Chapter 8
Ashley
I got a call from Frank around eight o'clock at night. He sounded like he was in a really good mood, and told me that he would be home in a little while. I don't know why I was a little nervous about it. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to go into the room that he gave me and to stay in there, or if we were supposed to stay out and talk. I'd never been in this sort of situation before and I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do.
I heard the door open and I got butterflies in my stomach. I know it sounds silly, and that it shouldn’t be that way at all, but it was. There was something about this man that I didn't quite understand and the more I learned about him, the more I realize that he was a really great guy. Donna was the sweetest kid I’d ever met, and she had gone to bed probably at eight o'clock. She told me that it was her bed time and I didn't even have to say much of anything to her. After she took her bath, she brushed her teeth and asked me to read her a story. After that, she went to sleep, and I hadn't heard a word from her since.
But I learned a lot about her dad from just talking to her, not that I was trying to get information out of her, but she was very forthcoming anyways. I still didn't know about her mother though. She didn't talk about her and the way she acted this morning when I it came up, I figured that it was better not to. But I couldn't help the gaping hole of curiosity that it left in me and I wanted to know what had happened.
Now that Frank was back, I was sitting at the stool and I had a glass of water that I was sipping on. I really didn't know what I was supposed to do. I was nervous, and it was a nervousness that I shouldn't have because of my employer. It wasn't because of something that he did, but more because of something that was going on in my own head. I don't know why, but I really wanted to know more about him, and it wasn't just because he was my boss.
“Hey Ashley, it's good to see that you're still up.”
“It's not that late sorry. About nine o'clock.”
“Right, I didn't think about the fact that you're a college student. I guess you stayed up a lot, don't you?”
“I study a lot.”
“Is that the new code name for parties?”
“No Sir, I do double coursework and I do study a lot. I probably should cut down a couple of classes, but I want to just get it over with, you know?”
“No, I really don't know. I miss college. It was a lot less work than I have now.”
“I can imagine. You work at a very high demand job, so you must be tired of that.”
“And what are you going for?”
I told him that I was going for accounting and he seemed rather impressed.
“That is a good profession. Lot of these kids nowadays that I talk to are going for some sort of social studies and I don't see how it's going to get them a job when they graduate. Everybody needs accountants.
“Yeah, that's how I figured it. While I'm sure it is nice to do arts or social studies, I don't see how that is going to help later. I certainly don't see how it is worth the tuition that it’s going to cost to learn about it. If I wanted to learn about it, I would just read a book.”
He smiled and asked me what was smelling so good.
“There is some dinner in the oven, if you are hungry. I didn't know if you wanted to eat this late or not. It should be done if you want it now, if not, I can just put it up for tomorrow for leftovers.”
“What is it?”
“Roast. Your daughter said that it was your favorite.”
The smile on his face got a little bit bigger and I was glad that I had taken the time to make it. It wasn't something that was too complicated, but it had taken a long time to do and, in the process, it made the house smell wonderful and just the look on his face, made it all worth it to me.
“It is my favorite. Did Donna eat her vegetables?”
“Yeah. Is that usually a problem? She ate very well for me and I don't think it'll be a problem at all.”
“Most likely it's because I have to cook I'm sure. It smells really good in here. I don't think I can remember a time when I came home and the house smelled like this.”
“Well if you just tell me what you want for dinner, I'll be more than happy to make it for you. The grocery store that you suggested has pretty much everything you could want.”
“I will think about it and let you know. We eat basic stuff, and I really don't know the name of half of it. If it is edible, that's all I really ask. I'm not really into the whole vegan, vegetarian kind of thing. I don't want weird food, but anything normal is fine.”
He made me laugh and I could imagine that he must have dated someone that was. I had never been to into the an unnatural-natural as I liked to call it. While it all seemed to be natural, it didn't seem very natural to me to eat something that was called a mung bean.
“I will keep that in mind. Normal.”
Frank wasn't paying attention to me anymore, because he was too interested in the food. It reminded me of how his daughter had acted this morning for breakfast. The two of them were acting like they haven't had a home-cooked meal in a very long time.
“Did your other nanny cook?”
“Maria cooked, but I have to admit that I couldn't eat half of what she made. It was always so very spicy, and I had an upset stomach most of the time.”
That had me giggling a little bit and I was wondering if that was where the ‘normal’ food, came in.
“So, you don't like spicy food?”
“No, I really do, but she just took it to another level. I don't know how she hadn't burned her tongue off. She would always tell me that she had made it mild for me, but it was never very mild.”
I didn't know what to say to that. I was more interested in watching him eat his dinner. He was devouring his plate and had this look on his face that was pure heaven. The smile that came from it was all the thanks that I needed. It was nice to cook for somebody who actually appreciated it. Duane never did.
“So, do you want me to leave you be so that you can have your dinner?”
“I would much rather you stay. It would be nice to talk to you for little bit, get to know you. It seems like we're going to be around each other for a while, so we might as well. I would also like to hear how you and my daughter got on. I hope she wasn't too much of a handful for you.”
“Not at all.”
“Now I know that you were fibbing me. I think everybody that have taken care of Donna in the last six months, has said that she was a handful. They usually call it sass.”
“No, I don't really get that at all. She's a very sweet girl and she's very helpful. We had a good time together.”
“That is good to hear, I was worried about that. I just left her with you this morning and I didn't know how it's going to work out.”
“It’s going to be fine Frank. Your daughter is a delight and I'm not lying to you, she really is. There is nothing wrong with a little spirit.”
He didn't say much of anything in response because his mouth was full of food and I was able to check him out a little bit. The shirt he was wearing was pulled tight around his biceps and he just looked strong. It wasn't at all what I would have thought, when I thought about a lawyer. For some reason, the pepper- haired man that I thought about when I first talked to him was so far off from the truth. His body was hard, his chin was chiseled, and he had the most disarming expression on his face most of the time.
When he noticed me watching him, Frank just smiled a little bit. The expression was getting to me and I offered to get him something to drink.
This time it was me that needed to change the subject of my mind.”