Chapter Three
Osi
I’d spent the rest of the weekend at Ramsay’s place. We shared the space easily, until she realized that it was happening and then she would snap. But that was my girl…she would not allow herself to enjoy. She’d fallen asleep on my chest that morning. We’d slept until Tye had pounded on the front door waking us up.
The Golden Boy, newlywed, and successful attorney gave me a shit eating grin and announced, “We’re heading to Forde’s. I figure you’d better wake up or you’ll miss all of the fun.”
“Yeah thanks.” I slammed the door in his face.
We’d eaten and watched football with our friends and this year there were no proposals or drama. I sort of missed it.
We’d slept in today and spent most of it in bed. After I made dinner because anything besides a salad or a smoothie was beyond the scope of Ramsay’s skills, we each settled down and did some work.
At eleven, I’d closed my laptop. “I’m going to bed.”
Ramsay frowned as she looked at her phone. “I’m getting pissed, he hasn’t returned my call or any of my messages.”
Edwin was in the wind.
She closed the cover on her I-Pad, stood and stretched her back. “I still need to pack.”
“Your flight doesn’t leave ‘til three, you’ve got time.” I motioned her to start for the bedroom.
“I’m going to call him one more time.” She pressed the button on her phone.
Her assistant needed to answer. Ignoring Ramsay only made her more mad and things would only get uglier. I didn’t know what was up with the dude but this was not good.
“What the fuck is up?” Her tone was sharp.
I listened to her side of the conversation while I brushed my teeth. It was mostly Ramsay laying down the law.
“I don’t give a shit what upsets you are experiencing. Your ass had better be in the seat beside me tomorrow or …or something bad will happen.” She glanced at me.
I raised an eyebrow silently asking, “Want me to deal with him?”
She gave me an eye roll but she was smiling. “Just be there or start looking for another job.” She threw her phone on the bed. “I cannot fucking believe this shit.” Her long legs covered a lot of space as she began to pace. “He hasn’t answered my texts or returned my calls because he’s having a bad day.” She told me sarcastically. “What the fuck does that mean?” She stopped in front of me. “When you have a bad day do you shut down?”
Before I could answer she continued, “No you don’t. You are an adult and you have a fucking job to do. Re-spon-si-bility, mother fucker.”
I tried not to laugh. She really was adorable. The cuss words coming from the very sophisticated woman cracked me up. Even though we were lounging around her apartment and not expecting any guests, she had on make-up and was dressed in nay yoga pants and a light blue sweater that was oversized.
“What am I going to do? I don’t have time to find another employee?” She pulled the top over her head.
“He’ll get his shit together.” I watched as she pulled her pants over her ass. She was getting really skinny. I could see the bones clearly along her spine. I needed to make sure that she ate. I knew that she had a slight build but she was the thinnest that I’d ever seen her.
“Fuckin’ Diva.” She closed her eyes as she sighed. “I need his ass on that plane. I can’t pack up those two units all by myself.”
“If he bails, I can move some things around and I’ll fly out and meet you.”
The look on her face was priceless. Her eyebrows were almost touching her hairline and she looked…hopeful? Afraid? I wasn’t sure.
“You’d do that?”
“I can follow directions and lift shit so yeah, I’d help if you needed me to.”
She threw herself into my arms. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou.”
I sort of hoped that Edwin didn’t show.
The local morning news was on the TV and I was watching it while checking my accounts. With Forde’s advice, I now had a nice balance and could retire comfortably…anytime.
Ramsay had her suitcase open on her side of the bed and she was packing. Well it was her convoluted system of packing. She listed the clothes on her I-Pad before she folded them carefully and put them in her suitcase.
I’d learned that she got shit done but her system was insanely intricate. However, she didn’t tell me how to catch bad guys so I didn’t tell her how to choose her outfits.
She’d been quiet this morning. Not that it was her favorite time of the day. She definitely needed three cups of coffee before her first sentence. From time to time she gave me a curious look. I guess I’d surprised her last night.
Her gratuity turned into sex and after she had washed her face and done whatever routine she did at bedtime that took twenty minutes. She was finally in bed.
“What is that takes so long in there?” I teased but I also wanted to know.
“If you don’t like it then leave. I mean you do have some place to go right?”
“Yeah, I have a place.” I told her, “but you never wanted to see it.”
She didn’t say anything in response. After a few minutes passed I thought she had fallen asleep when she rolled over to her side to face me.
I could just make out her features. She slept with a nightlight in the bathroom.
“Does it bother you that I’ve never asked to see your place?” Her voice was soft and hesitant.
I thought before I answered. I chose truth. “Honestly, yeah it does.”
I felt her sharp intake of air. “I..ah..is it downtown?”
I could tell she was scrambling. I’d decided long ago that Ramsay was going to dictate the terms or I would lose her. I didn’t think it would take this long to break down her walls. “North.”
“An apartment?”
“A two story on a cul de sac.”
“In a subdivision?” She sounded like she was trying to picture it.
“With a back deck and a hammock.”
“I always pictured a sort of Bat Cave kind of place with lots of stainless steel and black leather furniture.” She looked at me speculatively.
