by Julie Cannon
Stephanie opened an email from the state police with an attachment. A document loaded and she read through pages of banking documents related to a fraud case she’d been handed the previous morning. She could’ve obtained the documents herself, but the New Jersey state detectives were eager to help her as much as possible. Their cooperation made Stephanie’s job easier, which she appreciated and would miss once she was in Chicago. She glanced up to find Mitchell holding a sheet of paper to his face, trying his best to make the same noises Luca had made with the Post-it. Stephanie relaxed. Maybe she could handle babysitting after all.
Less than an hour later, Stephanie regretted her earlier confidence. Mitchell was fifteen minutes into a temper tantrum, completely dissatisfied with every activity she had to offer. He had tried to rearrange her binders to his liking, fallen from the chair not once, but twice, and even tried to add his very own piece of art to her gray walls. She tried her best to explain why red crayon was meant for paper, not walls, but the waterworks started the moment Stephanie said no, and hadn’t stopped since.
“Please, will you just tell me what you want?” Stephanie asked desperately. She was staring her red-faced nephew in his watery eyes, trying hard not to gag at the trail of snot that had run into his mouth. “Are you hungry?” He cried louder. “Tired? Please tell me you’re tired.” Mitchell continued to cry, not answering one of Stephanie’s questions. She grabbed her phone and searched how long an appendectomy should take.
“Ms. Austin?” Luca poked her head into Stephanie’s office.
“Luca.” Stephanie rushed to the door, grabbed Luca by her forearm, and tugged her into her office. She shut her door and locked it. “He’s been crying since I told him he couldn’t write on the walls and hasn’t stopped. I don’t know what to do.”
Luca smiled reassuringly and nodded to Stephanie before walking over to where Mitchell had thrown himself onto the floor in hysterics. She folded her legs beneath her the best she could while wearing a skirt and lounged casually beside the combusting child. “Why so glum, chum?” Luca poked at Mitchell’s back.
Stephanie scoffed at Luca soft words. “He can’t hear you over his—” Mitchell stopped crying suddenly. Her ears were still ringing from the noise, but her office was finally silent. “Cries.”
Luca looked up and shot Stephanie a wink. “You seem really upset. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” Luca mouthed for Stephanie to go and nodded toward her desk. “Do you want to help me draw a picture?” She rubbed soothing circles on Mitchell’s back, visibly calming him. Stephanie felt a pang of jealousy for an instant, before it melted away into awe.
“Luca,” she whispered daringly. “This isn’t your job. You don’t have to.”
“I don’t have anything else on my to-do list. The least I can do is make sure my boss gets her work done.” Luca reached into Mitchell’s bag for the half-eaten box of animal crackers and popped one into her mouth.
Stephanie ducked her head guiltily and nodded. She returned to her place behind her desk and resumed her work. Every now and then she’d spare a glance to Mitchell and Luca when they’d share in a moment of laughter. Stephanie wasn’t in on the joke, and still she couldn’t help but laugh along.
“Who’s your favorite princess?”
Mitchell thought long and hard before answering. “Snow White.”
“Why?”
“She’s pretty,” Mitchell said shyly.
Luca nodded. “I always liked Aurora, she has beautiful hair.” Luca seemed to think hard for a moment before adding, “I guess I always preferred blondes.”
Stephanie shifted in her seat and cleared her throat. She subconsciously fingered the end of her long, platinum ponytail. She stole a long look at Luca.
Luca looked right at home on the floor beside a small child, acting gleeful when she did something as simple as color a cartoon character blue all over. She didn’t care when Mitchell dotted the tip of her nose with a black marker, but she punished him with a tickle attack until he begged her to stop. They even shook hands when they reached a peace agreement. Stephanie tried her best to put her attention on the total reports in front of her, but her eyes kept wandering back to Luca’s smile and relaxed position on the floor of her office. Once Stephanie’s eyes fell to Luca’s creamy thighs, becoming more and more exposed by her climbing skirt, Stephanie forced them back to her computer screen. She even went as far as sinking lower into her chair to obscure her view. Noticing such a thing was inappropriate.
