On our fifth day, we were on the deck as the kids swam in the pool, sunbathing while the men drank and talked about sports and finance. Work, of course, had slipped in, unable to stay away for too long.
“I honestly feel like Italian,” Jessie spoke, peering over her Cosmo magazine as she sunbathed on a lounge chair. I knew she was looking at me, but I didn’t say anything. “Yeah, I seriously want to eat that for dinner.”
I kept quiet as I braided Lila’s hair, probably pulling too roughly as her head tilted back with a jerk. “Ouch, that hurt.”
Whispering, “Sorry, baby,” I leant forward; kissing her soft locks then went back to doing her hair.
It had been a long day. After the other morning with arguing and the kids fighting, I was exhausted, and lying around, doing nothing was so different for me. Brody was only in a pair of board shorts and looking edible as he tilted his head back and swigged on a beer. Oh, God, he was really driving me wild lately. I struggled to keep my hand off of his strong body, those biceps and hard stomach.
“Do they serve that on the menu?” Loraine asked Jessie. “Or is it in the restaurant?”
Rose, rolling onto her back, looked towards me just as Lila ran off and jumped into the pool. “I think it’s your turn to cook, anyway.”
I had no problem with cooking. It’s the way she said it as if I was just here doing nothing. Loraine waved her hand through the air, brushing Rose off. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. Gabby cooked all week long. I would never ask her to serve dinner for everyone.”
“She doesn’t work. She has the time to plan out dinner recipes all day long, anyway,” Rose interjected. “I know she loves cooking. The kids would love spaghetti bolognese.”
Ouch. Did they really think all I did each day were sit on my ass and look up recipes? They were having a conversation about me while I was still here, yet they couldn’t even ask if I minded. Maybe I didn’t want to cook. It’s not like I threw dinner party’s each week for dozens of people.
“She makes Italian food for Brody all the time, though. It’s not fair,” Jessie pouted. “I am really craving Cannoli and fresh bread.”
“Oh, don’t forget tiramisu…” Rose sat up, pulling the strapless top of her black one piece. “Wait, let’s get a pen and paper and see what the men want. That’ll be easy for you to go and shop.”
Loraine offered me a soft smile which I returned. I lay down further on my back and pulled the shades over my eyes. Turning my head so I was able to keep an eye on the children swimming, I let the silent tears roll down my cheek while the others all went on saying what they wanted to eat. Everyone said something different like it was going to be a piece of cake to make eight main dishes and three others for the children. I should have spoken up instead of biting my cheeks, but I was too polite to make a scene and carry on about cooking for the people who paid for us to be here.
I was only in a sundress so I didn’t need to change into anything as I sat in the kitchen going over the list of dishes. It ranged from Steak Florentine to Bruschetta to Risotto and then Roasted pears with prosciutto, not even I cooked half of this at home. Did they just think because I was Italian that I knew how to cook everything?
I know the old school recipes, ones handed down from generation to generation, not goddamn Veal saltimbocca. I, however, did smile when I read someone’s choice as spaghetti and meatballs. Brody really made it easy to cook for. Serve him that with fresh garlic bread, and he’d think it was the best damn dinner he’s ever eaten.
The sliding door opened, and the devil himself walked in. “What’s going on?”
“You know, about to go shopping,” I couldn’t help myself when I gave an eye roll.
“Oh yeah, you want some help ordering it?” he asked, going over the list and letting out a low whistle. “Geez, I don’t even know what half of this is. You won’t be able to carry this back, get them to drop it up here once they’ve cooked it.”
He had no clue. It was a cure. “Darling, who do you think is making all of this?”
His blue eyes widened and narrowed with annoyance. “You’re not cooking for anyone, Gabriella.” Snatching the piece of paper, he scanned his eyes over the list, reading. Then he scrunched up the list and tossed it into the sink. “You’re not fucking cooking anything like this. You’re on holiday.”
