"He wants so to see you."
I stopped the spoon in midair. I was sitting at the small table inside the kitchen when one of the girls came in with big eyes.
I couldn't help asking, "Is he mad?"
"Why would he be mad?"
"No idea." I murmured to myself. Time to face the beast.
I pushed my untouched food aside and ran to get a pad and a pen. He either was going to scold me or give me the stuff to do. This was going to be the second time we faced each other, this one, I was even more scared. Terrified really.
His study door was closed, so I rapped my knuckles twice before opening the door.
"Kirby, come in."
He was on the phone with a frown on his face. A face that I had been searching the web for here and there. I closed the door carefully and stood beside one of the chairs in front of his massive desk. I watched him talk, the sensual way his mouth moved when he spoke, his hand scribbling on the paper in front of him, and how his hair seemed to rebel and curl up forward, falling onto his temple. I liked one thing in particular about him, about his face. He hadn't smiled in my presence. There was a ghost of a dimple on his left cheek. I had yet to see it personally. In press pictures, it was there while we looked at the camera or smiled down to his companions but here, with his jaw tense. At the same time, he listened to the words on the other side. It was half-visible, half-hidden.
"Kirby?"
"Yes."
"I'm impressed on how you handled things." Words of praise? I wanted to laugh.
"Sandra helped me a lot." I felt uncomfortable under his gaze. Something was piercing in his look, like hidden. It could also be my stupid brain doing things. I had fantasized about him so many times that maybe it had affected my brain, and now I was in the middle of one.
"Yes," he stood up, and while I swallowed my gasp, all I could think was how tall he was. "She's quite bright that one. Take a seat Kirby." He motioned me towards one of the empty chairs, so I lowered myself down slowly while he approached and took the one right next to it.
His scent was like a slap in the face.
"How are you settling here?"
"Good." My tone was a little bit soft and hesitant, but he just nodded and looked away.
He was dressed casually, dark jeans and a white polo. His fingers were nude of rings, and there was no visible jewelry but the watch on his wrist. He was classy and minimal, and I must have looked like a teenager next to him with my braids, overalls, and hot pink shirt underneath. I mean, still in my teens, but it was evident with my sense of fashion, which I had always been proud of until now.
"There was no need to bring the pad. I have nothing for you to do today. I just wanted to have a chat before I left."
"You're leaving?"
He smiled warmly at me.
"Yes. Tonight actually." A feeling of disappointment washed over me. I started to deflate slowly. "I'll be gone two weeks from now and I will be contacting you the same way." I was clear on the deal being just his employee, but it affected me in ways I couldn't understand. He was just my boss, my much older boss, and I was sure that I was a mere child in his eyes.
"One more thing, Dolores."
"Dolly." I corrected him again.
"Dolly." He smiled and took a long pause before speaking again, "I expect you to answer your phone when I call you."
"But-." He held up his hand to shut me.
"I'm not done here," I bit the inside of my cheek as he continued his speech. "I understand that you're young and on the weekends you want to have fun but while you live under my roof and more being a mere child. I must act like your guardian and call you out on this bad behavior of yours."
"My parents are still alive." I started saying.
"Were you parents aware that you were out getting drunk and in a night club while you are still under the age of 21?"
That'll shut anyone up.
It shut me up.
And I'm pretty sure that he didn't have any problems doing it if I hadn't.
"No." I answered reluctantly.
"Good, because I'm not going to tell neither of them. Unless you plan on doing that again."
"No sir." He was threatening me with my parents. I'm no wild child. I was well guarded with all Lin's cousins, and that nightclub was just something I did whenever it went well at school. I was just celebrating a few weeks of vacation, a few weeks of freedom, and I get my ears to chew off because I'm behaving my age.
"Pardon me?"
"That's how I talk to my father, sir."
"Oh honey, I'm not you father."
Then stop acting like you were.
"I don't want to act like the bad guy here." His hand fell gracefully over my shoulder, squeezing it a little. "I just want you to be safe. Is a crazy world out there."
"Don't worry sir, I'll be sure to take your calls." I then moved away, making his hand fall off my shoulder, and turned to leave. I was well aware of his eyes on the back of my neck. I was mad, pissed. He wanted to tell me what to do. I'm not a child. I can take care of myself. I had been doing it for a while now since I left home. My parents trusted me.
I was independent and wise beyond my years. They're exact words.
I felt defiant. I felt like smashing plates and screaming at the top of my lungs. Being called out by someone who knew shit about me, someone that I had been lusting on.
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"So your new boss called you out on a little party." " I was with Lin's cousin's mom." I hated when she did that. She likes to tease me about the bad things that happened to me. Here I am, finally able to spend a weekend with my parents, and all they do is mock and tease me about the things I want to tell them about. "He was out of line mom, I was just having fun and it was the weekend. You know I don't drink that much." "Oh, honey I know that," she continued folding the freshly dried clothes that were spilled on the bed while talking to me. "I think is decent of him to take care and worry about you." "Really?" Her laugh made me want to punch babies. "Maybe he was a little bit too harsh." "A little?" How about a lot. "Oh honey let it go, I trust you and your dad trust you." I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly. She was right. I was ruining my visits thinking about what he said. Fo
"Mr. Westbrook." I stood up so fast I stumbled, trying to regain balance. Still, he reached out just when I was about to topple down when his hand closed around my arm, pulling me into a straight position. "Sorry I'm so clumsy sometimes," I started muttering things while crouching down to lift the magazines, water bottle, and towel from the floor. "So its no longer sir?" The way he arched his brown made me gasp and feel suddenly thirsty, but looking down to my hands, my water bottle was empty, and the nearest one was inside the house. I opened my mouth to reply, but what came out was weird sounds, so I closed it so fast and hard my teeth slammed into each other, I could have easily chopped my tongue off. "Come inside Kirby, before you turn any darker." His hand was back on my arm, and he pulled me towards the house. I tried to turn around to get my towel, but his grip tightened, and I let him do as he pleased. He didn't let go until I was inside his study.