Stephanie’s phone rang, offering her sweet relief from her warring attentions. Kathy’s name lit up the screen and she answered quickly. “Hey, Kathy. How’s the patient?”
“Out of surgery. Everything went perfectly. The doctor said his appendix was ‘ripe for picking,’ which put an awful visual in my mind.” Stephanie laughed and cringed at the same time. “How’s Mitchell doing? Is he behaving himself?”
“Things were a little touch and go for a bit, but we’ve got everything under control now.”
“We? Did you pawn my son off onto your assistant? I won’t blame you if you did. He seemed to really like her.”
“I tried my best, but he prefers Luca.” Stephanie checked on the duo again. Mitchell was nearly lying across Luca’s lap as she showed him how to draw something.
“Don’t be offended. That child almost always chooses the person he’s not related to. He does it every time we have a get-together. He’ll ignore Rick and me for hours.”
“Good to know. This wound should heal faster, then.” Stephanie laughed.
“I’ll be by soon to wrangle him.” Kathy’s voice was slightly muffled by the sounds of hospital announcements ringing out. “Rick will probably come home after recovery. Once I get him home and settled, I’ll come by.”
“No rush,” Stephanie said, surprising even herself.
“I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”
“I’ll have him ready at the curb with a ‘free to good home’ sign.” Kathy laughed out loud and Luca looked at Stephanie with wide eyes. She shot Luca a playful smirk, one that was quickly returned.
Stephanie ended their call and announced it was lunchtime. Mitchell must’ve been hungry because he jumped up and cheered. They quickly agreed on takeout from a local burger place, Mitchell declaring a “chee-burger” was needed. Luca offered to get the food, but Stephanie waved her off immediately. She didn’t want to risk another meltdown in Luca’s absence. Their lunch was delivered pretty quickly and they ate in silence. Stephanie felt indulgent for the California-style cheeseburger she was devouring, but once they had started to talk about burgers, a salad just didn’t hold any appeal.
Stephanie ate alone at her desk, while Luca ate alongside Mitchell at the table across the office. She felt like an outsider, and in a sudden swell of courage, she decided to change that. Stephanie partially wrapped her burger and picked up her drink, phone, and fries, carrying them carefully to the table. She pulled up another chair and sat. Luca looked at her curiously and Stephanie shrugged. “Even I’m entitled to a lunch break,” she said with a soft smile. “What are you working on, Mitchell?”
“I’m coloring sweepin’ beauty for Luca. She’s her favorite.”
“Sweepin’ beauty?” Stephanie said and Luca nodded. “That’s what I used to call my cleaning lady.” Stephanie knew her joke was terrible, but it went over Mitchell’s head and Luca chortled. The sound made Stephanie grin. “You’re really good with kids,” she said to Luca.
Luca took a bite of her burger and nodded enthusiastically as she chewed. She waited until she was finished to speak. “I love them. I have a niece, Mackenzie, who’s a real fireball. She’s going to be eight at the end of the summer. And Daniel is my six-year-old nephew. They’re the reason I moved back to Jersey.”
“Where were you?”
“I went to UCLA and then followed my ex-girlfriend up to Portland for about a year. She was an artist, kind of like Mitchell here.” Luca split her attention between talkin
g to Stephanie and Mitchell, which kept him in place.
“I hope she used a broader color palette.” Stephanie tried for a second successful joke, which was uncharacteristic for her while she was at work. The joke barely earned a smile from Luca.
“She was actually a sculptor,” Luca said wistfully. “I was the bookworm and she was the artist—classic case of opposites attract.”
Stephanie felt uncomfortable with the personal subject matter, but she couldn’t tamp down her rising curiosity. “Opposites make for a good balance, no?”
“I suppose it could, but not in our case. Here’s the yellow.” Luca handed a crayon to Mitchell. He grabbed it and got busy on the princess’s hair. “I was missing my family, so when we split, I packed my things and practically ran back to Jersey.”
“Do you miss that life?”