“And I’m the only one who doesn’t earn any money! I don’t get to have a say. I’m basically freeloading you,” I blurted in a huff. “How can I refuse to do this when all of you work, and I just...” stay home and look after the children? I take care of the house, but that was never made important or considered a job.
Brody looked as if I had slapped him across the face. “Freeloading? Is that what you think you are?” Shaking his head, he walked to the door and stepped outside. With his back to me and body facing his sister and Rose, “Who told Gabby that she was cooking tonight?”
There was silence.
“Don’t make me ask again. I know it was either you two.” He shook his head and scoffed. “You’re all going to buy your own dinner. I’m taking my wife out, and I won’t have you telling her she had to cook all that ridiculous food just because she isn’t working. It would have taken her all day.”
“What are you talking about? We’re ordering dinner.” Fred frowned, looking over at the girls. “Aren’t we?”
“No, dad. Just because my wife is Italian doesn’t mean she’s catering for everyone.” Brody walked back inside and closed the sliding door before his sister and Rose ran in.
I hated this. I got up to leave. The door opened again, and Rose spoke, “Gabriella, if you didn’t want to cook, then you could have said something rather than tattle tailing.”
“Rose,” Jessie said quietly. “I don’t think you should—”
She did choose not to listen. “I am so sick of this. I can’t sit around and listen to you all praise her for doing nothing. She doesn’t work. She just stays home and drowns herself in a packet of chips and tub of salsa,” Rose pointed towards me. “We all know Brody is too good for you. You’re taking advantage of him. You’re just a stuck-up bitch who fucks everyone who opens their wallets for you. You stay home, don’t work, what do you do when the kids are at school? Nothing! You don’t have to do anything.” There was no stopping her. The wine had gone to her head, and she was unleashing hell onto me as my husband stood there saying nothing. Jessie was backing away as Rose kept going, “No wonder you’re divorcing her. You can do better.”
Brody’s jaw hardened, frowning with a deep glare. He remained silent. I shot him a look. “Thanks for the support!” I hissed and pushed a finger into Rose’s chest. “You think all I do is sit on my fat ass all day?” I asked, not caring who the hell heard me. I was so done with all of this every damn day. “We don’t hire a maid or a cleaner or whatever the hell it’s called. I am that person. I don’t go out because I don’t have the time between cleaning, cooking and taking care of our children. I have an hour to myself at most each day. I’m up at six and ironing suits, then getting the kids ready for school. I take them to school. I come home, and I clean. I don’t spend all day searching recipes. The food is sorted a week beforehand when I do groceries. Just because I am not working doesn’t mean I don’t have a job.”
“You’re not leaving for work. How dare you judge me for bringing a paycheck home?” She pushed me back, and I was ready to unleash hell even more.
“Puttana!” I spat angrily at her.
Brody laughed so loud, and Scott glared at him. He tried covering it up with a cough, not expecting me to call her a whore.
“What did you just say to me?” she shrieked. “She said something horrible! Look that word up.”
Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. “Just so you know, I am not useless and lazy just because I am a stay at home mother. I’m many things, and none is lazy!”
“Like what?” She just couldn’t leave it alone, could she? “You have it easy. Admit it!”
My temper was reaching b
oiling point. I was so angry and pissed that Scott was allowing her to speak to me this way. She was walking around as if she were the Queen Almighty.
“Gabby, come on,” Brody reached out, taking my hand, but I shrugged him off. “She’s not worth it.”
By now, I was so mad that I could no longer give a shit about them. They were never going to get it. They all worked. Their daughter was in childcare, and just because Brody worked didn’t make him superior to me. We were equals.
