Page 79 of Born to Make You Smile

I chuckled. Mackenzie despised any white mayo-like sauces on her food for as long as I could remember.

“Not to worry, darling. We’ll get yours without,” Gavin assured.

“Ooh. I think I want a lobster roll,” Charlotte said as she studied the menu. That sounded delicious.

“Me too,” I said, then brushed my arm against hers. “We’re such twinsies today.” The two of us wore similar off-white parkas with faux fur hoods although I’d imagine hers was filled with real down. Mine was synthetic and definitely a knock-off version.

After we ordered and sat down to eat, I overheard Mackenzie and Charlotte discussing holiday plans.

“Grace, are you coming for Christmas this year?” Mackenzie asked with wide eyes. “We’re going to our uncle Jared’s house.”

I tilted my head, unsure, then glanced at Gavin, who appeared uncomfortable, shifting and touching his hair. “Oh, um, I usually spend Christmas Day with my friend Dorina’s family, but I could come by after.”

“Yeah! Come, come!” Mackenzie cheered.

“We don’t eat until like, eight,” Charlotte added. “My auntie Teresa makes roast beef, and it takes all day to cook. It’s so good, though.”

Gavin ran a hand over his chin with a pinched expression. “Um, girls, you know, we shouldn’t be extending invitations to other people’s houses without their permission. Besides, it sounds like Grace has plans. But she is certainly welcome to come over to our place on Christmas Eve. How does that sound?”

Gavin nodded to the girls, then glanced at me with a smile.

While Charlotte and Mackenzie were busy talking and giggling to one another, Gavin leaned in close to whisper in my ear, “Look. I think it best if we do our own thing this year. You know, not be around family and raise questions.”

“Agreed.” I nodded, hiding any traces of my disappointment. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting. Gavin to suddenly decide to throw caution to the wind, to come out and make our relationship public. Shout it from the rooftops. It was a silly fantasy that I quickly brushed away.

We were just about finished eating when a lanky middle-aged man with auburn hair came up to Gavin.

“Brinley. Is that you?” he said excitedly, almost shouting. “It’s been years!”

The two men had a chat, and from what I gathered, they had gone to dental school at UofT together. At one point, after a brief discussion of the man’s divorce and Judy’s passing, the man looked over at me and the girls with a smile. “You have three daughters. Wow, amazing.”

My body shriveled with embarrassment. Charlotte and I, with our matching jackets, definitely didn’t help the situation.

“Actually, these two are my daughters, Charlotte and Mackenzie,” Gavin corrected, motioning to the girls. “This is my dental assistant, Grace. Grace, this is Dr. Peter Fanning. We went to dental school together.”

“Hello.” I forced a polite smile, willing the man to continue on his way. Instead, he sat down with us.

“Nice to meet ya. Wow, Gavin, you got one hell of an assistant, working on weekends!” He let out a cartoonish cackle.

Oh God…I wanted to hide and climb under the table. Maybe I could scramble away within the crowd and disappear.

“Well…” Gavin tilted his head, then scratched his temple. “She also helps out with the girls.”

“Oh, she’s a nanny too? Nice. Very nice. I don’t even want to know what you’re paying her.”

He nudged Gavin, who remained stiff, smiling politely.

My body burned so hot I thought it would combust. I’d never felt so low, so mortified in my entire life. I wondered, would Gavin ever be proud of dating me? Or would he hide me away and refer to me as his assistant who helped with his girls for the rest of our lives? In any case, it was probably best that Pete didn’t know the depths of our relationship. I could only imagine what inappropriate mutterings he’d have in store.

“All right, Pete, it was very nice to see you again,” Gavin said, his voice strained in an attempt to get Pete to leave. Thankfully, the man took the hint and got up. “For sure. Here’s my card. Stay in touch, Brinley.”

Pete handed me his business card. He was an endodontist with a practice north of the city in Markham.

Before he left, I overheard Pete speaking to Gavin, his loud whisper audible. “Take care of that assistant. Otherwise, someone might swoop in and steal her away.”

TWENTY-FOUR

A persistent ache swirledin my stomach since that afternoon at the market. A sinking feeling that I’d never be enough for Gavin. I’d always be this forbidden fruit, a guilty pleasure for him. Like a kink, hidden away from the outside world, for fear of judgment. Then that asshat Pete. Wasn’t he the curdled cream atop a moldy turnip cake?

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