by Nella Tyler
"How do you think your father found out?"
"I have no idea," I said.
"That is so not cool," she muttered. "Your father actually gave Luke an ultimatum? He actually told Luke that he had to choose between business with him or you?"
I heard the disbelief in Samantha's voice and nodded. We had known each other long enough that she was very familiar with both my mother and my father. She scowled.
"I don't know, Molly," she said, shaking her head. "I know how I'd feel if my dad did that to me. I'd be royally pissed off."
"I am, Samantha," I said. "I find it intrusive, obnoxious, and to be honest, uncalled for." I shifted my position so that I faced her on the bench. "It makes me wonder if my dad has always been looking over my shoulder so carefully. It also makes me wonder how much control he has over my environment. You know what I mean?"
"Well, I know he told you that he could pull some strings to get you a position at one of the local schools-"
"It's more than that," I said. "Remember that job at the bank?" Samantha nodded. "He got involved in that one, too." The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. "Now he's sticking his nose into not only another job, but intimating that he has control over my relationships?"
Samantha shook her head. "I'm still confused about how he found out about that."
"My relationships!" I said, my voice emphatic with frustration. "I get the fact that I might make some mistakes, and your points regarding Luke are out there, and I appreciate your honesty. But this…this thing with my dad is so far beyond acceptable! What gives him the right to tell me who I should date and who I shouldn't?"
"It is rather extreme," Samantha agreed. "Have you talked to him about it?"
I shook my head. "I was going to call him last night, but I decided I was being too emotional. You know my dad. He's logical and rational, and the minute emotions come into a conversation, he practically shuts down."
"This is so not right," Samantha said. "It's one thing for you not to have known that Luke was involved in any business with him because you rarely get involved in your father’s business ventures, anyway. But the fact that your father knows not only that you're working as a maid, but that you have a…well, a sexual relationship with Luke means that…"
I nodded. "It means that my father's been spying on me. It means that someone has been following me around, reporting back to my father. Oh my God, do you think he has photos?"
Samantha stared at me, also shocked by the idea. "Oh boy, this isn’t good."
We both sat in silence for several minutes, staring idly at a butterfly flitting around a bed of peonies clustered in the floral border not far from the bench. While my thoughts were consumed with my troubles, I also, on a deep level, appreciated the beauty, peace, and tranquility that this place held. I tried to let go some of my anger and discouragement, but remained unsuccessful.
"You know what gets me even more than my dad's intrusiveness?" I looked at Samantha and she shook her head. "The fact that Luke chose him over me-"
"Now wait, Molly," Samantha said, placing a hand on her knee. "He didn't actually say that, did he?"
"Not in so many words," I admitted. "But his indecision surprised me."
"But why should it, honey?" she asked. "After all, Luke's new here in Raleigh. He's new to money. He may have something really good going with your dad, something that amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions." She shook her head. "Perhaps we shouldn't judge him so quickly."
I stared at Samantha. She seemed to be much more understanding about my relationship with Luke this time around. "But he didn't even-"
"Molly, do you know what you're going to do, right this minute?"
I stared at my friend and then finally sighed and shook my head.
"While I don't suppose that Luke knows either."
Samantha was right. Maybe I was rushing to judgment.
"It's a tough situation," Samantha said. "But I'll tell you one thing right now, Molly. If you like Luke and you want to have a relationship with him, don't you think you should at least listen to what he has to say?"
I stared at my friend in stunned surprise.
"Oh, I know what you're thinking. The other day I was telling you to get out and get out fast." She shrugged. "At the time, I felt my opinion was sound. But it's clear to me that you have feelings for Luke and he has feelings for you. How deep those feelings go has yet to be determined. Still, you won't know right away."
I guessed she was right.
"Relationships take time, Molly, you know that. I also know this is the first time you've ever really found yourself in such a position. No, it wasn't right for Luke to cross the boundary between employer and employee, but that's ancient history. It's water under the bridge, and you can't change it. But it's also clear that you have feelings for him, and I know that you have a good head on your shoulders."
While I certainly appreciated what my friend was telling me, I was wondering about her change of opinion regarding Luke. "So it wasn't exactly Luke you were objecting to – it was the situation?"
"Of course!" Samantha assured. "I Googled Luke Benning, Molly, and I agree with you. He's hot! Who wouldn't fall head over heels for someone like him?"
"I was rather surprised by my initial reaction to him," I admitted. "I've never felt that chemistry, and that pull, that…"
"Desire to have hot, passionate sex?"
I laughed. "Yes, I never have felt that until I met Luke." I shifted my position again, leaning back and placing both of my feet on the bench, hugging my knees close to me. "Sure, at first it was his hotness, and then I began to feel a little bit sorry for him because he seemed like such a fish out of water. I wanted to help him adapt to his new position in life, but how could I? I'm just a maid!"
"He knows you're much more than that now, doesn't he?"
I nodded. "I never lied to him about who I was," I defended myself. "It's not like I gave him a fake name or anything."
