Unstuck (17 page)

“How did you sleep,”? He asked watching me kneel in front of the mini bar.

“Oh, amazing! I had the best night’s sleep,” I said while rearranging the bottles of water.

“Good, you needed it,” he said with a tiny smile.

“I did. Well,” I said standing up “off to my own personal hell,” I said taking my trolley to the library.

“I’ll come for you in a bit so we can have lunch,” I just nodded. I was already dreading to discover what “The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification,” was all about.

I don’t know how long had I been in there going through books, reading the summary and assigning it to a pile according to its genre, but I was brought back to reality by Patrick’s voice.

“Hey,” I heard him say and saw him on a leather sofa with his head on a throw pillow.

“Hey,” I said looking at the book on my hand. I was sitting on my heels contemplating the 10 piles of books I had in front of me “Where do you think a book of cat shifters that fall in love in the middle of World War II would go? Romance, Fantasy or History?” I said looking at him before bursting in a laughing fit.

“Are you serious?” he asked and reached out to take the book from my hands “Well, I’ll be damned…. Cat shifters. Romance definitely romance,” he said while reading the summary and laughing

“I’ll just leave it in the Fantasy pile,” I said putting the book on the pile “You have no idea what I’ve found in here,” I said picking up the next book. “What are you doing here?” I asked while reading the summary for the memoirs of a vampire; a man that truly believed he was a vampire.

“I’m stuck,” he said looking at me

“Do you want me to help unstuck you?” I asked while looking at the book cover.

“Later. Let’s have lunch,” He said sitting down on the sofa “Sure but first, Fantasy or Non-Fiction?” I asked giving him the book.

We ate Miranda’s chicken salad and drank lemonade in the Library. We had to up the heat in the house because it truly was freezing and the cold salad was not helping at all. I couldn’t believe that we were soon approaching the end of the year. I’ve had a good last semester so far.

“So, I was thinking,” I said while we both were sitting on the library’s floor surrounded by sofa’s and books “ I could easily write your Wikipedia page with every single detail I know from you,” I took a bite of chicken. Patrick laughed out loud; he seemed to laugh a lot when we were alone. He didn’t laugh at the office; he didn’t laugh so much with Brian. Ugh! Brian...next!

“No one has stuck around long enough to learn all my tiny fascinating details the way you do,” he said giving a sip to his lemonade.

“I don’t know if they are entirely fascinating, but they are tiny details indeed. I shouldn’t be using storage on that,” I said tapping the side of my head with one finger.

“Ok, I’ll give you fascinating details so you can storage for when you are writing that Wikipedia page… what do you want to know?” He said putting the salad to the side and rubbed his hands together.

“Wow… I seriously don’t know what to ask,” I did have a question in my mind but I didn’t want things to become awkward between us.

“Don’t worry, ask away,” It was as if he knew what I was thinking.

“Ok, an easy one to start,” I said biting my fork “why aren’t you married?” Well there it was THE question I had on my mind I hoped he had fallen for the “easy one,” thing back there.

“What are you? My mother?” he asked and rested his back on the sofa behind him. “I don’t know. Seriously, I don’t,” He stared to nothing in particular as if his mind was trying to find a good enough reason “it’s not that I don’t want to…,” he sighed deeply “It’s just that….I never felt completely comfortable and at ease with someone, sharing my life, my every day…,”

“That can’t be too hard, you are comfortable with me, I think,” Oh God! I had just blurted that out. Where was my brain filter when I needed it?

He looked at me; with intensity I had not seen in him before and said “Exactly,” I felt black caramel apples. I’d decided that the warmth I felt were black caramel apples left overs from two days ago. Were apples biodegradable? Because they seemed to have settled in my stomach for good.

“My turn to ask?” He said and I nodded while conveniently chewing on my chicken.

“What the hell is a cat shifter?” I laughed out loud I was not expecting that question.

“I have no idea. From the summaries I’ve read, I think they are people who turn into cats,” I said shrugging.

“Like were wolves?” I nodded “why aren’t called ‘were cats’?” “Because they are shifters,” I said nodding and Patrick laughed. He’d unstuck us. He’d pulled us out from the awkwardness and that was perfect.

“My turn,” I said and Patrick nodded “How did you end up being Patrick Maynard, CEO and billionaire?”

“What? You didn’t do your research?” He asked with a mock shock expression “ Well, I am sorry to disappoint you but I am no genius entrepreneur whose small company grew out of nowhere and out of dedication,” he shrugged “May, Inc. was a very well known company by the time I was out of Business School. My father had it running perfectly but he had his hotel business running too so he decided to attend to that and asked me to take over May, Inc. I just gave it my full attention and it grew.”

“It’s impressive, though,” I said looking at him “Everything that you’ve done with it. That I did looked into and I have to admit that I had a professional crush on you for a long time,”

“Had? What happened?” he tried to look sad but I could see the grin about to appear on his face.

“Ha! I met you, Patrick. Buying your underwear and condoms can put all that in perspective,” He laughed

“My turn. How did Lucinda Stuart become Miss Stuart?” I didn’t like this game anymore.

“I’ve been Miss Stuart since high school,” I sat next to him against the sofa and looked at the proverbial nothing in search of an answer, “you know how they call you by your last name,” he nodded “well it all began in there. I was a perfect student; of course, I had a job as a receptionist at a lawyer’s office, that’s when I decided that I was not going to law school,”

“Thank god for that,” he said. I nodded and we clinked our lemonade glasses “And then college, University of Pennsylvania, International Business,” I took a small vow “Impressive,” said Patrick

“Yeah, you?” I asked

“Economics, Harvard,” he said

“Of course,” I nodded and he smiled “Anyway,” I was eager to tell my story after all I was feeling comfortable with it and I realized I wanted Patrick to know it “I took a job in coffee filter company,”

“Doing what?” he asked he seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying.

