by Mia Ford
“I see we both like to get our workouts out of the way early,” he remarked, and Veronica could hardly think to form a response. The best she could manage was a light laugh.
Veronica hung back as he withdrew two glasses from the cabinet. He handed one to her, which she sheepishly took, and the other he held under the faucet to begin filling it with water.
“You don’t have to drink from the tap,” Frank said over his shoulder. “It’s just how I was brought up.”
Veronica could only blink at him as her heart clenched and she was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. In this moment, he wasn’t her employer. He was a man, and a man that she knew she had a great many things in common with.
As Frank sipped at his glass, Veronica slipped past him to stand in front of the sink and fill up her own glass. She heard Frank let out a chuckle from behind her, and she jumped and gasped as she felt his hand move to trace over her arm. In her surprise, she dropped the glass, the loud crash sounding throughout the room.
No sooner had she dropped the glass, Veronica felt Frank seize her by the shoulders and tear her away from the sink. Veronica’s head spun from how fast he moved her, and when she was able to focus her vision, she could see Frank’s eyes searching frantically over her face and her body.
“Are you hurt?” he asked her urgently, his grip on her shoulders bordering on painful. His eyes looked crazed, and she could clearly see a desperate fear lingering there. She had never seen a look like that before, and it sent chills through her body.
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Veronica assured him softly, nodding her head.
She saw Frank relax little by little, and his eyes seemed to refocus, and finally see her clearly. He let out a soft rush of air, and suddenly brought Veronica close, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight to his chest.
“Sorry,” he said, his voice a little shaky. “I’m not always good with loud noises. Grew up in some bad homes, bad neighborhoods… lost a few people close to me.”
Veronica felt dazed and at a loss for how to handle this situation, so she could only hold him tighter. She could feel the muscles in his back relax as she held him and she felt her heart soften just a little more. She heard Frank take in a breath, and she felt him begin to pull back from her.
He looked down at her and gave her a gentle smile, cupping her face in the palm of his hand. Veronica gave him a small smile of her own. She felt like they were kindred spirits, having finally found each other after spending thousands of years separated from one another.
Frank broke their gaze to glance into the sink, and Veronica blinked as the spell was broken.
“Oh, I’ll take care of that,” Veronica immediately spoke up, moving to gather up the broken glass. She kept her eyes locked on the shards, and carefully wrapped them in a hand towel before depositing them in the garbage.
All the while, she felt Frank’s eyes on her, and she felt her skin begin to crawl deliciously. She looked up from the trash, and her eyes immediately linked with his. They stood in silence, and Veronica wondered just how much longer she could take the tension brewing between them.
“I need to shower before I make breakfast,” Veronica said softly, looking for just about any excuse to extricate herself from her current situation.
“Oh of course,” Frank nodded, seeming to be brought back to reality at least a little bit. “I guess you won’t get much of a chance for the rest of the day.”
Veronica gave him a small smile and a nod.
“I’m headed that way myself,” Frank said, and held his arm out to gesture toward the staircase.
“Okay,” Veronica said, and moved to join him. They walked side by side up the stairs. When they made it to Veronica’s hallway, Frank hesitated, and Veronica, almost entranced, hesitated with him.
“I’ll see you at breakfast,” Frank managed to say, and turned to walk away.
“Okay,” Veronica barely managed, watching as Frank turned down his own hallway.
When he was out of sight, Veronica turned and went into her own room, releasing a sigh as she leaned against her door. She needed to take a moment to process all that had just passed between them.
Apparently, ignoring the connection they had with one another was not going to be as simple as she hoped.
Puzzling over how she was going to handle the situation she had found herself in, she quickly went through her shower routine and then dressed herself in a pair of comfortable jeans and a nice blouse. Satisfied with her appearance, she left her room and headed down the stairs to start breakfast for the girls.
Once in the kitchen Veronica took stock of all the things she had to work with, and she decided on a meal of pancakes, bacon, and eggs for the girls that morning. She got the pancake mix out of the pantry and began the process of mixing up a batch of batter.
Veronica found the whole process of cooking the meal very therapeutic. Soon, she had all the food items laid out under the lamp over the breakfast bar to keep it warm, and she headed back upstairs to start getting the girls ready.
Veronica was pleasantly surprised to find that the girls were more than eager to comply with her wishes, and were very helpful and cooperative, even anticipating what they were supposed to do. It was clear that they had been under the care of some very good nannies in their young lives.
It seemed almost too fast that the girls were ready, and seated at the table enjoying their banquet of pancakes. Veronica easily assisted them with pouring drinks and giving them more syrup or whatever other toppings they desired.
In the midst of their breakfast, Frank strolled into the kitchen, and the girls immediately hopped out of their chairs and rushed to greet him.
Frank chuckled as each of the girls attached themselves around one of his legs. Frank indulged them, and began to walk across the kitchen. Veronica couldn’t help but smile as the girls giggled hysterically. Frank looked up, and Veronica was immediately locked in his dark gaze. He flicked her an easy smile, and Veronica felt an ember begin to burn deep in her core.