He stayed, he stayed in the city, I mean. I still did the errands, but they were fewer and fewer, and I was starting to get bored and felt trapped inside the massive home. I also saw Jameson come into the house while is stood at the door. I gave him the evil eye, and he knew why. Lin had been frantic and blue with questions about his whereabouts. Jameson had stopped returning calls and texts, no more visits, and definitely no more kisses. She was broken-hearted and had stayed away from me to mend her feelings, which left me all alone, well, the grumpy man in the study and me. If it weren't for Mr. Westbrook, I would have spoken my mind and some more. I wanted to know what sort of excuse he had come up with. In the meantime, I waited by the front door scratching the ears of the small mutt my boss kept. "Kirby, what a surprise?" I heard the dark voice and stood up slowly, careful enough to keep my skirt in place and not
The view from my room faced directly towards the open sea. I saw how the blue-green of the water touched the sky blue on the horizon with scattered white fluffy clouds, the softest shaped ones I had ever seen. I couldn't help but gape at every single thing around me. The luxurious resort was enormous. On our arrival, a small cart awaited us in the lobby. With complimentary tubes of Champagne and warm smiles, a few members of the staff explained the tour. The thickly accented voices were friendly and welcoming. I think I saw a few blushes whenever Mr. Westbrook's attention turned to the female present. Even at night, the lights and flowers stand out through the rustic feel of the stone against the wood. The water of the massive central pool shone with the moonlight and ambient light around it. Tropical music blasted through the speakers in certain areas, and bars and small stands were explicitly placed around the room. We had been the las
This was not how I had imagined things to go. I have been stuck inside this beautiful room with nothing but room service and the TV. He had not visited as frequently as he had promised; the first day checked on me for a total of four minutes and twenty-seven seconds. The next, he just called. I felt caged in. I felt like I losing my mind. I asked God for rain so people would have to run for covers in their rooms, but then I thought about it, and rain while standing on a Caribbean beach didn't sound that bad, so I took it back. Just like he said, the left side of my face was bruised, lightly, but I couldn't hide it with the limited amount of make-up I had brought with me. My beautiful sundresses, shorts, and sandals just stayed inside my drawers. I never felt the salty warm water on my face. I had just sat in front of my open window and gazed down with hope
"Dolores. Good you came in, come quick to introduce you to someone." As soon as I passed in front of the study, Mr. Westbrook called me in. "Yes," I said, taking a peek in. I didn't like what I saw. A young woman was standing very close to him. His arm was even around her shoulders. It was like a slap in the face. "This is Sherry Knight." And dressed like a cherry, she was, maybe making an homage to her name. The red pantsuit with the white silk blouse, yes, a cherry indeed. I didn't like her just from just looking at her. There was an effort to her looks, not like me and my wild loosened hair and daisy duke shorts. "Hello." I wanted to go in, but as always, grass-stained feet with grass from playing in the garden. "Hi." Her voice was sultry, and I saw her smirk as she took in how I looked. What can I do? I'm nineteen, and I'm at home. What was her excuse for looking so sour all o
I'm trapped at school. The weather agrees with my mood. Ever since that little thing between us, the dark clouds seem to have gathered over my head, and now it rains nonstop. I'm evaluating my options here. I could efficiently run down the bus station or call a cab and wait by the doorway until it arrived. I could easily afford it to Lin's place and even the house, but he might be there. I had been successful for the past few weeks to avoid him, or he had made it more accessible. His constant trips abroad were now back on schedule. My tasks had been minimized. The excuse was a new assistant, replaced by someone named after a fruit. I hated her. On the other hand, I was named after a twelve-year-old too advanced for her age who enjoyed outings with much older men. Now that I think about it is nothing far from the reality, well at least I'm nineteen going to twenty, and my older man, someone who was not interested in me,
"I'm bad friend." "The worse." We're out, finally together for the longest time, and I have already recounted all these events on her. I have been babbling none stop for more than thirty minutes, telling her how it felt from the very first moment with him to the little thing with me sitting on his lap. I needed this; I needed her to be there for me as I had been for me and her silly drama. "What was her name again?" "Sherry," I said while batting my eyes in the same ridiculous way I had seen her do. "Her name is stupid." "She's stupid." "I'm drunk." I sighed and leaned back against the wall. "Me too!" She started clapping and laughing like I had told her the best joke in the world. It was one in the morning, and we were heavily intoxicated, to the point of being crossed-eyed and unable to stand up straight. There was a party, a few blocks down from we had walked from at least one hour ago. I screamed under the l