by Beth Abbott
Charlie snorted a laugh. That was one of his mom’s favourite threats to their dad, but he would be surprised if Joel had made the connection between that and Sara’s threat to withhold sex. He probably just thought it was a standard threat when married couples argued.
Tuck was standing with his hand covering his mouth, trying not to laugh.
Marcus blushed, but the grin was still there.
“Quite right, too!” Sara chuckled. “Marcus is just being an ass, Joel, and should think himself very lucky that I’m ignoring him, as usual.”
“I was just trying to make the point that as none of us here is in a position to give you a ride to Gregor’s house, because we all have meetings with the Feds, I would rather you postpone your visit until someone can drive you.” Marcus explained, obviously trying to get back in Sara’s good books.
“Actually, I could probably help out there.” Charlie offered. “I was coming in to see Tuck to ask for a few hours off, as Joel’s rehearsal just got cancelled, and my mom is at the hospital with my dad. But I’d be just as happy to help out by driving Sara around, once I’ve gotten a few things sorted. I can be free in less than thirty minutes. Then when Sara’s finished with whatever she needs to do, I can drop her back home, and Joel and I can head to the hospital.”
“Sounds like a perfect solution to me.” Tuck shrugged. “Sara, does that work for you?”
“It works perfectly for me. I’ve already typed up my notes from the trip, so if I just add a ‘foreword’, and e-mail it to you, Tuck, you can pass it on. If they still need to speak to me later, they can just add bits and pieces to what I’ve already written.” Sara nodded, turning to look at her husband. “Does that suit you, sweetness?”
“Not entirely.” Marcus scowled at her. “But I’ll take it. As long as Charlie takes you straight home afterwards, and you put your feet up. Please?”
Sara rolled her eyes, and Marcus’ expression softened as he realised she’d accepted the compromise.
“Ok, so I’ll meet you here in thirty minutes?” Sara nodded to Charlie and Joel.
“Yes, ma’am!” Joel saluted her, and everyone laughed.
Charlie headed off to his office breathing a sigh of relief. That couldn’t have worked out better if he’d planned it that way!
Chapter 3 – Tulli
As Tulli sat at the breakfast table in the kitchen, she couldn’t help but marvel at the quality of the kitchen units and all the appliances.
Her family had frequently lived in the accommodation provided by the employers her father had worked for. Mostly provided by colleges and other educational establishments, they had sometimes lived in apartments, and sometimes houses, but never anywhere where the furnishings could be described as anything more than ‘functional’.
She’d never really thought about it much before, always being happy to live somewhere clean and comfortable, but there hadn’t exactly been much in the way of luxury around her.
Funny, but it had taken just a few hours in Gregor’s beautiful home to make her see the reality of the way she’d been raised.
Yet, would she have been any happier being raised in this house, and wealthy?
Probably not.
The only benefit she could think of, was that when her mom had suffered a stroke, they could have hired a proper nurse to help take care of her, instead of Tulli having to give up any hope of a career in law.
Her thoughts drifted back to Mischa. It looked like Tulli was no closer to that career still, as instead of looking after their mother, she was going to be caring for her baby sister.
“Pancakes, Tulli?” She heard the amused voice of her host and glanced up, guessing that Gregor must have had to repeat himself, so lost had she been in her thoughts.
Gregor stood in front of her, holding a plate piled high with pancakes, a smile on his handsome face telling her that he knew she’d been daydreaming again.
“Please.” She smiled, her cheeks turning pink, watching him place two large pancakes on her plate.
“Sit down with Tulli, and stop pretending that you actually help around the kitchen.” A woman’s voice scolded Gregor, and Tulli grinned at the housekeeper, amazed that the older woman was comfortable enough around her employer as to tell him off in such a public way.
Gregor chuckled.
“Ok, I’ll sit.” He agreed affably. “Marcy’s right… I usually leave everything in the kitchen in her capable hands. I’m not exactly known for my culinary skills.”
