He set out the dishes on the coffee table and returned to the kitchen. “All right, give me something else to do.”
She shot him a smirk over her shoulder. “Why, because you’re used to me bossing you around?”
“I’m the guest. I should help out.”
She handed him the salad bowl. “Stone, I’m the one who asked you over. Besides, I like cooking, and I haven’t had pernil in forever.”
“What was that word?” he asked, taking the salad to the coffee table.
“Pernil.” She spelled it. “It’s a traditional Puerto Rican dish—slow-roasted pork shoulder. Now go relax. It’ll be ready soon.”
He wandered over to the photos and picked them up one at a time while she bustled around the kitchen. There were photos of Gina and Natasha together at various ages, including one where they both showed off their braces in big grins. Of the rest, halfshowed Gina with her family. He recognized them from other pictures Gina had shown him. Her mother was beautiful, and Gina looked just like her. And there was her brother, her sister, her brother-in-law, and her nieces and nephew.
No father.
“Ready?” Gina walked over with glasses of water. “Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot to offer you a drink. Do you want wine? Beer?”
“I thought you don’t drink during the show season.”
“I don’t, but Natasha does, and we keep stuff on hand for guests. I don’t mind if you drink.”
“Beer, then.”
“I’ll get it. Sit down, please.” She gestured at the sofa and headed for the fridge.
Stone sat and glanced at the skyline on the wall. Another reminder of their differences, though lately, they seemed less extreme. Or at least, they didn’t matter as much.
Gina came back and handed him a Mexican lager, then raised her glass of lemon water and clinked it against his bottle.
“Cheers,” she said, meeting his eyes. “To winning.”
“To winning.” He took a sip, savoring the crisp taste of hops, and sat back while she filled two bowls with spinach salad.
“You have a lot of reminders of home,” he said between bites.
She glanced up at the wall print. “We do. I miss New York, and my family, but having Natasha here makes it bearable.”
“You’ve got a beautiful family.”
“Thanks.” She smiled into her food, her cheeks turning pink. “My brother’s in the navy. And my sister works in product design for a cosmetics company. Plus my mom is an amazing singer, but… things happened. She never got to have the career she deserved.”
The smile dropped from her face. Stone sensed there was a story there, and that it had to do with the missing father in her photos. Now that they were away from the cameras, the studio, and the other cast members, he wanted to know more about Gina, to understand her. He waited, not wanting to push.
“My dad was kind of a douchebag,” she said with a sigh, settingher half-finished salad aside. “Old-school in his thinking. He wanted to settle down and start a family, so they did. Mom gave up her singing career just as it was about to take off. They had three kids—I’m the youngest—and then he split when I was little and started a new family in Orlando.”
She recited the story like it was no big deal, but Stone’s heart broke for her. Despite his own issues with his father, Stone couldn’t imagine Jimmy ever jumping ship. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” She gathered up the salad dishes. “It’s his loss. We’re an awesome family.”
“Are you still in contact with him?”
She shrugged and carried the used plates to the kitchen. “Birthdays and holidays. He says he’s proud of me, but…” She trailed off, filling new plates from a pot on the stove and a pan she pulled out of the oven. The delicious smells amplified.
“But what?”
She huffed. “He doesn’t get to be proud of me, you know? He didn’t do anything to contribute. He didn’t scrimp and save whenever I needed new ballet shoes. He didn’t volunteer to sew recital costumes so I could get mine for free. He didn’t fill out applications for every kind of scholarship and grant that would help me get to where I am now. So, no, he doesn’t get to be proud, because he wasn’t there for any of it.” She slammed the plates down on the coffee table and balled her hands into fists.
With a gentle tug, Stone pulled her onto the sofa with him. Hugging her had become as natural as breathing. Over the weeks, Gina hadn’t just taught him to dance, she’d shown him the importance of human contact. A hug could convey encouragement, support, and empathy. He wanted to give her all those things now.
