by Kim Davis
“If you don’t like seafood, we can go somewhere else.” Brad straightened and looked me in the eyes.
“It’s not that. Seafood is fine.” My face burned, and I let the words tumble out of my mouth as I rambled on. “It’s just, um, I don’t want to give you the wrong idea. You’re a great guy and I’ve enjoyed getting reacquainted with you again. But I’m not ready to date. I’m not even divorced, so I can’t even think about anything like that yet….”
Brad’s guffaw was so loud that several walkers turned to see what was going on. “Oh, Em, you really are naïve, aren’t you? I assumed it was an act.”
“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Did I miss that Brad was married? His ring finger was bare when I bent down to look at it.
“That’s not the team I play for.” He wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. “I was sure you knew that in high school.”
His words puzzled me at first, and then I started putting the pieces together. Brad never dated and had never made a pass at me, even though I thought he had a crush. I assumed he had been ultra-shy. He shared all the gossip about movie stars and about our peers. He even critiqued my outfits from time to time and made helpful suggestions on hairstyles to try. Brad had been a good friend.
“Oh! No, I never knew, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.”
“That’s exactly why we were friends in high school.” He paused a moment. “It surprised me you didn’t stay in touch once we graduated. It hurt my feelings when you didn’t respond to my letters once I moved to the Bay area.”
“On our pinky-promise swear, I never received any letters from you. I supposed you had moved on to new friends and didn’t have time for me.” A deep frown furrowed my brow. “My mother… she wouldn’t have hidden them from me, would she?”
Brad didn’t reply but instead raised his sun-bleached eyebrows and shrugged.
“I’ll bet she did. She loved Philip and wouldn’t have wanted any other guy to come between us.” I stomped my foot, startling Piper. “Most mothers say, ‘Finish college before getting married.’ Not my mother. She pushed me down the aisle before I could even legally drink. And look where that got me.”
Brad pulled me into a warm hug while Piper nuzzled my hand. “Put it behind you and live your life like you want. Trust me, hanging on to anger isn’t going to help.”
“Thanks. I’ll try to remember your advice.” My smile was weak, but I thought it was better than nothing. “I’d better go see what Mother wants. One of these days I’ll give her a piece of my mind, though. She almost ruined my chance at having you as a friend.”
“So, about that dinner. Are you in?”
“You bet.”
I needed friends now more than ever. I was lucky Brad had come back into my life just when I needed friendship most.
Chapter 30
I walked into the condo to find my mother packing the kitchen supplies. Her normally well-coiffed hair was out of place, and she had a coffee stain on her cream-colored slacks.
“What took you so long?” she snapped at me. “Grab more boxes and start packing. I wish you had gotten it done like I asked you two days ago.”
“What’s the rush? Even if someone puts in an offer, it will take a month for escrow to close.” I bent over one of the packed boxes, removed the containers of flour and baking powder, then placed them back on the shelf.
“What do you think you’re doing? This needed to be packed up yesterday,” Mother said with a huff. “The real estate agent is getting Philip’s signature accepting the offer. She waited here as long as possible for you to sign first. Honestly, why did you take off like that?”
“I need my baking supplies. I’m supposed to provide four dozen cupcakes for a Chamber of Commerce meeting next week. I don’t see what the rush is. I can finish packing the kitchen later.” I bit back a retort. “Besides, I didn’t expect someone to snatch it up with the first showing. Don’t I need to sign the contract?”
“Yes. She’ll bring the contract here in about an hour.” She pushed a wayward strand of hair from her eyes, leaving a smudge of something on her forehead. “The buyers have relocated from Texas, and they took the asking price without blinking. I guess they’re tired of living in a hotel room.”
“Still, what’s the rush with packing up? I have thirty days for escrow, don’t I?”
“No. You have three days, to be exact.”
“What? Why?” No way could I move out in three days. “Even though I’m not an expert, I’m aware escrow doesn’t move that fast.”
