"Oh, please. You don't expect me to spend the night at my place after being away from town for days," she states, and I tense.
"Where else will you spend the night if it isn't at your place?" I ask, puzzled.
"Where else but your place?" I grimace at her suggestion. Surely, she can’t be serious.
"You know the rules, mrs Wilson ," I remind her before stepping away.
"Come on Nathan don’t you think it's time to reconsider those rules?" she pleads. I sigh as I round my desk to take a seat. I stare at her, unsure of how to handle the situation. To be honest, Mrs Wilson has been patient and cooperative when it comes to my boundaries. These rules have guided me for years, helping me protect my heart from the kind of devastation I experienced with Natalia.
"Mrs Wilson ,you agreed. My place is off-limits. What’s wrong with your place anyways?" I ask, furrowing my brow. The last woman who was ever at my place was Natalia , and even then, it was the cottage at her father's estate, not where I currently reside.
Mrs Wilson pouts and moves over to sits on my lap at my desk.
"Come on, I'm your girlfriend. I should be an exception to the rule," she protests.
"Mrs Wilson , let’s not dwell on this," I gently express. Another thought crosses my mind. Perhaps she is tired of our arrangement. Her suggestions could signify a desire for something more. Why is it that women often yearn for more? All I want is simple, a successful life. I understand the need for companionship, but I must establish boundaries to protect my heart from involvement.
"Do you want to go out?" I inquire. She gasps and shifts to face me.
"What! Are you breaking up with me?" My head starts throbbing as she raises her voice.
"No, I never said that. I asked because it seems like you want more, and I want you to know that I’d fully understand your feelings. I'll willingly let you go if you find a better man who’s ready to take things further with you," I honestly convey.
"Why would such a thought even cross your mind?" She asks, puzzled.
"Maybe because I know how women are. You desire a full-fledged love story, which I’ve made it clear I’m not suited for right from the beginning. So, I'll respect your decisions if you find someone else," I explain.
There is a stretch of silence before she says, "I'm going to pretend like I didn’t hear that,” trying to brush off my comment.
“I haven't found anyone else, and you're the one I want to be with. I'm sorry for pushing the boundaries, but that doesn’t mean I want out. I enjoy being with you, so I'll wait for as long as it takes for you to change your mind," she declares.
Her words echo those of Natalia . I recall how Natalia promised me forever only to disappear just a day after that unforgettable night. I can’t decide which hurt more - her disappearance or discovering she’d left with another man. How could she profess so much love and then simply leave me? She didn't even have the decency to tell me in person; instead, she chose the coward’s way out.I'm over that now.
I shake my head and focus on Mrs Wilson . She’s a sweet person. Maybe if things were different, and I wasn't a so scarred, I might consider taking our relationship further. Previous women before her have tried the same, only to meet a similar end.
The only problem is, I haven’t felt that spark with any other woman. I still remember how Natalia 's presence alone made me feel alive.But what did I gain from that?With Mrs Wilson it's just plain attraction much like with the previous women, which is even better because it means there’s no chance of my heart ever getting involved. I figured this out a while ago.
"Come on, let me tell you about my trip," Mrs Wilson insists, and I force a smile. She spends the next few minutes talking about her trip to Gara Islands, and while some aspects intrigue me, I have to feign attention. Doubts starts creeping in about whether continuing this relationship is the right choice. Mrs Wilson may say she doesn't want more, but her actions say otherwise. I’ve lost count of the times she’s subtly raised this issue. I'll see what the next few weeks hold.
3
Natalia
"Damn it," I mutter, cursing under my breath as I stare at another email from the electricity company. The pile of bills keeps growing by the day. I jump when my phone rings. My heart fills with anticipation and hope, praying it's a job offer from one of the companies I’ve applied to. But it’s Bekah .
"Hello," I answer with a sigh.
"Girl, you won’t believe who I just saw. It's Nathan . Remember him?" She says. I have no idea who she’s talking about, so I admit it.
