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His gaze intensifies as he adds, "Vanessa has been full of your praises. I think she's onto something. Which is why I want to talk about my son." He sits, straightening his jacket. "And how we can help you two stop getting in your own way."
Chapter Twenty-Eight
LACEY
"Wait a sec. So, Gerald Sullivan—the ‘Great and Powerful Oz'—wanted to chat with you because of that? And he got the Tin Woman to do his dirty work?" Talia's eyes widen in disbelief as she swirls her wine, making my cramped kitchen in my studio apartment feel almost elegant.
Ayo leans in. "All this... just to talk about you and his son?"
Ah, the charm of my modest place—nothing complements "Oh My God" stew like a side of drama.
I stir the sancocho, its rich scent a welcome distraction from their probing. "Turns out, Vanessa isn't the Tin Woman. She has a heart," I chuckle, "small as it may be."
Ayo waves dismissively. "But why's Aidan's dad nosing into your love life?"
"He didn't exactly say he 'cares'...more like he's 'concerned.' He confessed he even bought stake in the Storm’s rivals to get Aidan’s attention, to try to rebuild a relationship with his son. Vanessa's been feeding him updates on Aidan, and now he thinks helping Aidan’s relationship with me might be the cure. Offered to 'mediate,' if you can believe it."
Ayo's eyebrow arches. "Mediate? What is this, a hostage situation?"
Talia gives me that therapist-in-training look. "How do you feel about it, Lacey? This idea that you and Aidan need outside intervention?"
I lean on the counter, feeling the kitchen's warmth and the cold reality of my situation. "It's complicated. Part of me thinks it's sweet, in a strange way. Another part screams it's a cosmic trap testing my sanity."
The beef sancocho bubbles away, its hearty aroma a temporary escape from the tangled web of my feelings, much like the emotional stew I'm trying to navigate.
As I keep stirring, Ayo and Talia circle like sharks, zeroing in on my uncertainty. "So, what's your next move? After cutting Aidan off?" Ayo asks, her wine glass raised.
I grab my wine, avoiding the pot's indifferent bubble. "I didn't 'cut him off,' Ayo. I just..."
"Dumped him?"
"Dropped him like a bad habit?" Talia jumps in.
Ayo's glass soars. "Put it on him and left him in the dust?"
I sigh, cornered into confessing. "Fine, I broke up with him. Happy now?"
"Thrilled," Talia smirks.
"Shouldn't you be my cheerleaders? Why the glee over my misery?"
Talia leans in. "So, you admit you're hurting? Because you're not really showing it, Lace."
I take a deep breath. "I'm trying to move on, alright? Hard to do with you two bringing him up."
Ayo backs off with a peace gesture. "Got it. But really, what's your plan?"
I sip my wine, resigned. "The plan is... there is no plan. Just me, focusing on my career for now."
“Oh, going independent woman on us," Ayo says, eyebrows raised.
But Talia gives me that look, like I'm under the microscope. "And what career is that, Lace? Back to law? Doing what your mom wants?"
I evade her gaze. "I don't know yet. Maybe fashion. Or the law again. Maybe travel. I’ll see what happens."
Talia frowns. "Lacey, honey, you're doing it again."
I clutch my wine tighter. "Doing what?"
