“So, how are you going to change that?” Rina asks.
“How am I supposed to change it when it’s the one thing she’s asked of me? And hell, who can blame her after what happened to her at her old job?” Willow and Lennox look at me curiously, and I realize my fuck-up. It seems Ainsley told Rina a little about her job, so at least she understands a little more.
“I can’t tell you about that. Shit, it’s not my story to tell.” I bury my head in my hands. “I’m really fucking this up.”
“You are not fucking this up, Ledger Dean Hutton. You are the sweetest, most caring man, and she’s lucky to have you being so damn thoughtful,” Willow says with major conviction.
“Do you want to talk about how things are going? Leave out all the extra personal stuff?” Lennox asks with his mouth half full.
Gross.
“Things are going well. Vegas really changed our whole dynamic. It felt like we both were a little freer than we usually are here. It was easier.”God, it was easier.“We just had a blast. It’s been fun since we’ve been back, but…”
“Oh shit, you love her,” Rina whispers.
“I’m not letting you be the first one I say that to,” I say without thinking. It’s then I realize I essentially said yes, but the first person I say those words to will be Ainsley. When she’s ready.If she’s ever ready. Fuck, my head is a mess.
“Aww, big bro,” Willow swoons.
“Okay, get it out.” The girls talk a little more before I clear my throat.
“We need to go around the table.”
“Shit, totally forgot. I’ll go first,” Rina says. “My favorite part of the week was finally getting that huge-ass cabinet out of my workshop.”
“No shit? You finally sold it?” That thing was massive and had been sitting in her store for almost a year.
“I did indeed, to a lovely widower who will apparently be keeping her dead husband’s clothes in it.”
“Oh! Let me write that down. That would be good for a story.” Willow pulls out her phone and types up some notes.
I chuckle at the two of them.
“Okay, I’ll go next,” Willow says. “My favorite part of the week is finishing this damn story!”
“No shit? You finished it?” I ask.
“Fucking finally. This one took, like, three times as long as it normally does. But whatever. It’s done and in the hands of my editor.” She claps her hands together excitedly. “Proud of you, Will,” I say. And I really am. It’s incredible to me that she writes the stories she does.
“I’ll go next. I think my favorite part of the week was taking Ainsley out on a proper date.” I figure since they all know, I’m safe to at least talk about it.
“Was the Italian place not the best ever?” Rina asks.
“So fucking good. Maybe we should have family dinner there sometime,” I muse.
Silverware clatters to the table.
“No,” all three of them say.
“Okaayyy…”
“Family dinner means we cook for each other. It’s just how it is,” Willow says.
“That’s fine. Just throwing out the option that I promise I will never do again.”
Willow and Rina nod their heads, and I almost laugh. I never knew we relegated family dinner to only cooking for each other. I love it, but now I know not to mess with the tradition at all.
“Okay, my favorite part of the week is seeing Ledger, our fearless leader, finally take steps to being happy.” The seriousness in Lennox’s tone and on his face stops me in my tracks.