“No.” Luca’s dark eyes locked on Stephanie’s. “I have family here, great friends, and a job I’m working really hard at succeeding in.” Stephanie felt that dig in her chest. “I feel at home here.”
Stephanie kept her questions to herself from then on, too scared of what else she’d learn about Luca, and subsequently about her own poor choices. They cleaned up lunch and watched as Mitchell dozed off in the big armchair. Before either woman noticed the time, Kathy was calling to let Stephanie know she was on her way. Stephanie left the task of waking Mitchell up to Luca, not wanting to face him if he grew grumpy. Naturally, Mitchell didn’t mind being woken by Luca. Luca could do no wrong.
They stood outside together, the late afternoon breeze holding a chill unique to springtime. Stephanie held one of Mitchell’s hands while Luca held the other. Kathy pulled to the curb, a genuine smile spreading across her face when she waved to her son.
“Thank you so much, both of you, for watching him. He would’ve been a handful in a hospital.”
“That’s what family’s for.” Stephanie let go of Mitchell’s hand so he could go to his mother. She was surprised when he turned to hug her first. She gave in to the temptation, and ruffled his hair. “See you soon, Mitchell.”
“What about Luca?” Kathy frowned down at her son when he ran over to hold her legs next. He burrowed his face into her. “Why are you suddenly shy? Give Luca a hug.” He shook his head.
“It’s okay.” Luca waved it off.
Kathy bent to pick up Mitchell and rested him on her hip. He whispered in her ear and Kathy laughed. “He thinks you’re pretty like Snow White,” she whispered. Mitchell hid in her long hair.
Stephanie laughed outright and said, “You should see her when she’s not dressed for work.” She froze and thought, my God, did I really just say that? She cleared her throat harshly. “She’s missing the singing birds.”
Kathy hitched an eyebrow at Stephanie. “Thank you both again. I owe you.” Stephanie didn’t hear a word; she was too busy trying not to die of embarrassment. She chanced a look at Luca and noticed a faint blush coloring her cheeks. Dammit. “We’ll talk soon, Steph. Nice to meet you, Luca.”
They exchanged generic goodbyes as Kathy loaded Mitchell into her car and Stephanie watched as they drove off. When she turned back to Luca, she felt a renewed wave of discomfort rise in her chest. She said the first thing that came to mind.
“You’ve done enough. Go home.” The dismissal was curt and Stephanie was ashamed of herself. She tried to fix it but only dug herself deeper. “Now I’ll have to stay late to make up for the work I missed.” She rushed past Luca and back into the building.
She wasn’t lying that she had to catch up on her work, but more than anything, she needed space.
Chapter Seven
Stephanie had left early Tuesday morning for her trip, and felt relieved to know she’d be away from Luca for three days. She’d be able to think clearly and breathe. Those plans didn’t pan out as well as she had hoped. Stephanie phoned the office multiple times a day to retrieve messages from Luca, even when one phone call would’ve been sufficient. At first she convinced herself Luca needed to be monitored, but that excuse fell away. Luca had proven herself to be incredibly reliable. Stephanie eventually surrendered to the truth after her third phone call on Wednesday afternoon—she called to stay connected to Luca. She found very little rest after that realization. Even the pampering of her hotel’s spa did little to wash away the unnerving truth.
Soon after, she had emailed Marvin Howell with a request for Luca’s internship file and a few cases that Luca had been an integral part of. He was curious, of course, but he knew better than to question Stephanie. He sent them to her in record time, and she spent the evening going over every detail several times. Stephanie felt like a fool because Luca was brilliant and her attention to detail rivaled some of the top forensic accountants Stephanie had met. Luca had been responsible and dependable, and didn’t hesitate to take charge of unexpected situations as they arose—a list of traits that made every one of Stephanie’s arguments about not wanting to work with her irrelevant. Warring emotions tore Stephanie apart. Luca was not only an excellent employee deserving of Stephanie’s attention but someone Stephanie feared could become a very important person in her life. She hadn’t grown comfortable with either fact by the time she returned from her trip and had to return to work that Friday morning.
