10

Sean Peterson
I woke up way too early that too tired as hell. I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night after that awkward moment in the kitchen. That shouldn’t have happened but it did and just because of grandma. I had consoled myself that whatever I did was to save ourselves from grandma’s cunning eyes. And honestly, it shouldn’t be bothering me but it was. Especially that tangy, lemony mist of hers! It had captured my senses. In four years of her working with me, I had never smelled that hypnotizing mist on her. Did she change her perfume or did I notice it for the first time?
And the closeness! It wasn’t intentional, it just happened and it affected me a lot.
However, it was not only her scent and her warmth that kept me awake; her stupid acts did wonders too. All night I kept thinking of her annoying, talkative character. She, many times spoke something that wasn’t needed. All she had to do was to act normal but she was far away from being normal. I was afraid of being caught because of her gabby mouth. Had I been aware of her annoying behavior, I wouldn’t have asked her to help me.
As if I had any other option!
I even thought that giving her chocolates as a token of thanks was a bad idea, but again, it would be rude not to thank her for helping me.
For the last time, I reassured myself that it was only for my good. I just needed some time alone to think about Ryan. Alone? What an irony!
I sighed. As I couldn’t keep resting on the bed forever, I rolled off and freshen up and did the workout with dumbbells in my own room before heading for the shower. It was seven-thirty in the morning when I left my room to head downstairs and when I reached there I found the living room empty and awfully silent.
It’s a matter of concern when silence prevails in the house which has a kid, an overly enthusiastic old lady, and an excessively talkative woman living in it.
Was I early or were they still sleeping?
I had just taken a step towards the kitchen to look for them when I heard the voices outside. I followed the voice and reached the front lawn only to find three of them crouching on the ground, doing something with the garden pipe.
As their backs were facing me so they couldn’t see me; neither I could see what exactly they were doing with the pipe. Frowning, I sauntered towards them.
“What-” Is was the only word I could say as my words were caught in the throat when a sudden force of water stream hit me hard.
“Omigod, Omigod, Omigod, I can’t turn off the nozzle from here. God, Ryan run and turn off the tap. Run. Fast.”
It has to be her! Who else has the power to annoy me in the damn morning?
“Goodness, Miss Hart put that damn thing down,” I shouted at top of my lungs.
“Oh, yeah, I can do that. Done.”
“What the hell were you doing? Are you crazy or what?” I shouted again. I was fucking soaking in water.
“I’m so-”
“Don’t.” I glared at her.
“Sean, take it easy,” Grandma said.
“Grandma, I have an important meeting to attend and it has not even been half-hour I showered and dressed up and now I’ve to change my clothes again.” I gritted my teeth, running my hands in my drenched hair.
“Important meeting? You said you’ll give all your time to us, to Ryan and now you’re going out for work?”
Shit! “Grandma it’s important otherwise I’d have stayed home. Please understand.”
“Not done, Sean.” She shook her head in disbelief. I grasped her shoulder. “Grandma, I promise I’ll give all my time to you and Ryan. Just this once, just for today, let it slide, and don’t be mad at me. Please? It’s really important.”
“You promise?” She asked and I nodded my head vigorously. She then agreed and I kissed her cheek as a token of thanks.
“I need to change now,” I said and glared at the culprit who drenched me before heading to my room. I had changed my clothes and was putting on my socks when the knock on the door disturbed me.
“Mr. Peterson?” Groaning, I shut my eyes and rubbed my forehead in annoyance before answering ‘come in’ as I knew she wouldn’t go until she eats my brain.
And not to my surprise, her rambling started as soon as she entered my room. “I’m extremely sorry, Mr. Peterson. At first, the nozzle of the pipe didn’t open, and when it did it didn’t close. It wasn’t intentional, we were just trying to water the plants, that’s all. Please forgive me. This won’t happen again, I swear.”
“The damage has been done, Miss Hart,” I said loudly as I stood up from the bed. She started fidgeting her fingers. “I… I sincerely apologize.” She lowered her head.
“You can leave,” I sighed and made my way to the nightstand to pick up my phone. As I turned back after picking up the phone I found her still standing there, looking directly at me.