"No,"
"Oh, come on! He was the guy hitting on you the other day at the Cafe," she exclaims. Her words bring back memories from that day. It was the day I lost my job, and I was pouring my heart out to Bekah about my never-ending problems. It feels like I'm destined for bed-luck. Every time things start falling into place, something comes along to ruin it. The only good luck I’ve had was getting Jason, my late ex-husband, out of my life. Just when I was finally getting my life back on track, the company had to let me go due to the damn inflation affecting the country. I gave ten years of my life for R&R only for them to treat me like trash.
"He asked for your number again and I gave it to him," she says, snapping me out of my reverie.
"What!" I yell.
"Why would you do that?"
"Well, it’s evident that he’s interested in you. You single, and honestly, I've never seen you with anyone other than Jason. Now that someone is genuinely persistent about being with you, I don't think it would hurt to give it a try," she suggests."Bekah stop this. I’m really not interested in any man," I tell her. But deep down, I know it’s not entirely true. The only man I ever wanted can’t be mine anymore, and I’m beginning to accept that fact."Why? It's been years since Jason died. You need to move on," she says."You think this is about Jason?""Well, yeah. He is the only man you've ever mentioned who’s been in your life.""Listen Bekah ,it’s not about Jason. This is about me and my son. Don't you get? I'm not interested in relationship right now. Dealing with bills and job hunting is enough for me. I don't want to add more by being in a relationship.""Oh, my goodness, that’s true. How is the job hunt going?" She asks."It’s the same old story. Seems like most employees here p
Fine, but still let me sort this out," I request."Okay if you insist. But if you're not able to sort things out and you think the situation is getting out of control. I'm one call away," she says, showing her concern."I know, I'll keep that in mind," I reply."Great. I have to go"That's not a problem," I reply."Talk to you later, bye,""Bye." I place my phone on the table and hold my head in my hands. staring at the screen, trying to figure out the next steps. I'm deep in depth, and if I don't find a job soon, I might not even have a roof on my head.My thoughts drift to my childhood, where I never experienced the fatherly love I saw other kids have. The best moments of my life were falling in love with Nathan and finding out I was pregnant with his child. Goerge took those moments away from me by separating me from Nathan . Since Bryant’s birth, he has been my sole attention. I vowed to ensure he receives as much love as possibly from me. He only has me, and I won’t neglect him a
Come dear, your uncle will take us back home,” she says, and I nod. I glance at the white casket again before leaving the cemetery with her. “Are you okay?” Uncle Tyler asks as we head to the car. “Yes,” I reply. We settle inside the car and start heading to the estate. I hated spending a night there, and now I’m about to spend another. However, it was either or probably spending the little money I had on a hotel. I don’t want to disturb my aunt and uncle any further. They took care of all the funeral bills, making me wonder why they didn’t just use Goerge ’s money. The only part of the house that gave me sweet memories was the cottage, and it’s no longer there. I briefly wonder if it was brought down while Nathan was there or after he left.No, Goerge made a promise.I don’t want to imagine a life of hell because of Nathan. “Natalia dear, how long will you stay in town?” my Auntie “I’ll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning,” “What? Why?” my aunt asks as she turns to face me. “
Perfect, I’ll make your favorite pot roast. Just the way you liked it back then,” she says excitedly.“You don’t have to bother about that,” I tell her shyly.“Nonsense, leave me to worry about it,” she says, so I drop the topic.“How is my Bryant doing?”“He is fine. He is in school. As a matter of fact, he wanted to come with me, but I told him to focus on his academics,” I tell her.“That sounds good; maybe someday, our boy will bring him to meet us,” she says, and I give her a wry smile.“I’ll see what I can do with that,” I tell her. They wait a few minutes before leaving. Instantly, I Bryant .“Hey, Mom,” he says, and all my worries dissipate. This is the brightness in my life, my joy.“How are you, my pumpkin?” I ask with a smile.“Ugh, Mom! I’ve told you not to call me that anymore. I’m a grown-ass man now,” he says, and I chuckle.“I don’t care how old you are; you remain, my baby,” I tell him. I smile when I hear his loud groan.“There is no winning against you. Anyways, how
