Thirst

by Mia Ford

  He nods, “So you can do that if you’re stuck in bed for days?”

  I don’t know how to reply to that; he has a point. It’s not as if I’ve even called into the office to find out how things are going or anything. Shit, I don’t even know if one day has passed or two? At times, I forget to care.

  “Besides Neil has someone to step in temporarily while you’re at the ranch.”

  Fuck, the old man’s got it all planned, and I feel even more resentment towards him.

  “Isaac, you need help. That’s all Neil wants to do. Just let us help you,” Trevor sighs, and he no longer looks frightening or as if he’s trying to overpower me. He’s trying to act as a friend.

  I feel as if I’m the same teenager boy that didn’t want to do anything after dad died, as I move around him because I don’t want to look at him. Besides the daylight is hurting my eyes, my room was so much better when it was dark.

  As I enter the shower and the hot water beats on my body, it makes me feel new for a few minutes. I cleanse away the sickness and addiction of my habit. The one that I’ve become accustomed to doing later just for a few moments. Trevor’s not in my room. I can see that he’s taken a couple of cases, damn he even packed.

  Neil’s not the only one that’s serious about me moving to the ranch; it seems that Trevor’s taken a hand in this idea too.

  As I put on my jeans and a shirt. I don’t feel like wearing a suit. I would normally to hide the man that I’ve become and puts a mask, so everyone thinks that I’m the man that I used to be. The CEO who loved his family’s company. The one that started to work at a company that had been in his family for three generations. A dream that he’d held on to for so long. Compared to the one that he’d become. The one that was a drunk all the time and couldn’t even pack his bag to go and stay at the ranch.

  I nodded, to Trevor who was standing at the door ready for us to leave. I looked around my apartment, the one that the bank most likely will take in the next few weeks. I’ve defaulted on the loan for so long that I was sure that there was probably a letter of notification in the mail arriving any day now.

  Fuck I needed a drink!

  A stiff one, and as I entered the limo I started to raid, the bar at the back and there was nothing. I had a feeling that they would do that. Trevor would make sure that I’ll get there sober, but if he wanted to do that, then he should have checked the bag that I was carrying. The one that will make me arrive in one piece, not having withdrawn symptoms because I had my bottle in the backpack that I was carrying. This would get me to the ranch in one piece and not feel the need to rip the back of the limo to bits because I wouldn’t be desperate for a drink?

  Chapter 4

  Olivia

  Isaac’s been here three days, and he’s still acting like a pig. I glance around the bedroom at his clothes scattered on the floor, bed, and nightstand. God, he’s lazy. He never bothers to pick them up by himself. It’s my job to clean, but his room looks like a teenager’s and not one belonging to a grown man who runs a multi-millionaire dollar empire. If he’s this unorganized at home, no wonder the company is in trouble.

  Things started out so good between us! I enjoy spending time with Isaac when we go riding around the ranch with me on Autumn and him on Buckskin. On horseback, he seems like a different person, laughing and carefree. He makes me feel good. But once he’s back at the ranch, he becomes moody and finds fault in everything I do. Nothing is good enough for him. Nothing!

  “Daydreaming again?” Isaac says as he walks into his bedroom. I’m picking up after him again; I do it more for Neil. I just feel bad for him, because for sure one of the cleaners will complain about Isaac’s room. I know that I would if I was paid to clean up after him.

  “Yeah, I’m dreaming that you’ll learn to pick up after yourself for once!”

  “You do work here, right?”

  He’s deadly serious as he folds his arms and stares at me. I don’t know what planet this man comes from? When does ranch hand involve cleaning up to the owners' grandson?

  “Neil pays me a good wage to look after the ranch. Not clean up after you!”

  Sometimes he makes it unbearable to be around him, I’ve been biting my tongue, but if he carries on this way, then I’ll have to forget to try to be nice to him. We can keep our distance especially because I don’t live in the main house anymore.

  “I want to go riding this morning,” Isaac says offhandedly.

  “You aren’t going to the office today?”