“What now?” I asked as I slipped the phone into my pocket.
“Uh, your tie.”
“No nee-” I hadn’t even completed my sentence and she was standing a hand distance from me with the tie in her hands which was lying on the bed just a millisecond ago. Did she have superpowers or what?
“I won’t let you scold me for not doing my job well.” She said and I raised my eyebrows. “But I didn’t ask you to do it so why would I scold you?” I said.
“Mood swings.” She shrugged her shoulders and stepped closer and that bloody lemony whiff knocked my senses again!
What was happening to me? Whatever it was, it hadn’t happened ever before!
I wanted to step back but she had already laced the tie around my neck and had started to knot it. I was deeply, extremely affected but I couldn’t show it on my face so I pulled a poker face.
“Are you always this annoying or are you deliberately being one now?
She stopped making the knot and scowling, she crossed her arms. “An…annoying? I’m not at all annoying, Mr. Peterson! And this is the real me.”
“Wish I’d known this before.” I scoffed.
“How would you know? At work, I do only work and when I’m at home or with my friends, I show my real me.”
“Are you with friends or home now?” I raised questioning eyebrows.
She suddenly grinned, weirdly. “For a week, your home is my home and your grandma and nephew are my friends.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Just do your work and leave, Miss Hart.” I pointed at my tie. Surprisingly, she did it without uttering a word and left. Finally!
I need to learn how to knot a tie!
After wearing my shoes and brushing my hair I went to the kitchen to have breakfast. There, Ryan had already started eating and grandma and Miss Chatterbox were waiting for me.
“Good morning, Ryan.” I greeted him by kissing his cheek as I hadn’t done it in the garden. “Did you sleep well?” I asked, ruffling his hair.
“Good morning, uncle Sean. And yes, I slept well.” He mumbled while munching the boiled egg. I sat down beside grandma to have breakfast.
“When will you be back?” Grandma asked. “Evening,” I replied.
“What will we do till then? I and Ryan will be bored if you both go out.” She whined and I frowned.
“No, no, no, you don’t get it. Miss Hart isn’t coming with me. She’s staying back to accompany you.” I explained.
“Oh, okay. Then it’s fine. By the way, why are you two so formal? Why you two are not on the first name basis?” Her question caught me off guard and I choked on the toast I was eating and Miss Hart coughed too.
“First name basis? I told you, grandma, we are strictly professional.” I said.
“I get that and at work, I understand, but at home, there’s no need to be formal, I mean to call each formally. Don’t you agree Lauren?” Grandma looked at her, who in return was looking at me with wide eyes.
I thought she would say something but she kept quiet for long so I had to come forward. “Grandma, I don’t think it’s appropriate.”
“Why not? Who’s here to see you? Listen, you two, I don’t want any formality in this house.” She said firmly, pointing her finger between me and her. “When at home, you’ll call each other by names, get that?”
I tried to argue but shut my mouth by scolding me and not wanting to left embarrassed in front of Miss Hart, I didn’t speak further.
“You know what, Sean?” Grandma again spoke up, facing me. “I feel like your house is-” She stopped and glanced at Ryan. “Ryan, please cover your ears with your hands.” She said and he did without asking for the reason.
“What’s going on, grandma?” I frowned deeply.
“I think your house is spooky.” She whispered.
“What?” I chuckled at that. “Where is this coming from?”
Ignoring me she glanced at Miss Hart. “Lauren, have ever got spooky vibes in this house?”
“No, grandma.” She frowned too.
Grandma sighed. “I don’t know about you two but I can tell there is something strange in this house.”
“Why do you think so?” I asked.
“Last night I went to the kitchen to drink water-” I coughed. I knew where this was going. “I felt someone’s presence there. Not just one but two.”
Coughing, I abruptly stood up from the chair and Miss Hart started coughing as well and took a glass of water. I went to the fridge and drank water from the bottle.
“What happened to both of you? Why are you coughing? And Sean, I felt the presence exactly where you are standing.”
And the water I was drinking spilled out of my mouth. God, grandma! Did she have the intention to kill me? I coughed while rubbing my chest. Grandma came up to me and rubbed my back. “Are you okay?”
