Liesl was painting in the sunroom of Isaias’ home on Saturday morning when the ringing of the front door caught her ear.
She dropped her brush onto her easel and grabbed a cloth and tried wiping her hands as she made her way to the door. She noted through the window the security agent who had been at the gallery the day Sandy had smacked her standing outside and he was holding multiple packages.
She opened the door, and he stepped inside. “Good morning.”
“Good morning. Isaias sent over some things for the gala this evening via his personal assistant. She asked me to run them up to you as she still had to arrange other things for him for the gala. He is giving a presentation tonight for his realtor and he likes things done to perfection. I believe he has her running around like a chicken with her head cut off.”
Liesl nodded with a benign smile. She hadn’t heard from Isaias at all since their call in the early morning of Friday.
“I was also asked to pass along a message.”
“Sure.” It hurt he was sending messages through other people instead of reaching out directly.
“Isaias will be running late as they had issues with the aircraft, and it will only be ready to leave later today. He is dealing with some issues of a takeover he is working on and hasn’t had time for a call as he’s been in meetings, but he wanted me to reassure you he will be at the gala and asked I personally escort you to the event. He will meet us there. He is likely to only arrive in Manchester as it’s starting, and he won’t have time to come here from the airport first to collect you.”
She made a face, “I don’t need to go. I’m sure escorting me to a gala is not part of your normal security detail. He doesn’t need to come to pick me up. He can go on his own.”
“His PA said you would probably protest and say exactly this, but I assure you, I would be honored to make sure you arrive safely to the venue. You are family now, Liesl. My cousin is quite enamored with you. If he asks me to get you there, I will get you there.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat at his words, “I don’t want to put anyone out.”
“You will not be putting anyone out. I will escort you to the venue and I will wait with you until he arrives. Enia, my aunt, and uncle will also be arriving with him. I haven’t seen Enia in a bit so I’m looking forward to it. Have you met her?”
“Only on the phone and video conferencing. She gave us hell for making out in the club and then for Isaias carrying me out of the gallery on his shoulder with my ass damn near exposed.”
He threw his head back and laughed and it reminded her so much of Isaias’ full-bodied laugh she felt an odd homesick feeling in her stomach. Why was she missing him so much? It wasn’t fair.
“You will like her. She is the human equivalent of a tornado. She walks into a room and stirs up shit, usually to make the people around Isaias, focus on anything other than Isaias. She is good at her job of being head of PR for him. She’s been in London for the last four months because the man she was dating took a job there. She broke things off with him this past week. She will be looking to drown her sorrows tonight in champagne and whatever rich person will distract her with sex in a coat closet.”
She dropped her jaw open at his words. “That’s not nice.”
He chuckled, “tell it to her. Once she was caught with one of the female catering staff in a food pantry. She’s bisexual and beautiful. She has Isaias’ charisma and her mother’s good looks and her cousin Joaquim’s penchant for trouble.”
“Apolonia is a beautiful woman.”
“She is my aunt. My mother and she are sisters. My mother is still in Portugal.”
“It’s not your mom having surgery.”
“No, no. It is our mothers’ aunt having surgery. My grandmother has four sisters. There were five girls and two boys. I was asked to go over but instead I volunteered to stay behind and watch over you.”
“Why? You didn’t want to be with your family?”
“My wife and I got divorced six months ago after I caught her in bed with her personal trainer. I did not want to listen to another lecture from all of my aunties and my mother on how they all told me so.”
“I’m sorry to hear you went through this.”
“Hey, she cheated on me but at least it wasn’t with my sibling,” he teased her with a bit of sadness in his eyes.
“Ouch!” she mocked being hurt and smacked his bicep playfully.
He laughed at her words, “now, I will be back to collect you at seven-thirty on the nose. The gala starts at eight. Isaias said he should be there no later than eight fifteen. He wants you to wait for him in the lobby. Do not go in without him. He told his PA he wants to talk to you before you go in.”
“Fine.” She gave a bitter sigh wondering if the talk was going to be about him not feeling the same as her and wanting to take steps back. She motioned to the bags and boxes on the floor. “What is all this?”
“I have no idea. Sharon asked me to drop it to you. My guess is it’s everything you could possibly need for a gala.”
She noted the long box from a designer dress shop and nodded, “he did say he wanted to pick out my dress.”
“Well, I’ll be off. I have several of my guys outside watching the house. You carry on with your day and I’ll see you later.”
“Wait.”
“What?”
“I don’t know your name.”
He laughed and extended his hand, “Mallory.”
“Nice to meet you.” She shook his hand firmly. “I’ll see you later.”
As she closed the door behind him, she nudged the box which she knew contained a dress with her toe and gave an exasperated sigh. If this was the night, she was getting dumped, at least she was going to be getting dumped in designer. It didn’t assuage her pain at all.
