CHAPTER 19
Leon
At ten to seven on Sunday evening, I park the new Lexus RX in Gus’s driveway. According to my research, with a spacious interior, ample leg space, and easy to get in and out of, it’s the best SUV for disabled drivers. Most car dealers in Johannesburg are open on Sunday mornings. It didn’t take me long to find one with new stock or to have a tracker installed. Since I paid cash, I didn’t have to go through the red tape of arranging insurance first.
Adjusting the sleeves of my button-down, I ring the bell. Like last night, Gia opens the door, almost looking relieved when she sees me. Did she think I’d let Violet scare me off that easily?
“Leon.” She shakes my hand. “Why don’t you come in? Violet is in her room. I’ll go get her.”
“Thanks, Gia.”
Gus comes down the stairs as I enter. “Ah. My favorite programmer.” He grips my arm and shakes my hand while Gia scoots past him and hurries up the stairs. “Do you play golf?”
“Shooting is more my thing.”
“Pity,” he says, leading me down the hallway. “You should take up golf. Many transactions are made on the greens.” He adds with humor, “It’ll be difficult to talk during target practice.”
“I’ll have to consider lessons.”
“Tell me when you’re ready.” He stops at the door of the lounge and steps aside for me to enter. “I know a good coach.”
“I’ll do that.”
He goes to the wet bar and lifts a bottle of whiskey. “Drink?”
I check my watch. “I’m not sure what Violet has planned. She made the arrangements for tonight.”
“Mm.” He smiles, pouring two glasses. “It can wait a few minutes.”
I accept the glass he offers me.
“Violet has been well raised,” he says, taking a sip of his drink.
“I have no doubt about that.”
“What I mean is that she knows her place. She knows our business and what’s expected of her. Maybe it’s best to keep it that way.”
Meaning I shouldn’t let her decide where we have dinner. That doesn’t sit right with me. He said something similar to me at dinner, but I attributed it to the fact that he was slightly drunk. For the first time since I took a position in Gus’s company, I feel an inkling of dislike toward him.
“Nice car,” he says, glancing through the window. “If you don’t mind me being honest, I prefer the Aston Martin.”
“It’s for Violet. She needs a car that’s safe and comfortable.”
He arches a brow. “You’re taking your responsibilities seriously, aren’t you?”
I want to ask why he doesn’t, seeing that he’s allowing his stepdaughter to drive a car that can break down at any given moment, but Violet and Gia walk into the room. My thoughts go quiet as I focus my attention on Violet. She’s wearing a pair of dark jeans that hugs her ass and a blue men’s style shirt that’s knotted in the front. Her hair is tied in a ponytail and her face is clean of make-up. She looks both young and too worldly for her age.
“Leon,” Violet says, her back stiff as she stops in front of me. “Where’s my car?”
Taking the key of the Lexus from my pocket, I hand it to her.
Frowning, she stares at the key on her palm before looking through the window. “You said you’d have my car delivered.”
“Since I was heading over, I decided to deliver it myself.”
She narrows her eyes. “That’s not my car.”
“It is now.”
“Wow,” Gia says, uttering an uncomfortable laugh. “A new car? That’s so kind of you, Leon. Aren’t you going to say thank you, Violet?”
Violet clenches her fingers around the key. “You said you’d have my car returned.”
“I said I’d deal with it.”
“Well,” Gia says. “It’s a mighty generous gesture.”
Not breaking our eye contact, Violet says, “I don’t want the new car.”
“Violet,” Gia exclaims. “You have to excuse her, Leon. My daughter is independent. We raised her to pay her own way.”
“It’s Leon’s job to provide for her,” Gus says. “She’ll drive whatever car he wants her to drive.”
Gia pastes a smile on her face.
I don’t like that he’s talking about Violet as if she’s not in the room. “If you don’t like the car, we can exchange it for a different model.”
“Violet likes the car,” Gus says, downing his whiskey without looking in his stepdaughter’s direction.
“There’s nothing wrong with the car,” Violet says. “It’s a matter of principle.”
“Violet,” Gus says, his voice thin. “Don’t embarrass us in front of our guest.”
I pin him with a look. “She has a right to voice her opinion. In fact, I insist.”
Gus smiles. “As she said, there’s nothing wrong with the car.”
“If you finished your drink, we can go,” Violet says to me.
Following Gus’s example, I down the rest of my drink.
Gia takes our glasses. “Where are you going?”
“It’s a surprise,” Violet says.