  That’s what he said to me yesterday when I suggested that we ride today. I wonder what changed his mind?

  “Maybe this afternoon. Now, I feel like riding!”

  “Sorry, I’ve got laundry to do this morning,” I’m shaking my head. I’m not going to jump every time he wants to do something. If he wants to spend the morning riding around the ranch instead of taking care of the company, that’s his business.

  “Have it your way,” Isaac says stalking out of the room like a little boy that’s been told that he’s not going to be taken out for ice-cream.

  What did I see in him? I think shaking my head as he walks out of the bedroom. Okay, he is handsome and has a decent body, but that isn’t enough to build a friendship on and certainly not enough to building a relationship.

  I fantasized about having sex with him when he first moved back to the ranch, but my initial attraction to him is slowly and surely fading. It’s a shame too because I enjoy the time we spent together riding and swimming. I’ve even come to enjoy him giving me pool lessons, but I still can’t make a decent shot to save my life.

  Isaac storms out of the room, and I do the same. I’m going to let Gloria, the cleaner or Harriet the maid see his room. Let them sort it out. Neil said to keep Isaac company, not be his slave.

  ***

  I head to the laundry room, wondering if maybe I was too harsh on Isaac? He’s a grown man, but he has the tendency to act like a big kid. I can’t get over the way he switches when we’re on the ranch and then it dawns on me.

  When we’re not on the ranch, he’s not drinking. That’s the real Isaac and then as soon as we get back he hits the bottle like a duck to water, and that’s when the horrible side. The part that I hate starts to reveal like an onion, the more layers you peel, the more it makes you cry. He says nasty things and even at one time demanded that I fucking clean his boots because he thought that Ron, the other hand who cleans the boots had stolen his last pair. He insisted on me cleaning them and then we discovered that Isaac had taken them up to his room. God, he gets paranoid when he drinks.

  I didn’t even notice that Neil’s poking his head into the laundry room.

  “Hey, Olivia, I see Isaac’s not going to work this morning?”

  “No, he said he didn’t have any appointments until this afternoon, and he felt like taking Buckskin out for a ride,” I explain, but I have a feeling that Neil already knows the answer to his question.

  Neil slowly shakes his head. “That’s his problems. He does only what he has to do! He doesn’t put enough of himself into running the business. Not like before. He hasn’t even asked me who I put in his place while he’s here. It’s as if he’s not interested in it anymore. Maybe I should just think about putting him in rehab and forget about him going back to the office.”

  Neil takes a deep breath, “Sorry to unload on you like this; I don’t know what’s got into him. I’ve hidden all the drink in the ranch. And I think that he’s got someone buying him some, because sometimes at night it’s clear that he’s drunk.”

  “At least we’re on the same page about that.”

  “You’ve noticed it too?”

  I nod my head because I feel as if I should have spoken to Neil sooner, but Isaac’s only been here three days. It’s not as if he was going to change over night.

  “An old saying comes to mind, and it seems to apply to him.”

  “What saying is that?” I ask thinking that maybe I can be of more use to Neil and try
and get Isaac away from his bad habit or disease as they call it.

  “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”

  We both smile and laugh, just at the irony of him thinking of an old saying about Isaac drinking.

  “I haven’t seen you smiling much lately. How is it going between you and Isaac? If I may ask?”

  “It’s not going,” I admit. “I try, but if I get too close, he seems to lash out at me.” I shrug. “I’m not sure if he even likes me or thinks of me as a human being or just some servant?”

  “Oh, I believe he does,” Neil says. “Maybe he won’t admit it. But I think he does. When he comes back from riding, he’s briefly his old self. Then he starts drinking and goes into the new Isaac, the one that I’ve become accustomed to hating lately,” he crosses his arms and leans back on the machine. Luckily, I never started one of them. I was too busy thinking about Isaac and maybe allowing him to take advantage of my kind nature.