“I’ll tell you what I am,” I smiled. “I’m a CEO of the household. I have Masters and PhD in patience. I am also a family law enforcer. I’m a dolly doctor and a hairstylist who specialises in pigtails and wiggly clients. I’m in the search and rescue for small plastic pieces, not forgetting that I am also a fast food chef. I work in the department of make-believe, often digging around underneath beds as we go searing for lost treasure. Also, I am a sleep scientist. I do mostly work night shifts, though. What else?” I tapped my chin pretending to think. “Oh yes, I am a personal chauffeur, expert driver and birthday party planner. My favourite is tantrum and toy hostage negotiator. Oh, and lastly, I’m the mother fucking chief monster hunter!”
By now, everyone was holding their breaths as I let loose on this woman. How dare she speak to me in such a way? Brody was the first to crack, followed his parents and Leon as they burst into a heavy fit of laughter. Rose stood, cheeks flaming red with the embarrassment of just getting her ass owned and handed to her on a silver platter.
“Mama said a bad word,” Noah’s voice giggled behind me.
I smiled down at him, and my bad mood was suddenly gone. “Yes, I did baby. Come on, let’s go for a swim.” I also aimed that towards Rose as she had told the kids to not get Tulip’s hair wet.
Turning around, I heard Brody speaking to his brother as I took the kids and began to walk away. “Your wife needs to leave, or both of you go stay elsewhere.”
We all made our way down the trail, and I sighed when I felt his hand on the small of my back. “I told mum not to bother us. We’ll spend the day together, just the four of us. I’ll take the kids out on jet skis or something,” he said, pulling me close and kissing the top of my head.
I smiled, slipping my arm around his waist. “I’m glad that even though things were bad with us, our children turned out the way they are.”
“Me too,” he smiled back. “We have you to thank for that, though. You’re a great mother, Gabby, and I honestly can’t wait to have more with you.”
“More?” I asked, unable to hide my surprise as I cocked my head back, looking up at him. I brought him to a stop and wrapped my arms tighter around his back, bringing him in close. “I thought you were teasing about babies.”
Just when we were about to begin kissing, there were little groaning noises. “Eww, girl germs!” Noah said.
Lila began to sing, skipping ahead. “Mama and daddy, kissing in a tree…”
“Lila,” Brody laughed. “We’re not in a tree.”
“Dad, you don’t play pretend!” she whined, which made me laugh.
Brody just smiled. With a laugh, he pecked my nose. “All right, we’ll work on more when they aren’t around. Let’s go for a swim, and you’re getting in too.” He did not answer my questions but obviously decided for me.
Sitting on the bottom step of our pool, Lila and I watched as the two boys swam around and tried doing handstands in the water. She moved around and wrapped her small arms around my neck as I swam out into the water with her clinging to me.
We spent most the day in the pool or down on the beach, lazing around in the sun and having a blast with the four of us. Brody and I were acting as if we were teenagers again, enjoying the moments and not taking anything too seriously. It was really feeling easy to slip back to how things were before. There were still those little nerves and flutters in the tummy whenever I caught him looking at me.
After the swim, we went for a walk to the putt-putt golf, and I sucked badly, losing. The boys won.
We decided to have something to eat in the café there. We were hungry. They got a plate of fish and chips, and Brody and I shared a bowl of hot chips, only because my husband was serious about taking me out for dinner later tonight.
“What do I wear?” I asked, looking through the suitcase for anything remotely nice.
“Something easy to take off,” he replied and began talking to someone else. “What are you doing here?”
“I feel awful,” Jessie said quietly. “I never meant to hurt Gabby’s feelings. I came to apologise to her.”
“It’s fine,” I said, not knowing what else to say.
“No, it's not,” she said with a sigh. “We’re sisters, and I don’t ever want you to hate me like you do Rose. Seeing her taking things that far, it was a slap in the face. I am really sorry. Leon even came under me for how I’ve been acting.”
If Leon brought things up to her, then I guess she really was sorry. “Thank you.” It meant a lot that she was able to apologise to me. It was big of her to do so.
Leon then stepped inside and handed Brody a beer. “Let’s sit out there while these two girls talk,” he chuckled.
I realised this was a set up to get Brody out of the room. “What’s going on?” I asked after Brody was out of sight.
