by Tammy Walsh
I hired a live-in governess to watch over and educate him. The one request my sister had ever given me was that he should be homeschooled.
“Let’s sit down and talk,” I said, leading Cleb into the front room.
He took a seat on the sofa across from me. His feet couldn’t even reach the floor. How could such a little fellow be such a big pain in my ass?
“The old governess is gone,” I said. “She won’t be coming back.”
“Okay,” he said.
“What made her leave?” I said. She’d been threatening to leave since she first got there.
Cleb swung his legs back and forth.
“I said I didn’t believe in God,” he said.
I was surprised by this as I’d seen him pray most nights before bed.
“Don’t you?” I said.
He shrugged.
“I haven’t made up my mind yet,” he said.
“Then why did you say you didn’t believe in Him?”
“Because she kept saying she did and that he was real and all around us. And I kept asking her questions, like if he watched us when we were in the bathroom. Or when we take a shower.”
“I don’t see how that would make her react the way she did,” I said.
“It didn’t. It was when I asked if he sees her when she drinks from that little bottle she has tucked in her secret pocket. Then she went crazy.”
“Drinks from a bottle?” I said. “What bottle?”
“The one that smells bad.”
“Smells bad how?” I said. “Maybe it’s medicine.”
“It smelled like those bottles,” he said, pointing at the liquor cabinet.
I just stared at him. Governess Puem-Gleb was the most devout person I’d ever met. To think she was a secret drinker… Maybe it really was medicine, I thought. She was getting on in years and probably needed a little pick me up now and then.
But how many medicines smelled like single-malt liquor?
I shook my head and focused on what I’d brought Cleb there to discuss.
“I need you to start behaving yourself,” I said. “I’m going to hire another governess and I need you to do what she says.”
“Okay,” he said, but it had the strong ring of noncommittal to it.
“I really mean it this time,” I said, feeling like I was talking to an empty audience.
“I know,” he said, his legs still swinging back and forth. It was beginning to make me dizzy.
“Is there… anything you want to talk with me about?” I said.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
This was the way it always went when we tried to sit down and have a conversation. Me asking questions and him nodding his head politely and giving me one-word answers unless more was necessary.
And then, just as predictably, came the awkward silence that always descended. The topic we never discussed. His dead parents. The gap yawned so wide it could be seen on the surface of the moon without a telescope.
I didn’t know what the words ought to be, only that it had something to do with him, his parents, and my role in his life.
I could never find the right words to console him. I didn’t even have them for myself. I preferred to bury myself in work to block out such thoughts.
Cleb knew I was there for him, but I’d never admitted as much. Maybe he needed to hear them but I couldn’t shake the feeling I wasn’t the one that should be saying it.
And why say what we both knew already?
I got to my feet and clapped my hands.
“Well, I should probably get back to work,” I said.
Cleb watched as I left the room and hurried—escaped, really—to my study. I passed Waev on the way.
“Find a governess as quickly as you can,” I said. “I want to interview them and have them in place as soon as possible.”
“I sent messages to those that contacted us before,” Waev said. “I arranged interviews. In the meantime, I got a message this morning from an applicant. She’s waiting in your office.”
I was still distracted by the non-discussion I’d just had with Cleb.
“Fine,” I said. “Fine. I’ll see her now. Can you bring me a coffee? I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a very long day.”
I entered my study and let the door shut behind me.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting,” I said, walking around the big wing-backed chair and extending my hand. “I was a little distracted with something else—”
The chair was empty. I peered around at the room but couldn’t make out the governess anywhere. Had Waev made an uncharacteristic mistake? His schedules were so well orchestrated they made generals weep.
Then I noticed the S’mauggai bag on the floor beside the chair. Someone had been here. Then where was she now?
She must be using my ensuite restroom.
But the door was open. Surely, she would have shut it while she was in there?
I approached it from an angle so I couldn’t see inside. I didn’t want to be accused of being a peeping Tom.
“Hello?” I said. “Is anyone in there? Hello?”
There was no response.
I eased the door open and peered inside. It was empty. The towel hung from its bar as I’d left it that morning when I heard the governess scream and march toward the door. I knew then it was just going to be one of those days. No one had been inside or used it since.
I heard my office door open and someone entered. She showed me her back as she shut the door behind herself and hastened toward the wing-backed chair. She peered around at the room and seemed relieved to find no one there.
I opened my mouth to say, “I’ll be right out,” when she suddenly got to her feet and rearranged herself. She ran her hands over her body, working out any creases. She reached into her dress and rearranged her bra.
I looked away, embarrassed I might get caught staring.
And then I looked back.
I’d never been a peeping Tom before but with her…
I don’t know. There was something about her that drew the eye.
She was younger than the other governesses.