Samantha also nodded. "As far as Luke is concerned, you lied out of omission."
I nodded. "I suppose so. When I found out that his business meeting was with my dad, you know what my first thought was?" I didn't even wait for Samantha to reply. "My first thought was why didn't I know about it?" I shook my head with a hollow laugh. "As if I had any right to know."
"You guys are a piece of work, you know that?" Samantha told me. "You're a privileged rich debutante trying to find out what it's like to live without privilege, and Luke's a guy who grew up in a humble environment who now has more money than he probably knows what to do it."
I said nothing. What a conundrum!
"Here's my opinion, Molly, and you take it any way you want or do what you want with it. As far as I'm concerned, your father has totally overstepped his bounds, not as a caring father, but as one who thinks he can control everything you do or anyone you see. In Luke's favor, the fact that he didn't sever all ties to you immediately also says a lot."
I thought a moment about what Samantha said and realized she was right. Luke had been taken as much by surprise as I had. It was a difficult situation, one that could have very serious ramifications not only personally, but financially – for both of us.
"I think you should go talk to Luke. Clear the air. Be completely open and honest about your feelings. However, also be prepared for the fact that because of his new position, he may very well opt to end the relationship. You have to be prepared for that, okay, Molly?"
I nodded. After all, Samantha was right. Luke could have ended their relationship with me in his study. He could've fired me, cut me a check for the work I had done, and then told me to get the hell out of his life forever. He hadn't. To be honest, I felt rather pleased. I never would've thought he had it in him. I guess we had both taken by surprise and needed to process the situation. The least I could do was give Luke the benefit of the doubt.
"So, are you going to call him?"
I smiled at her and nodded. "I'll give
him a call tonight. Thanks, Samantha. I'm really glad that we had this talk. You always manage to help me put things into perspective."
Samantha smiled. "You know I'm always in your corner, Molly."
Chapter 5
Samantha and I hung around the Arboretum for another hour or so, just enjoying the scenery and each other's company. I did feel a little better, even hopeful. Regardless of Luke's decision, I had learned a lot about myself over the past couple of days. I had learned more about myself and my own reactions to difficulties. I couldn't expect Luke to behave any differently, could I?
My father's intrusiveness and his resulting ultimatum had knocked Luke off his game as much as it had knocked me for a loop. My initial desire for him to play the knight in shining armor to defend my honor was out of line.
By the time I got back to my condo, I was feeling a little nervous again. Then again, I wasn't one to avoid things, so I decided that I would text Luke, see if he was open for discussion. I sat on my couch, fingering my phone for several minutes, and then brought up his contact information. I sent him a text.
Want to talk?
He texted back almost immediately.
Can you come over now?
I thought about that for a minute. Should I? Or should I wait until tomorrow? But then I wasn't even sure if I had a job tomorrow. I texted back.
I can, only if I can come back to work tomorrow. LOL
I had added that last bit just to make sure my point came across. My point being that yes we needed to talk, but regardless of the decision, I wanted to keep my job. If he wanted nothing more to do with me on a personal level, it would be a little awkward, but I was sure that we could get past it. Then again, I had no idea what he was thinking, so it was all rather up in the air, wasn't it?
Great. I can't wait to see you.
I read the text and my stomach did a flip-flop. My nether regions started tingling and my nipples hardened. I shook my head and forced my thoughts away from his gorgeous body and the hot sex, and told myself that we were just going to talk. Yet despite my near automatic sexual reaction to his words, I had to be honest. I wasn't quite sure if I felt the same way. I think one of my greatest uncertainties was whether Luke really wanted a personal relationship with me and not just a sexual one. Could he be confusing the two? Was there a difference as far as he was concerned? Could we even be together for any amount of time without ending up in the sack?
Sure, being with Luke was exciting and the sex was great, but I wanted to assure myself that there was more to his desire to continue our relationship than just sex. After all, he could sleep with anybody he chose. I wasn't just a warm body and I wasn't going to settle for that. If Luke wanted to continue our relationship, he also had to put some emotional effort into it. I didn't expect a commitment from him, although that would be nice. The bottom line was that I wasn't going to settle for being a booty call. If that's all it was to Luke and that's all that we had in common, then I would need to be strong and turn my back and walk away.
Even if Luke was open to maintaining our growing and personal relationship, was it something I wanted to pursue? My father's involvement added a whole new dynamic to the situation. The fact that my relationship with Luke was none of his business was beside the point. I didn't want anything to come between my relationship with my parents. Not just because of the money. Not because of the money at all, actually. Still, my father had to realize that my life was my own. Yes, he was watching out for me and my best interests, but who was he to judge what was right for me?
This was something else that I needed to discuss with Luke. Either way, my father was now involved in our relationship – whether we wanted him to be or not. How we handled it was another thing entirely. I knew it could involve risk, not only personally, but financially. Perhaps after I talked with Luke, I would have a talk with my dad. Maybe a face-to-face with him could settle the entire situation. Then again, knowing my dad, trying to talk to him might be like trying to talk to a brick wall.