  “Neil, I’ve tried. I have tried, but I don’t know if I want to bother with him anymore. I’ve been more than fair to him. But I give, and he just takes,” I need to tell him the truth. That enough is enough. I know that Neil’s my boss, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

  “Olivia, there’s something that I haven’t told you,” he sighs and takes my hand, and now he’s scaring me.

  “What?”

  My heart is racing out of control like the old dryer, the one that Neil refuses to replace because he said that his wife loved that dryer. It was her first one, and it makes so much noise at times I think that the whole ranch is going to collapse. That’s how I feel right now, as if the room’s making so much noise, but the only sound is my heart beat racing out of control.

  I beg him, “Please. Tell me.”

  Oh God! No!

  I move away from him; I can’t breathe. The room feels so hot, and it’s as if I’m suffocating so I need to get out. I can’t lose someone else I love. I can’t take it.

  “It might look like I’m in good health, but I’m not.” He pauses and takes a deep breath. “I don’t have long to live!” He says the words fast as though if he speaks generally, he won’t be able to tell me.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask feeling a wave of panic swell up from the pit of my stomach.

  He holds up his hands. “Olivia, I hate telling you this. You lost your parents not long ago, and I took you in. But I didn’t want to burden you with my family issues.” He starts to walk away, “I shouldn’t have told you. I’m sorry.”

  I shake my head, “No Neil. I shouldn’t have asked. Maybe they’ll find a cure; maybe it’s not too late. You’re a rich man. They’re always bending over to help the rich.”

  “You don’t have to worry you’ll be taken care of.”

  “Neil, you think that’s bothering me? My family didn’t even bother helping me. They thought that we had money, and then they were interested, but when they learned that dad had drank it all away. They slowly took me in one-by-one. Please don’t tell me that this is the end. Neil, you mean so much to me. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t given me a job on the ranch. I owe you. And I pay my debts. Please tell me what it is I can do?”

  “Help Isaac! I need to see him happy again before I go. I can’t let go knowing he’s lost his way. I need to see him in a better place. And only someone as kind and good-natured as you can help him. Olivia, do this for me.”

  I feel like crying as I hug Neil, he gently strokes my hair and says, “Save your tears. It’s not over yet. As you said, there might be some hope. I just need you to help Isaac. I think that he likes you. He’s just not good at showing his feelings.”

  I break away from Neil wishing that he’ll ask me to do anything else. If I spend any more time with him, then I may turn to drink myself, and I’ve never touched a drop. Not ever since I found out that it killed my parents. My watery eyes meet Neil soft pleading eyes I relent. “Of course, Neil. You know I would move heaven and earth for you. You . . . You’ve been like a father to me for the past two years.”

  Neil’s face lights up with a smile. “That’s what I want to hear. Just give him a second chance, that’s all I ask.”

  He kisses me on the forehead and then leaves the laundry room with his head bowed down. He’s feeling down, and I know that there’s only one way to put a smile on his face and that’s to help Isaac. I decide to go to his room; I’ll do the laundry later.

  I head up the stairs with a mission on my mind, that’s to help Isaac. I’ll find out who’s buying drinks for him and put it to an end. I’ll search his room with the help of Gloria and get rid of the existing bottles. I’ll make Neil see that there’s nothing I won’t do for him and it starts and end with making Isaac turn his nose from liquor.

  I knock lightly on Isaac’s bedroom door. “Isaac?” I call out.

  No answer.

  “Isaac? Do you want to go for a swim with me? Come on. It’s hot, and a swim will be refreshing.”

  I’m trying to sound pleasant and as if I mean it. I’m not a good actress, but I need this to work. If it doesn’t then I don’t want Neil to feel bad. He doesn’t deserve it. I’m standing and waiting for him to answer the door. I grow impatient and just open the door. He’s not in bed. I open the door and step into his room. His bags are gone!

  Damn!

  He’s left I realize as I face an empty closet with none of his clothes in there. This is the first time that he’s left the room clean. Which means that either Gloria or Harriet has come to clean it.

  What’s up with this guy?