“I…I’m okay.” I softly swatted her hand away. “I… I think I should leave, I’m getting late.” I said and walked past her. “Miss Hart, follow me.”
“Again Miss Hart?” I heard grandma say.
“I’ll practice some other time,” I said loudly and walked out of the kitchen.
“Phew, that was close.” Miss Hart said as she came out of the kitchen.
“Listen, Miss Hart, all I have to say is…Do. Not. Cause. Trouble. And try to keep your mouth shut when required.” I said and without listening to her retort I left for work before grandma could catch me again.
I warned her not to cause trouble while I knew she herself was trouble.
“Hey, why are you are late? I was just about to call you.”
I was welcomed by Xavier’s question and Daniel’s busy-on-phone presence when I stepped inside my office.
“I- nothing.” I sighed, keeping my bag on the desk.
“Hey, burrito, don’t trouble your mamma. I’ll be there soon, okay?” Daniel cooed while looking at his phone.
I glanced at Xavier in question and he mouthed ‘video call’. Daniel finally looked up and grinned and turned his phone screen towards me. “Eloi, see who’s here.”
I took the phone in my hand. “Hey, Eloise.” I smiled at her. She was sitting on the bed with Travis in her arms. “Hey, Sean, I’m sorry for disturbing but Travis was crying non-stop, and he just wanted to see his father.”
“He knows his father is a joker.” I laughed and Xavier joined. Daniel snatched the phone from my hand.
“Eloi, I’ll talk to you later. Someone here is jealous of our love. Love you, bye.” Daniel hung the call and scowled in our direction. I rolled my eyes.
“Stop making faces and start working.”
“Why are you being so grumpy? Didn’t sleep last night?”
Last night! Yeah, I didn’t.
“I did. Now stop wasting time and let’s discuss things about the meeting we have to attend.” I said as I took my seat and they both did the same. We began to work before we go for the meeting and when we were done discussing the important point regarding the meeting, Xavier suddenly asked something that took me off guard.
“So, Ryan and grandma have finally arrived, huh?”
“Yeah.” They knew I had gone to meet grandma and the same night Daniel called me what happened there so I had to tell him and obviously I skipped the part where I caused the blunder and he conveyed it to Xavier.
“When can we meet them?” Daniel’s request had me uncomfortable.
“You know what?” Xavier added. “We should arrange a lunch or dinner get together so that we all can meet. My daughter will love to meet Ryan. What say? Today or tomorrow?”
“No!” My abrupt negative reply made them look at me weirdly. I cleared my throat.
“I…I mean they have just arrived and need time to settle down and besides, Ryan is conserved and shy. He needs time to open up.” I stumbled on my words. I couldn’t welcome them to my home. I didn’t want more trouble as I already had one live trouble sitting at my home.
“Hey, come on! It won’t be a hassle. It’s just a get-together.” Daniel forced.
“No, not right now. At least give me time to talk to them properly. And Ryan, I too met him for the first time after his birth and I want to spend time with him so that he can open up to me.” I said.
“But-”
“Daniel, he’s right.” Xavier cut him off. “Let him spend time with them then maybe after two or three days we’ll meet them.”
I groaned mentally. I thought he was going to stop him but he gave him hope and now I needed to come up with something to keep them away from my home. Thanks to Xavier that now I had three days to think about it. I knew they wouldn’t stay quiet until they meet them.
Thankfully, our discussion was interrupted by the news of the arrival of the client we had a meeting with.
“Let’s go.” Without further ado, I stood up from my chair and marched towards the door to exit but was interrupted by Daniel.
“Hey, Sean, where’s your P. A?”
Goodness, can’t I get peace for a while?
“Why?” I asked as I again faced him.
“Just curious.” He shrugged his shoulders.
“She’s on leave. Now, will you do the honor of taking your ass to the meeting room?”
“Grouchy!” He muttered before walking out of the office. I and Xavier followed.
When the meeting ended I began doing other tasks. I wanted to complete the office work as much as I could as I won’t be coming to the office for the next few days.
In the evening when I was done with the work, I packed some important files to take them home and headed home with only one intention… to get a peaceful sleep.