“Alright girls, back to the table,” Frank said with a chuckle. The girls rushed to obey, and say at the table looking over at him admiringly.
Frank looked back at them, a broad smile on his face. When the girls were once again engrossed in their meal, Frank looked back at Veronica, that familiar twinkling light in his eye.
Veronica blinked a moment, and hurried to act as she felt her cheeks flush.
“Can I get you some breakfast?” Veronica asked softly, looking anywhere but into his eyes.
“I can help myself, thanks,” Frank said easily. Veronica gave him a single nod. It looked as though the girls had largely finished eating, so Veronica took up their plates and started the process of getting them washed.
As she took care of the dishes, Veronica was constantly aware of Frank’s presence in the kitchen. It seemed that no matter how she tried to occupy her mind, she always found her eyes wandering to him. And each time, his eyes seemed to meet hers, and her world seemed to center solely on him.
Veronica could hardly think at all.
“Alright, I’m off,” Frank finally said, standing from his place at the table. Veronica felt a mix of relief and disappointment that he would be leaving.
Veronica stood back as he kissed the girls goodbye, smiling a little as she witnessed their interactions. When he finished, he looked up at Veronica.
“The movers should be bringing your things in today,” he said easily. “Someone will be here to take care of everything for you.”
“Oh,” Veronica blinked. If she was honest with herself, she had forgotten all about her belongings in the flurry of activity that had taken place in the short time that she had been there.
“Thank you,” she managed.
“Of course,” Frank smiled over at her. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”
“Yes sir,” Veronica gave him a nod. Frank blinked and frowned a little, apparently a little confused by her use of a title.
; Frank said nothing more as he moved to leave, though he did cast her a curious glance. Veronica let out a soft sigh as she heard the front door close. She gathered up the few remaining dishes and took care of them as the girls chatted at the table. With Frank gone, she was finally able to focus on her job.
When she was finally finished cleaning up, she turned to the girls. She gave them a smile, and they both smiled back eagerly.
“I think the weather outside is nice and warm,” Veronica pointed out. “Who wants to go for a swim?”
Veronica was immediately met with squeals of excitement.
Ch. 3
Veronica spent the day entertaining the girls, frolicking with them through the house. After their swim she helped them get cleaned off and changed into fresh clothes. No sooner were they redressed, though, they wanted her to take them out on the trails, and of course, she obliged.
As Veronica took care of the girls, bringing them in to have lunch after their trek on the trails, she noticed that rest of the staff had filtered in. Most notably, she caught sight of the men who she assumed were the movers taking her possessions up to her room.
Veronica felt a flash of guilt as she saw them. Her belongings reminded her of the home she had made with Calvin, and she wondered vaguely what he was up to. She realized she hadn’t spoken with him much at all the previous day, and she realized she should probably call to check up on him.
It was strange not to be around him all the time, where the details of each other’s lives just sort of came out in the midst of everyday life. Now, though, that they were no longer physically together, she knew she would have to put forth a bit more effort if she wanted to keep tabs on him.
Veronica considered all this as she cleaned up the dishes from the girls’ lunch. She decided then that she could dwell on all this later, and she refocused her attention on her young charges.
They seemed a little worn out from their swim and their hike through the woods, so Veronica opted to settle them down in the den for a while and put on a movie. She nearly laughed as she had to intercept what may have turned into a fight over what movie to watch, and they finally agreed upon a system wherein they would alternate who selected the movie to be watched.
For today, Veronica picked the movie, and the girls were content to watch it. They were quiet for the duration of the movie, but after sitting still for so long they were well rested and ready to go at it again.
While it was definitely more than she was used to dealing with, Veronica was learning to accept that she would be a major fixture in the girls’ lives. She was not having to hard a time keeping up with them, and the more she interacted with them the more she seemed to like them. In general, they were very smart and well-rounded girls.
Veronica caught herself smiling as she thought of the opportunities they would have, and how their father had created them. Having grown up under such rough conditions, it would have been easy for him to go down a horrible road for the rest of his life. Instead, he had made a name for himself and paved the way for an excellent future for his children, as well as providing for the countless members of his staff.
Veronica tried to keep her mind off Frank, but it was hard when she was so clearly surrounded by all that he had made of himself. Even as she took care of his children, she was reminded of him in their smiles and their deep, dark skin. Veronica found herself vaguely wondering what their mother looked like.
The rest of the afternoon was occupied with trying to put together a large puzzle. It was only when a much larger pair of hands joined in that Veronica looked up and saw Frank kneeling down and helping them. Veronica hastily looked back down at the puzzle.
Soon, the whole work was completed, and the girls cheered excitedly for themselves.
“We’ll have to get a frame and hang it up,” Frank said to the girls, and they giggled their approval. Frank glanced over at Veronica and have her a smirk. Veronica offered him an easy smile.
“Why don’t you run downstairs and get a snack,” Frank leaned over and suggested to the girls. “Miss Lawrence will be right down.”