“I’ve been very unfair to you, Luca,” Stephanie started confidently. “I disregarded your talent and professionalism because I was blinded by my own pride. I’m better off working on my own, but if I’m going to be forced to work with someone, I’m glad it’s you.” Stephanie stared at her reflection in the foggy mirror before dropping her head and breathing deeply. “I’m terrible at this.” For the first time in her career, she was going tell someone she was wrong. Stephanie looked at herself again and squared her bare shoulders. Water droplets still clung to her freshly scrubbed skin. “Luca, I’m headstrong and bullish at times, but that doesn’t mean I fail to recognize potential or when someone deserves to be treated better.”
Foreboding filled Stephanie’s belly as she dressed for her return to the office. No one likes to admit they’re wrong, especially while they stare into doe eyes. But Stephanie’s turmoil had nothing to do with Luca’s eyes, or perfect smile, or her long legs. Stephanie swallowed hard as she buttoned her blouse. Professionalism, that’s what Stephanie’s troubles boiled down to. She grabbed her navy blazer and headed to her car. As she started the engine, Stephanie decided she wasn’t starting to like Luca as a person. Not one bit.
The drive to the office was surprisingly traffic-free, which Stephanie viewed as a blessing and a curse. She made her way up to her office, replaying the short speech she had prepared in her head, and was only slightly disappointed to find Luca’s desk empty. Stephanie figured she had made it to the office first. She went about her usual morning routine, but this time, she left her office door open.
She breezed through emails in her inbox from clients, saving her boring company emails for after lunch. Stephanie started to worry once half of her coffee was gone and Luca still hadn’t shown up for work. Stephanie picked up her phone and dialed the receptionist.
“This is Stephanie Austin,” she said curtly.
“What can I do for you, Ms. Austin?” Millie’s voice was as chipper as always.
“Have you seen my assistant, Luca Garner, at all today?”
“No, ma’am.”
Stephanie sat back and frowned. “It’s not like her to be so late,” she mumbled more to herself than to Millie.
“Not at all. Luca usually arrives twenty to thirty minutes early every day.”
Stephanie was unsettled. “Thank you for your help, uh…”
“Millie, my name is Millie, Ms. Austin.” Stephanie cringed at the change in Millie’s tone. She was noticeably deflated. By Stephanie’s approximation, Millie had been with the firm for nearly three years. She should know her name.
“Thank you, Millie.” Stephanie hung up the phone and returned her attention to Luca’s desk. The small personal effects Luca had brought into the offi
ce were still there—a note holder shaped like a cat, a large mug with Fabulous! scrawled across the front served as a pen holder, and a tall, single orchid. The purple and white of its petals caught Stephanie’s eye every time she walked past Luca’s desk. Clearly Luca hadn’t quit. Stephanie scratched at her forehead, then ran her fingers through her hair. Luca could be sick. Stephanie slapped her desk in a eureka moment. All she had to do was check in with whomever Luca would call in sick to. Stephanie’s eyes closed and she dropped her head.
Luca would call her superior, Stephanie Austin, the one person who made herself as unavailable as possible.
Stephanie opened her emails again, hoping that Luca had reached out. An unread message from LGRstaff.garner sat boldly in Stephanie’s inbox. The time stamp for the email read 12:38 a.m. Luca had taken the time late at night to let Stephanie know she’d be absent. Panic and worry started to set in as Stephanie began to read.
Ms. Austin,
I will be unable to make it into work today and will likely not be able to return until Wednesday of next week. I just received news that my grandmother has passed away. This wasn’t a complete shock, as she has been unwell for quite some time, but my family is hurting nonetheless. I apologize for the sudden and short notice.
Regards,
Luca
Stephanie sat back with her hand on her chest. Her heart was breaking for Luca, but the impersonal email didn’t clue Stephanie into whether Luca would want to hear from her. Customary procedures in the workplace would be to send flowers to the funeral home and a sympathy card to the employee. Beyond that? Stephanie was clueless. She picked up her phone and dialed the first person who came to mind. Thankfully, Lee picked up after only one ring.
“This is weird. We’ve never spoken on the phone.”
