Page 11 of The Greatest Gift

On the third floor, Mrs. Stathis is waiting for me. She’s tall and imposing, with an air of authority that commands attention. She shakes my hand firmly and smiles—a polite smile that shows off true beauty. She’s old enough to be my mother but her shine hasn’t dulled one bit.

“Mr. Hawthorne,” she states. “Thank you for coming. Let me show you the space.”

I nod, following her down the corridor. She talks about the company, the importance of this project, but her words blur together as I focus on staying composed. My mind is still spinning from the call with Ava.

Mrs. Stathis leads me into a large, open room with high ceilings and plenty of natural light. “This is the space we’re considering for the lab,” she explains. “We’ll need your expertise to determine if it’s suitable for the type of construction we have in mind.”

I nod, already scanning the room, my mind shifting into work mode. This part, at least, I know how to handle. Before I can respond, she turns toward someone entering the room.

“Ah, Athena, there you are,” she says. “This is Mr. Hawthorne from Hanson Contracting. He’ll be assessing the space. Mr. Hawthorne—”

“Nakul, please,” I offer, embarrassed.

Mrs. Stathis just smiles. “Of course. Nakul, this is my daughter Athena who will be helping you with what the vision is. My other daughter, Jessica, will be around as well.”

Athena strides in confidently and shakes my hand firmly, her gaze sharp and evaluating. It’s easy to see where she got her looks, embodying that bold look that I assume is a Stathis trait. Even Judd embodies some of that spark. “Pleasure to meet you,” she says. “I’ll be overseeing the project on our end. The lab needs to meet specific requirements and we’ll rely on your expertise to guide us. Let me walk you through the details.”

She dives into the technical aspects, not wasting any time. I nod along, asking questions where needed. I’m just starting to feel like I have a handle on things when the air shifts. It’s subtle—a drop in temperature, a sudden awareness that we’re no longer alone.

I turn and see him. Judd.

He’s standing in the doorway, wide-eyed, his gaze flicking between me, his mother, and Athena. He looks amazing—dressed in a sharp suit that fits him perfectly, his tight curls a little looser than when I last saw him. There’s a confidence about him—the Stathis charm, I assume, but it’s undercut by the surprise on his face.

I step forward and stick out my hand, forcing a neutral expression. “Hi, I’m Nakul from Hanson Contracting. Mrs. Stathis had me look at this place.” I want to make it obvious that I didn’t plan this, that I didn’t worm my way into this company because of him. That it’s part of my job. Hopefully, Judd has heard of Hanson Contracting before in their talks so this isn’t a total surprise.

Judd hesitates for a moment before shaking my hand. “I’m Judd,” he says, an edge to his voice that tells me he’s slowly putting up walls. “I’m the accountant. All purchases will go through me to make sure we stay on budget.”

Athena laughs, glancing between us. “You probably already know Judd,” she says. “You were in school together, right? I was a year or so behind you, Nakul. Small world.” She gives us a knowing smile before excusing herself. “I’ll let you two catch up.”

And just like that, it’s the two of us. The room feels too quiet, the air thick with unspoken questions. Judd crosses his arms, his gaze narrowing. “Why are you really here, Nakul?” he asks. There’s an edge of accusation to his tone but I can’t blame him. “This is the third time in a few days. It’s starting to feel… intentional.”

I shake my head quickly. “I swear, it’s not. Riocen reached out months ago. This job has been in the works for a while. It didn’t click until recently that this wasyourfamily’s company.”

Judd looks at me for a long moment, as if trying to gauge whether I’m telling the truth. He finally sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Mom put out a few bids earlier this year. I remember Hanson being one of the contenders but it’s… weird,” he admits. “Seeing you here. Seeing you at all, honestly. I didn’t think—” He cuts himself off, shaking his head. “Never mind.”

“I get it,” I say quietly. “It’s a lot. If it helps, I’ll keep things professional. This is just a job for me.”

He nods, but the awkwardness lingers. I can’t blame him. After everything that’s happened, after all the tangled history between us, this situation feels like a cosmic joke. But as much as I want to explain myself, to reassure him, I don’t know how to say what I’m feeling. Because even I don’t fully understand it yet.

Judd

I’ve been a mess all week. Not the kind of mess people notice—not the disheveled, falling-apart kind. On the surface, I’ve got it together. I’m still getting my work done, taking care of Stevie, keeping the house clean. But inside? Inside, I’m all over the place. Ever since I ran into Nakul at Riocen Chemicals, something in me has been off.

It’s not just the awkwardness of seeing him there, shaking his hand while my mother and my sister looked on like it was the most normal thing in the world. It’s not just the weird coincidence of bumping into him three times in a week after years of not seeing him once. No, it’s something deeper than that.

Something I don’t even want to admit to myself.

I catch myself thinking about him too much. Not just in passing, not just in the way you think about someone you ran into at work.

It’s different.

He’s in my head when I’m making Stevie’s lunch, when I’m brushing my teeth, when I’m going over reports. I keep replaying the way his hand felt when I shook it, how solid and warm his grip was. The way he looked in that casual jacket and jeans, completely out of place in Riocen’s polished corporate setting but somehow still fitting in.

And it’s not normal. It’s not me. I’ve never thought about a man this way. I’ve neverwantedto. I’ve dated women, loved women, had a daughter with a woman. This—whatever this is—doesn’t make sense.

But here I am, sitting at home with Stevie playing on the floor, staring at my phone like an idiot. The message I sent Nakul is still sitting there, waiting for a reply.

Is the bar okay Friday?

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