Twenty five thousand dollars later, we finally left that store, and Sarah told me she was too tired to do any more shopping. When she came out of the dressing room in her street clothes, she seemed really drained, like she was sick.
I guess what I said about Alex may have gotten to her, and even though I meant well, the things I said didn’t effect her the way I wanted them to.
She went right to bed when we got home. I went up after a couple of hours, knocked on her door and tried to get her to have some dinner, but she wouldn’t answer me, and didn’t reemerge from the bedroom until the next day. The rest of the week was uneventful, to say the least. She barely spoke to me unless it was work related, and of course, she was nastier than ever. She ran me ragged, adding more tasks to my spreadsheet than I ever had before. It was on purpose of course. She couldn’t stand the fact that I shared my opinions of Alex with her, and I was mentally prepared to take the heat for it.
I think it made her angrier, when I completed the list without batting an eye
Sarah at her nastiest is better for me, crazy as it sounds. Definitely better for me. I was able to catch up on some paperwork for Ray because of her stubbornness, return a ton of phone calls on her behalf, and set up more appointments for the France trip. I have a detailed outline of everything I’ve done, and tomorrow morning on the way to the set, I plan on going over all of it with her. Today is out. She took Hailey shopping for a new dress to wear for Alex when he comes tomorrow, and I was more than thankful when she told me I wouldn’t be needed for the excursion. She took Roy, her personal security guard with her instead, not hesitating to give me a list of things to do so I wouldn’t ‘waste her payroll while she was out’.
Same old Sarah, but at least she’s spending time with her daughter today. I’m a little proud of her, actually.
“Peace today, Justin?”
I look up and smile for Marcia as she passes by me with the laundry. She’s been Sarah’s housekeeper for almost ten years now. I think she sticks around because Sarah pays her well and lets her do her own work. I’ve never seen her talk to Marcia like she talks to me in the five years I’ve been here. She’s older, maybe in her late forties. I don’t know if that has anything to do with it, but I’m happy that at least one of us doesn’t have to be berated every day of the week.
“For now,” I say, and return my gaze to my laptop screen.
“Mr. Bigshot is coming in tonight,” she smirks, as she starts to fold a few of Hailey’s tees. “Sarah said he was getting an earlier flight.”
I click the mouse to send an email, before I allow myself to smile. “He’ll be here tomorrow night, then.”
“You read my mind well, Justin. Maybe you should be my assistant too.”
“I doubt I could get the creases out of the laundry quite like you do.”
She laughs. “I’m going to fix some lunch. Hungry?”
“You cook like my mom, so of course.”
She rubs my shoulder a little bit before that sympathetic expression takes over. She’s the only one who knows out here. I haven’t even told Trace. I guess...I felt like I could talk to her about it, because she reminds me of my mom just a little bit.
“How is she these days?”
“I talked to my dad last month. He says she’s at the lowest point she’s ever been. He goes and sits with her sometimes, but she doesn’t remember anything. He tells me that she gets scared of him sometimes, because she thinks he’s a stranger.”
“Did he ask you to come home?”
I force a smile for her, although, I really wish I could tell her I don’t want to talk about it right now. “He wouldn’t. He knows how it is with Sarah.”
It’s an excuse. I know if I went to Sarah and told her I had a family emergency, she would complain, but eventually she would tell me to go. I’m not worried about Sarah. I guess I’m just not ready. I’m not ready to face the fact that my mother won’t know who I am if I go back home.
She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s while I was still in high school, and it progressed rapidly. By the time I left home, she barely remembered her own name, and it took her awhile to remember who I was. I have five brothers and a sister, and so, it meant my father was the one who had to work three jobs to get the mortgage paid and keep the lights on, put food on the table. I left home because I couldn’t handle it, and I didn’t want to burden my dad with another mouth to feed. Since my employment with Sarah, life has been easier on them. I pay for my mothers clinical care so he can handle the rest of the bills. We speak on the phone about once a month.
We were never that close. It was my mother that I had the bond with, but she’s been gone for a long time, and I made sure to tuck all that deep inside me so I could continue to live my life, unaffected.
Sometimes, when Sarah makes me the angriest, I wish she could switch places with me for a day. Maybe then, she would know what it’s like to have real problems.
“Well, no matter what Sarah says, if you need to go home for a couple of weeks, make sure you put your foot down. She gets too caught up in herself to realize we both have lives too.”
“I will.” My tone is less than sincere. “And hey, at least you go home at night. I’m stuck with her.”
“Lucky me. I’ll spare you the horror stories of the things I find tucked into her sheets.” She picks up her laundry, and walks into the kitchen.
I chuckle lightly and look back at my computer. I gaze at the picture set as my background before I click on my minimized window. My mother and I, down at the lake when I was about fifteen.
I haven’t thought about her in awhile. Not like that.
I miss her. I miss her a hell of a lot.
But I have no time to dwell on what life would have been like if she didn’t get sick. I have work to do, and so, I maximize the window and continue on with my emails.
One hour and a toasted ham and cheddar later, the doorbell rings. I check my phone, but there’s no text from Sarah saying she’s on her way home, just as I thought. Marcia is upstairs somewhere, vacuuming, and so I get up to answer the front door, taking care to look through the peephole before I open it.
I feel sick.
“Hey Justin.” Alex smiles in that arrogant way i’m used to, and brushes right past me into the house.