She began pushing me towards the bathroom. “Now, Brody is taking you out for dinner. I guess you need something to wear, and I have the perfect outfit for you.” Holding up a bag and a pair of heels, she winked. “Let’s make my brother jealous with how gorgeous you’re going to look. He won’t like any other man staring at you, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen tonight!”
“I can’t do that,” I said staring at myself in the mirror. “Your clothes won’t fit me.”
Her hands on my hips from behind, he pulled in my top to bring out the curves. “Of course, you will.” She started as she met my eyes in the mirror. “He needs his ass kicked for flirting around with the office tart, and this is your perfect payback. He’s going to regret the day he ever let that thing sit on his desk, flash her legs and underwear.”
“How do you know that?” I asked, hating that I had almost forgotten about that, and now, my jealousy was back out as an image of the two of them flashed through my mind.
Raising a brow, she smiled. “He told me about it. Now, you’re going to show him that he’s not the only one others look at. You’re going to make him feel the way you did that day. I guarantee he will cut his own balls off before ever doing that again.”
Oh, she was naughty and an evil genius.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
My husband wasn’t impressed.
The entire walk, he barely said two words to me, and it was because of the dress I had on. His hand was on mine and tugged me in the direction we were heading. We were almost the same height now that I was wearing a pair of black heels that looked like they could poke holes through someone’s foot if I stepped on them accidentally.
The dress was a shock to fit into. Jessie had picked out a winner, and I was to go out embarrassed at first. I begged her to choose something a little less revealing, but she insisted that this was the one. It was just covering my ass.
When Brody had taken one look, his eyes widened, and he told me to take it off.
Hence, he was ignoring me and in a shitty mood. I didn’t take it off.
“I’ll go get us a table,” he muttered and began walking off.
Leaving me alone in the bar, I was ready to turn around and walk out. Was it that hard for him to take me out on a date and make me feel sexy for once? He was in a navy suit, looking absolutely gorgeous. I wanted to feel worthy enough to stand by his side. Did he not see that all I wanted was to fit in and be like the women he worked with every day?
I wanted to dress up. I can’t even remember the last time that I was able to wear heels, to wear a dress above my thighs or even have my hair curled. It was all so new, and I felt young and happy. Him angry wasn’t helping my confidence.
Deciding that I no longer wanted to be standing around like a fool. I walked towards the bar and took a seat on a stool. Ordering a drink, I felt a presence behind me and assumed it was Brody. Until he sat beside me, I realised it wasn’t my husband at all.
“If you were my wife, I wouldn’t have left you alone for a second,” the man, looking in his mid-forties, smiled. I couldn’t say he was hideous. He was very handsome. He also wasn’t Brody; therefore, I wasn’t even remotely attracted to him.
“Is that some pickup line to see if I’m married?” I asked, a smile appearing as I took my drink from the bartender. “Because, I am.”
The man smiled again and laughed. “I figured you would be. Can’t be too sure.”
“Can’t be too sure about what?” Brody’s smooth voice entered our conversation as he placed his arm possessively around my waist. The grip was hard and hurting.
Smiling or trying to keep my smile, I answered, “Just that I am married.”
“Of course, you’re married. I’d be a fool to not marry you,” Brody replied, a look of annoyance in his eyes.
The gentleman beside me grinned. “Lucky man,” he then stood up and walked away. “Have a lovely evening.”
If I thought Brody’s mood couldn’t get any worse, I was wrong. Pissed was an understatement. He said not another word as we walked out onto the terrace that overlooked the gorgeous Hamilton Island water. It was stunning tonight.
“Why are you in such a bad mood?” I asked him with a sigh after our main course was brought.
He looked up and shrugged. “I’m not.”
“Brody, that’s a blatant lie. You’re pissed off. You have been since I came out in this dress,” I accused quietly.
Forgotten Sweethearts: A Romance Novel Page 17