by Irene Bolton
I sighed and started to climb the tree, glancing at the kitten, then back at the girl. She was jumping impatiently around, giving me advice, "Grab that branch, oh, no, better that one, and jump onto that branch." She clearly suspected that I had ape-like climbing abilities and had suddenly become weightless. Finally, I reached the goal. The unfortunate kitten was so exhausted that he did not even resist when I reached out and grabbed him. He hung in my hand like a small red woolen bag.
"Hooray!" came the triumphant shouts from below and I, balancing on one branch, almost fell down.
Oh no. I didn’t mind God loving the Trinity but two flights would be enough for me for today, thank you very much. I didn’t fancy the idea of falling at all, as it would imply two crushed children: human child and cat child.
I exhaled and began to clamber down. It turned out to be much more difficult than going up. When you are headed upwards, you can at least see what to hold on to, but now I had to blindly grope for supports and pray that they would withstand my bodyweight. I only let myself relax a little when I was very near to the ground. The kitten immediately tried to escape my hands.
“Be careful!” Karina shouted.
I clutched at the soft fur tighter, but then the dry branch under my left foot broke and I hung in the air, one hand tightly clinging to a branch and the other squeezing a furry creature.
It seemed the rescuers still had to be called. But now they would have to save two lives: both those of the kitten and the crazy nanny who had followed him.
“Oh my god!” squealed Karina, frightened now.
“Easy! I have everything under control,” I announced, although I was not at all in a position to state such things. “Move away, dear, I'm going to jump now.” If I could manage to let go of the branch, of course. The only probable method of unclenching my fingers was in using pliers.
Karina immediately ran away to a safe distance. I shut my eyes, pressed the animal to my chest and let the branch go. The landing was loud, but soft. I couldn’t decide whether it was since I’d become used to falling, or the ground was nice and bouncy.
“Poor kitten. Are you hurt?”
Karina was already by my side. She took the kitten and kissed the dirty creature on the face. As the nanny, I could not simply watch Karina getting God-knows-what kind of germs all over her mouth, so I quickly jumped to my feet and took the kitten.
“What are we going to do with you?” I asked, stroking the small, light body.
“What do you mean?” Karina was surprised and indignantly shook her braids. “Of course, we’ll bring him home”.
"I don’t think your dad will be happy," I sighed. The kitten trembled and looked completely aghast. Dirty, skinny and no doubt mongrel, he absolutely did not fit the environment of the community he’d found himself in.
“Well, all right,” I surrendered. “Let's call your dad, and do as he says, okay?”
The girl nodded and I dialed Stan's number, preparing myself for the drawn-out reprimand on senseless calls and wasting time. It would almost be better if he yelled.
Chapter 9
The instant he heard about the kitten, Stan’s tone became icy and he demanded to speak with his daughter on the phone. I was relieved to pass the phone to Karina and walked away, stroking the kitten. It seemed that he and I would both be discarded…
“Yes, Daddy...” trailed the thin, child's voice.
A few minutes later, looking utterly happy, she passed the phone back to me. Stan's voice came out of the phone:
“The cat can live with us,” he said in a completely normal voice. “Since you saved it so heroically.”
Heroically? Oh my God! I hoped this unbearable child had not just told her daddy how she’d made me climb a tree! The little devil!
Stan was silent for a while and then added, “I'll take care of the vaccinations and so on.”
He hung up then, and the three of us returned to the house. While we were washing the kitten and trying to come up with a name for him, a veterinary service car drove up to the mansion gates. Stan really was taking care of everything. A young and very serious veterinarian doctor quickly examined the kitten, jabbed him a few times and handed him to me.
“You'll have to feed it five times a day with the food in there,” he said, and waved a hand at the tightly stuffed bag that he had brought with him. “The medicine is in there, too. If there is anything else, just call me.”
The vet left his business card on the table and left. I examined the contents of the bag he’d brought. It was full of everything you could possibly need to give a cat a happy life: food and water dishes, canned tuna, a collar with a small bell, toys... And even a small house! Karina happily rushed forward, to look at everything, occasionally reaching for the kitten and kissing him on his tiny pink nose.
“Do you think Dad will praise us?” She kept asking.
"Of course," I answered. "You've done a good thing."
Stan did not return, even once the windows showed outside a noticeably darkening sky. We had finished with all the lessons. We played chess, protecting the figures not only from each other, but also from the kitten who seemed to like what we were doing. When it was time to go to bed, Karina fetched her blanket, arranging the kitten to lay beside her, and said to him,
“Our dad still hasn’t come home... He is probably very busy… with work.”
I could hear the tears in her voice.
"I'll sit with you until you fall asleep," I stroked her forehead gently. I untied her braids and her hair fell, scattered all over the pillow. It was dark hair, dense, like her father's – oh, how I would have liked to hit him! – like silk and it slipped through her fingers.
"Daddy always did that when I was little..." Karina smiled sleepily. “And he would tell me a fairy tale. About the little princess…”
"Do you want me to tell you my own story?" I asked softly.
The girl nodded, and so I sat down beside her, whispering different stories and toying with her soft hair. Soon her breath became even. Karina, tired from the events of the day, fell asleep, pressing her new kitten to her.
