, we are going to party it up.”
“Ha. You can’t drink. One glass and you’re half asleep,” Mary-Lou teased. “I wouldn’t consider that a wild party.”
“I didn’t say wild,” she corrected. Gianna never was the wild one. And if anything, the last twelve years only slowed her down even more. It seemed like all she did now was work. There were worse things in the world to be doing. At least this was productive. There was a knock on the door and she added, “I have to go. But I’ll call you soon. And please, no more pouring beer on peoples’ heads.”
“Gianna, you’ve been in the city too long. You’re no fun anymore,” she teased.
She ended the call and put her phone on the kitchen counter and went to answer the door. The timing was perfect, pizza and Bobbi arriving at the same time. She tipped the deliveryman, and then invited Bobbi inside.
“What do you want to do? Eat first or would you rather look at the clothes?”
“I don’t know about you, but I’m able to multi-task,” Bobbi said.
“Glad to hear it because you’re going to need that skill tomorrow at Grayson Corp.” Gianna laughed and put the pizza down and got them some plates so they could get going. Although she enjoyed having company, she needed this to go quickly. The last thing she wanted was for Bobbi to be out late and be dragging at work in the morning. She was trying to set the girl up for success, not failure.
You’ve got to rock this for both of us, Bobbi. I might not like it, but I need this client.
Jordan could barely control his temper. “What the hell were you thinking going there? You know damn well they are Gianna’s friends.”
“I know. I wanted to see her. She moved and her number changed. I figured someone there might know how to find her,” Marvin said.
“You’ve lost your fucking mind if you think any of them would’ve given you any information.” He shook his head in disgust. “If I didn’t show up, you were about to get what you deserved.”
Part of him wouldn’t have minded seeing that. He’d told Marvin to leave Gianna the fuck alone. As far as he knew, Marvin had. So what changed? Why was he looking for her now?
“They weren’t going to do anything,” Marvin said smugly.
“Do you really think they’ve forgot what you did to Gianna?”
“It was a long time ago,” he replied.
Jordan said, “If it was my friend, I’d never forget.”
Marvin cocked a brow. “Seems like you haven’t and you’re supposed to be my friend.”
“Just because we’re friends doesn’t mean I agree with how you handled things. You fucking sent me to do your dirty work,” he snapped. “You know damn well that you should’ve been the one to tell Gianna you were bailing on her.”
“I thought you said I shouldn’t marry her? Why are you all protective of her feelings now?” Marvin asked.
“I’m not. But what you did was wrong and you know it,” he snarled. “And going to that bar was asking for trouble. I don’t know why you
even called me to meet you there.”
“Because I thought we could have a drink together.” Marvin tipped his head down, smelling his jacket. “That woman should be fired. Can you believe she actually poured my beer on me?”
“Yup. Mary-Lou isn’t one to fuck with.” When he’d met her for coffee to discuss Gianna, Mary-Lou laid into him with several threats. There was only one thing that had stuck with him. She’d requested Jordan to leave Queens and to leave Gianna alone because all Jordan would be was a reminder of the worst day of her life.
“You know Mary-Lou too? Damn, it looks like you’ve been making your rounds,” Marvin laughed. “Not sure Gianna would like hearing that.”
“What are you talking about?” Jordan asked.
“Have to admit, that surprised me. You didn’t put up too much of a fight when I sent you to check on Gianna that night. You didn’t even like her, but yet you went. At first I thought you did it because you’re my friend. The more I thought about it, I realized, you were just out to score. I get it. She was vulnerable and needed someone to cry on. I give you credit. I thought you were too absorbed in work to even notice.”
Jordan clenched the steering wheel so tightly he thought he’d break it. Marvin was turning into a bigger ass than he’d been before. That sucked, because at one time, they had been really good friends. Now, he wasn’t sure he even knew Marvin anymore. And with the direction Marvin was heading, he wasn’t sure he wanted to. “You’re not turning this onto me.” His personal life was just that, personal. The last time he’d spoken to Marvin about a woman, they were in high school. Maybe that was because he knew what type of guy Marvin was. If he for a second thought Jordan liked a girl, Marvin would’ve dropped everything and pursued her just for fun.
“I haven’t been back there since you walked out on Gianna. But what would your wife say if she knew you were seeking out another woman?” Jordan asked.
“Alice and I are separated,” Marvin declared.
Jordan took his eyes off the road for a second to confirm Marvin wasn’t joking. “Set a new record. You’ve been married for only six months.”
“Five. And it’s her fault. She nags. Every time I go out, she wants to know where I’m going. It’s like she doesn’t…”
“Trust you? Go figure,” Jordan laughed. “You’ve run around on every one of your wives.” The only reason why Jordan knew this to be true was because Marvin liked to brag. He still couldn’t believe how lucky Gianna was by Marvin backing out.
“I promised Alice I wouldn’t,” he stated in a serious tone.
Sadly Marvin seemed to believe what he said. But Jordan knew his words were empty. It was Marvin’s actions that reflected who he really was. It’s getting harder and harder to even call Marvin a friend at this point. How can you be friends with someone that you barely respect?
Jordan needed to change the subject because this one wasn’t going anywhere. “How long are you going to be in New York?”
“Got some business to take care of. A few legal matters.”
And maybe meet with a divorce lawyer?
“Next time you ask me for a drink, let me pick the place,” Jordan stated. “What hotel are you staying at?”
Marvin chuckled. “I was hoping I could stay with you. You know, catch up on what’s been going on.”
There was no way in hell Marvin was staying with him, not even for a night. “I’m still working at Lawson Steel. There. All caught up.”
“You’re really not going to let me stay at your place?” Marvin asked.
Jordan shook his head. “I like my privacy.”