“Receptionist at first, as the time went by I became the boss’s assistant. As you can see I am not stranger to the job,” I turned to look at him and he smiled. “Of course I was Miss Stuart and I was already used to that. Back home my mother would call me Miss Stuart too. She was quite happy that one of her two daughters was on her way of becoming a professional something….”

“You have a sister,” he seemed surprised.

“I do the ugly duckling of the family. I would say the black sheep but no, ugly duckling fits better,” I shook my head and played with my fingers on my lap. “My mom is disappointed that she went and got married after college only to become a stay at home mom.”

“What do you think about that?” he asked

“Since I have memory all she wanted was to become a mom and have a family. That was her dream. Once she told me that she went to college as an insurance for her future family; you never knew what would happen and she might had to dig out her degree to help her husband out,” I smiled remembering “She knew exactly what she wanted out of life and she went and got it. I respect that and am very proud of her,” I nodded. I really was proud of my big sister

“Where does she live?” he asked

“Miami. Daniel, her husband, works over there. She has 4 children. 4!!!!! I haven’t seen them in forever. I don’t even know the youngest one,” I sighed. My heart was aching “But we email each other often, haven’t talked in a while, though.”

“Did you become Miss Stuart because that’s what your mother wanted?” He asked and I had to think really hard to give him an honest answer.

“I think,” I took a deep breath “I think that I did it to make my mother happy. She never asked me to do it; she just expected it in a very passive aggressive way. I think that I wanted to make up for my sister’s choice by becoming an overachiever,”

“So, how did you end up at Little Black Book?” I guess Patrick sensed my pathetic mood and tried to turn the conversation towards another direction.

“Oh! That. Well we provided them with filters,” I smiled and shrugged. “So when I was done with college my boss, bless his heart, talk to them about giving me a better job because he knew that I was not going to be able to grow in his company,” I smiled remembering him. I had not seen him in at least 3 years because I was a cold bitch. “I began as an assistant to the head of administration, I got my MBA at Wharton and then moved up as an executive and the last 2 years as head of administration,” I turned to look at him. He was smiling.

“And now you are the lucky assistant to Patrick Maynard,” he said “And I am still Miss Stuart!” I kicked the floor and he laughed out loud.

“Well, for me you are just Pepper,”

“Don’t know which one’s worse,” I said shaking my head and laughing.

“My turn,” I said “Tell me about your family,” I turned my whole body to face him “My family,” he said “well, my mother, Elaine, she was a college professor for a long time, sociology. She retired when my baby sister, Regina, was born. I think that is why she is such a brat; my mother gave her all her time.” He wanted to sound annoyed but I could tell in his eyes and the tiny smile he had that he loved her too. “My father is a great guy, you know how he keeps asking me to get married and have babies, he is the kind of guy that puts his family first and work second,” I just nodded.

“I have two younger brothers; Stuart is 30 and works with dad in the hotels, Jameson is 27 and he decided a long time ago that he was going to write travel books, they suck, they are somewhere in here. And then we have the surprise in the family, Regina who is 17,”

“17???” I asked in disbelief

“Yeah, she really is the baby in the family,” He shook his head “she is spoiled, in high school and there is nothing we wouldn’t do for her. She frustrates me to no end; I think that is what I give her everything she wants and needs. If I never have kids I can say that I knew what raising a kid was,” He looked so proud.

“Don’t you want kids?” I asked him.

“I do, I really do. It’s just a matter of time,” He looked at me “What about you, kids?” “Well, if you had asked me a year ago I would have said ‘Hell no’ but now….I don’t know,” I shrugged “What changed?” he let one of his fingers touch my hand “My life,” I smiled and he had a huge smile. “I’ve never seen your brothers and sister at the galas,” “Well Stuart is in New York, he never leaves NY unless it’s for business or big family events like weddings or funerals, Jameson is always traveling writing his next book, Ugh! They really suck, his books but I publish them because no one would. Regina never goes to galas, according to my parents she is underage and should not be in too many events where alcohol is served. Such bullshit, for her Sweet 16 we had this huge party out here and there was alcohol everywhere. She just gets a free pass because she is the baby. She goes to the ones she actually wants to be in.” “Yeah but you love her,” I say smiling at him

“She would probably get away with anything,” he grabbed my hand this time and looked at me, “Kinda like you,” Wow! My hand felt like it was on fire, I couldn’t help the sudden reflex of holding his hand too. I think I was having cold sweats.

“I need to get back to these books,” I said staring into his eyes.

“Yeah, I think I can go on with what I was doing,” I nodded. He nodded and let go of my hand. I had no idea what the hell was going on with him or me.

We spent the rest of the afternoon working. I was going through the books and he had brought his computer to the library and worked in one of the sofas. We didn’t say much but a few comments here and there. By the time I was done with the books I felt like I was about to drop dead of exhaustion.

“Want me to get you some dinner?” I said stretching myself on the sofa opposite to the one where Patrick was.

“In a minute. Rest a little,” he said while punching the keys in the computer. “I believe you will have to go to New York tomorrow,”

“That’s ok. Let me know the time,” I sighed

“Since we are already in business mode,” he said putting his computer aside “What can I expect from you and Brian from now on?” wow… I thought that I’d told him what I wanted to do. But then again this was Mr. Maynard asking, not Patrick.

“In the office, nothing out of the ordinary. We are not in a relationship and I don’t even know if we’ll ever be,” I said sitting down on the sofa. I felt a bit uncomfortable with his way of approaching the subject.

“Ok. For the record, relationships are not frowned upon in the office is just that I always like knowing when there is one in case of any eventuality,” I nodded.