21

21
I was at work religiously the next day and I tried to ignore the weird looks and whispers that I got as I walked in with my dad. When I first started working, I always made sure to stay as far away from him as I could, I didn’t want people to think that I had gotten to where I was because of him. I was grateful for the opportunities that his name gave me but I was also smart enough to know that part of what brought me so far was my own brain.
Dad walked me over to my office door but stopped me from going in. “Is there a reason that they are all staring at you like you kicked their puppy?”
I just shrugged because I didn’t really feel like talking about the issues I was having with Charles. My father was nothing short of overprotective and the last thing I wanted was for him to go ahead and fire Charles or start up something even worse with HR. It was something he could do and unlike Jake, he didn’t take no for an answer where I was concerned.
“I’m sure it is nothing, don’t worry about it,” he didn’t look convinced but I gave him that smile that I knew always worked on him and he sighed.
“Let me know if anything goes wrong, okay? I know I’m a little busy right now but I always have time for you. We are also going to pick up your grandparents from the airport around five.”
“No problem, I just have a few clients to attend to today. I should be done by then.”
He waited until I had walked into my office before leaving. Just as I was about to shut the door, I caught Charles giving me a death glare through the door. I simply rolled my eyes at him and slammed my door shut. He was not worth my time, he never was and if he was going to hold a grudge over simply being rejected then he still had a shit ton to learn.
Because I wasn’t in the office yesterday, the workload was almost multiplied and I wasn’t able to take a lunch break. By the time I was about to stop for lunch, dad walked into my office. I hadn’t realized it had clocked five so fast and he looked so excited that I couldn’t bother to ask him to stop for lunch. I tried to ignore the pang of hunger and simply reminded myself that I would eat at home.
I hadn’t seen my grandparents in years and seeing them again made me feel like a little girl once more. I was now taller than my grandmother but it didn’t stop her from pulling me into a bone crushing hug. Growing up, she had always shown me the love that a mother should. She showered me with gifts and gave me all the boy advice that I needed. When they moved away, I just never knew how to keep in touch. I always felt bad about it but my guilt always stopped me from reaching out.
“Let me look at you,” grandpa smiled as grandma released me. He was very agile for his age, he had a bright smile that I remembered from my childhood when he would put me on his shoulders to pick fruits from the apple tree that grew in his backyard. “You’re all grown up, now, you were holding out on us.”
I couldn’t stop my smile. “I missed you both. How was your flight?”
“Long,” grandma complained, “but they served good food, I think that made up for it. Right now, I just want to curl up in bed and go to sleep. My old bones aren’t made for long hours.”
“I’ll help you put the bags in the back.”
Dad and I loaded the bags and drove them to the house they were currently renting. Dad tried and failed to convince them to stay with us. Grandma was adamant on having her space and not having anyone monitoring her like she was a child. She had always been independent, I suppose that was where I got my streak from. She loved to feel in control of her environment and I could tell that her sickness had taken a toll on her. She wasn’t in control anymore and that could be scary for anyone.
The house they chose was very simple and beautiful. It was a bungalow and it had more space inside than I would have expected. It smelled like coffee and cookies and had a cottage vibe that ran through the entire house. I could see why grandma chose it because it reminded me of their home that I grew up in.
“Hayley, honey, can you help me to the room? I’m sure the men can handle the bags,” grandma called out and I wasted no time in rushing to her side.
I knew she didn’t need my help, she probably just wanted to spend more time with me. As soon as we got into the room, she landed dramatically on the bed. I couldn’t stop my own smile as I took the seat beside her.
“How are you, honey? It’s been a while since we last spoke.”
“I’m good, honestly, work is going great and dad-”
“Don’t you have a life outside of work and your father?”
I knew she didn’t mean to be rude but her words cut deep. It had always been hard for me to make friends. It wasn’t easy being Michael Davis’ daughter. Everyone always wanted things from you. I had people I paraded as friends to the press but in reality, I didn’t have people I could call my own. It stung but it was life and I had gotten used to it.
I opened my mouth to make a sarcastic retort when I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a text from Jake. He was asking if I had dinner yet and I quickly responded saying no. I might have also gone on a mini rant about how much work I had and how I hadn’t eaten lunch either.
“I know that look,” grandma teased making me snap my eyes back to her. “That’s a boy, isn’t it?”
“I wouldn’t exactly call him a boy,” I began and she smacked me with the pillow. “It isn’t what you think, we are just-”
“Fucking?” she asked and my eyes widened to the point of saucers. “Don’t treat me like a child, Hayley, I am a lot older than you and I know this friends with benefits thing that you guys are doing. I did it too in my days.”
I couldn’t stop my face from scrunching up into a grimace. “I could have done without the visual imagery, thank you.”
She rolled her eyes. “What I am trying to say is that you look happy. Are you sure that this is just a strictly physical thing? I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“I won’t get hurt,” I assured her. “I am a big girl, I can handle myself.”
She looked like she wanted to say more but the door to the room opened and the men walked in. I knew our conversation was over when grandma immediately started talking about shoes. I was grateful that she helped me cover up because the last thing I wanted was to have my father asking a million different questions about my love life.
We didn’t finish with them until around ten. Grandma offered to make us dinner but I refused, I didn’t want her stressing herself out and she already looked so tired. Dad drove us back home and I was both exhausted and hungry. I hadn’t gotten a bite to eat the entire day and my body was reminding me why that wasn’t a good thing.
We were about to get into the house when the security guard rushed over to us holding a brown paper bag.
“Miss. Hayley,” he called out making me turn to him. “I’m sorry to bother you but this came in about half an hour ago. I don’t know who it is from, a dispatch rider just dropped it off. I vetted it and it was some food. Did you order it? It came with a card.”
I took the card and turned it over. There was one word written on it: Eat
I couldn’t stop my smile. “Yes, I did, thank you so much.”
He nodded and walked away leaving me with my dad. I peered into the bag surprised to see that it was a dish from my favorite restaurant. I wasn’t sure how Jake did it but I was glad that he did.
“If you had told me you were hungry, we would have stopped somewhere. I should have asked, I’m sorry,” dad began but I quickly waved him off.
“There’s nothing to worry about, I promise to tell you next time.”
He still looked a little peeved but I was barely paying attention to him. My eyes were on the bag in front of me. He didn’t have to but he did and that was what made it so important to me.