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“I don’t have secrets,” I said.
“Perfect, so you won’t mind if I ask him about them,” she said.
I sighed. Wallace climbed into the front and started driving.
“So, Wallace,” Layana said, “I’m dying to hear Gabriel’s childhood nickname. I bet it’s something like Smolder, for the look he’s doing right now.”
I was notsmoldering.
“Actually, I used to call him Gremlin,” Wallace said.
I should never have allowed Wallace to drive us. I should have driven myself.
“He’d spend all day running around in the woods, come home covered head-to-toe in dirt, and snatch fruit from the bowl when he thought no one was looking. He’d shove it in his pants and go hide in his room, snack away before his mother could make him wash or tell him not to eat or he’d ruin his dinner.”
Layana stared at me, mouth in anoshape, eyes dancing with delight. To Wallace, she said, “You’ve known Gabriel his whole life, then?”
It would have been an adorable expression under any other circumstances.
Wallace said, “Since the doctor pulled him out and smacked his baby bottom.”
“That will be all.” I pressed the button to lift the separator between front and back seats.
“You’re a blast, Wallace,” Layana rushed to say as the separator rose upward. “I have to know more. We’ll wait for him to fall asleep, then we can dish.”
Wallace let out a hearty laugh.
My head throbbed.
Finally, the two of us were alone, but I could feel the buzz of Layana’s excitement in the air.
“So should I greet you every morning as Gremlin from now on?”
“Please don’t.”
“Who gave you the name? One of your parents?”
“Wallace did.”
“And he was your driver even then? You’ve had hired help your whole life. And this interior styling is…a lot. Why haven’t I seen a chef or maid or someone at your house? Why is this all so opposite of everything I know about you?”
“He wasn’t our driver. We didn’t have money when I was a child.”
She blinked at me, her brows slowly coming together.
“He’s my uncle.”
Again, her mouth formed into ano.
“So as an adult, after you made a bazillion dollars, you hired your uncle as your driver.” It didn’t sound like a question.
“It’s my dream job,” Wallace said.
I realized then that the window wasn’t closed all the way. An inch of space remained.
“Well,” he continued, “race car driver’s my dream job, but this is as close as I can get. Especially after I was discharged from the service. My only wish is Gremlin would call me to duty more often. I pride myself in all the design details. Push that button to your left, ma’am.”
“Here?” Layana pushed the button.