I quietly left the room and closed the door tightly. Was the day over? I could not believe it. My body had received several bruises from the professional battle, my feet were killing me, and my head was spinning. And this was only the first day! Ahead of me a long three-month journey lay. Three months of this joy! However, what if I liked it, in the end? What if I became one of those people who did not need money, but who just wanted to work? I'd do it. We, the Cinderellas, are hardworking. Not only could we dance at balls in crystal slippers, but we could also grow pumpkins for the carriages we’d use.
I headed with purpose to my room. In one of the boxes I had tea with herbs. It really helped one relax. Perhaps, that was what I needed now.
I took the bag and went down to the kitchen. I did not switch on the light, just a small lamp so it would be more comfortable and quiet. I settled in the corner and sipped the hot drink. It was so nice to relax after a hard day.
Suddenly, bright light hit my eyes. I shuddered and squeezed my eyes shut.
"I didn’t know that you were here," the boss's voice rumbled nearby.
I opened my eyes and almost dropped my cup. He was standing in front of me in just a pair of shorts. Nothing more. For several seconds I stared at him, unable to look away. To be more precise, I tried, but it did not work. As if my eyes did not want to listen to my commands. Or my brain had contracted a virus. A virus called Stan. This virus had dark, matte skin and wet hair, as if he had just taken a shower. Or as if he’d been swimming in the open ocean, fighting with pirates, among the sparring sharks. This man was driving me crazy: broad, muscular shoulders, a strong chest, defined abs on the stomach, and hands… strong hands with large palms and long, beautiful fingers. Those hands could tear thousands of sharks into thousands of small pieces... And now one of those hands was reaching out to me to neatly adjust the tilted cup, from which tea had been dripping onto
the table. Oh-oh-oh... How could I be so stupid?
“Was it difficult?” The boss asked calmly. Apparently that was how he explained my odd facial expression to himself. Well, he could think whatever he liked.
Chapter 10
“Oh… it’s fine... That’s my job,” I answered carefully, concentrating on the cup.
That's what I’d look at. Tea. Good old tea. Calming herbal tea with no viruses. And it was even better to drink the tea! I had kind of come here with that in mind,
Of course, living in an employer's home implies all sorts of surprises. But this was just too much for me, seeing my boss half-naked on my very first day of work. It was, of course, his mansion after all, and he had every right to spend his nights wherever he liked in whatever state of dress or undress he liked. He could not, of course, have known that he would meet the nanny in the middle of the night in the kitchen. Of course, it was a terribly awkward situation: late night, half-naked boss, half-angry Nanny… Although it seemed I was only one who found the situation awkward – the stone wall remained a stone wall. I had to leave right away – to get far, far away from those terrible black eyes lest I proved myself stupid.
“Sorry, I was about to leave.” I picked up the cup, got up and headed towards the door.
"Sit down," the boss commanded, sounding annoyed, and I landed back in my chair, almost emptying the contents of the cup into my lap. "Stop rushing about like a mouse under a broomstick and just enjoy a drink of whatever you have there!"
"It's a soothing blend…” I explained with dignity.
“So, go ahead. Don’t let me stop you.”
I felt offended and frozen to the cup.
"It's fortunate that you’re here," the boss said. Was it? I did not think so. Completely unfortunate. And if only he knew… “Tell me how you found it...”
He opened the huge refrigerator and began to study its contents. He looked up, down, then crouched to inspect the lower shelves. His muscles played under his taut olive skin. There was a power hidden in his movements, the strength and wild, predatory grace of a hunter, preparing to take down his prey.
“What did you do…”
He leaned even lower, slightly cocked his head and bounced on his heels a little... I felt as if I’d been hypnotized – I just couldn’t stop watching him. I bet no one could in my place.
"How do you like Karina?" He turned and looked at me.
Ah? What? Karina? What Karina?
"Karina is a wonderful girl," I answered obediently, trying to pull myself together.
It turned out to be a more difficult task than I’d expected. He was looking at me with his deep, black eyes, and I… I didn’t know what to do, how to behave or how to breathe.
"She's a very smart and... energetic child," I continued, when he finally took a dish from the refrigerator and approached the microwave. Breathing immediately became easier, and I managed to get all the indecent thoughts out of my head. I decided it would be better not to look at my boss – his appearance influenced my thinking processes in a very specific way. I felt stupid and uncomfortable, but I couldn’t help but stare at him. And he, on the contrary, didn’t seem to be embarrassed – he was totally fine with the unexpected and inappropriate situation we were in.
"We get on very well, and the adventure with the kitten seems to have brought us closer." I decided to keep silent about his daughter’s earlier tricks – I wanted him to think that I had everything under control. It would not lead to any prying questions, and my reputation would remain intact.
Stan nodded.
"Yes, she is a good girl," he said warmly.
And all of a sudden, I could see the human in front of me. Not the successful businessman, not the silent shark, not one of the richest people in the city and not the stone wall. I could see the loving father, who cared deeply for and was sincerely proud of his child. Even the atmosphere in the kitchen had changed: I no longer felt like an alien, moreover, I had a feeling of knowing the place, that I’d been here before, and I that I was used to spending every single evening with my half-naked boss and a cup of tea. Okay, no, no half-naked bosses. If I had to spend every evening with the handsome body in front of me, well, I would have gone crazy after the first night – I mean, was I not already crazy?