I guess he wasn’t kidding about that early flight.
“Where’s Sarah and Hailster?”
I slowly close the door, and take a long breath before I answer him. “Shopping.” I walk past him this time, and back to the table where my work is spread out.
“Well, get her on the phone.” He runs a hand through his short spiky blonde hair and gives me a commanding look. “Tell her I’m here and I’m waiting.”
I snort out a disgusted laugh and pick up my Blackberry, not caring if he can hear me or not. I speed dial Sarah’s number, and wait. It takes three rings, but then she picks up.
“What is it?”
“Guess.”
I hear her groan and mutter something under her breath. “I’m not up for games, Justin. I’m right in the middle here with a frustrated nine year old.”
“I’m sure Roy is the one that’s right in the middle.”
“Get to the point.”
“Alex is here. He wanted me to let you know.”
“He...he is?”
“Sure enough. It’s crazy right? I could barely believe it myself,” I say, sarcastically.
“Oh...God, well did you make sure he’s comfortable? Did you have Marcia give him something to eat and drink? Jesus, Justin...”
“He just walked in the door.”
“Tell him I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Don’t you dare give him a reason to leave either!”
She hangs up on me.
I shake my head slightly, and look back at Alex. He’s leaning against the wall, playing with his phone.
“Twenty minutes,” I tell him.
“Great. Bring my bags upstairs would you?” He starts to walk into the living room, but then pauses and looks back at me. “Oh, and if you open the garment bag, you’ll find a couple of suits and dress shirts. Run those down to the cleaners for me. On the way back, stop at the florist and get me a bouquet for Sarah. Make sure it’s something tasteful. Get back in an hour.” He pulls his wallet out and removes a bill...a ten. “Here’s a little something for the trouble.”
Is he kidding me? I may take that crap from Sarah, but I’m definitely not going to take orders from a punk like him.
“Thanks for the...generosity, but I have a ton of work I have to do. I can’t right now.”
He laughs at me. Cracks up, in fact. “Oh, you thought that was optional? I’m giving you an order, and unless you want to lose your job, you’ll do what I tell you.” He shoves the ten back into his wallet like I’m going to miss it.
It takes every ounce of professionalism inside of me not to flip out and deck him one in the face. I feel like I’m holding it all back for Sarah. If Alex leaves because of me, she’ll never get over it. I’m not in the mood for that type of heat either, and so, I decide it’s best to go run his stupid errands so I don’t do something I’ll regret later on. “My mistake.” I get up from the chair silently.
“You’re still the cocky little shit you always were,” he smirks. “Maybe Sarah needs a change around here.”
I’d like to tell him that the only change she needs, is for him to leave and never come back, but I can’t do it. I just nod at him, and leave. I have to. I grab the car keys off the hook in the foyer, and burst out of the house. I see the luggage I’ve been ‘ordered’ to take inside at the bottom of the stone steps, five bags in all, and I can’t help but wonder how long he’s planning to stay.
If I have to live in the same house as that guy, I’m quitting.
It takes me three trips up and down Sarah’s massive staircase before I’m done bringing his majesties luggage inside. I tossed it into the room, literally. One bag even broke open when I flung it, causing the contents to spill all over the floor, but I just laughed, and moved on.
I’m carrying the dry cleaning out the door when Sarah pulls into the driveway and I stop in my tracks, wait for her to get out of the car so she can ask me what the hell I’m doing.
I can’t wait to tell her.
“Justin, what the hell are you doing? I told you to make Alex comfortable.” She slams the car door once Roy helps her out, and waits for me to answer her.
“I’ve been ordered to take these to the cleaners.” I walk down the rest of the steps and over to the Mercedes I always drive. “I’ll be back.”
I open the car door and throw the clothing onto the back seat, slamming it angrily before I send her a sharp glare.
“Well he...he asked you to do it?”
“Ordered me.” I open the drivers side door. “He also said he’s waiting for you, so you better get inside.”
“Daddy’s here?” Hailey’s eyes are wide when she comes around the other side of the car. I can tell how excited she is, but I wish she wouldn’t set her hopes so high.
“He’s inside,” I nod.
She doesn’t say anything else, just bounds toward the house and throws the door open so she can run inside.
I truly hope, for her sake, that he sticks around this time.
“I doubt he ordered you,” Sarah continues, with a roll of her eyes. “You’re just exaggerating.”
“Fine. Believe what you want, Sarah,” I raise my hands in a surrender motion. “I’ll see you.”
“You know...I really don’t appreciate your attitude, Justin. I’m under a lot of stress right now!”
I ignore her, get into the car and slam the door. She’s standing there at the window though, knocking on it, still yelling at me.
I peel away. Sure, they’re will be hell to pay later. But...maybe this is it.
Maybe this is my breaking point. The one Trace and I discussed.
Maybe now that Mr. Wonderful is here to stay, it’s time for me to move on.
I stop at a traffic light and eye the button on the steering wheel that will allow me to dial out on my phone. I know Cage’s number is stored in there, and he told me to call him anytime I felt like it. I could tell him that I’m willing to start working for him, after Paris. I’m too nice of a guy to desert Sarah for the trip, of course. I could get her through it, and then I’d be free to leave when we came back.
It could work.
I might have a way out of this, finally.
I debate it for another second as the light turns green. I step on the gas and then...
I send the call through.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you everybody for reading :)
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