The girls immediately raced down the stairs, and Veronica felt her stomach clench in a way that was becoming all too familiar. Frank looked over at her and seemed to consider her for a moment before he spoke.
“How were they?” he asked her, his voice seeming more tentative than usual.
“They were great,” Veronica answered, trying to keep her voice light.
“Good,” Frank nodded. There was a long silence then
“I’m going to change out of my clothes,” he said softly.
“Right,” Veronica nodded. “I’ll be in the kitchen with the girls.”
“Of course,” Frank nodded to her. “I’ll be down in a bit.”
Veronica offered him a tight smile and then headed down the staircase to see the girls. She supervised them as they had their snack of a banana and some grapes, and then made sure they cleaned themselves up. About the time they had finished, Frank had made it downstairs.
The girls, of course, immediately rushed to them and Frank chuckled, stroking each of their heads.
“How about a board game?” Frank suggested, and the girls immediately began discussing which one they wanted to play. It seemed to go back and forth between Guess Who and Sorry! Eventually, Guess Who won out.
“Alright then,” Frank said when it was settled. “Miss Lawrence, would you like to play?”
Veronica was a little taken aback. She looked into Frank’s eyes, and she immediately felt the urge to flee.
“Actually,” Veronica countered. “I have been meaning to make a phone call.”
“Oh,” Frank said, seeming a little surprised. “By all means.”
“Maybe I can join in on a later round?” Veronica suggested, mostly speaking to the girls, who encouraged her to do so eagerly.
Veronica looked up at Frank, who gave her a smile and a short shrug. Veronica smiled back, and then turned to head across the kitchen and out onto the pool area. Once outside, she collapsed into a pool chair and ran a hand over her face.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. For a moment, she merely held it in her hand and looked down at it. Finally, she was able to find Calvin’s contact information and hit the call button.
The phone only rang once before he answered.
“Hey!” his voice sounded eager, and Veronica was more than a little surprised by his tone.
“Hey,” she said back, her own voice not quite matching his enthusiasm.
“I didn’t ever hear from you yesterday,” Calvin pointed out. “I figured you were probably just busy taking care of things over there.”
“Yeah it was a pretty wild day,” Veronica said, feeling a cold pang of guilt as she remembered just what had transpired the previous day.
“Oh yeah?” Calvin asked, and Veronica closed her eyes at the eagerness in his voice. “Tell me about it? What’s it like?”
“Well the house is incredible and the girls are great,” Veronica said, and she certainly wasn’t lying.
“What about Davenport?” Calvin asked, his voice full of innocent curiosity. “Is he very cold and distant?”
“I don’t know,” Veronica let the lie slide off her tongue. “I haven’t really seen him all that much.”
“Well I guess that’s to be expected,” Calvin said, and in her mind’s eye Veronica could see him nodding. She couldn’t be sure, buts he could have sworn she heard a note of relief in his voice, and it only served to compound her guilt.
“So what about you?” Veronica asked, eager to steer the conversation away from herself. “I know the movers came by today.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Calvin said. “They got the whole place cleared out. I’m getting set up in one of the apartments that Davenport owns. Really classy place. And he’ matching what I paid in rent on the other one, can you believe that?”
“Wow,” Veronica said, trying her best to sound even remotely surprised. “That sounds too g
ood to be true.”
“Well,” Calvin said, his voice a little deflated. “Not quite too good. I’m missing the one thing that would really make it all perfect.”
Veronica sighed, knowing that he was referring to their separation.
“I know it’s a lot different,” Veronica tried to reassure him. “It’s a lot different for both of us.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Calvin said, and she could tell that there was something else on his mind.
A long silence stretched between them, and Veronica began to feel uncomfortable.
“Well I’d better get back to work,” Veronica said lamely, kicking at the wood of the deck.
“Oh yeah of course,” Calvin said, a soft laugh on his voice. “Well good night! I love you!”
“I love you too,” Veronica said, maybe a little too softly. “Goodnight.”
With that, she hung up the phone. She let out a long breath through her nose and closed her eyes. She had no idea how she was ever going to manage to tell him the truth.
After taking a moment to collect her thoughts and straighten out her emotions, Veronica stood up and made her way back into the house to while away the rest of the evening with the girls, as well as with Frank.
Ch. 4
Veronica returned quietly to the den, escaping notice as Frank and the girls played their game. She was content to watch them play, and when they had worn themselves out she helped Frank get them up to their rooms. Veronica made sure that extraneous toys were picked up off the ground.
When there was nothing else to keep her occupied, the only thing left for her to do was face Frank, who lingered in the upstairs open area.
“Hey,” Frank said softly.
“Hey,” Veronica replied.
Another long silence passed, and Veronica looked at the front pocket of Frank’s shirt.
“Hey,” Frank said again, more softly, and placed his fingers under her chin to lift her face so that she was looking him in the eye. Veronica looked there and saw a mixture of emotions swirling.
“Was that Calvin?” he asked her. Veronica frowned a little.