I stared at her. This time I had no words of even minimal encouragement. While I knew, as his new girlfriend, I should be glad to hear all this—he truly had no doubts about his breaking up with Mia, someone he had so much history with—it was clear to me that this wasn’t all for Mia’s sake. While I’m sure it was also for whoever else in his or her family might still be holding out hope—he was sending me a message as well.
He was setting the example.
“Yeah,” I said, mimicking Bea’s hopeless expression. “I wouldn’t know what to tell her either.”
Bea chewed the end of her pen pensively. “The wedding is a few weeks away still. Maybe once he sees her after not having seen her all this time, and especially since I’m sure she’ll look beautiful, it’ll spark something in him. Snap him out of this stupidity.”
Feeling a slight jealous heat spark in me, I kept my expression blank but said nothing. Bea knew all too well that Aaron had admitted to being in love with me. Aaron told me she’d since questioned him about it. Once again, just as with Mia, he hadn’t denied it but, out of respect for my wishes, didn’t tell her about us and insisted that was not the reason he’d broken up with Mia. It could be I was just being overly sensitive, but the stupidity she spoke of was, in her opinion, his grossly misguided belief that he was actually in love with me. Further proof that this transition was going to be harder than Aaron was expecting it to be.
I knew any jealousy over what he might do with Mia at that wedding or because of what he might feel when he saw her again was unwarranted. Not only did I believe how very genuine his love for me was, I could feel it. Even in the short span of time that this had become a reality—Aaron and I were officially together—I could feel his love for me grow more profound with every single kiss we exchanged. I knew I wasn’t just imagining it either because my love for him was deepening just as fast, as was the lingering fear that, like Edi and everyone else, he’d ultimately leave me too. Only my fear that he’d leave was much realer than my paranoia and issues with self-worth.
With everything going on, I’d completely forgotten about that wedding. It did stand to reason that with all that had happened in the last week he’d forgotten to bring it up too. Only this changed things. I wasn’t aware that he’d had a lunch date with the groom yesterday to discuss his toast at the wedding. Yesterday, when Aaron had left during lunchtime, all he said was he had a lunch meeting and errands to run. I hadn’t even questioned it, and he didn’t mention it when he got back.
I still wasn’t questioning it and certainly not jumping to any conclusions. Maybe it was just a subject he’d prefer to stay off. I wasn’t exactly being completely forthcoming about a few other sore subjects either. But it still made me curious.
Within an hour, our desks and boxes were packed up, and we drove to our new workplace. The office space was set up so that there was one big enclosed office in the back, which of course would be Aaron’s. Next to his was a smaller one, the only other enclosed office in the place. The rest of the room consisted of six much-less-private cubicles separated only by short partitions. Aaron had already interviewed a few candidates he’d be hiring to start filling these six cubicles, but there was still room to add more, and at the rate the business was expanding, he’d likely need to.
Since, of the three current employees, I put far more hours in and because he now had me working on his EPG apartment project, Aaron reasoned I should take the other enclosed office. Bea’s brows were immediately at attention.
Aaron caught the look but didn’t seem fazed by it at all.
“She’ll be putting in even more hours this summer when she’ll cut down on the amount of classes she takes during a regular semester. I know you and Eileen are just waiting for me to hire enough help so you can bail.”
“We never said we wouldn’t help you if you needed us,” Bea countered a bit too defensively.
Aaron turned to her with a smile. “And I know you would if I did, sweetheart. I’m just saying once I have enough help you won’t have to. With you two gone, I’ll need Henri to run the show on the days I’m not here. All of the potential new hires I have coming in to interview next week are older than she is. Regardless, they need to know and respect who’s in charge when I’m not here, so having her in one of the private offices from the beginning sets precedent.” He turned to me next. “The days you sit in for me I actually want you in my office.”
With that, it was settled, and Bea seemed satisfied with his explanation. I stood in my office now, feeling weirdly excited but nervous at the same time. Aaron was showing such confidence in my ability to run the show when he wasn’t there. This was only the second job I’d ever had. As comfortable as I was practically running the entire EPG apartment project, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for subordinates.
The movers finished bringing in everything, and it was just Aaron, Bea, and I until three when she left. Aaron meandered into my office as soon as Bea was out the door with that smoldering gleam in his eye I knew all too well now.
“What do you say we break in your new office?” he asked as I turned my body around to face him completely.
Instantly, he had me pinned against my desk, his bulging erection against my upper thigh, igniting my arousal. I wondered how much longer we’d be able to get away with this. Already he’d begun to refer to me very casually as Henri in front of Bea and Eileen versus his much more professional-sounding Henrietta as he had until things took such a wild change. Then there was the fact that I’d begun to make it a point to wear skirts or clothes that were much more easy access for this kind of thing.
His hand thrust up my skirt as he lifted me onto the desk and devoured my mouth. God, this would never get old. Something fell off my desk as he pushed me onto it further, and I turned to see what it was. “Leave it,” he said against my lips as he pulled my panties down and lifted my skirt higher. “Whatever it is, I’ll buy you another one.”
I giggled, reaching for the top button of his pants and undoing it, then unzipped him, feeling crazed as he continued to suck my tongue.