And much prettier.
Then she stood up and extended her hand. For a moment I thought she was pointing at me. When she smiled and shook an imaginary hand, I knew I was dealing with a madwoman. Then she spoke in a soft voice in case someone overheard her talking to herself.
“No, no,” she said, “I had no problem finding the place. What? Oh, yes. It’s a beautiful house. Do I come from a house like this? No, not exactly…”
She shook herself off and tried again.
“Yes, I come from a house very similar to this on my homeworld,” she said. “We’re old money. All inherited from oil and gas reserves. You know what they say, you need energy to make energy.”
She laughed in a fake high-pitched voice. She rolled her eyes at herself and shook her head.
“Stupid,” she said.
I couldn’t help but smile. She was charming. She was being her honest and true self… even if she was practicing the lies she would tell me.
I reached for the faucet. I would turn it on and it would warn her I was in the restroom.
I paused.
Did I want her to know I was there? That I’d overheard her practiced lines?
No. It didn’t feel right.
So what was I supposed to do? The restroom had no other exits, no windows—
What was I thinking? I was going to climb out of the window of my own private office bathroom just so an employee—a potential employee—could avoid a little embarrassment?
And what if I got stuck? Then she’d have to help me get out.
Now the embarrassment would be reflected on me a thousand-fold.
No. I would simply wash my hands and go out there. I’d act surprised to see her and we could carry on with the meeting.
“Hello?” the girl said, approaching the restroom. “Is anyone in
there?”
I don’t know. Is there?
Now what?
Wipe my hands as if I just washed my hands? Except, I hadn’t turned the faucet on… Which would make it obvious I’d been watching her.
Maybe I should pull my pants down and sit on the toilet?
I didn’t even want to go there.
I crept into the shower stall and drew the frosted door across.
This was so embarrassing.
Now what if she caught me? I raised my hands to the showerhead as if I was inspecting it. If she opened the shower door, I would pretend I was fixing it… without any tools.
It was the best I could think of.
“Hello?” the girl said, entering the restroom. “Oh, wow. Nice. Note to self: Charge these people a lot. They can afford it.”
She sang to herself as she touched up her makeup in the mirror. She turned the faucet on to wash her hands, which made the showerhead above me drip. I’d been meaning to get the damn thing fixed. The water dribbled through my hair, down my neck, and brought a shiver with it.
I couldn’t just stand there. I needed to do something.
I dug my communicator out of my pocket and sent a message to Waev. I told him to knock on the door, invite the girl out, and get her to leave. Then I would be free to escape my office.
Escape my own office!
Then she could return and I could come back in.
This whole thing was getting wildly out of hand.
I sent the message.
There was a pause as Waev read it. He typed a few responses before giving up and answering instead with a simple: “Yes, sir.”
And then the worst thing imaginable happened—next to her discovering me peeping at her, that is.
She pulled her dress up and sat on the toilet.
My cheeks burned as she tinkled, humming a tune happily to herself.
If she turned her head just a couple of inches my way, she might see me, a blurry mass in the frosted glass.
I would never live it down. I might have to move.
A few minutes later, she was done and washing her hands. That’s when Waev’s knock came on the office door.
The girl quickly wiped her hands on the towel and exited the restroom.
I breathed an enormous sigh of relief.
“Traes may be a little while longer,” Waev said. “I thought perhaps you might like to see the garden?”
“Oh,” she said. “Okay. That would be fun.”
“Are you hungry? Thirsty?” Waev said. “I’m sure I can get you something?”
“That would be great, thank you,” the girl said as she left. “A cup of water or fruit juice would be good—”
And they were gone.
I stepped out of the restroom and shook my head, chuckling to myself. Danger averted. What a mess I’d gotten myself into.
First impressions mattered. You always wanted to make sure you came across as professional at all times. It was hard to come across as less professional than as a peeping Tom and—
“—a moment to grab my bag—” the girl said as she walked back in my office.
I froze.
Maybe if I stood still enough, she wouldn’t notice me. But it was no good. I was standing in the middle of the room and there was no chance she could miss me.
“Oh,” she said, wearing a frown. “Hello.”
She glanced from me to the restroom and back again.
I opened my mouth.
I said, “I…”
What? What was I going to say? That I was a random house worker and I just happened to slip past her for the split second she’d left? She would know I was lying. Not many cleaners wore sharp suits.
I decided to paper over the whole thing and pretend like it never happened. I was the employer. I didn’t need to explain myself to anyone.
Except to myself on how badly I’d ruined this first impression.
“I’m Traes,” I said. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Oh,” she said. “It’s fine.”
She glanced around the room for how I could have gotten in if I didn’t come through the one and only door she’d used.
“Did you find the house okay?” I said.