“I see some things haven’t changed in all these years. I guess you can drop me off at a hotel. Want to grab dinner first?”
He shot him a look, and then shook his head. Marvin looked rough. It was obvious that Marvin had consumed plenty of alcohol prior to getting one poured on him. They’d been in contact over the phone, but over the last few years, they were distant. Marvin seemed to be spiraling out of control. If he wasn’t out doing something stupid, he was running off at the mouth and making enemies. If Marvin wasn’t careful, he might find Jordan adding his name to that list.
“I’ll pass,” he replied.
Marvin laughed. “I get it. Not until I have a shower and a change of clothes. You never know who I’ll meet while we’re out.”
Yup, some things never change. Always looking for the next conquest.
“Let’s make it lunch tomorrow. Maybe by then you’ll be…” Sober. “ready.”
“Ready for what?” he asked.
For the warning that’s coming your way. “To eat.”
Jordan dropped him off at a hotel and drove off. Marvin had been swaying a bit, but he didn’t need assistance. He wanted to be happy to see Marvin again. That’s why he agreed to meet him at the bar. But he also had gone because he knew there could be trouble. That bar was Gianna’s old stomping ground and it pissed him off knowing that Marvin was out trying to find Gianna.
Jordan had no control over what Marvin did, but knowing he was back in New York for Gianna twisted his gut. The only good thing was Marvin didn’t know where to look. But how long was it going to be before Marvin found her right there in the city? And what the fuck are you planning to do when you do find her?
It wouldn’t surprise Jordan at all if Marvin tried getting back with Gianna. Marvin and Rhonda had broken up, married, divorced then dated again. Rhonda wasn’t the nicest girl in the world, so Jordan didn’t feel too badly for her. Gianna, on the other hand, even though she still harbored resentment towards Marvin, he doubted she’d be prepared for Marvin’s next game.
It wasn’t like Gianna was all sweet and innocent. He’d kept an eye on her over the years. She dated, but no one ever seemed to come close to sweeping her off her feet. Instead she seemed to focus on one thing. Her career. It’d be a fucking shame if Marvin showed back up and ruined it all for her.
Jordan fought the building urge to call her and give her the heads up. But she’d made it clear she didn’t want him in her life any more than she did Marvin. That meant he was going to need to do this without her knowing the information was coming from him.
What am I thinking? She has to know.
Marvin said it was Mary-Lou who had confronted him. There was no way she didn’t reach out to Gianna and tell her what happened. And if he was right, Mary-Lou was bragging, not apologizing.
This should be a good thing. He didn’t need to worry about Gianna. But that also eliminated the reason for needing to see her. Jordan didn’t to pick up the phone and call her, or drop in at her office. That would start up a longer than needed conversation. He just wanted to…see her.
He laughed to himself. Thoughts like that sounded creepy even in his own head. There was no logical reason to be in contact with Gianna and from everything he knew, she really had moved on and didn’t let her past stand in her way. Jordan had even overheard Rosslyn talking to Charles about Gianna. Apparently Rosslyn was equally impressed.
It was time for him to take his own advice and stay out of it. He’d given Gianna his phone number years ago and she chose never to use it. It was ridiculous for him to even think she might need him now.
Jordan knew he wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight. That was okay, because with Ethan in Tennessee enjoying his new baby girl and Gareth in Tabiq, things were piling up at Lawson Steel. He couldn’t remember the last time his desk wasn’t covered in files. He kept meaning to put them away, but something pressing always seemed to stand between him and that task.
Maybe what I need is a temp.
That really wasn’t a half bad idea. Lawson Steel never used them before, but times had changed. All of his brothers now have families of some sort. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to be the one left picking up the slack. He needed to follow protocol. But utilizing Gianna’s agency was definitely going to be brought up in tomorrows executive meeting.
Since they had taken over the company from their father a few ye
ars back, business boomed. It also didn’t hurt that their cousins, the Hendersons, were recommending them as well. They had achieved their goal and were now one of the top steel businesses globally. There was only one way to stay there and that was for the manpower to grow with the demand. This pitch to his brothers couldn’t be about files on his desk. They’d laugh his ass right out of the conference room if he pulled that shit. Jordan needed to think of the business as a whole. It was overdue and he felt as though his brothers would agree. But none of this was going to be as easy as calling Today & Tomorrow and getting a few temporary employees. They needed a long-term solution.
His cell phone rang and he checked the caller ID. Answering it he asked, “How do you do that Charles?”
“Do what?”
“I was just thinking about you. There’s something I want to discuss at tomorrow’s briefing.”
“Then you might want to put it on hold, unless it’s urgent,” Charles suggested.
“I take it that means Penelope isn’t feeling any better.”
“Spiking a fever again tonight. Rosslyn has several meetings tomorrow that she can’t miss. That means it’s…”
“Daddy’s turn. Hope she feels better soon,” Jordan said.
“Mother said she’s probably just teething. Rosslyn isn’t so sure. Penelope doesn’t want to slow down long enough for us to figure it out. Since she started walking, there’s no stopping her. You’d think picking her up was some form of torture. God, I have no idea how Mother did it with six children. Some nights, I think I’m going to lose my mind,” Charles admitted.
Sounds like tonight is one of those nights.
“Guess I should count myself lucky that I only have work to keep me up at night,” Jordan stated.
“Actually, I wouldn’t trade this for anything. Even when she is fussing, being a father is amazing.”
“Yeah. I can tell by the fact that everyone who had a child, somehow doesn’t show up in the office,” Jordan said.
“It’s not that we’re not there, it’s just we’re not living there any more. It’s nice having a reason to leave the office. A reason to come home.”
The Billionaire's Revenge (The Blank Check Series Book 6) Page 3
