I hand her the napkins and adjust the carrier on my own chest, smiling at Giovanna who is positioning tables exactly how she wants them. She is wearing one of her twins, Aria, on her chest,and the other twin, Adriano is on mine. He’s a lot heavier than he looks. Even though he was born the same day as his twin sister and cousin, he’s twice as solid, a compact little brick of a baby with Tommy’s dark brows and Giovanna’s mouth.
“I still can’t believe you two are here,” I say, for probably the fourth time. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“Stop thanking us,” Oliva says with her big angelic smile. ”We told you: free food for free labor. We should be thanking you.”
“Do you have any idea the calories we need to eat for breastfeeding? We are starving!” Siena says with a laugh, not looking up from the shelf. “I ate an entire wheel of brie at 11 o’clock last night.”
“It wasn’t even a small wheel,” Giovanna adds.
Siena nods. ”It was not a small wheel.”
I laugh, pressing my cheek briefly to the top of Adriano’s head. He smells like talcum powder and milk. “I’ll always feed you. That’s a standing promise.”
“Good,” Olivia says. “Then we’ll do anything you ask.”
The Arsenal is almost ready. The details are falling into place just in time to bring in new staff for training the final week before opening. The final cleaning, the stocking of stations, food orders being processed—everything is coming together.
When the front door swings open, I look up, expecting to see a vendor, but instead Gavin fills the doorframe.
He’s carrying a paper bag from a deli one block over and wearinga grey coat that fits him perfectly. When he sees me, he freezes and his eyebrows shoot up.
“You have a baby,” he says.
“I do not have a baby,” I say.
He tilts his head at my chest. “That is a baby.”
“This is Adriano. He’s my little nephew.” I gesture toward Giovanna at the window, who gives a small wave. “I’m just the favorite auntie.”
Something softens in his expression. “Right,” he says, continuing toward me and surveying the room, taking it all in. “This place is something, Sophia.”
“It’s almost ready.”
“Almost.” He sets the paper bag on the nearest table and reaches into his coat pocket, producing an envelope. “I came to show you these: signed copies of the supplier agreement for your friend, Carmela. There are already seven restaurants in addition to yours and four hotels who want her couture linens, and if she wants, she can supply our catering division as well.”
I take the envelope, press it to my chest. “Gavin. She’s going to lose her mind.”
“She’s talented,” he says simply. “It was an easy decision. Especially if it means you stop asking to break our contract, and I can see you regularly.”
I can feel the girls exchange a look then settle their amused gazes on me. I hand Adriano to Olivia and pull the papers from theenvelope. Gavin waits, unhurried, hands in his coat pockets.
“And our updated linen agreement?” I ask.
He pulls the back pages from the sheaf of papers in my hands and lays them on top. ”Whenever you’re ready.”
I sign where I need to and hand them back to him.
He tucks the paper in his coat pocket then looks at me for a moment. “Can I ask you something?”
“You can.” I’m suddenly nervous. I haven’t talked to him since Vin cut in on us on New Year’s Eve.
“At the party.” He says it carefully, watching my face. “You went with Vin, but later, he was around and you weren’t. Is everything okay?”
The question is gentle, without accusation or irritation.
“I had a little too much to drink,” I say. “Called it early. Nothing dramatic.”
He nods like he doesn’t entirely believe me but lets it go, which I appreciate more than I can say.
