“Hey,I’m heading out now.I’ll see you tonight.I should be home on time.”Isaias called to her as he stopped in the entrance of the sunporch.
She was working on the painting for her grandmother,and it was coming along nicely.She’d done multiple rough drafts and sketches.
She looked over her shoulder and catcalled him.“Wow.You are looking good enough to feast upon,Mr.Machado.”
He laughed at her words.It had been just over a month of her staying at his home,and she admitted it had been the best month of her life.After getting restraining orders against her sister,Merlin,Trent and Torrie,the month had been blissfully quiet and productive.She was currently working on multiple projects with her grandmother’s painting being the most prominent.
Isaias was working long hours of his own since he took over the McGrath company,facing legal battles as Trent’s family fought to regain their company.In the end they lost everything and while Isaias had been good enough to offer to let them purchase the McGrath family estate from the company he’d taken over,rumor was it,Trent was on the cusp of personal bankruptcy and was likely to decline.Isaias had mentioned the night before he could see the light at the end of the tunnel,but she knew he was exhausted.Almost every day was a fifteen-hour day since he’d taken the company.
She walked over to him lifting her lips for his kiss.“Have a good day.He could surprise for you tonight if you’re not late.”
“You do?”
“Uh huh.”She made wide eyes at him.
“Well then I will do my best to be on time.”
“You should,”she giggled as he yanked her closer to him and kissed her lingeringly.
“I love you beautiful.”
She would never tire of hearing him say those words to her.
“I love you too,”she smiled against his mouth,“now get out of here so you can come home to me.”
He kissed her one more time and then he left,reminding her Matilda the housekeeper was due in for nine and to not touch the kitchen unless she wanted to feel the woman’s wrath.
She giggled and returned to her painting.She was in the zone working away when footsteps behind her startled her.She jumped when Matilda startled her with a cup of coffee and pastries.
“Oh,dear heavens,you must have heard my stomach growling in the kitchen.”
Matilda laughed,“no but I also know when I was here last week,and you were working at home you didn’t come out even once to eat.It is not healthy to lose yourself in your work like this.You must eat.”
“Thanks Matilda.I appreciate it.”
“Take a break from work and have a snack and your coffee.I will make lunch for one o’clock.”
Matilda disappeared out of the room and Liesl smiled to herself and admitted she had indeed gotten lost in her art.She grabbed her cell phone from where she’d abandoned it and noted it was now eleven and Isaias had left at seven.She’d been working for four hours straight out without even checking her phone.
She noted a missed call from Elsie and immediately dialed out.
“Hey Elsie,what’s up?”
“Where have you been?I’ve been trying to reach you all morning.”
“I got caught up in Gran’s painting.”
“Ick,”Elsie blurted.
“I can’t help but think of her saying how my grandfather liked her secret garden to be a full bush.I think I’m going to add it in along with a cigarette.”
“You do realize she wants to hang this over the thanksgiving table.”
“Yup.I don’t care.She’s beautiful and I want her to look at this and be proud of herself.I’m giving it my all.”
“You’re weird.”
“True.”
“What are you calling me for?”
“I had a reminder set on my calendar.Your restraining order expired yesterday.We can reapply for it today.”
“Already?”
“Yup.Time flies when you’re living in peace and tranquility.”
“What do you think I should do?”
“Well,I think since they obeyed the restraining order to the letter with the one exception of when Sandy tried to come to the gallery and we called the cops and had her arrested,we could give them the benefit of the doubt.Hopefully,since they’ve had zero contact with you,the need to talk to you now is diminished.The novelty is worn off and they have bigger issues to worry about with Trent’s bankruptcy problems,Sandy’s pregnancy progressing or how Torrie has been shunned from society ever since Apolonia dumped wine on her.”
She rolled her eyes,“you think they’re over it?”
“Not in the least,”Elsie scoffed.“My advice?The judge gave a thirty-day order to comply with but if you don’t reapply,it looks like you’re willing to be the bigger person and let bygones be bygones.If they start up with their antics again and have to go back to ask for it a second time after you’ve proven they can’t be trusted to be civil and amicable,then the judge is likely to grant a longer injunction and we can apply for six months or even a year.”
“Do you know what sucks,Elsie?”she whispered.“I have to risk my mental health and my safety to simply figure out whether they can be trusted.Trent put recording devices in my home.We proved it because he had the emails in his inbox when Isaias took over the company.Sandy hit me at my workplace.Merlin entered my home and crawled into my bed naked,groped me and kissed me.They are the ones who tried to destroy my sanity,yet I’m the one who has to play roulette with my safety.”
“Look,I have no problem going straight back and asking for a thirty-day extension,especially since your sister violated it in week one.I simply think,if they start their shit again,we have a better chance of getting a longer restraining order.My hope though Liesl is the distance,and the space has given them all a chance to reevaluate what’s been happening and to realize you mean what you say.I would much rather they all left you alone without the need to use legal force.Do you really want to have to keep doing this every few months?”
“Not particularly but I’m dreading the moment they realize it’s expired.Maybe Trent and Merlin might back off but Sandy?Probably not.I haven’t heard from Mom since the day I threw her out,but I guess she keeps asking Fred about me because Sandy is driving her nuts.”
“For twenty-six years,your mom has used you Liesl as a way to keep your sister calm.Let’s be honest,she made you hold her hand through everything.God,you had to be her maid of honor at her wedding,and she constantly ran you ragged.She screamed and belittled you the entire time but if she was after you,she was leaving your mom alone.Isaias called it and I agree with him.”
“I do too.I love my mom,but her behavior is bullshit.”She sighed,“let’s give them the benefit of the doubt but you’re on standby Elsie because the minute one of them starts up,I want it to stop.”
“Understood.”Elsie promised.“Now,I need to know what Janka was talking about when I talked to her earlier about you saying you were going to paint your man?”
“I am but not on canvas.Well,on canvas but,”she giggled,“remember the night of the show and my professor was there?”
“Yes.”
“She suggested I paint Isaias and use him as the canvas.Yesterday my delivery arrived at the gallery,and I brought it home.I’m going to set it up this afternoon.I’m going to lay the tarp down and then all these edible body paints are going to be covering him.”
“Do you think he’ll let you?”
“He owes me after eating coconut cream pie off me.”
“I,”Elsie giggled,“I don’t even want to know.”
“You don’t but I never want to forget.Anyway,I have the tarp and the brushes and the paints.I’m going to mix my two biggest loves into one thing.If we get freaky on the tarp covered in paint,I might hang it.”
“Oh,dear God,”Elsie was laughing in earnest now.“You’re crazy.”
“Yup.”She giggled,“and he loves me this way.”
“Have fun tonight Liesl.I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
“Wine night Friday night?Isaias is going out of town for the weekend for work.”
“I’m in.I know Janka is too.”
As they said their goodbyes,Liesl was reminded she had the best friends in the world.
