Secrets Told

by Allie Everhart

  The night continues until early morning and then I have to catch the train, so by the time I get back to the apartment, it's after three. I get into bed and snuggle up next to Kate, realizing how much I love being home with her so much more than I like going out to bars. I've moved on from that stage in my life. Going out and partying was fun back in college but I'm growing up and finding that nights like tonight just don't excite me like they used to. I'd rather be home watching a movie on the couch with Kate in my arms. She's what excites me now. She also calms me. As I hold her closer, I feel myself relaxing and eventually fall asleep.

  When I wake up, I reach over to find her but she's not in bed. I sit up and find a note on her pillow.

  Had to go to the restaurant. Plumber called. Said he'd fix the sink today instead of Monday. Be back later.

  Checking the clock, I see it's after eleven. Why didn't she wake me up? I would've gone to the restaurant with her.

  I give her a call and before I can say hi, she says, "Hey, I'm heading out to meet my mom. The plumber just left. I gave him a pie, and to thank me, he didn't charge me weekend rates. Isn't that great?"

  "Yeah. Hey, so, why didn't you wake me up?"

  "You got home after three. I wanted to let you sleep."

  "You were awake when I got home? Why didn't you say something?"

  "I was trying to go back to sleep."

  This isn't right. Pretending to be asleep when she's not? That's not Kate, or it didn't used to be. Normally, in the few times I've gotten home late, she'd turn to me in bed and we'd kiss and sometimes it would lead somewhere or she'd just hug me and fall asleep in my arms. But last night, she kept her back to me and faked being asleep.

  "You're still mad at me," I say.

  "I'm not mad at you," she says unconvincingly.

  "Just so you know, I didn't have fun last night. In fact, I hated it. I was tired and I had to be on all night and talk to people I didn't want to talk to. And I missed you. I thought about you all night."

  "Gavin, I'm not mad. I swear to you, I'm not. Can we talk later? I'm heading out to meet my mom."

  "Already? I thought you were meeting her later this afternoon."

  "I was, but then she called and asked if we could have lunch before we went shopping so I told her yes, which means I have to leave now or I'll be late."

  "What about dinner? Are you two still having dinner together?"

  "Yeah, she made reservations at some new restaurant she wants to try. Why don't you meet us there?"

  I'd rather have dinner alone with Kate, but if I don't meet up with her and her mom, I won't see her all day.

  "Text me the time and place. I'll see you there."

  "Okay. Have a good day."

  "You too."

  Have a good day? We sound like roommates. She didn't even say 'I love you' which we always say before ending a call. I have to get us back on track. I'm not even sure how we got to this place.

  After I shower and have breakfast, I call my mom. "Hey, Mom, what are you up to today?"

  "Gavin, that's not how you greet someone," she scolds.

  I sigh. "Hello, Mother. It's Gavin, your son. How are you doing today?"

  "Fine. And how are you?"

  "Good. Now can I continue?"

  "Go ahead."

  "I was thinking I could take you out for lunch. I haven't seen you for over a week and thought we should catch up."

  "Why the sudden interest in seeing me? You've gone weeks without seeing me and never expressed any concern."

  "Mom, let's not argue about this. Can we go to lunch or not?"

  "I suppose we could, although I already ate. But you could eat and we could chat about whatever it is you want to chat about."

  She knows I heard about last night. She hinted about it just now with the tone she used. It was a tone that implies she's curious what I think about the fact that she was out with Kate's father.

  I have to be careful how I handle this. Sometimes if she knows something bothers me, she'll do it all the more, then make me do something in return to get her to stop whatever it is I don't want her doing. It's manipulative and I hate it but it's just how she is. At least I know when she's doing it and can prepare myself.

  "If you already ate, we can just go for coffee."

  "Don't be silly. I don't want my son going hungry. You'll have lunch and I'll have an iced tea."

  In the past, she would've said martini, not iced tea, and it would've been four not one. I have to say, I'm shocked she's been able to go without a drink for this long. That rehab place must be really good.

  "I'll be there in a half hour," I tell her.

  When I get to the house, she's waiting outside the front door. She never does that. Usually, I have to go in the house and search for her.

  "What are you doing out here?" I ask as I get out and open the car door for her.

  She huffs. "Henry drove me out of my own house!"

  "What are you talking about?"

  "He's singing in the foyer and it echoes throughout the entire house. I can't escape it and he won't quit!"

  I try not to laugh. "Why is he singing?"

  "To anger me, of course! I told you, he's trying to drive me out of my house, probably so he can have it all to himself and have one of his whores over."

  "The women he dates are not whores. And I don't think he's seeing anyone right now."

  "It doesn't matter. He's being rude and ungrateful and I want him out of my house immediately."

  "Did you tell him that?"

  "Numerous times, but he doesn't listen."

  I'm surprised she hasn't kicked him out by now. I know he refuses to leave, but if she really wanted him gone, she could get a cop over there and force him out.

  "He won't be there much longer," I say as I get in the car.

  She fastens her seatbelt. "He claims he's staying until the restaurant opens."

  "That's only a few weeks away."

  "A few weeks living with Henry is like a few years."