“Yes, thanks,” she said. “Your butler said you were going to take a while with something.”
“Yes. I was otherwise engaged,” I said. “But I’m not now.”
“He was going to show me around the garden. I think he’s waiting for me outside.”
“Don’t worry about him,” I said. “He knows what he’s doing.”
Knock, knock.
“Come,” I said.
Waev peered his head around the door. He looked surprised to see me standing there.
“I came to take the lady to the gardens,” he said.
“That’s okay,” I said. “We’ll have our meeting now.”
Waev frowned, in total confusion.
“Right,” he said. “Okay. Uh, would you care for drinks?”
“Tea,” I said.
“Very good, sir,” he said, backing out of the room.
Once he’d gone, I shook my head.
“Waev,” I said. “He’s beginning to get a bit long in the tooth, I’m afraid. You’re free to visit the gardens after our meeting if you’d like.”
“Thanks,” she said.
I shook her hand.
“Call me Traes,” I said.
“Bianca,” she said.
I couldn’t resist asking the next question:
“Did you grow up in a house similar to this?” I said.
The smile faltered on her lips.
“I, uh, no, uh, yes. The thing is… Sort of.”
“I hear a lot of families earn a lot of money from energies from your homeworld,” I said. “Oil. Gas. Things like that.”
Bianca looked at me through squinting eyes.
“Right…” she said.
I turned to my desk and glanced in the mirror back at her. She peered at her surroundings and paid attention to the underside of the chair arms and the desktop. Did she think my office was bugged?
“Shall we get down to business?” I said.
“Yeah…” she said, her eyes still wandering around the office. “Sure.”
We took seats on either side of the desk. I looked her over properly for the first time. I was wrong. She wasn’t pretty. She was beautiful. She had eyes big enough to fall into, set in a face that promised desire, passion, and yes, more than a little challenge. Surely even Cleb would behave himself with her?
“Do you have your resume?” I said.
“I’m afraid I didn’t have time to print it out,” Bianca said.
“No problem,” I said. “So, what experience do you have with teaching small children?”
“I was an elementary school teacher for three years back on my homeworld. I taught a range of subjects and developed a good rapport with my students.”
“You sound like you loved your job very much,” I said.
Her smile faltered again.
“I did,” she said. “Very much.”
“And your students must have loved you. Students always love the teachers who teach with passion.”
She smiled at me and it lit up the entire room.
“I hope so,” she said. “I agree with you. Kids always know when their teachers are being honest with them. I guess we all do.”
And did her eyes shift minutely to the restroom door?
Waev knocked on the door before he shouldered it open and entered with a tray of drinks. Bianca looked like she wanted to get up and give him a hand but wasn’t sure how to behave in this kind of situation.
While she was distracted, I took the time to run my eyes over her appreciatively.
How long had it been since I did something like that?
How long had it been since I peered up from a dry piece of paper to look at something so beautiful?
To have a real conversation with someone and not just trying to score neg
otiation points?
Longer than I cared to admit.
“How did you come to be on Arcturon Prime?” I said.
“I… wanted to see more of the galaxy,” she said. “I wanted to see other alien species and planets.”
“Has it been everything you hoped it would?”
If I didn’t know any better, I would have said she was on the verge of tears.
“It’s been very… educational,” she said.
“Do you have any plans to return home?” I said.
“Yes. One day.”
“It must be difficult being so far from friends and family.”
“The people I’ve met here have been very kind to me,” she said. “For the most part.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
I wasn’t sure I believed her. It was in her eyes. She did her best to hide the painful experiences she’d had to endure. I felt angry that anyone could mistreat this woman.
“Do you have any references I can look at?” I said, steering the subject back to the job position. “Preferably on Arcturon Prime or in the local cluster?”
“I’ve only just arrived here,” she said. “I’m afraid I don’t have many references.”
“How about on other planets in the Titan empire where you’ve worked?” I said.
She smiled.
“Sure,” she said. “Of course. I’m sure I can get them to write a reference for you.”
“Not written,” I said. “I need to see them face to face. You can tell so much more about a person when you see them in person.”
“Right,” she said. She looked very despondent. “Of course.”
“The position will require you to live in,” I said. “Is that a problem?”
“No.”
“No boyfriend or husband issues?”
“None,” she said. “Just me.”
She suddenly seemed so small in that massive wing chair. Just her. Alone. On the far side of the galaxy. It made me want to scoop her up in my arms and care for her.
I blinked at my instincts.
“I need to warn you about Cleb, who you’d be taking care of,” I said. “He can be… a bit of a handful.”
“I’ve had to deal with many difficult kids over the years,” she said confidently. “I’ve found the way to make them behave isn’t to attempt to control them. It’s to—”
She lost her train of thought and shook her head.