“No?” Tulli tried to keep her face straight. “You surprise me. I thought you were one of those men who could turn their hand to anything.”
Marcy’s snort of laughter quickly turned into a fake cough.
“Sorry…” She muttered, scurrying back to the stove to grab one of the pans. “Bad chest!”
Tulli watched Gregor scowl at his housekeeper, as she plated the last of the bacon and eggs.
“I am, as Marcy will attest, a man of many talents.” Gregor glanced back at Tulli before breaking into a smile. “Sadly, few of them stretch outside of my office or boardroom.”
Tulli watched as Marcy brought the plate to the table and deposited it in the middle with some serving utensils.
She placed a hand on Gregor’s shoulder before turning away from the table.
“Don’t let him kid you, Tulli. Gregor has a great many talents.” Marcy looked down at her employer fondly. “The truth is he simply chooses not to use them outside his office or boardroom. Some of us live in anticipation of the day that he’ll meet someone who’ll convince him there’s more to life than work!”
Marcy turned and stepped towards the door, wandering out of the kitchen leaving Gregor with a look of shock on his face like she’d slapped him.
“I take it Marcy has never said anything like that to you before?” Tulli smiled at him as she cut her pancake into small pieces.
“Not quite so forcefully, or in front of company, no.” He admitted. “She has suggested to me privately that it might be nice, once in a while, if she got to cook an evening meal for two.”
“Are you sure she doesn’t want to join you for dinner?” Tulli teased.
“Umm, that would be an absolute no!” Gregor shook his head. “Marcy has been with me a long time, and I value her friendship as well as her skill in running my household. But she has her own family and a life beyond these four walls. And, thankfully, no interest in me that way, at all.”
“So, do you class all your employees as your friends?” Tulli asked, taking a bite of her dry pancake. “Marcy and the men who were with you yesterday? The helicopter pilot and his brother? Your chauffeur, Dmitri?”
“Firstly, Dmitri is my personal assistant. He just happened to be driving yesterday.” Gregor smiled. “And Kris and Yuri I’ve known for many years. Their family used to live next door to mine, and I used to babysit for them when I was around twelve or thirteen, for their mother to work in the evenings.”
Tulli sat back, her fork halfway to her mouth, and her jaw dropped open. She recovered herself quickly.
“I can’t imagine you as someone’s babysitter, somehow.” She shook her head.
“I did whatever I needed to do, even then, to make money. Any odd jobs or chores I could do in the neighbourhood, I did. I was an errand boy for several of the local merchants, making money for running deliveries to customers.” Gregor smiled at Tulli’s shock. “Did you think I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth?”
“I guess I didn’t think at all.” She admitted. “I confess, I’d never heard of you before, and it was only when I heard that doctor, Sara, I think her name was… when I heard her talking and she said you were on the board of the hospital, I guessed you must be rich. Marcy filled me in on a little more of your background, but honestly…? I still know little about you. Apart from the fact that you’re a kind and generous man, of course.”
She watched Gregor blush at her words with surprise. Rich, successful men weren’t prone to blushing, were they?
“Right time… right place? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?” Tulli smiled. “I find that hard to believe, as I’m sure there were thousands, if not millions of others, all trying to strike it rich at the same time as you were. Something obviously helped set you apart from the crowd, wouldn’t you agree?”
Gregor tilted his head to one side and stared at her.
“Would you accept that sheer cussed obstinacy and damned hard work were the other major components?” He suggested.
“I don’t know…” She bit her lower lip, as though considering his point. “I guess I haven’t seen much of your obstinacy yet, so I’ll have to reserve judgement. Do you save that side of you for the boardroom?”
“Mostly.” Gregor grinned. “But then, as the boardroom has occupied virtually ninety-five percent of my waking life for the last five years, that means I’ve been almost permanently obstinate for way too long.”
