SECRETS
The golden rule Reid stuck to was to never call or text his father if it was not business related. His father did not seem to have a problem with it. But when he texted Reid to come over to the house, it unnerved him. There was no business related issue to talk about. Unless he had heard wind of his new business venture.
Reid actually hoped George would keep his mouth closed longer than a night. He was already expecting a text or call to talk about it. George was aware and in support, which made the chances of his father flipping about keeping it silent was very low.
It was impossible to hide it for long. And it meant they’d be a lot of talking. Too much talking that neither and father enjoyed doing. Although sad that conversations about things best left unsaid had to be addressed, eventually. There was no escape.
Or maybe he simply wanted to follow up on the threat he made about the marriage debacle and holding his inheritance. Reid had too much to worry about. A squabble with his father was the last thing he wanted, and he postponed visiting him. He first had to make sure the restaurant was launched before he got back to settling down.
Reid grabbed the two pastry boxes in his passenger seat and got out of his car. He headed into the house without knocking, heading straight for the cabana at the back of the house. It was the spot Athina and Colton had their breakfasts and most time, Reid joined them whenever he could.
Colton had called him an hour prior to him dressing to leave home. He begged him to buy bread sticks and chocolate muffins for Athina.
Being pregnant and living with a pregnant woman must have been difficult cause he could hear the stress and desperation in his cousin’s voice.
Out of the goodness of his heart, he bought the pastries and brought them over against his wishes. He planned to skip coming over that weekend, but it seemed the couple couldn’t do without seeing his face for too long.
He could hear the faint voice as he came closer to the back of the house. As he turned left to step out of the house, he walked into Athina.
“Oh, didn’t see you there,” she said, startled.
Athina took the boxes from his hand with a wide smile, shifting on her legs impatiently. “You are so such a sweetheart, Reid.”
“How long have you been craving them?” He chuckled.
“Last night. Your stupid cousin refused to leave the house unless I agree to follow him.” She turned to look in her husband’s direction with a scowl on her face.
“And why is that?”
“He doesn’t love me as much as I thought,” she whined dramatically and walked to the stairs after murmuring shell be right back.
“She always changes her mind whenever I get food or snacks.” Colton spoke aloud for it to reach his wife’s ears as Reid joined him in the cabana.
He let out a deep sigh as he crashed on a couch.
Reid loved his cousin and his wife, but he was slowly losing interest in spending time with them. It was them being all lovey-dovey or having meaningless arguments. The last thing he wanted was to slowly grow bigger because he wished he had what they had. Maria was doing a fine job filling the void of the incessant arguments, but she was far from filling the other part that could cure his insomnia.
Colton offered to call for breakfast for Reid, but he refused, saying he didn’t intend to stay, so he only had coffee.
“How’s the automobile work going? Any news?” Reid asked.
Colton glanced at the door to check if Athina was nearby before replying to Reid.
“It’s…….” He began, but Reid cut him off.
“Are you hiding it from Athina?”
Colton nodded. “She’s still mad about me not talking to her about it before investing. She believes it’s my fault that you had the chance to take advantage of Maria.”
Those words had Reid sit upright with his first clenched. “Take advantage? I saved her business.”
“Come on Reid, I know there’s a powerful motive behind that.”
“The only motive is to bring my mother’s dream to life,” Reid argued.
“At the expense of another woman’s dream?” Colton counterattacked Reid’s statement. While
Reid was getting agitated by the accusation, Colton was calm and observing.
“You know how much I hate lying to Athina,” Colton added in a low voice.
Reid looked up into Colton’s eyes and spoke in a similar low voice. “I never asked you to lie. Withholding the truth is a different thing entirely.”
Colton scoffed with a smirk on his face. “Really? And how do you think Maria is going to react when she finds out you’ve been withholding a lot of truths from her?”
Times like this, when Colton called him out on matters he’d rather not speak of, he got tempted to punch him. He clicked his tongue and stretched his right hand to pick up the mug. He took a small sip of the black coffee and said, “I’ll handle that when we cross that bridge. It’s just business.”
On cue, Athina walked out of the house, heading towards the guys. In her hand was a plate filled with muffins. The guys quickly put a pause to their conversation, and Colton signaled with his eyes to Reid that their conversation wasn’t exactly over.
“Reid! How was the party last night? I was really bumped. We couldn’t come,” Athina said as she joined them and placed the plate on the center glass table.
“It was grand like every other Pierre’s party. The highlight, though, was when your friend insulted Genevieve’s painting.” Reid responded with a grin on his face.
Simultaneously, the couple’s eyes grew wide with disbelief and shock.
“She what?” They exclaimed in unison.
“I told her mouth was bound to put her in trouble.” Reid appeared unfazed, and recalling what happened made him chuckle lightly.
“Where were you?” Colton asked, and Athina asked, “How many people were there?”
“I guess it transpired between the both of them alone and I was talking to an old friend of mine before I ran into George.”
Athina’s face was sheer horror. She could imagine how horrible her friend must have felt. Knowing she would surely have difficulty adjusting to the crowd and to add humiliation to the mix was as bad as it could get. Athina would not have been surprised if Maria resented her. She should have tried her best to be there, but she had little a choice.
“What did Genevieve say?” Athina asked.
Reid’s eyebrows knitted at the question. “I’m not exactly sure.”
