Page 6 of Glass & Groundwork
“Yup. The place is yours if you want it.”
Overwhelmed by the suddenness of my dream potentially becoming a reality, I leapt toward him, and threw my arms around him. With my eyes welling with tears, I word-vomitted all over his black shirt. “Holy shit! Gio, I don't even know what to say. This is huge, and so unexpected. You have no idea whatthis means to me.Whyare you even doing this? Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I'm looking and I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Shit, I'm so flabbergasted I can't even keep my idioms straight.”
Gio chuckled and held me, his arms folding around me. His head leaned against mine briefly, making the hug feel more intimate than the moment necessarily called for, but fuck, I was totally okay with that. I was damn near ready to kiss the man. Instead, I managed some composure and pulled away, wiping the corners of my eyes.
“Sorry about that. You're really sure, though? I can pay. Whatever you deem appropriate, I’ll pay it. Money isn't really an object, but real estate has been. I don't want you to feel obligated or anything, though. We hardly know each other yet, but I'd really like to, and I would hate for something like this to ruin the friendship we might be able to build. No shop is worth that.”
Gio smiled and nodded. “I'm sure, Jasper. The barn has been sitting empty for a long time, it would be nice to know it's being put to use. You're welcome to do whatever you need to in order to make it fit your needs. I don't need your money, Jasper, that's not what I'm doing this for, but… friendship? I’ll definitely take you up on that.”
“Damn, Gio. Just… wow. You're blowing my mind right now. At least let me pay for the utilities, okay? The building might just be sitting here, but bills can add up, especially with the usage I might require. I won't take no for an answer.”
His smile grew slightly. “All right. It's a deal.”
The burden and stress I'd been carrying suddenly lifted and I was a giant step closer to making my glassblowing career come to fruition. I felt light and giddy and immediately started making a to-do list in my head.”Would it be okay if I brought in a contractor to help me make a plan?”
“Sure, whatever you need. Just give me a heads up so I know when to expect someone coming on the property, and make sure you warn them about the bees.”
“Your bees! Oh my God, I forgot. Are they going to be okay with the smoke and fumes?”
“The apiary, where they have their hives, is about a mile away, near a copse of trees at the edge of the property. The trees provide needed shade, but they spend a lot of time closer to the house, where the flower fields are. I think there's enough distance between the barn and the flowers that it should be fine. In more urban apiaries bees regularly navigate the smells and sounds of city life. They're pretty smart and they always find a way.”
“Okay, good. I would hate to think that my presence would upset them. If that were the case, it wouldn't be worth the risk, and I would continue my search elsewhere.”
Gio shook his head. “No need for that. You're staying. And I don't thinkanythingcould be upset by your presence.”
My heart leapt in my chest. One evening with this man and his family and I felt more welcome than I had with the people who raised me. “Oh, you're a sweet-talker. You better be careful, Gio, or you're not going to be able to get rid of me.”
He shrugged. “I don't get rid of people.”
I couldn't help but smile at his casual statement, like it was the simplest concept in the world, and to him, it probably was. “No, you don't. You collect them.”
Gio ran a hand through his hair. “I suppose so.”
I'd never wanted to be a part of a collection so badly. There was a reason those kids kept coming back and I was starting to see it already. The same reason I had chanced a call to him in the first place with no idea of how it would turn out. Gio felt safe and welcoming, even from the first moment I met him at Heartcraft.
“We'd better head back in before their imaginations get the best of them,” Gio stated.
“Can't have that.” With a chuckle, I hooked my arm through his and let him lead me back to the house. As we walked away from the barn, I looked over my shoulder, letting out a sigh, as the weight sloughed off of me. A shop. I would have an actual fucking shop. It didn't seem real.
After fielding a series of questions upon our return, the group was overwhelmingly pleased to hear that I would be setting up shop in the barn. It felt amazing to not only have good news, but to have a group to share it with. As much as I would love to show my family that I was pushing forward with this plan, I didn't have the same urge to run and tell them. I couldn't do it without something tangible to show them or it would be a waste of breath and energy. Instead, I got to share my plans with a group of young adults and teens that I hadn't known before today, and it had been incredible.
Gio was mostly quiet through the rest of the dinner as I rambled on like a duck all hyped up on frozen peas. I caught him watching me a few times, though. He wore a look of awed admiration that made warmth bloom through my entire body. Perhaps it was because he just handed me the keys to unlock my dream, or maybe because it was nice to have such devoted attention from an attractive and kind man. I would have liked to hang onto that feeling a bit longer, but I was no longer fully present.
With so much on my mind, I knew I would have a late night, or early morning, or perhaps both. I doubted I would get any sleep with the plans brewing and my mental to-do list growing. As much as I loved the energy and congeniality of Gio and his kids, I was ready to head home and get my plans on paper.
“Thank you all for a wonderful evening. Gio, you especially. I think I should head home and start getting my affairs in order. I have a lot of work to do to get the barn ready.”
As I stood, everyone else did, too, and soon I found myself being hugged by the five young people. Eduardo hugged me last and whispered in my ear. “I like you, Jasper. I think you're going to be good for Papa Gio.”
It was a sweet sentiment, one that made my leaping heart do another jump. Not sure how to respond, I simply said, “Thanks.”
Gio placed his hand under my elbow and guided me to the front door away from the lurking crew. When we were out of earshot, he said softly, “I'm glad you called today.”
“Shit, me too. You know I would have been content with just dinner, right? You didn't have to go and give me a barn.”
“And yet, I did.” He smirked slightly.
I was still in disbelief over the whole thing, it didn't feel real. “Not that I'm not ridiculously grateful, but I still don't understand why.”
