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She smiled and winked. The look she got back made her look away, ashamed. Never again was I going to get involved with her. I said what I truly felt about her presence. She wasn’t welcome, but I could tolerate her for a while.
Rose has been my live-in housekeeper for over 10 years, and often doubles as Jason’s nanny sometimes. I motioned her over and asked… “Rose, show her to one of the guest rooms. She’ll be our guest for a while.” I walked up the stairs, a plan forming in my mind. One that I will execute without Laura’s knowledge.
At the top of the stairs, I made my way to Jason’s room. His room was opposite mine, which made it easy to get back to my room when I was done with him.
I opened the door and entered, making sure it didn’t creak too much. The room was dim with illuminating blue and purple night lights lining the walls; they gave the room an ambient feeling. Jason liked them a lot. I walked to his bed and saw that he was asleep. For the first time today, I smiled warmly seeing a copy of my face sleeping peacefully.
Jason was already four years old and looked more like me each day. What made him different was his auburn hair, which was different from my black hair–he must have gotten it from his mother. I smiled, thinking about the lady from last night with the beautiful auburn hair. What were the chances that I could make her become Jason’s mom. I snorted at the thought, which made Jason open his eyes.
“Dad, you’re back!” His voice was sluggish, but his eyes were bright with joy.
“Hey, buddy, yes. I’m sorry I missed dinner with you yesterday. I was very busy finalizing a last-minute deal at work. I hope you can forgive me?” I asked as he hugged me. I rubbed his hair slowly, letting him come into my arms. I had never had this kind of relationship with my dad before he died, he was a cold man through and through. I didn’t want that for my son. Selena, my little sister, was the only reason I stayed with my dad for as long as I did.
“I forgive you Dad, but, Dad, you missed out on so many fun things. Like...” I put a finger to his lips to stop him. He grumbled affectionately.
“We can talk about it later. Now, sleep a while before breakfast.” I tucked him back into bed and watched as he winked before closing his eyes to sleep. He slept easily, something I found hard to do. Sighing, I left his room and went to mine.
I took off my clothes and got into the shower. When I was done, it was eight in the morning. I picked a navy suit and dressed quickly. I had slightly curly hair, which I smoothed back to give my face a sharp look, then I added a vintage classic watch on my wrist. After dressing, I left my room and headed for the dining room. The cook, Ruiz, had already set up my breakfast: French toast, scrambled eggs with a cup of espresso. The staff knew my routine by now, so I didn’t have to tell them everything. I was also glad I didn’t have to see Laura before I left.
I finished eating and cleaned my hands with a napkin. It was a few minutes to nine. I looked up to see Jason running to me, “Dad!” he screeched as he crashed into me with a hug. Behind him was Rose, standing at a respectful distance.
“Sit and let Rose get you something to eat. I have to go to work, buddy. How about I get you something on my way home.” I pinched his cheeks as I led him to a seat. Rose took the cue and brought him his food, which included fruit, pancakes, and a glass of milk. I left him to eat his meal and headed to my study to get some important files.
Walking past the sitting room and the hallway leading to the recreational rooms, I saw the door to my study opened on its own. Laura walked out and looked around. When her eyes caught mine, she jumped in shock. “My god, you scared me!” She patted her chest in relief.
“Why are you here?” It was a layered question. She looked embarrassed.
“I wanted to try my luck at finding you when I couldn’t locate your room.” I huffed as I walked around her and entered my bedroom.
Before I closed the door, I said, “Be careful, you’re currently on thin ice. I do not want to see you around here; you have no business being up here. Stay where I asked you to. Your room is on the other side of the house. If you don’t want to, then by all means, get out.”
She flinched and walked away quickly. Closing the door, I looked around the dark room, flicking the lights on to see if anything was out of place. Satisfied, I shrugged; there wasn’t anything here that she could steal or use.
I went to my desk, and as I pulled out the files I needed, I noticed that some papers in the drawer were scattered. What was she looking for? I had to keep my guard up, as Laura was after something. I shouldn’t dismiss her so easily. Now she has gone too far. It is time to implement my plans,
My phone rang. I answered immediately seeing that it was Selena. She was a busy body, always traveling and posting pictures of her adventures to exotic locations around the world. I sometimes envied her freedom. “Selena, how are you?” I asked, cordially.
“Fine, fine. Karl, I’ll be home soon. I just wanted to give you a heads up. Also, I miss my nephew. I’ve been away for too long.” There was nostalgia in her voice.
“That’s right. I’ll be expecting you soon. Should I come pick you up?”
“Nope, I’ll be at my best friend’s place for a while. Then, I’ll come home.”
“Anyways, just keep me informed. Bye, Sel.”
I looked around the room before I stepped out. It would ease some of my burden to have her around. Anyway, who was the best friend? She had never mentioned her before. It wasn’t like I kept up with her private life. We’ll see when she gets back.
Chapter 5
MARIE
Earlierinthemorning,Selena informed me that she had arrived at the airport and was waiting for me. I canceled my schedule and drove to the airport to pick her up. When I arrived, I parked and stepped out of the car to go find her. I entered the airport and checked the lobby.
“Marie! Over here!” I saw her immediately. She wore a white faux fur coat and black gloves paired with a fitted silver dress. It had a slit that showed off her toned leg. Around her were several pieces of luggage and more bags than I could count. Her raven hair fell lazily behind her back.
She smiled brightly at me. “You came.”
“Of course, I did! You look great, Lena. Might I ask what you’ve got here? This is a lot!” People were walking around her to avoid bumping into her stuff.