“No, but they offered a five-thousand-dollar cash bonus if they could move in during that time frame. If escrow hasn’t closed in a month, they’ll rent the condo from you on a month-to-month basis.” Mother hauled another collapsed box to the table and assembled it.
Something seemed off, but it could be because I was dragging my heels on moving. This was my home and my security, and it had signified my independence. Now I was giving it up, with no place to go.
“They’re paying cash for the condo, too, so escrow will move fast. Philip has agreed to let you put the cash bonus toward paying Lars back for your loan.”
“You’re forgetting one tiny little problem. I have nowhere to live now.” I gestured around the room. “We’ll need to get a storage unit for everything. Maybe Carrie will let me sleep on her sofa if you don’t want me staying with you. Besides that, where am I supposed to bake the cupcakes?”
“Don’t worry about it, darling. We have an appointment at three this afternoon with your new employer and landlord.”
“Wait, what?” I was confused. My mother had mentioned none of this before. Besides, who would hire a murder suspect? “What job? How did I get hired when I haven’t even interviewed? Please tell me it’s not flipping burgers at McDonald’s.”
“Calm down, dear. I called in a favor from an old friend of mine.”
Her cheeks turned pink, making me suspicious.
“You’ll be doing accounting work and some light cooking. Things you excel at, so they’ll be pleased to have you.”
“What about my living arrangements? Is this mystery employer going to be my new landlord?”
“Oh, they’ve agreed to let you and Piper live in the pool house.”
I almost choked. A pool house? With pool chemicals and cleaning equipment cluttering a slimy concrete floor? “Do I need to bring my own cot, or am I sleeping on a stack of pool towels? Have you even seen the place?”
“Honestly, darling. Be grateful you have a place to move to with your dog. I’m sure it will be lovely or at least comfortable.” She wouldn’t look at me. “Which reminds me, they would like to meet Piper during the interview.”
Easy for her to say. My sister’s sofa was beginning to sound acceptable. Perhaps I could barter babysitting duties for a few hours of sleep time on the sofa every night. “Okay… so who is my new employer and landlord?”
“David Skyler and his mother, Matilda.”
I almost fainted. David Skyler was one of the richest men in Orange County, thanks to all his real estate development projects, and one of the most well-known philanthropists in Southern California. I’d never known my mother to mention either of their names. “How… how the heck did you manage that?”
“Oh, David and I went to school together, and we’ve been friends ever since.” Mother waved her hand in a loop, like knowing him was no big deal. “He’s realized he needs help after that tragic accident.”
I puzzled for a moment then remembered Mr. Skyler’s very young third, or it could’ve been fourth, wife had been killed a while back in a hit-and-run accident. To my knowledge, the police had never arrested the culprit.
“How come I’ve never heard you talk about him?”
“I guess it never came up.” She almost giggled and then blushed. “You need to make sure you dress in a nice suit with heels. I want you to make a good impression. I’ll bring a choker strand of pearls to hide that… that thing on your neck. And
brush Piper. She needs to charm them as much as you do.”
My mother was hiding something. Could she be involved with Mr. Skyler? Was that why she was able to “call in a favor” and find me a job and a place to live? Poor Lars. He’d been good to our family, and now my mother was treating him like this.
I tried to ask more questions. Well, it was more like prying into what my mother’s relationship with Mr. Skyler was. But she wasn’t going for it, and she cut me off.
“You need to focus on packing, Emory.” She looked at her watch. “I’ve got to leave if I’m going to make my appointment on time. As soon as you sign the contract, get ready for your meeting. I’ll pick you up at two thirty, so don’t be late.”
I was being dismissed, so after Mother let herself out the front door, I rummaged around in the pile of clothes that still sat on the floor of my closet, looking for something suitable to wear. Then I set to work ironing the stubborn wrinkles out.