don’t care if I still look like a mess considering I’m just leaving bed. Well, the person at the house will have to deal with it. I quickly turn the locks. I open it to find two women standing on the porch. I give them a puzzled look, wondering what they are doing here.“Good morning, ma’am!” they greet with a bright smile. I frown at them in confusion before I force a smile.“Good morning. How may I help you?” I ask, trying to sound as polite as possible.The two women exchange looks before returning their attention to me.“I’m Tammy , ma’am. This is my colleague, Roxanne . We were Mr.Wilson housekeepers,” the first woman who introduced herself as Tammy says.“Oh,” I say, unable to form another word.“Yes, we worked for Mr. Wilson for fifteen years. God bless his soul,” Tammy says as her smile drops.“Yeah, God bless his soul,” I reply. I assumed that Goerge had let go of all his staff, especially with the information my uncle gave me yesterday about his bankruptcy. Apparently, he is
“Mr. Wilson pays us $30 per hour,” Mary says, and I choke on my saliva.“$30 per what!” I exclaim with wide eyes. The women stare at each other with puzzled looks. For someone who was bankrupt, that wasn’t what I expected besides what happened to Goerge . I remember that he doesn’t treat his staff well and pays them meagerly. What changed? What is it about these women?“Okay, how many hours a week did you agree with him?” I ask. They seem nervous to answer my question.“We spend eight a day, seven days a week,” Roxanne says.“Wow!” I exclaim. I have a headache calculating the amount these women received from Goerge If it isn’t that I hate Goerge ’s gut, I will gladly work as a housekeeper if this is how much they earn.“Is there a problem, ma’am?” Tammy asks with a puzzled expression.“No, there is no problem,” I quickly answer.“I was just amazed you work so many hours daily,” I say. I try to sound as calm as possible even though my heart is about to burst out of my chest when I try
This is it,” I mutter as I step out of the taxi and face the tall building. Nervousness fills me as I contemplate what awaits inside.It has been a week in Sausalito, and Natalia auntie and my uncle have gone out of their way to make me feel as comfortable as possible. In fact, today is the first time I’m venturing out since the funeral. All that’s left is to append some signatures, and I’ll be on the next flight.My thoughts are interrupted by a loud car honk, causing me to jump in fright, but I quickly steady myself.Taking a deep breath, before I start walking towards the entrance of the building.Everything about it exudes luxury. I can only imagine that the wealthy have lawyers here, judging by the immaculate attire of everyone around. Despite my plain dress, I ignore the curious looks some of the ladies shoot my way. I head to the nearest desk, where a lady seems uninterested until I stop in front of her.“Hi,” I tell her.“Hello. How may I help you?” She asks.“I’m Natalia Ford
“I don’t have anything planned. I just want to know what all this is about and leave,” I tell him. He stares at me with wide eyes. Probably thinking I’m cold, but I don’t care. Nobody understands the hell I went through in Goerge ’s hands or how he turned my life upside down.“You’re sure about that?” He asks, and I nod in response.“Yes, I am,” I reply, wondering why he is giving me an odd look.“There is indeed a lot you need to know about Mr. Ford financial state,” he says.“Yeah, that’s why I’m here.” I don’t mean to be cold, but this man has been almost non-existent in my life for years. It’s pointless trying to feign a connection that doesn’t exist between us just because I’m his supposed heiress. If he had another choice, he would have given it all to someone else. That’s how much certain I am that he hates me.The elevator stops, and Mr. Gary steps out. I Immediately follow him until we reach a hallway.“Please, come with me,” he says, and I do as he says. Everywhere screams m