“There’s more to me than my work, Ramsay.” I corrected her.
She rolled away, giving me her back as she mumbled, “I don’t know why you want to be here.”
I pulled her back into me. “Babe, I’m an adult, I know how to ask. Okay?”
“I’m selfish and such a bitch to you.” She sounded like she was going to cry.
“Only about half the time,” I teased although it was true at times. “I’m here because I like it. If I didn’t I could be somewhere else.”
Later, I think she thought that I was asleep but I heard her clearly as she whispered, “I wish I was good enough for you, Osi.”
Jesus, sometimes she broke my heart.
I was sending an e-mail to my contact at the Redding Center when I heard the tone that signified an incoming call on her I-pad. Ramsay stopped folding and answered. “Hey.”
“Happy New Year.” I heard two voices call.
Ramsay walked around the bed and sat on my corner. “The same to you two. I was starting to get worried when you didn’t answer my calls.”
“Apologies, we thought the Mercers’ said that they had internet but we couldn’t get anything.” The man’s Irish brogue was easy to hear.
“When are you coming?” I heard a woman’s voice.
“I’m not sure. I’m trying to clear out all of my units and then I need to catalog everything and set things up here.” Ramsay told them.
“But you didn’t come for Thanksgiving or Christmas.” The woman’s voice held a hint of a whine.
“I miss you guys but I need to work.” Ramsay answered.
I didn’t mean to but I snorted. Ramsay was richy rich. She didn’t need to work at all, nor would her children or her grandchildren.
“Is there someone with you?” The woman asked.
“Uhm,” Ramsay waffled.
“Oh there is,” the woman sounded thrilled.
“Jesus Bean what are you fifteen?” Ramsay frowned at the screen and then at me.
“Is this serious?” The man who must be her brother-in-law asked.
I moved closer to her and answered before she could. “She says no.”
“Ramsay, I want to meet your friend.” The woman urged.
“Jesus,” Ramsay responded but shifted so that I could hold the tablet and show us both. “This is “Osi. Happy?”
“Hello,” the couple said in unison. The woman who resembled Ramsay waved. “I’m Bean, her sister and this is my husband, Ollie.” They smiled like maniacs.
“Nice to meet you.” I smiled in return, mostly because I knew this was making Ramsay insane.
“I overheard you talking about wanting Ramsay to visit. She should, she needs a break.”
“See,” the woman told her younger sister while crossing her arms over her chest.
The man said simultaneously, “You should come too.”
“What!” Ramsay was looking at me. “They mean to St. Barts. Do you have a passport?”
“Yeah babe, I have a passport.” I told her with a smile. Turning back to the tablet, “St. Barts huh?”
“We rent a villa so there’s plenty of room and lots to do.” Bean told me. “Or nothing if you all just want privacy.” She flashed a huge smile.
“I don’t know, Osi is plenty busy.” Ramsay told them, each word came out slowly.
The man took over the planning. “We have the place for the month of February so what does your schedule look like Osi?”
“Tell me when and I’ll clear it.”
“Can I ask what you do?’ Bean’s smile was identical to her sister’s when she thought she was being sly.
“He’s a Bounty Hunter. He chases bad buys.” Ramsay told them.
“Oh that’s smashing.” Bean sighed.
“I don’t think that I’ve ever met anyone in that line.” Ollie was studying me intently. “It sounds fascinating.”
“It pays the bills.”
This time it was Ramsay’s turn to snort. “He’s good at it.”
I liked that she realized that I was.
“We need to be off, we are supposed to look at a car. Some new Mercedes that Hartman has. Listen, let us know when you will be down.” Ollie told us as Bean waved goodbye.
I said, “goodbye,” as Ramsay gave her “I love you’s.”
She took the I-pad from me. “You don’t have to go, okay?”
“Yeah because February is so lovely here. Dark, snowy and cold versus sun, sand and surf, yeah no contest.”
“It’s just that…well…Ollie and Bean, they are kind of hard to explain.”
“I’m listening.” I wanted to meet her sister, to learn more about her.
“Bean’s…well she’s not always right.”
“Okay?”
“She had a traumatic brain injury and sometimes she gets really bad headaches.”
I shrugged, that didn’t sound so bad.
“And every so often, she develops a weird phobia. Like she can’t walk on grass.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “One time, we were staying in a beach house in Hawaii and she decided that she couldn’t be in the sun. The thing is that once she latches onto that thought, you can’t convince her that she’s wrong. So things can be a little chaotic.” Her shoulders slumped as she finished explaining.
“Her husband handles it?”
“Ollie is amazing. He grew up in the middle of mental problems, I mean, his father was a doctor…of sorts.” She let out a long sigh. “This story is so convoluted that you probably won’t believe me.”
I could tell that Ramsay was being protective of her family and unsure how to tell me or how much. “The only thing that matters is that your sister is happy and that he takes care of her.”
“He does, she is.” Ramsay rushed to answer.
“You pick the dates and let me know. I’ll make sure I’m there. I look forward to meeting them.” I told her.
She looked relieved. “I’ll work on it this week so we can make the flight reservations.”
“Sounds good babe.”