  I know that this time of day, Neil will be in the library. That’s where he’ll be ready with one of his books.

  “You’re not going to believe this. Isaac’s gone.”

  “What?”

  “Yes, Neil he’s gone and so has all his things.”

  He lifts his hand up in the air dropping his book, “I give up. I do.”

  I blurt out, “I don’t. I’m going to go to the city and find him.”

  “Olivia, you don’t need to do that.”

  Yes, I do, because you’ve been more than a father to me and I owe you big time. I’m going to find Isaac, and I’ll give him a piece of my mind. Once I do, he’ll be the one running back here, with his tail in between his legs.

  “I’ll go in the morning. Don’t worry Neil. I don’t work Thursday’s. So, I’ll have cover.”

  I kiss the old man on the head and reassure him with a hand pat on his shoulders. He holds on to my hand for a second, maybe trying to figure out if I’m serious. I’m a woman of my word, and one thing’s for sure. I’m going to bring Isaac back. No more miss nice girl. He’s going to see a different side to me now.

  Chapter 5

  Isaac

  What the fuck is wrong with everyone?

  I was just about to get a bottle from the stables. That’s where I’ve been hiding my bottles when I get a phone call. Tom, the IT director, ’s quit. Granddad sent Steven in to run the company for the weeks that I’ll be at the stables. The guy’s a fucking mercenary, he’s my oldest cousin and is desperate to take over the family business. Granddad says that he’s good because Steven doesn’t get attached, that’s right he’s a fucking workaholic because no one wants to be with him. He’s the type that treats women like dogs and his staff as if they’re the bottom of the food chain.

  I told Tom to sit tight, and I’ll be in the office in a couple of hours. As soon as I got here, it was fucking World War IV.

  “Isaac you need to realize that you don’t need an IT Director, Senior Manager and Head of the IT Department. All in the same building and all doing the same fucking job,” Steven says as we all sit down to discuss Tom’s resignation.

  Shit, I didn’t even realize that there were so many senior managers working in IT. I drum my fingers on the table because I know that Steven’s right. I feel like a fool for even jumping in the car, stroking my bottle the whole fucking journey thinking that I’ll be having a drink soo
n.

  “So, what now?” I whisper as I feel as if I’m in fucking school and being told off by the principle.

  “Well, he can leave immediately. That’s the way that we normally do it.”

  Steven has that smug look on his face as he rubs his oversized stomach and balding head. The guy’s only thirty, and he looks over forty. If that’s what dedication and hard work look like, then they can count me out.

  “I don’t understand why you drove all this way, Isaac? Aren’t you enjoying being on the ranch?”

  I hate his smugness and his tone.

  “Yes, it’s just that I wanted to make sure that everything was alright here. There’s nothing wrong with that. I am still the CEO.”

  He stands up, “Yes, we all know that.”

  Good, that shut him up!

  “Seeing as you have everything in hand, then I’ll be getting back. I just need to take a few things from my office. If you don’t mind?”

  He stands up, “Be my guest. After all, it is your office. I’m going to grab something to eat, so I’ll be gone a while. If I don’t see you again, then have a safe trip.”

  I nod because there’s no fucking way that he’s going to see me again and I’ll make sure that I’m not here when he comes back.

  I just want to go to my office to see if my stash is still there. I’m going to get my driver to take me back to the ranch, and I want to make sure that I have some good stuff before we reach there.

  “Until next time Steven.”

  He’s standing and waiting for me to say something. The one thing that I rarely do, but I know that if granddad were here, then he would force me to do it.

  Fuck!

  Just this one.

  “Thank you,” I say through gritted teeth. The smugness and smile reappear on Steven’s face as he holds out his hand and says, “Anytime cuz.”

  Great as if I need reminding that we’re related. That’s when it dawns on me as I slump my shoulders and head to my office. I better go back to the ranch. I was so lost in my thoughts when I came here that I didn’t even tell granddad that I was going. I could have told Olivia, but I hated the way that she treats me at times as if I’m her kid or something.