With a sigh, I heaved myself up off of the sofa and stepped in the bedroom to change. While there was certainly nothing wrong with what I was wearing right now, I wanted to take a quick shower and mentally prepare myself for meeting with Luke. I had no idea how tonight would end, but I had to steel myself, prepare myself, for a variety of results.
As the way I saw it, tonight could end in one of three ways. We would end up sleeping together, which got me tingling all over again, and which also pretty much make a statement that I was defying my father. Or, Luke would break off the personal relationship with me, but want to keep me on as his maid. That would be awkward, and I wasn't sure if it would be beneficial to either one of us. Or, Luke could fire me as his maid and back away from any relationship.
I decided that I would just have to wait and see. Maybe, somehow, we could find a compromise or a solution to our problem. By the time I had showered, changed, and headed to my car, I was just as confused as I had been last night. My stomach was full of butterflies, but I resolved that no matter what happened this evening, I would walk away with my chin held high.
*
About an hour later, I arrived at the Benning Estate. Before I even closed my car door, Luke had opened the front door and walked down the stone steps toward me. He appeared to be happy to see me, or at least, that’s how I read his smile, and to be honest, my heart did a little thumpity-thump when I saw him, too. There was no denying that there was a sexual attraction between us; that was for sure. Still, for now, I tried to rule my brain instead of my body, but it was going to be difficult. He clasped my hand as we walked up the stairs and into the house.
"Have you eaten anything yet?"
I shook my head.
"The chef has left for the day, and I had told him not to worry about fixing dinner. I’ll order something and have it delivered. Does that sound okay to you?"
I glanced up at him and smiled. "That's fine. What do you feel like?
"Pizza?"
I laughed. Leave it to Luke. "Pizza is just fine, but no mushrooms and no anchovies!"
"How about pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, and some pineapple?"
I was surprised. That's always what I got on my pizzas. Coincidence? "Yes, that's perfect," I replied. I decided not to question anything too deeply at the moment. I had enough on my mind as it was.
He led the way into the den, or entertainment room as I called it – the one that had comfortable furniture, the television, and the stereo system. Using his cell phone, he called for pizza delivery and while we waited, he told me to go ahead and sit down and make myself comfortable.
"I'll be right back," he said.
I watched him leave the room, wondering what he was up to. Then I heard him rummaging around in the kitchen. When he returned several moments later, he appeared with two wine glasses half filled with red wine. I wasn't sure if I should refuse, but supposed that half a glass certainly wouldn't hurt while we waited for pizza. I reached for the proffered glass and murmured my thanks. I sipped the wine, which I knew enough to recognize as a full-bodied Merlot.
We engaged in idle and very superficial chitchat while we waited for the pizza. I was kind of glad because I didn't really want to get into serious topics right away, anyway. He told me about a couple of funny incidents that had happened when he was younger, and I shared a little bit as well, always straying far from the topic of my father in any of my stories. By the time I finished off the last sip of Merlot, we were both laughing and feeling more comfortable with each other.
The doorbell rang and he excused himself to go accept and pay for the pizza. Once again he disappeared into the kitchen, but returned several moments later with two plates and two sets of silverware balanced on top of the pizza box. He placed the pizza box on the glass coffee table in front of the sofa and then placed one of the plates in front of me, the other in front of him. He lifted his eyebrows as he gestured to the silverware.
"I hope you don't mind if I eat the pizza with m
y hands?"
I shook my head. "Not at all. I eat pizza with my fingers, too."
Before he sat down, he picked up the empty wine glasses and disappeared back into the kitchen, returning several moments later with another glass of wine for each of us. This time the glasses were more than half full. I raised my eyebrow at him.
"Don't worry, Molly, this is all you get, but it really will go well with the pizza…unless you'd rather have a soda or water?"
Again I shook my head. "No, this is fine." I watched as he carefully placed two slices of pizza on my plate and three on his. I only waited long enough for the crust to cool down enough to grasp it in my fingers and then took a bite. The crust was light, but not too crisp. The tomato sauce was nicely flavored and there must have been a mixture of cheeses because it tasted absolutely wonderful. I was surprised. It was the best pizza I had tasted in quite some time. I complimented him on his choice.
"A friend of mine recommended the place," he nodded, taking a bite that demolished at least half of his slice of pizza. He chewed thoughtfully for several moments, swallowed, and then grinned. "He specializes in Chicago style pizza, but I actually prefer a thinner crust."
"I do to," I agreed, taking another small bite.
By the time I had finished my first piece of pizza and he had finished two, I was beginning to feel even more relaxed. Of course, the wine didn't hurt, either. As he picked up his third piece of pizza, he turned to me, his expression serious.
"I'm glad you decided to come by, Molly," he began. "First, I want to apologize again for my actions. I keep saying the wrong thing, or at least, the words that I intend to say don't come out right."