Reid wasn’t present and Maria had not elaborated on the conversation and supposed insult. If he was to judge based on Genevieve’s attitude when they were all together, it must have not been serious.
“She must have had too much champagne. It makes her blunt than usual.” Athina picked up her phone and dialed Maria’s phone number. The call didn’t place through, so she figured it must be on. Do not disturb. “I guess she’s still in bed,” she murmured to herself.
Reid heard her though and exclaimed. “By this time? It’s past noon.”
“She definitely had a lot to drink.”
Reid couldn’t resist holding in his laughter as the memories of the past night flooded his memories. He filled the couple in on how worried Maria was. She was convinced their plans were ruined because of her.
It reminded them of a similar situation that happened with Athina at her first top tier event. She had blended in well and wasn’t as nervous as Maria. The night was going well. Athina became quick friends with Genevieve and a few other people. She had practically charmed Colton’s business partners.
Until the disaster of the century. It all happened in a mere one minute, but it took months for the story to die down. An older woman had run into Athina, causing the glass of red wine in her hand to still on the woman. It happened so fast Athina couldn’t shift back to avoid the mishap, and the woman’s cream dress was ruined.
Horrified, Athina apologized profusely and offered to clean the dress or buy a new one. Before she could utter the last words of her sentence, a thunderous slap hit her cheek. The entire room went quiet at the sound, and all eyes were fixated on the scene.
The bourgeois lady who let her hands speak received a louder statement as Athina reciprocated. Her hand landed on the woman’s cheek twice and twice as hard. The woman was stunned, and it appeared she might have gone deaf as well.
Reid and Colton carried Athina out of there before it could have escalated into a bigger fight. It was a moment they looked back at and laughed hard. The two friends had one thing in common. They made a mark wherever they went. No matter how big or small. And no matter how outspoken or reserved they were.
“Genevieve is a nice lady. I’m sure she’ll understand Maria did not mean her words in a bad way,” Athina said as she took another pastry. She was the only who had been eating it since she brought it. At the rate at which she cleared the plate, the two men feared to even take one out of fear.
Reid glanced at the Rolex on his wrist and stood up to leave.
“I’ve got to go. I’m heading to church.”
The couple looked up at him. “Church?” Colton questioned.
Athina piped in. “You always go for morning service. Why the change?”
“Because my sister-in-law was craving snacks, which her husband asked me to get.”
A teasing smile appeared on Athina’s face. “You love me so much you couldn’t resist.”
It irritated Reid to see her gushing for something meaningless. “Nah, I was actually more concerned you’d murder my cousin because of your insatiable belly.”
“Hey! It’s his fault I’m like this,” she whined as her hands shot up to rub her invincible round belly.
Reid grimaced as he turned to walk away. As he walked into the house he could hear the patter of feet following behind him. He had an idea of what Athina might want to discuss, making him walk faster to get to the front door.
“Reid!” she screamed, which made him halt.
“Ever since that tiny thing has been growing inside you, you’ve become irritable.” He groaned.
“Yet you won’t trade me for anyone else.” A smug grin on her face. “How’s the restaurant coming along?”
“Uh yeah. Any particular reason you’re asking me?” Reid found it very weird and off track. He could sense she was beating around the bush and her expression unsettled him. As if the thought of cutting off his head was not a terrible idea.
“And how is the painting? Have you received it yet?” Athina finally broke the ice and Reid sighed heavily as he muttered, “I knew it.”
Feeling suffocated a bit, he unbuttons his suit and placed his hands on his waist.
“I see your simp of a husband can’t withhold simple information.”
Athina eyed him with her lips turned up. “Please tell me you ran the idea through Maria.”
Things were fast to spin out of control once a secret is shared. At the start of bringing his mother’s dream to life, Reid thought of ideas that could actually make it seem it were hers. The plan was to make them small but carry a lot of weight.
The menu of foods created by his mother was going to be a special menu of sort. That felt enough to establish a part of her in the restaurant, but Reid wanted more.
It took a while to figure it out. Why did he choose to make her dream happen? Why did he pick Maria’s business as a starting point? Reid asked himself those questions. He wanted to feel her presence. His mother’s presence. No matter how little he planned to make it happen.
A small gift he had chosen was to place a piece of her in the restaurant. Reid could not meet his father or family members, so he went to the next person closest to her. Genevieve Pierre. Reid found a picture of his mother pregnant with him and a very young Genevieve by her side. Their friendship was an usual one with the age difference, but Reid felt like he’d found everything with just that picture.
Genevieve stuck around as he grew and he couldn’t see anybody doing the job right. A painting portrait. Reid had wanted to feel her presence and Genevieve had suggested a picture portrait. It was perfect, and Reid could not wait till it was ready. All he had to do now was run the plan of putting his mother’s portrait in the restaurant and hoped she didn’t mind. After all, she owned the larger share of the business.
“I intend on doing that very soon,” He said in a dead tone.
“You better, or I will tell her.”
“I will, so promise me you won’t say a word to her.”
Reid looked her dead in the eye. He wasn’t playing around, and Athina could see that clearly.
Athina cleared her throat. “Just so you know, I’ve never lied to my best friend.”
“Then I think it’s time you and your husband take a course on how to lie,” He said, irritated.
Athina frowned at his tone and statement. Reid didn’t leave room for more to be said as he turned to walk out the door.
“Dickhead!”
“Love you too,” Reid screamed back and slammed the door behind him.