  I really want to laugh. She usually tries to conceal her anger but my grandfather has her so riled up she can't hide it. I can't believe he was singing. He's a horrible singer so I could see how that could drive her out of the house. It'd drive me out of the house.

  "Where are we going?" she asks, flipping the visor down to shield the sun.

  "Calderra's."

  "The service there is extremely slow. Let's go somewhere else."

  "Are you in a hurry?"

  "I suppose not."

  "Then we're going to Calderra's. I've been craving their roast beef sandwich. You sure you don't want to eat?"

  "I told you, I already had lunch."

  When she used to say that, it meant she had alcohol, not food. I hope she's eating. She looks like she is. She's not as rail thin as she was before. She looks a lot healthier now, although she's still too thin.

  At the restaurant, I wait until I've ordered before bringing up last night.

  "Kate said she saw you at dinner."

  My mom smiles like she's happy this topic came up. She likes to create drama and she knows last night she succeeded in doing that by being seen with Kate's dad.

  "It was a lovely dinner. I had the sea bass, which I normally don't care for, but last night it was exquisitely done. It had a citrus-cream sauce and was served with a side of roasted asparagus. You should tell Kate to include something similar on her menu."

  "She's serving diner food. Sea bass wouldn't be appropriate."

  "What exactly is diner food?"

  "Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Fried chicken. Pie. She has a whole pie menu. She likes making pies." I smile thinking of how excited Kate gets when she talks about the menu. Seeing her that excited makes me happy. She's finally doing what she really wants to do. She's living her dream.

  "You're coming to the opening, right?" I ask, but I know the answer. She'll refuse to come because she doesn't like Kate. Or more likely, she'll come up with some excuse for why she can't be th
ere.

  "Of course I'll come," she says. "I'm looking forward to it."

  I stare at her, wondering if I heard her right.

  "So you'll be there?" I ask, confirming it.

  "Gavin, I just said I would. Did you not hear me?"

  "I heard you. I'm just surprised. I thought you wouldn't agree to it. A diner isn't exactly your scene."

  "I'm going to support your girlfriend."

  "You've never supported her before."

  "Well, I've changed." She lays her napkin on her lap. "I assume she'll be your wife someday so it's not like I can avoid her. And besides, she's growing on me. I'm finding her more tolerable now, perhaps because she makes you so happy."

  "That's great. I really want you two to get along."

  And yet part of me thinks she's only doing this to win over Kate's dad. But why does she care? Is she really interested in him?

  "So you had dinner with Craig last night?"

  "I did." She smiles. "He was wonderful company. He has so many interesting things to say."

  "Like what?"

  She sips her iced tea, then sets it down. "I don't remember specifically. Just overall, I found him to be very interesting."

  "How did you end up having dinner with him?"

  "I had some questions regarding his services."

  "Why do you need his services? You don't have a cheating spouse."

  "It's for a friend of mine." She messes with the napkin in her lap.

  "What friend?"

  "Someone you don't know. She's on one of the committees I'm on. Her husband has been working late and taking last minute trips which she knows aren't for business. She thinks he might be cheating."

  "Why didn't she just talk to Craig herself?"

  "She was worried someone might see her. She doesn't want anyone knowing about this, except me, of course. She only told me because of my connection to Craig via Kate."

  "You could've met at his office."

  "I could have, but I suggested dinner and he agreed to it. I needed to get out of the house. You have no idea what it's like living with Henry. The man is incorrigible."

  "I'm surprised Craig agreed to it. You two don't exactly have a lot in common."

  "We're both single. Attractive. Alone on a Friday night. It made perfect sense that we'd go out."

  "Are you saying last night was a date?"

  A smug grin lights up her face. "I suppose you could call it that."

  That's just great. Kate's going to freak out. She doesn't want them dating and neither do I.

  "Are you going out again?"

  "We don't have any definite plans but I'm sure we'll find time to see each other again."

  My food arrives. I wait for the waiter to leave, then say, "Mom, why are you doing this?"

  "Doing what?"

  "Why are you going after Kate's dad? He's not your type, and you, yourself, said you weren't ready to date."

  "That was months ago. I just needed some time to mourn your father. But now I'm ready to try dating, and I'm open to meeting new people. People from all walks of life. Craig may not be wealthy but neither was your father when I met him and we ended up falling in love."

  She better not fall in love with Craig. I can't imagine those two even liking each other, let alone falling in love.

  "It was one date, Gavin. It's not like I'm marrying him. We're just seeing where this might go. And I'd appreciate it if you'd stay out of it. I don't need you monitoring when I go out and how much time Craig and I spend together."

  "I wasn't monitoring you. I was just asking what was going on last night."

  "And now you know. But from here on out, I suggest you focus on your own affairs. Focus on keeping Kate happy." She smiles. "Keeping a woman happy isn't easy. Your father should've taught you that."

  He didn't. In fact, we never talked about girls. When I had questions, I went to my grandfather, not my dad. But my mom is right. Keeping a woman happy takes work. I feel like I'm failing with Kate, but I'm trying to get things back on track.

