Chapter 26 — Luke

“I will never understand women Elisa, why can’t they all be like you.”

She laughed as she finished preparing breakfast and joined me at the table. This was our one chance in the week to catch-up and just hang out, without the staff watching us and without worrying about who could hear our conversation.

“You and April?” She winked, sitting down with her fruit salad.

“How did you know? Was it obvious?”

She smiled. “Just a little.”

I nodded as I sipped my coffee. Last week Friday, April walked out of the office. I didn’t know what was on her mind, it was crazy. She left, then turned up on Monday, and we’d hardly spoken since.

“Is this why you got her the job?”

“Uh-huh, sometimes you need a little push, besides I hate to see you so lonely.”

I could have denied it and told her my life wasn’t empty. Tell her how I wasn’t lonely, but it would be a lie. It would be like going to church and confessing to the priest and lying about everything in my life. Elisa wasn’t just my housekeeper, she was the one person I trusted in the world who wasn’t blood. I thought of her as the aunt I never knew. My mom’s younger sister had died in a tragic car accident.

“I didn’t realize it was so obvious.”

“It is,” she said, “But, it’s okay. Even I get lonely sometimes when Hector’s not at home.”

“But that doesn’t mean you need to work overtime.”

“I know, but my children don’t even want to know me anymore. Being here and being in charge means I don’t have to face my reality.”

I smiled as I thought about her calling me Luke, but never in front of the other staff.

“Why do you think I work so hard?” I asked.

“Why do you think I wanted you to be with April?”

I nodded my head, realizing she didn't want me to end up like her, but it wasn't her decision to make.

“Now, are you going to tell me what happened with you and April or are you going to have me second-guessing?”

I buttered some toast. “Well, after dad’s anxiety attack which we thought was a heart attack. I couldn’t think straight so I just sent her instructions while I panicked about dad’s health. Anyway, I decided I need to find someone because she needs to be more than my secretary and she’s earned her place to be part of the team. I got a replacement and she just avoids me like the plague. I swear instead of her thanking me for the promotion, she's been avoiding me.”

“Really? Is this why you’re here having a late breakfast with me?”

I set the knife down and reached for the jelly. “No, it just felt too fast too soon with her and I was getting carried away and I didn’t want history to repeat itself.”

“I see,” she said in a knowing tone, which was another thing I hated about women. They always saw before us men. Why did they see, and we never did?

“Yes?” I asked after losing my patience with her not spitting it out. “Are you going to tell me?”

She hesitated for a second, as she picked up her espresso cup, took a sip and then put it back down. As if the espresso gave her the inspiration to speak as she asked, “You’re falling for her?”

I laughed. “I’ve only known her for a few weeks. No, I just don’t want to make the mistakes I made before. I don’t want to be with someone for the sake of it and then go along for the ride, and then I’m stuck because my seat belt’s jammed and I shouldn’t have gone on the ride in the first place. Now, instead of getting off, I just stay on riding, over and over again, until I get dizzy.”

“You’re making me dizzy talking about this ride.” She reached out and placed her hand over mine briefly. “She’s not Kim. There were enough issues with Kim to write a damn book on. No, this one is different. I could tell from the moment you brought her home and you just wanted to take care of her. You hardly ever bring a one-night stand home because it would mean they slept in your space, even if it wasn’t in your bed. Besides you have a suite in the Walldorf which is where you usually take them and was closer to the restaurant where you met her.”

Elisa knew me better than I knew myself at the best and worst of times.

“You’ve got it bad and this is why you look like a dog who’s lost its bone.”

"Well, she wanted a job.” I defended myself. “She said she couldn't get one because her lack of qualifications, stopped her from having her foot in the door. She was way too talented to be stuck as my secretary. I gave her an opening and now the woman will hardly talk to me. She vanished when I found a replacement who does a good enough job, not as great as Caroline and not nearly as good as April. But, good enough and I don’t get it.”

She said, “Maybe you should talk to her.”

“I tried.”

“Really?” She leaned back like I had shocked her.

“I sent her a text, and she didn’t respond.”

“A text? You’re in the same office. Look, don’t let your emotions get away with you, just open your heart and enjoy the ride.”

I nodded mulling over her words. I did worry about giving my heart away, which was silly because Hayley and Ed were the best couple in the world and I’d watched them fight and grow to love each other more over the years.

“Well, some of us have work to do.” I snatched up my toast, taking it with me. “Nice having breakfast with you, we need to do it more often not just on Fridays.”

“Any time.” She lifted her espresso in a mock toast.

“I’m going to check in on dad and then go to the office. Tomorrow's the wedding and I don’t even know if April’s still going with me.”

“Only one way to find out,” Elisa arched her eyebrow, “try talking to her.”

“I’ll try.”

She waved her finger at me. “Don’t send her another text!”

I laughed, thinking she’d read my mind because that was exactly what I was going to do. I couldn't get over the weekend we spent together. Everything had felt so natural and then I felt guilty for not checking up on my parents, so I pushed her aside. Yeah, I needed to work on my bedroom manners. Okay, as soon as I hit the office, I would go and find April, maybe take her out for a coffee and have it out with her and apologize for my behavior and find out why she’d been acting so strange.

Why couldn’t all women be like Elisa?

But if I'd just spoken to April in the first place, then maybe we wouldn't be in this disastrous situation right now.