As expected, my mother showed up promptly at two thirty, dressed in a navy pantsuit with four-inch stiletto heels. Her makeup and hair looked salon perfect. Beside her, I felt dowdy. Sure, I’d put on my now-wrinkle-free chocolate-brown silk skirt suit with a demure cream-colored blouse, as well as the choker of pearls she had so thoughtfully offered. At least the choker covered the mark on my neck. But I didn’t wear heels, especially stilettos, so I was short and downright plump next to my svelte mother. I’d swiped on a dab of mascara and lip gloss, but that was the extent of my makeup. I’d clipped my unruly hair into submission at the base of my neck, but a few strands were already springing loose. Grimy after packing as fast as I could, I’d had every intention of taking a shower and relaxing before my interview. Unfortunately, the real estate agent hadn’t gotten there in time, and it was more important to get the contract signed than to take a shower.
“Don’t be nervous, darling. The job is yours.” She patted my hand then cleared her throat. “This is more of an introduction between you and Matilda, since you’ll be living in her pool house. I should warn you, though. Matilda isn’t thrilled with the arrangement.”
I groaned. My new employer didn’t even want me there, so I would probably be out on the street, homeless within a week. “Then why are we even going?”
“David gave her a choice between an assisted living facility or having a caretaker stay at the house.”
“What? This is supposed to be accounting and some light cooking.” I shook my head. “I don’t know a thing about taking care of an invalid!”
My mother laughed. “You’re being dramatic. Matilda isn’t an invalid. She fell last week and broke her arm, so David wants someone to prepare meals for her and check in on her a couple times a day. She insists she’s fine on her own, but we know she really isn’t.”
“And I’ll be doing accounting for Mrs. Skyler?”
“No, that will be for David. It’s accounting and some social secretary things too.”
Why did I get the feeling I wasn’t getting the full story?
Chapter 31
I looked out the window as we drove south on the Pacific Coast Highway toward Newport Beach. Quaint little restaurants, boat yards, upscale shops, and tourist joints lined the narrow highway. I saw glimpses of Newport Harbor in between buildings as we inched south. It was summer, high tourist season, and the streets were packed with cars, people on bikes, and tourists milling around in front of shops. I tried to avoid this area during this time of the year, but now it looked like I’d be living in this jungle… in a pool house, no less.
We turned off of the PCH, as it was known around here, and onto the Balboa Peninsula. It wasn’t quite as crowded here as the main road, and I sighed in relief. I didn’t like to be surrounded by people. The tightly packed, narrow houses blocked any views of the bay or the beach. A lot of the homes were valued in the mega-millions, but it didn’t seem like you got much square footage for your money. I worried that my pool house would turn out to be a pool hut. My mother parked the car down a narrow street that dead-ended at the bay. I stepped out and heard the honks of seals and the screams of seagulls. A warm breeze carried the smell of seawater.
My mouth fell wide open as my mother directed us toward the mini-mansion sitting adjacent to the bayside, dead-end street. The white edifice towered above us and seemed to fill the entire lot all the way to the water’s edge. I began to think the pool house was an illusion meant to lure me here, since no pool or even a teeny-tiny structure could possibly fit at the back of the house.
After being buzzed in through a wide security gate that swung open silently, we made our way to a massive wrought-iron and frosted-glass front door. David Skyler was standing just inside the open door, smiling. He was tall and dressed in an impeccable custom-made suit, complete with a red power tie and crisp white shirt. Even though nothing stood out about his clothes, they screamed money. His full head of blond hair had turned silver around the temples, adding a distinguished look to his well-chiseled, tanned, unwrinkled face. I wondered if he’d had plastic surgery then remembered this was Newport Beach. Of course he had. Everyone did plastic work or at least Botox.
I let my mother take the lead while Piper and I followed behind.
“Addie, you look stunning.” David lightly kissed her on each cheek, European style. “And this beautiful young lady must be your daughter.”
He reached out to shake my hand. I was holding Piper’s leash in my right hand and my purse in my left. As I tried to switch the leash to my left hand, Piper interpreted it to mean we were moving forward, and she collided with my legs. Thrown off balance, I pitched into my new boss’s solid chest.