“And the other five percent?” Tulli wondered what he might be like when he took time out. “What are you then?”
Gregor reached behind him for the coffee pot and refilled their mugs.
“Papa.” He smiled. “Pretty much the only time I take away from the business is the time I spend with my kids. Of course, Sophia, you know. But I also have a son, Serge. They’ve both been the light in the darkness these past five years… ever since my marriage ended.”
Tulli stared at Gregor, trying to detect the meaning behind his words. Did he still miss his wife?
“Does your ex-wife live close by?” She asked, watching his reaction.
“She’s married to a politician now, and yes, they live not too far from here. I moved to Philly to stay close to Sophia and Serge.” Gregor sipped his coffee, as though deep in thought.
“You sound as though you’re still saddened by your divorce.” She said softly. “Do you still miss your wife?”
Gregor glanced up from his mug and stared intently at Tulli, until she had to force herself to continue meeting his eye.
“If you’d asked me that a week ago, I’d have said I still struggled to adapt to a life without her.” He admitted, more candidly than she’d expected. “But this last week has made me see things more clearly than I ever imagined I could, and I’d have to say that I think I’ve finally managed to see my future without her.”
“Sophia’s ordeal was the catalyst for your change of heart?” She asked, not surprised that his outlook had been turned on its head.
“In part.” He admitted. “Seeing her mother happy with her new husband also made me realise that I’d been wallowing in self-pity. Feeling sorry for myself that I’d been left alone, while my family were getting on with life.”
“So, do you feel ready to ‘get on with life’ now, too?” Tulli asked, wondering what that might mean for a man with enough wealth to do whatever the hell he wanted.
Gregor nodded slowly, as if he’d only just started to think about it.
“You know, I actually think I am.” He smiled. “It’s as though by helping you all find your freedom, I’ve actually discovered my own. It’s quite invigorating, isn’t it?”
Tulli chuckled.
“I can’t say that I feel invigorated just yet.” She shook her head slowly. “I’m too tired, relieved, grateful and confused to feel much of anything uplifting. With time, I’m sure I’ll feel more positive, once my sisters are acting more like themselves.”
A buzzing sound came from Gregor’s pocket, and he excused the interruption, checking the screen.
“Well, it looks as though step one of that process is about to begin.” He grinned at Tulli as he stood up. “That was the gate to say that Dr Sara Adams is on her way up to see us. Let’s see what my newest employee can do to help your sisters on their way to recovery. You too, hmm?”
Tulli stood up and pushed her chair under the table, carrying her plate to the sink where she started to wash it.
“Tulli, just leave the plate in the sink, Ok?” Gregor placed his own dish on the counter. “Come on. Let’s go and see what Sara can do for Mischa, yes?”
Tulli quickly followed Gregor out to meet with the doctor.
She wasn’t entirely convinced that anything could be done for her sweet baby sister, but the thought that someone was going to try and help her, gave Tulli’s heart a little jolt.
Maybe she could feel a little invigorated, after all.
Chapter 4 – Sara
“Are you sure it’s Ok for us to come inside?” Charlie whispered to Sara as the three of them climbed out of Charlie’s car. “Some of us can get a little rowdy when we get bored.”
Sara grinned at Charlie, knowing full well who he was talking about.
“Then I’ll rely on Joel to stop you getting bored, then.” She nudged his brother. “Right, Joel?”
“You gotcha!” Joel grinned at his brother, obviously understanding the joke was on Charlie.
“Sara, it’s good to see you.” Sara spun around, surprised to see Gregor opening the door himself, Tulli standing just a few feet behind him. “I see you brought us some company.”
Sara smiled at Gregor, noticing the way his eyes had taken in everything as he scanned the faces of her companions.
“Gregor, Tulli… how are you this morning?” Sara stepped inside.
“Much better than I probably should be.” Tulli smiled.
“Well, that’s obviously a good sign.” Sara reached out and squeezed Tulli’s arm. “Baby steps, Ok?”
