My Spy 6: Private Eye

Gus

Ryan told me he had some calls he had to make, so he stayed in his truck while I wandered through the Blackwood Lumbers offices to find Gus's. I rounded the corner into his end-of-the-hall, massive corner office with windows that faced the showrooms. It was empty, but I decided to wait a few minutes, hoping he was around. I noticed that he keeps his cluttered yet tidy office just like he keeps his home, worn in yet welcoming. All of his bookcases are made from Blackwood Lumber as well as his desk and chairs. The low wood and dark leather armchairs that sit across his desk look like they could have been plucked out of a number of eras and I realize I could see Ryan liking a set for our new house. 

I drop into the one closest to the door and it's been a while since I sat in the buttery leather. I look to his desk and notice a small brass frame has been added with a bright new photo of Kingsley inside. I pluck it off the desk and am rubbing my thumb over his sweet baby face when I hear Gus round the corner. 

"Hattie said you dropped by!" Gus says as I pull myself from the chair. I turn around and he envelopes me in a tight hug. "You have no idea how good it is to see you." He kisses my cheek and then releases me before dropping into the chair next to me. 

"We were driving back from Oxford and passed your office, so I thought I'd see how the new dad is doing," I ask him while I fall back into the chair. I watch as he rubs his hands down his face and then lifts his baseball cap to pull on his chocolate curls. 

"I'm..." he shakes his head. He seems at a genuine loss for words, which is so not like Gus. 

"What's up?" I ask him, wondering if I should be concerned. He then sighs and drops his elbows to his knees, pulling himself closer to me. 

"I thought A.B and I was going to be a team through this thing. But...I think she thinks it's her versus the world." He looks to me and I notice the dark circles under his eyes, which is common for a new dad, but I can see sadness is there as well. 

"What do you mean? What's going with y'all?" I ask. 

He hesitates again before saying, "I've been wanting to call you. But you're like...public enemy numero uno." I draw back and a scoff escapes me before I reply, "What? Still? All because I didn't tell her I was in New York?"

Gus shakes his head, "No, she thinks you just couldn't let her have her pregnancy. That you had to make things all about you. So when you came back with Ryan and were married and all that jazz she thought all the attention was goin' to be back on you." 

"This is ridiculous Gus. I was there for her when she found out she was pregnant, I helped her plan her wedding, I stayed out of it when you two were at odds...I don't get why she feels so neglected all the time."

He shrugs, "I don't know my sweets. I can tell you I've about had it with her though."

"Uh oh, why?" I ask but suddenly his phone buzzes and he pulls it out of his pocket. He rolls his eyes and then tosses it over to me, "Exhibit A."

I spin his phone around so I can see the screen. I glance down and read, "It's a wonder that you can run a multi-million dollar business but can't manage to buy the correct baby detergent. I'm pretty sure nowhere on this bottle says Babyganics Baby Laundry Detergent which is what I asked for." I zoom in on the picture and it's of a big clear bottle with a Seventh Generation Baby detergent label. I glance up to him and he says, "It says baby detergent right on there don't it?"

"Is this how she talks to you?" I ask him and he nods, "I am the dumbest damn man on the planet according to A.B." I view the message again and don't ask for permission to scroll up. He doesn't object, so I read through a few more exchanges before looking back up to him.