THE SMITHS

Chapter Thirty-five

Gina has two of her shop assistants hurrying behind her as she walks around her boutique, inspecting a few of the racks and commenting on which arrangements need to be changed and what they needed to stock up on when she heard the voice.

"Byron! I can hear my phone ringing, can you bring it to me?"

Her head immediately whips around at the name, and her eyes frantically searches for the source of it when she finds a man that begins to grumble as he finds his way towards the changing rooms with a phone in hand. She recognized him from when she'd greeted him and his wife who was now in the changing room and Gina's shoulders visibly slacks, she sucks in a breath and turned to the girls behind her suddenly lacking the energy to continue.

"Finish up here and then bring the list to me when you’re done; I’ll be in my office.”

“All right, ma’am!” The girls chorused and she nods.

She comes across the changing room once again on her way to the office and the guy she now knew to be Byron, had his head poking into the cubicle that probably housed his wife as they conversed in not-very-low whispers. He seemed to still be complaining about how his wife made him walk all the day from his seat and she refrains herself from making a connection between the sulking man and her- .....the Byron she knew.

.

Gina sinks into her chair back in the office with a deep breath and grabs her phone off the table. First thing she noticed was the lack of new notifications, no new texts or missed calls and she quietly chews on her lips as she sets it back down, deciding to bury herself into work like she usually did whenever she had to get her mind off something, but after several minutes of her eyes flitting between the computer screen and downturned phone, unable to concentrate, Gina decided that it wasn't working today so with one last angry tap on her keyboard, she leans back into her chair and with another deep exhale, and a memory from earlier that day replays behind her closed lids.

. 

  {EARLIER TODAY}

Gina stands to a side of the bed, arms crossed over her chest as she watches Byron pull his shoes back on. He spares her a single glance and awkwardly clears his throat before taking a step, but he'd only been able to take just that one before Gina couldn't hold it back anymore.

“So… you’re just going to leave like that?” she asks, her arms dropping to her sides and blinks when Byron turns to look at her, expressionless.

“What do you want me to say, Gina?" He asks helplessly, "Mr. Charles is waiting outside, I have to leave because I have a meeting this morning. I repeatedly asked you if I made a mistake last night, and your only reply was that it was just a kiss? I'm honestly at a loss for what to do, so if there's anything I'm missing, you tell me.”

“Do you think you can just continue taking advantage of me like that?”

"I-" Byron blanches, face running pale at the choice of words and he finally turns to face Gina even taking a step toward her as he asks, "W- when did I-"

"What?" Gina starts defensively, "You think I'm some kind of robot and I don't feel anything when you keep doing that? Kissing me out of the blue and-" her words end abruptly as she continues to glare at him, body almost trembling in anger.

"Gina, I had no idea you felt that way, I'm s-"

The woman in front of him suddenly bursts into tears and Byron is stumped, he continues to watch helplessly, his own throat bobbing nervously as he tries and fails to think of what would be considered an appropriate reaction, "I told you I needed some time, Byron and you agreed to give me that. How am I supposed to focus with you being like this, showing up here drunk, speaking like I'm torturing you and just going ahead to kiss me whenever you feel like it. What am I supposed to do when you keep making me feel so powerless, like all I've been saying has been for naught, I told you I needed time" she repeats shoulders trembling as she sobs, keeping her eyes trained on the floor.