  My mom waves the waiter over to refill her iced tea. I can't believe she's going out with Craig, and that he agreed to go out with her. There's no way this will last. It can't. If they ever got married, Kate and I would be siblings and there's no way that's happening.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kate

  "Hey, Dad," I say when he picks up the phone. "What time are we meeting?"

  "I just have to wrap something up and then I'll head over there."

  It's Sunday morning and I need to be preparing for the staff training tomorrow but this couldn't wait. I have to talk to my dad and find out what's going on with him and Celeste. Gavin said his mom didn't tell him much, other than to confirm it was a date. But I don't believe her. There's no way my dad would date Celeste.

  We meet at a coffee shop just down from my apartment. I didn't want to meet him at my restaurant. It's too noisy there with the workers rushing to get everything done.

  "How are you doing, honey?" My dad gives me a quick hug, then we sit down at the table.

  "I'm okay."

  "You look tired."

  "I am. These last few weeks have been crazy trying to get everything ready for the opening."

  It's not just that. I'm also tired because I haven't been sleeping much. I've been lying awake worrying that Gavin and I are growing apart. He's been working so much that it feels like we never talk anymore.

  "Anything I could do to help?" He sets his phone on the table. "I could have Darren take some of my clients."

  Darren is the guy my dad hired when his business took off last year.

  "Thanks for the offer but I have plenty of help. It's just coordinating everything that has to be done before the opening that's making me stressed. But I'm sure it'll all work out. Henry keeps telling me that and I'm actually starting to believe him."

  "You seem to really like Henry."

  I smile. "I do. He's like a grandpa. He's always giving me advice, looking out for me."

  My dad nods. "I wish you could've met your real grandfather. He was a good man."

  My grandpa died before I was born. He was a cop like my dad. He was shot and killed during a gas station robbery. A few months later, his wife died of a heart attack. My dad was in his early twenties at the time. He'd just met my mom. Her parents are also gone. They died in a car crash a few months before she met my dad. I think that's why the two of them bonded so quickly. They were both grieving and helped each other get through that time. They ended up getting married just six months after they met.

  "Kate?" my dad says.

  I look up and see a waitress standing by the table. "What can I get you?"

  "Just coffee. Thanks."

  She walks away. My dad must've already ordered. I didn't even hear him. Guess I spaced out for a moment.

  "Are you okay?" my dad asks.

  "Yeah. I'm just tired." I check my phone and see eight texts from my crew, all questions I need to answer when I get back. There isn't a single text from Gavin. We used to text each other throughout the day but that hasn't happened since he started working for the senator.

  "Is Gavin helping you?"

  I set my phone down and look at my dad. "What do you mean?"

  "With the restaurant. Is he helping you?"

  "He does when he can but lately he hasn't had time. He's been working a lot, getting home late."

  "He has to work late writing proposals? That doesn't seem like something that would be all that urgent."

  I hesitate, not wanting to tell him this. He's not going to like it, but now he can tell I'm hiding something and he'll make us sit here until I tell him.

  "Gavin kind of has a new job," I say, biting my lip.

  "How do you 'kind of' have a new job?"

  "He's only working there a few days a week. The rest of the time he's at his other job."

  My dad sits back and folds his arms over his chest. "Let me guess. He's working for a politician."

  I
sigh. "How'd you know?"

  "He studied political science, worked on his dad's campaign. I figured he'd want to get back into it at some point. Didn't you?"

  "Maybe, but all last year he told me this isn't what he wanted. He said he wanted to be in a job where he could help people and make a difference, not work on a political campaign."

  "That was before his father died. He may see things differently now. Working on a campaign is a connection to his father. He may need to do this as part of his grieving process."

  "So you're okay with this?"

  "That's not what I said. Personally, I'd rather he stay away from politicians and anything related to politics. But I can't make that decision for him and neither can you. If he wants to do this, or needs to, then that's what he's going to do."

  "He knows I don't want him doing it. We had a fight about it."

  "But he's doing it anyway. Did he explain why?"

  The waitress drops off our coffee. I wait for her to leave, then say, "He thinks it'll help him connect with people who could get him a better job. He doesn't like the job he has now. He's bored with it. But I'm worried he's not telling me the truth and that campaign work is really what he wants to do."

  My dad sips his coffee, then sets it down. "Gavin is young. He's still figuring out his life, his career. And on top of all that, he's dealing with the loss of his father. I think you just need to give him time. Once he starts putting in more hours on the campaign, he may find it's not as great as he thought it'd be." He smiles. "It'll take him away from my beautiful daughter and I know he doesn't want that."

  I thought the same thing, and yet, so far, it hasn't seemed to bother him. Gavin doesn't seem to mind being away from me. What if that continues? What if he starts traveling for the campaign and gets so into his job that he doesn't even miss me?

  "Who's he working for?" my dad asks.

  "Senator Falkin from New York. It's his re-election campaign."

  "The election is over a year away. They're already starting?"

  "Yeah. Gavin's already working on the website." I lean toward my dad and lower my voice. "Why aren't you freaking out about this? Knowing what we know about politicians, aren't you worried about Gavin getting involved with Falkin?"