Mr. Miller looked at me again, then at Tyler who had since emerged from somewhere inside the house.
“She’s pregnant, Lucius,” he explained, answering the question before Mr. Miller asked it. Tyler was the only person that seemed to be so familiar with Mr. Miller, which was interesting to see. “She’s returned to New Orleans to retire.”
Mr. Miller looked oddly pleased at the news. “Interesting,” he said simply. He turned to me, changing the subject. “Welcome to my home, Emma. I’ll be dining in my office tonight.”
One the surface, it was a simple statement. But there seemed to be some sort of implied direction within it, so I had no real idea how to respond to it. “Yes, Sir,” I said simply. I imagined that meant I was to make the arrangements for his meal.
As suddenly as he had come, Mr. Miller was gone again. He disappeared somewhere back into the interior of the home, leaving me alone with Tyler.
“He likes you,” Tyler said out of nowhere.
I was glad to hear it. Mr. Miller was a very hard man to read. “I’m glad, sir,” I replied.
Tyler laughed. “Don’t ‘sir’ me,” he replied. “There’s only one ‘Sir’ in the house, and it’s Lucius. ‘Sir’ or ‘Mr. Miller,’ depending on the circumstances.”
“How will I know the difference?”
Tyler shrugged. “Depends on if he looks like a Sir or a Miller at that moment, I guess.” He turned and left the room; I followed.
It wasn’t extremely helpful, but it was something at least. “Yes... Tyler,” I replied as we walked.
We were in the kitchen before I knew it. The chef was just putting the final garnish on Mr. Miller’s meal. There was some sort of steak, thinner than I would have imagined, topped with a thick white sauce. Roasted vegetables and potatoes surrounded the meat, which complemented the other plates of bread, cheeses, and something else I couldn’t quite identify. A bottle of wine, which could have been dirt cheap or priceless for all I knew, sat unopened nearby. I could imagine that the meal alone would have cost more than I spent on groceries in an average week.
Chef laughed. He always laughed, and his oversized stomach shook every time he did. “The eyes, Emma,” he said. I never could figure out where his accent was from, but I loved hearing it. “The eyes eat first. Every plate is a work of art, and every plate works together.” He carefully positioned the plates, the bottle, and every other accouterment onto a small silver tray, then stepped back to admire his work. “Good, good! Now go,” he said, laughing once again. He shoed me from the room with a final thought. “Hot food should be hot!”
I smiled to myself as I made my way towards the office. The smile only faded once I reached Mr. Miller’s office. The door was open and I could hear him working inside, but I wasn’t sure how to get his attention. I didn’t feel as though I should interrupt whatever he was doing but, as chef reminded me, hot food should be hot. I stayed where I was but cleared my throat.
“Come in,” he said, without looking up from his work.
I didn’t reply, afraid to interrupt him. The room was dim, with he brightest light coming from the lamp on his desk. He was intensely studying something; it seemed important. I placed the tray on his massive mahogany desk and backed away.
“Thank you, Emma.” There was a weariness in his voice; a tiredness that I hadn’t heard before. There was also just a hint of something else... maybe a hint of tenderness.
“Yes, Sir,” I replied. I turned to leave, stopping only when he called after me.
“Emma.”
I stopped. Turned. Waited.
He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes wearily. “Have you had dinner?” he asked.
“No, Sir.”
“You don’t have to do that. Luke’s fine.”
I hesitated. I couldn’t quite bring myself to use such a familiar name for him, especially given the way the other staff had built him up.
He noticed my hesitation; he could sense my conflict. “They talked to you, didn’t they?” he laughed.
“Yes.” His laugh was infectious, and I couldn’t help but join him. “They drilled it into me- you were always ‘Sir.’”
“I grew up with them,” he explained. “They were my family. Alan raised me mostly; him and Michelle.”
I didn’t stop him to ask who those people were. “Even Tyler- he said the same thing.”
That made him laugh again. “Tyler said that?”
I nodded.