Heat inflamed my cheeks, and I took a huge step back, almost squishing Piper, who let out a yelp. “I’m so sorry about that. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Skyler.”
He dropped his hand without giving me another chance to muck things up. “Please call me David. If you follow me, I’ll introduce you to Matilda.”
Interesting. He called his mother by her first name. My mother glared at me and then motioned for me to follow her into the house.
I stepped into the wide, two-storied foyer. On one side a curved stairway with a wrought-iron railing reminiscent of crashing waves led to the second floor. Straight ahead of the foyer led to an equally wide hallway featuring a view of the bay through an entire wall of glass doors. With the generous number of windows and an overhead skylight, the house was bright and airy. Art, and I mean museum-quality, famous works of art, lined the hallway walls. It worried me since I was a klutz. I didn’t want to be responsible for somehow knocking one of these million-dollar-or-more paintings off the wall. I hoped they were well insured. Nervous, I pulled Piper closer as we walked into the grand living room. I was glad to see the flooring was polished stone. I would have hated to be responsible for Piper scratching an expensive wood floor with her nails.
An elegant, silver-haired woman sat erect in a wingback chair. She wore a floral silk dress and had a generous amount of makeup applied to her fairly unlined face. Like I said, this was Newport Beach, so the level of makeup and her smooth face didn’t surprise me. Her lips pursed together. She met my gaze by looking over the tops of her tortoiseshell glasses, and her head dipped slightly to the side. I was certain she didn’t like me. Her left arm, encased in a colorfully tattooed cast, was cradled close to her body.
“Matilda, you remember Addie? And this is her daughter, Ann Marie.” David waved his hand toward me.
“Emory. My name is Emory.” People misspoke my name often, and I corrected the mistake a couple of times before answering to whatever they wanted to call me. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Skyler.”
“Likewise.” Matilda sniffed and stared at Piper.
“And this is Piper.” I prayed my dog wouldn’t do anything rude like bark or flop on her back to share her girlie parts with these strangers. “She’s well trained and won’t cause any problems for you.”
Matilda nodded but didn’t say a word.
David jumped in
and recited what my duties would require and what my very generous salary would be. Then he described what his mother could and couldn’t eat. If looks could kill, David would be a dead man from the angry glances Mrs. Skyler was giving her son. But she still didn’t say a word. My attention had wandered off from what my new boss was saying. Not the best way to make a good impression. My mother gave me angry looks as well, since she was all too aware of my mind wandering away instead of staying focused.
“Here’s a printed list of things Matilda can’t eat and recommendations for what you can cook.” He handed me several sheets of paper. “I think, for now, just have her breakfast on the table by eight. Dorie will tidy up after she’s done eating. You’re free to prepare her evening meals whenever it’s convenient, and she can reheat them when she’s ready for dinner. Please check on her around nine before she goes to bed. A phone call will be sufficient. Do you have any questions?”
Why yes, I did have a gazillion questions. Foremost were ‘Where is the pool house?’ and ‘How horrid is it?’ But I thought I’d better leave those questions unsaid and focus on the job aspect. “Should I use existing food in the pantry and refrigerator, and where should I prepare the meals?”
“You can use Matilda’s kitchen. We’ll get you a key to the house and a security alarm code.” He paused and scribbled something onto a notepad. “Leave a list of grocery items you need, and Dorie will purchase them. Feel free to cook enough for your own meals as well.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your generosity.” I resisted the urge to scratch my nose. “My mother mentioned I’ll be doing some accounting work for you. What will that entail?”
He waved off my concern. “Let’s get you settled in with Matilda then worry about that. I’ll have my business secretary schedule an appointment with you to meet at my house and go over some things next week. After you get up to speed, I shouldn’t need you to work more than ten or fifteen hours a week. You can fit those hours in whenever it’s convenient for you. I’m dividing my time between Newport Beach and Washington, D.C., so you’ll be on your own a lot.”