“You guys should really lock the door.”
Aaron jerked off me but used his body to shield me as we both turned to see Bea looking half stunned half disgusted just outside my office door. She shook her head and stormed away as I frantically pulled down my skirt to cover up. Aaron continued shielding me until I nudged him gently to let him know he could move away so I could get off my desk.
He fumbled with the front of his pants before rushing out, and followed Bea to the cubicle she’d been setting up her things at earlier.
“I forgot my phone charger,” I heard her say and wanted to crawl under my desk. There was no way I was walking out there to face her. “Jesus, Aaron, really? Mia gives you ten years and you do this to her?”
“I didn’t do anything to her.”
“Really? So what do you call Henri?”
“My girlfriend now, Bea, and I need you to respect that,” he said firmly. “She had nothing to do with my decision to break things off with Mia.”
I heard her scoff. “Oh, I’m sure what you two were doing in there is the first time ever and had nothing to do with it,” she retorted, not sounding the least bit convinced. “I gotta go. I’m in a hurry. Sorry I interrupted. You can get back to your innocent work now. Just lock the door, will you?”
She stalked away, and Aaron didn’t say another word. I watched him walk out of my sight to lock the door no doubt. I’d never felt so mortified in my life. How in the world would I ever face her again?
Within minutes, Aaron was at my office door, holding on to the door frame on either side of him with both hands.
“Oops,” he said with earnest eyes. “My bad. I got so ahead of myself I completely forgot about locking the door.”
He walked toward me when I didn’t say anything and wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing my forehead softly. “She’ll get over it,” he said but didn’t seem too concerned by even this. “They’re all g
onna have to.”
“But this,” I said, pointing at my desk. “This is not how I wanted your family to find out. Oh my God!” I gasped. “What if she tells your mother?”
I’d only met Aaron’s mom twice, but I’d heard enough to know the woman could be a firecracker when aggravated. I’d already been nervous about the prospect of Aaron bringing me around his family and letting them know he was with me now. This was the worst way they could find out.
“She’s not gonna tell my mother,” she said reassuringly.
“How do you know? You said yourself they’ve always been very close and united when it comes to Mia.”
“Because I’ll tell her not to. This,” he said, motioning to the desk, “is not a detail of my private life my mom needs to know about. I don’t mind if Bea tells her I’m in love with you and we’re together now. I told you I’ve only held off saying anything to anyone about this because you want me to, but I don’t have a problem with them knowing.” He smirked. “I’d rather not hear my mom’s opinion of this, but we’re two consenting adults, Henri. I’m, personally, not too concerned if she does hear about it, but for your sake, I’ll talk to Bea and make sure she doesn’t tell her.”
“When?” I asked anxiously.
This would be my only saving grace if I could at least know his parents wouldn’t be hearing about this. Maybe then seeing them again as his girlfriend—the one I’m sure everyone in the happy family I met on New Year’s Eve would forever blame for his and Mia’s breakup—could be slightly less painful.
“As soon as I talk to her,” he said, pecking me sweetly.
“Call her now,” I said, and before he could protest, I gave him my most pathetic pleading expression. “Please!”
He leaned against my forehead again with a groan then let go of me. “I’ll get my phone.”
This time I followed after him like an anxious kid. His phone was on his desk, and he picked it up, shaking his head as he tapped his screen even as he kissed his fingers and blew it my way.
“Bea,” he said. “I need you do me a favor. I don’t care if you tell Mom and Dad about Henri and me. It’s just a matter of time before everyone knows anyway. Just keep what you saw today to yourself, please.” He was quiet for a moment then rolled his eyes but smirked. “No, actually, I really don’t give a shit about that either. But Henri does, so I’m asking you to please not say anything.”
I waited anxiously as he listened to whatever Bea was saying now, and then he spoke again. “Up to you. I don’t care if she knows either. She’ll find out soon enough too. But if you care as much about her as you say you do, you may wanna spare her the gory details.” Whatever she said next, to my surprise, made him smile, and he nodded. “Yes, I am. Very happy.” He glanced up at me and mouthed the words I love you with an even bigger smile, making me clutch my hands at my chest and my heart double over. “I love you too,” he said into the phone. “And thanks. I’ll let her know. She’ll be glad to hear it.”
He hung up, put the phone down, and then hurried around his desk to where I stood, pulling me to him. “You see? I told you she’d get over it.”
“Is she really?” I asked incredulously but even more relieved.
“Yep, she said in a weird way she’s glad she can finally stop hoping, and she asked if I was really happy, to which of course I said ‘yes, very happy,’ and she said that’s all she’s ever wanted for me. She also asked me to tell you there aren’t any bad feelings, she understands why you’d keep it from her, and she’s happy for you too.”
“Oh thank God,” I said, the relief enormous. “I still don’t know how I’ll ever face her again, but I’m glad she’s not angry at me.”
“Did you hear everything she said before she left?”
“Yes!” I shook my head in frustration.
I yelped in surprise when he spun me around and pinned me against his desk, his hand already moving up my skirt. “So you heard her say we could get back to what we were doing?”