"Well, and what about the cat?" He continued, taking the food out of the microwave. “As far as I understand, this creature will stay at my place for a long time. Can I meet the new member of my family?”
“Of course! I'll introduce you now."
Carefully, trying not to wake the girl, I made my way to her room and tiptoed to the bed. Karina's dreams were deep. Her cheeks had turned pink, and the blanket was rolled over her feet. The small, ginger kitten was sleeping nearby on its back, tiny paws outstretched and quivering slightly, as if he were hunting mice in his dream. I now understood how pleasant it could be to watch a sleeping baby, whether it were a child or a kitten.
"Let's go, dear, I’m going to introduce you to somebody," I said softly, picking up the furry creature in my hands. He did not even wake up, just stuck out the tip of a pink tongue. When I returned bearing this furry miracle to the kitchen, the boss raised his brow which then hung in the middle of his forehead.
“It… Is it a cat?” He asked with surprise.
I wondered at what he expected to see. A street bandit with steel claws and a ragged ear?!
"Indeed," I agreed. For some reason, I felt terribly happy. “The doctor swore that ‘it’ –
I brought the kitten closer to his nose – “is a cat!”
“And how did you get up so high in the tree?” The boss accusingly poked the kitten with a finger.
He looked so surprised that I couldn’t help but giggle.
"He’s funny," said Stan, and he smiled. And his face became so warm and so young, that here it was again: the feeling that I had known him for a long, long time; that we’d grown up together, and laughed, and laughed, and smiled, and… kissed? The feeling, that there was something to hope for...
My heart skipped a bit and my breathing stopped. I swallowed something big and bitter. Something to hope for?
We were talking about the kitten. We were talking about the kitten. We were talking about the kitten.
“Your daughter claimed that he is more beautiful than all the unicorns put together…”
"Well, Karina is an expert on unicorns," Stan continued to smile. No, it wasn’t a smile. This was a weapon of mass destruction. The law should forbid such smiles! “I fully trust her opinion on that one.”
The kitten yawned, opening its pink mouth and eyes. He looked around, trying to understand where he was. He seemed to have decided that all of this was a dream, and he was back on the street – lonely and sad. I stroked the kitten, trying to calm him down and, making sure he was safe and warm, the kitten closed his eyes again.
I continued to stroke him, and apparently, Stan suddenly shared the urge. Our fingers met, and I quickly pulled my hand away as if stung, blushing. This was crazy. Why did I feel and behave so stupidly?! It was just my boss’s hand, not an electric wire under pressure.
My boss acted as if he hadn’t noticed my confusion. He was busy trying to free his finger from the kitten’s paws.
"What is the name of this little beast?" He asked in such a casual tone that I calmed down. Something was terribly wrong with my head today – we were not in some kind of love story, where every touch could cause blackouts and infinite passion.
"Karina wanted to consult you," I said. "She has a couple hundred options, and she's been waiting for you."
It sounded as if I were accusing him. Indeed, yes, I was condemning him. He had promised to come home early and promises had to be redeemed. Especially if they were made to a little girl, who had just arrived and had been waiting for her father all day long. And her father was meanwhile too busy with his goddamn business or otherwise in the warm embrace of his beautiful ‘darling’. But of course, I would never say that out loud. In the end, it
was none of my business. I got paid a lot of money to do my job and hold my tongue.
The boss threw a quick glance at me and grinned.
"Well, tomorrow we will consider these hundreds of options," he said. “Because tomorrow we are going to the amusement park!”
“Really?” I had to put in a lot of effort not to clap my hands. Apparently, close communication with Karina was influencing me already, and perhaps not positively.
“Yes. So please conduct all necessary lessons in the morning. And after dinner look forward to adventures!”
Chapter 11
It is truly a pleasure to deal with a child who is afraid of being late to the adventure park. If Karina had not asked every five minutes, "Are we really going to the park today?", "How many hours are left?", "Has Papa arrived, or not yet?" We would have finished much earlier. As it was, as if by some miracle, we still managed to finish all our lessons in time.
And when Stan entered the room, the girl was dressed and ready to go. She’d even had time to model a few dresses before making a final choice.
Admittedly, I was no less excited about the adventure park than Karina.
First, out of pure altruism. Those two, though they were not exactly angels, were becoming important to me. They obviously wanted to spend time together, and they deserved to.
And second, I had huge plans for this evening. I wanted to have time to help the gardener, a strong man despite his considerable age. When he saw the green lawn in front of the house after the debacle with the toy excavator, he sighed sadly. I did not hear a single word of complaint or reproach from him, but it was also clear that he was not too happy that the lawn looked like it had exploded. And he really cared for it, I could see it in his eyes. I felt guilty and I really wanted to help him.
However, Karina had her own plans.
“Well, is the princess ready for adventure?” Stan asked cheerfully as he entered the study room. “Come on, we have huge plans!”
