Callie was getting more and more upset as she spoke, finishing her glass of water in one gulp, but her anger still hadn’t subsided.
The servant watched her, then shook her head sympathetically. “Mrs. Oconnor, Mr. Oconnor really is concerned about you. He may not have said it in the best way, but…” She struggled to find the right words before deciding to be blunt, “Mr. Oconnor usually goes to bed early when he doesn’t have work. But tonight, he stayed up, asking several times if you had come back. I could tell he was genuinely worried about you.”
Callie was taken aback. She recalled Nelson’s deep voice on the phone and his reaction earlier. It did seem a bit unusual.
“He waited for me all night?” Callie asked.
“Yes,” the servant nodded quickly. “Nancy can vouch for it too. Mr. Oconnor was really anxious. So, honestly, some of the things you said earlier were a bit too harsh.”
‘Nelson was worried about where I was at late night? Why?’ Callie thought, surprised.
“But still, he shouldn’t have said those things.”
“You know the saying, ‘tough love.’ He may come across harsh, but it’s because he cares.” The servant said with a smile.
Hearing this made Callie immediately got goosebumps. She couldn’t believe it applied to her situation. Nelson couldn’t possibly love her. She shook her head vigorously to clear her thoughts.
“I don’t think that’s it. He’s just worried I’ll cause trouble and wants to squeeze every bit of value out of me.” Callie said.
After saying this, Callie felt much better. She thought. ‘It must be like that. Nelson’s role as a capitalist suits him. I don’t believe he’s criticizing me because he cares or has feelings for me. I can’t be imagining things!’
“Mrs. Oconnor…” The servant wanted to say more, but Callie cut her off.
“Alright, alright. Is there any food in the kitchen? I’m starving.”
The next morning, Callie woke up replaying the servant’s words in her mind. She even started to reconsider if she had been too harsh. Because of those thoughts swirling in her head, she hadn’t slept well and woke up feeling sore all over.
As she walked past Nelson’s room, she paused. Suddenly, the door opened from the inside. Nelson had just taken a shower, and his eyes still looked damp. He glanced down at Callie with a hint of surprise, his expression still stern.
Callie was startled, feeling awkward.
They stood there, staring at each other for about thirty seconds before Callie broke the silence. “Well… actually, last night I went to see my brother’s girlfriend. Her workplace is really far from here. The cab ride back cost me two hundred bucks! That’s why I got home so late.”
She hadn’t planned on explaining herself, but her mouth moved on its own.
Nelson looked slightly surprised that Callie was explaining herself. It seemed she wasn’t one to hold grudges.
He smirked, still with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, “So you can talk after all.”
“I got upset because you accused me of sneaking around with Dr. Tobias. You acted like I was having an affair.” Callie argued.
Nelson’s freshly-showered scent filled the air, and Callie couldn’t bring herself to look directly at him. His face was too striking, too intimidating. She was afraid she’d blush just talking to him, and that would be really embarrassing.
Nelson’s anger had mostly dissipated, but he didn’t show it. Instead, he said, “From now on, you need to be home by 11:00 p. m. no matter what.”
“Why?” Callie remembered the servant saying that Nelson cared about her.
“Because you live under my roof, and you follow my rules.”
With that, Nelson walked downstairs, his mood seemingly improved.
Callie clenched her jaw, making a face at his retreating back. She hadn’t been wrong. Nelson was just a capitalist who exploited his workers like her!