I laughed as he kissed me, but it wasn’t a ravenous kiss like his earlier ones. It was soft, sweet, and so profound I had to take a deep breath and once again ponder how in the world I got this lucky.
Chapter 18
Aaron
It was no surprise that my parents would disagree about my being with Henri now. My dad said if it was what my heart wanted then that’s who I belonged with. My mom, of course, was worried about several things. Henri had been right about Bea telling my mom. My sister had kept her promise and not told my parents about walking in on us, but she had shared with my mom previously about me admitting I was in love with Henri. So my mom was worried I was acting on impulse because I’d become infatuated with Henri.
It took my mom a while to come around, but several weeks after Bea’s unexpected discovery and my officially telling my parents about Henri and me, Mom asked me to bring her over for dinner. Henri had been understandably nervous about meeting my parents again, this time as my girlfriend, not my much younger sister’s friend. I told her she didn’t have to if she didn’t feel ready to, but she said she may as well get it over with.
To my surprise, my mom’s first impression of Henri, which she’d never bothered to share with me before, was completely different from the impression Henri had first made on me. My mom said Henri came across as painfully meek. Almost to a fault.
“When Beatriz first introduced her new friend that time you picked them up from the show, her voice was a near whisper and almost it seemed as if she were trying to hide behind one of the other girls.”
This time she said she seemed a little less bashful but could understand why she’d be. Still, she said there was something that seemed uncomfortably reticent about her. I got the feeling my dad had coached my mom beforehand to not be too probing on their first real meeting with Henri because she didn’t ask too much of her as expected. But she did grill me the next day when she called to discuss her.
“So, she’s only here for school but lives in California,” she began, and I knew exactly where she was going with this. “You seem very adamant that she’s the one, mijo. It makes me nervous. Have you given any thought to what happens once she goes back?”
“Not a whole lot” was the most I’d give her because it was the truth. “It’s so early on in our relationship, and she still has years left of school here. Anything can happen between now and then.”
~~~
Another thing my mother had been worried about was, since Henri was so young, it could be another long wait before we moved to the next level. “You’re twenty-nine, Aaron. I know you think you’re still a spring chicken, but if you wait another ten years with this one, you’ll be pushing forty. You don’t want to wait that long to start a family.”
I had to laugh. At least she’d moved on from insisting she still believed Mia was my soul mate to something new to nag about. It’d been weeks since Henri’s dinner with my parents. In the end, like Bea, my mom said all she wanted was for me to be happy and would pray I didn’t live to regret this decision. She did ask for one thing that I actually agreed with. She thought it would be disrespectful, not just to Mia but to her family, to bring Henri to the wedding. Unlike my parents, who refused to call Mia their daughter-in-law until we were officially married, Mia’s parents had been calling me their son-in-law for years. My mom was certain they were as devastated by the breakup as Mia was.
“Why risk possibly ruining your best friend’s wedding,” my mom had warned, “if someone in Mia’s family gets a little too much liquid courage in them and decides to confront you or Henri?”
Thankfully, not only was Henri not upset, she’d admitted to being worried I might be expecting her to come with me. So it was settled. Tomorrow I’d be spending an entire day away from Henri in what would probably be the most awkward day of my life: escorting Mia down a wedding aisle in front of her entire family as they all watched knowing I’d pretty much left her at the altar. And I had no idea if any or how many of them knew I’d moved on
so quickly.
I glanced down at the clock on my dash to check the time. Last night had been another first for Henri and me. Ever since I’d gotten the new bedroom set, we’d spent a lot of time in there. Last night after a few rounds, we’d knocked out, and for the first time, I awoke with her in my arms. The bliss was short-lived because, the moment she woke up and realized we’d fallen asleep and that it was so late, she shot out of bed in a panic. She’d yet to spend the night at my place and said she couldn’t until she could tell Edi about us, but frustratingly, she still wasn’t ready to.
I wondered now if, because I’d brought her home so late, she had overslept this morning. She knew I was picking her up at ten. It was a quarter after, and she still hadn’t come out. To my relief, the door to her apartment opened, and she walked out. I watched as she plodded along pensively. Something seemed off, but it wasn’t until she got in my car that I realized she was crying.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, immediately alarmed.
She shook her head, but her face scrunched, alarming me even further. “I can’t,” she said, but she could barely speak and didn’t go on.
“You can’t what?” I reached out and touched her thigh.
“I can’t talk about it here,” she choked out the words. “Can we please just go?”
I put the car in gear but only drove a few blocks until I finally pulled over because she began sobbing.
“Baby, what happened?”
Taking a deep breath, she wiped her eyes and attempted to compose herself. “Edi is talking about moving back to California and transferring from Michigan State to ESU. She’s already been researching it.” She took a trembling breath but wasn’t able to calm herself. She was becoming hysterical. “And she’s even looked into dorms for me here so she won’t leave me hanging because she says she can’t do this. She can’t take it. So she’s leaving me. Leaving me, Aaron! Just like everyone else ever has.” She banged the inside of my door, crying even more uncontrollably, and I reached for her hand, but she pushed my hand away. “Just like you will!”