Page 75 of Reeling in Love

This woman is impossible. I don’t like her right now, not even a bit. But I can see in her eyes that she knows she’s lost, and she’s trying to pick at twigs to keep her from drowning. But I will not give her any.

I pick up another piece of bread, apply a generous amount of butter to it, and relax against the backrest of the couch.

“All the money in your bank account and whatever worldly possessions you own are nothing in front of what Gabriel means to me. Only death can part us, and even then, I’m sure I’ll remain in his memory and thoughts just as he will in mine. We will always stand by each other, whether you or others like you, like it or not. People like you can’t even begin to fathom what our friendship means to us.” I lock eyes with her, a tiny smile on my lips. “So, respectfully, ma’am, please, just fuck off.”

She’s as astonished by my speech as is Gabs, and to some extent even me. I didn’t intend to say this, but I realize how true it is.

She turns to Gabs, almost pleading now. “Don’t you care for your mother? Do you care for this impudent, uncultured woman more than your own family? If you don’t marry Sophia, your money, your mother’s money, will go to others. Do you want that?”

“I don’t care for money. We were happy before we had it. In fact, I think we were happier. I don’t use a dime of that money except for the condo, which is the one thing Mom bought with that money. I can easily do without it. I earn enough as it is. If on Monday, your company decides they don’t need me, I’m sure I can get another job. So don’t you worry about me, Mamie. And from what I understand, my share will go to you and my aunt. So why do you even bother?”

“Because your aunt has no sense. She wants to sell the shares. She doesn’t want to be in the business. I can’t have other people owning part of the business your granddad built. I can’t see it, not till I’m alive.”

She seems broken as she slumps on the couch, a defeated woman. I almost feel sorry for her. Poor thing.

Chapter 32

Gabriel: #ToTrustOrNotToTrust

Mamie’s slumped on the chair and I can’t help but feel a little sorry for her. Meanwhile, Nora is sitting on the couch, still eating like nothing’s happened. It blows my mind how calm she is, even in a situation like this. And when she responded to Mamie’s rude comments so gracefully, it filled me with so much love and gratitude. I wanted nothing more than to give her a big hug right then and there.

“Look, ma’am,” Nora says, picking up a brioche. “Isn’t there a loophole you can exploit to keep the business within the family? One that doesn’t involve Gabs marrying someone he doesn’t want to. I mean, I believe that’s your concern, right? Keeping the business.”

“You think I’d have stooped to this level if there was another option? Risking my grandson’s reputation?” Her head is still lowered, her forehead wrinkled. Suddenly, she doesn’t seem so intimidating anymore.

I take a seat on the chair opposite her and hold her hands in mine. “Mamie, I’m not doing this to hurt you or Mom or the business. But don’t you think it’s unfair if I don’t have a say in who I want to marry? Did you marry Granddad without your will? Do you think you could’ve been happy together if you didn’t love each other? Do you think he could have built such a successful business if he wasn’t so happy at home?”

She bites her lip. I guess I struck a raw nerve. I know she and Granddad were high school sweethearts. Mom has told that story many times over in her rants. They studied in the same school, lived on the same street, and had no other relationship ever in their lives. Mom never understood why they didn’t support her choice in marriage when they believed so much in love. Perhaps time changes people. Or maybe it’s wealth that does it.

She lets out a sigh. “I know. It’s not that I don’t understand, but sometimes you have to be practical. It’s not that you love anyone, Gabriel. You’ve never even had a steady girlfriend. So how does it matter to you? As for Sophia, that girl is all business. As long as you’re discreet, she won’t even bother if you have other affairs. So you can carry on with your lifestyle and still have the family business. At least that’s what I thought when I agreed to Daphne’s plan.”

She picks up her phone and tinkers with it for a moment. “Here, I deleted the file. So nothing’s going to that man. I don’t like him in any case. He’s too nosy.”

“I know right,” Nora pips in. “He’s the worst. He’ll ask you innocuous questions, and next week you’ll find them on the internet, all spiced up. That’s how he works. I hope you didn’t tell him anything.”

Grandma looks at Nora, and a faint smile comes to her lips. “I didn’t. I actually played his own game against him. You’ll find that most people are quite forthcoming in front of old, motherly women. I found out he has some gambling problems and needs some money to pay off his debts. You can use the information to bring him down if you like.”

Wow! This lady is cunning. I make a mental note to be careful around her and also this new information about TruthSeekerBob. Who knows when it may come in handy?

“Aw. Poor thing. Perhaps that’s why he’s always trying to get other people down. Thanks for the info, but no, I don’t play by his rules,” Nora answers.

At that same moment, I feel ashamed of my thinking. Ready to bring this man down using information gleaned from someone. Perhaps intrinsically, I’m no different from Mamie or Mom. Maybe that’s how I am—willing to stoop to new lows to get what I want.

“I’ve noticed,” Mamie says. “Despite what I said earlier, I respect you, Nora. I like your views and your way of thinking. Your sister’s not so much. I also know that Gabriel’s online popularity is partly because of you.” She lets out a sigh. “Look, I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t even want to talk to Gerard Dumas or get your friend’s ex-colleague involved in this. I hated it, but this business is dear to me. More dear than anything else.”

“You did what?” I almost yell. “You involved Neil, Eva’s ex-colleague into this? Jesus! That’s why he wants to discuss investments in our family business with me. And what did you tell Gerard Dumas?”

She drops her eyes, unable to meet my gaze. “I told him to tell you what he did. He knows, as well as I do, that you weren’t a liability for that startup. But that was the only way to make you exit it. Daphne had been trying for so many years to get you to work for the Bardot business, but you didn’t want to. You left us with no other choice.”

Wow! What did I do to deserve a family like this? I really hope I’m not like them.

“There’s always a choice,” Nora mutters.

I can feel the tension in my forehead, and I glower at Mamie. I still don’t believe it. For a minute, I fix my gaze on her slumped frame before I find my voice.

“So you’re saying that by getting someone to insult me in front of my colleagues and friends you were only looking out for me?”

She has the nerve to nod and ignore the sarcasm that went with that statement.

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