“Sounds great,” she replied, following him as he made his way toward the hall. He grabbed a bottle of wine and a corkscrew in one hand and glasses in the other as he passed the trolley where they were still waiting to be taken back to the pantry. Handing her the glasses, he opened the door to the study with his now free hand and waved her inside.
Aileen looked around in wonder as they stepped inside the door. She had never been in here before. His private spaces were off-limits, which was understandable. It was gorgeous. The large desk was made of a dark cherry wood that matched the surrounding shelves and a rounded work or meeting table. The table was long, running more than two thirds the length of one wall. The bay of windows above it looked out over the same garden as her balcony.
“What do you think?” he asked, pulling her out of her trance.
“It’s gorgeous. I love the shelves. I’ve been planning on building something similar in my own study at home.”
“Oh? I didn’t know you had a formal study there.”
“I don’t, yet. I’m in the process of converting the smaller bedroom into one. My budget is probably a bit lower than yours, but hopefully it will be nice when I’m done.”
“I’m sure it will be. The point isn’t how much it costs. It’s about being comfortable in your surroundings. I work better in here than I do that crappy little mobile office at the site. I’m in my element here.”
“I can understand that. Is that why you chose to put the garden there instead of behind the house where most people do?”
“Have you seen the back of the house?” he asked with a knowing smile.
“No, now that you mention it, I haven’t. I noticed that there is a large garden on this side and the pool on the other, which is unusual isn’t it? I wasn’t able to see into the backyard for the trees, another unusual choice.”
“That’s because there is no backyard.”
“What?”
“Next time you are outside, take a good look at the house and the surrounding mountainside. The house backs up directly to the mountain.”
“Why would someone build so close to it?”
“Not someone. Me. I built this house. There used to be nothing but a large meadow leading up to the mountain here. This place is special to me, so I chose to build my home here.”
“But you didn’t want a backyard?”
“No. Anyway, here, have a seat. I’m being rude.”
Aileen looked toward the opposite wall where there sat a long sofa and a coffee table. She made her way toward it and sat on one end, her legs pivoted slightly toward the other end as he sat down there. She watched quietly as he opened the wine and poured a glass of Pino Grigio for each of them, accepting the one he offered to her with a smile.
“So, do you think the party was a success?”
“Absolutely. Everyone seemed to love you,” he said, then hesitated and laughed. “Well, maybe not Selina.”
“Right. I’m sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have taken a shot at her like that, but I was just thinking that if you and I were really a couple, I’d have been annoyed by the way she was pawing all over you.”
“It was a nice touch,” he said.
“It’s okay then?”
“Yes, it’s fine. I don’t care for her much, anyway. Then there is Kevin, who is my real problem. No one seems to care that he and his fiancée are completely self-centered. They just don’t want to find themselves without leadership and he puts up a good front.”
“But you think that he is hiding something?”
“Yes, I do. I’m not sure what it is, exactly, but there is something sinister beneath the surface. He’s never had an interest in the leadership of this clan until recently. Something made him pursue this. I don’t know what that something is, but I know it is there and if he gets what he wants, I’m afraid we’ll all find out what he had up his sleeve the hard way.”
“Do you think you can win out over him?”
“Yes. With your help. The only thing standing in my way is not being a family man. It’s something I’ve never wanted, but I need it to make sure my clan is in good hands.”
Aileen took a sip of her wine and pushed him a bit further, curious about what had made him feel this way. She knew why she didn’t want a family, but she wondered what the story behind his disdain for such a pursuit was. It was a rare chance that she got to sit down with him and be this open and honest, so she planned to take full advantage of it while she could.
“Do you mind if I ask why you are so opposed to having a wife and children?”