Tulli nodded, and Sara turned to her companions.
“I’d like to introduce my colleague Charlie Lamar, who works with me at Stalwart, and this handsome young man is his younger brother Joel. Guys, this is Gregor Diminov and Tulli Mazur.” Sara made the introductions. “Charlie and Joel’s dad has just had heart surgery in the hospital, and they were going to stop by and visit with him, when my idiot of a husband tried to tell me I couldn’t drive here by myself. Charlie kindly offered to be my chauffeur for the morning.”
“That was very kind of them.” Gregor nodded at Charlie before turning and shaking Joel’s hand, smiling at the formal way Joel almost bowed to him. “But if you guys need to get to the hospital, please don’t let us keep you. Either Dmitri or I can drive Sara to wherever she needs to go after her visit.”
“Actually, do you mind if they stay?” Sara shook her head. “After I left you yesterday, I was thinking about the way Mischa responded positively to me and the baby. The more I mulled it over, the more convinced I am that the old Mischa is there, just below the surface. So, if you don’t mind, I wanted to try something this morning… an ‘experiment’ if you will, this time involving Joel in place of the baby.”
“I’m not a baby.” Joel pouted at her, making Sara smile.
“Of course, you’re not a baby, Joel.” She soothed. “But you have a very special way about you, one that everyone responds to. I think it’s your kind heart. I’m wondering whether Mischa will respond to you as well.”
Sara glanced around to Tulli.
“Do you mind if we try?” She asked. “There are studies to say that people who have suffered a trauma sometimes react positively to different stimuli. Some respond to children, others to animals, others to music. Worst case scenario, Mischa gets upset, and Charlie and Joel skedaddle out of there. Best case scenario, Mischa responds to Joel, and we make a tiny bit of progress.”
Sara watched Tulli glance up at Gregor, seeming to be asking for direction.
“I’ve also heard that people respond to certain situations differ
ently.” He shrugged. “Could it hurt?”
“Ok. I mean, yes.” Tulli nodded. “We could try for a few moments, and if Mischa doesn’t like it, Joel and his brother could leave quietly.”
“I can do that.” Joel nodded. “I can be really quiet when I want to, can’t I Charlie.”
Sara chuckled as Charlie confirmed Joel’s statement.
“He can be exceptionally quiet, right up to the point someone yells that dinner is on the table.” Charlie grinned. “Then it sounds like a herd of elephants is charging down the stairs.”
“Then I’ll make sure my housekeeper doesn’t announce any mealtimes while we’re up there.” Gregor nodded solemnly, but Sara could see the twinkle in his eyes.
Sara, Joel, and Charlie followed Gregor and Tulli upstairs, and along a wide hallway until they reached a door that stood slightly ajar.
TuIli pushed the door open wider and stepped in, and Sara followed, spotting the middle sister, Lara, sitting by the bed reading to Mischa.
Sara made her way slowly to the bed, noticing that Lara hadn’t even looked up.
“Hey, Mischa… it’s me again, Sara. I’ve come by to check on how you’re doing.” She said quietly. “You wouldn’t believe how much this baby has been kicking me this morning. Here, feel this.”
Sara sat down carefully on the mattress, and took Mischa’s hand, guiding it to her baby-bump, just as she’d done in the hospital.
She noticed as she did so that Mischa turned her head towards Sara, just a touch, almost as though she was about to say something.
Of course, she didn’t speak, but Sara watched the girl’s expression carefully and noticed how calm she appeared. Nothing like the hysterical girl she’d seen in the hospital yesterday.
“I’ve brought a friend of mine to meet you today, Mischa.” Sara held Mischa’s free hand in her own, and rubbed her thumb across the back of her knuckles in a soothing and rhythmic way.
“Mischa, I’d like to introduce you to Joel Lamar.” Sara beckoned Joel forward until he stood almost in Mischa’s direct line of sight.