“Well, you really are useless then,” said Mrs. Kelley with a serious expression.
Marisol eyes widened, totally mortified at the words Ryan’s mother spoke. Then Mrs. Kelley broke into a big grin, and Marisol realized she was teasing her.
“See,” she said brightly. “You heard the worst thing you could, and you’re still standing. So you got some gumption to you. Us Irish appreciate that, the ability to keep standing when the world collapses at your feet. So,” she said picking up a bucket that had bottles of cleaning supplies, “Let’s get this place squared away before Ryan get home.”
Marisol wiped the tears from her face and followed Mrs. Kelley around the apartment as she explained how to clean different things in the very clean house. She also explained the different pieces of electronic equipment, the television which was cleverly hidden behind a panel above the fireplace, and the sound system. They worked through the house room by room, with Marisol taking lessons in vacuuming, dusting and waxing. They stripped the sheets in Ryan’s and Marisol’s rooms and started the wash.
“Come on, let’s make some coffee and decide on dinner.” Cheryl walked briskly into the kitchen and pulled out coffee cups from the cabinets.
“Strange thing about my son, but he sends out all his personal laundry, so you don’t have to worry about it,” Mrs. Kelley said.
Marisol shook her head.
“Mrs. Kelley—”
“Cheryl.”
“Cheryl, you can drop the pretense. Your son needs a housekeeper like I need a hole in my head. He has everything arranged to lead, from what I can see, the cleanest bachelor’s life ever. Why is he doing this?”
“I don’t know what you mean, dear.”
“Yes. You do. I’m homeless, without skills, and utterly useless.”
“I thought we covered that.”
“Still, there is no sane reason for your son to hire me, and while we’re at it, why is such a handsome and successful man without a girlfriend. Or is he?”
Cheryl sighed. “You’re right. There is no girlfriend.”
“But I heard him tell someone he loved them this morning.”
“That was me, dear. Like I said, he called to ask me to help you out here.”
“Oh,” said Marisol.
“But to answer your question, there are a couple reasons, I think. First, I think he’s afraid he’ll disappoint someone the way that his father disappointed us. Up until Sean left, everyone remarked at how much Ryan was like him. They did everything together. When Sean took off, it devastated Ryan. We never got an answer as to why he left, and all I got was divorce papers in the mail. He never tried to see the children again, and then he was dead a few years later in the car accident.”
“Oh, that’s terrible. And you’re Catholic.”
“Yes, after five years, I went and had the marriage annulled for Sean’s failure to recognize that marriage was a permanent union, but it was a hard thing.”
“I’m sure,” demurred Marisol.
“But Ryan has also set the bar impossibly high for any woman. There is one woman he’s had a thing for since he was eighteen. To him, she’s perfection and he just won’t let go of the idea of her.”
“And what of her? Did he ever date her?”
“No,” said Cheryl.
“And will he?”
“Oh, well, we’ll see,” said Cheryl cryptically. She pulled out her cell phone from her pocket and looked at the time. “Ryan said he’d be home at seven, so let’s order something to be delivered.”
“I can help with that.”
Marisol got the household computer and turned it on. When it came to life, she showed Cheryl the list of restaurants he ordered from.
“He likes Thai food,” remarked Cheryl.
“Then let’s do that,” said Marisol happily. She felt useful for once, and Ryan’s mother was so sweet she liked doing things with her.
“Now,” said Cheryl. “Why don’t you get freshened up before my son get’s home.”
“That’s an idea, but I have very few clothes.”
“About that. Ryan told me that, and he gave me an idea of your proportions, so I picked up a few things on the way over here.”
“He really is very worried about that, and I can’t figure it out. There are all those clothes in the second guest bedroom.”
“Those? Marisol, those are what we collected for Saint Christopher’s in a clothing drive. Saint Chris’ doesn’t have much room, so we keep them here. And while they’re okay, Ryan doesn’t want to see you in other people’s castoffs. Trust me. This is no big deal to him. He never spends money on anything, except me and the kids at the shelter. And believe me, he hauls away a ton of it.”
Cheryl rolled her eyes.
“What does his company do?” asked Marisol.
“I let him tell you. So far I’ve given away too many secrets as it is. Go ahead. The clothes are on your bed. I’ll see you later.”
“Aren’t you staying for dinner?”
“No. I’m going to visit Peggy and then get on the train back to Connecticut. I’ll see you another day.”
CHAPTER TEN
Dinner In
Marisol was impressed by the clothes Cheryl brought. The underwear was lacy and fit her perfectly. There were a couple pairs of slack and shirts, as well as skirts. There was a selection of T-shirts and button downs. Marisol felt very blessed that Cheryl went through so much trouble for her.
For tonight, Marisol picked a pair of black jeans and a white button-down shirt. Her hair was growing in from the close crop that she kept because of the wigs she usually wore, so she picked at it with her fingers, twisting it into small dreads to give a different look to it. Looking in the mirror, with no wig and no make-up, Marisol understood why the police officer at the hotel didn’t recognize her. She didn’t look like her state pictures at all.
Cheryl had set the table, including a bottle of wine, when Marisol came out of her bedroom. The buzzer at the service entrance rang, and she took the bag and wrote out the tip. This time she put ten dollars as the tip which, judging by the disinterested look on his face, was probably more in line with what he usually got.
Marisol wasn’t sure if she should put out the food in bowls, but then heard the front elevator open as she hurried to bring bowls to the table.
“Hi,” she said when he came to the table.
“What’s all this?”
“I have it on good authority that you like Thai.”
“Oh that wicked woman,” said Ryan, but he smiled an earthshattering grin when he looked at Marisol. “Very nice,” he said. “Let me get out of these work clothes. Turn on the television, will you? I’d like to watch the closing stock reports. And while you’re at it, bring the food to the coffee table. I know my mom has a thing for eating at the table, but at night, I like to relax a bit before I work again.”
Ryan returned wearing a pair of sweats and a black tee that hugged every muscle in his arms and chest. He was gorgeous, and her knees weakened at the sight of him. She had never felt this way about a man, and she turned her eyes away, afraid she would betray her emotions.
“Come,” he said, patting the couch beside him. “Sit with me.”
Marisol settled in next to him as he filled a plate and handed it to her.
“You have to try the Panang curry. Very spicy, but very good.”
He made his own plate, and when the stock news came on, he watched it intently. When it was finished he huffed.
“Well, that didn’t turn out so well,” he said.
“What?”
“I’ve been watching the news on a company I wanted to invest in, but it appears they don’t have the goods to make a purchase worthwhile.”
“What company is that?”
“Dalaysia Mining. The government of Kreigov optioned all the stores of Dalaysia’s indium oxide in a new trade agreement.”
“You’ll have to tell me. Why is indium oxide so important?”
“It’
s important to my company because it’s an ingredient key in making touchscreens, which is one thing KelTech, my company, makes. It’s rare and expensive, and Dalaysia’s supplies have been nearly tapped out, but my people have been working on ways to mine and extract the ore in places that were deemed too expensive to mine in the past. I was going to buy the shares of Dalaysia Mining to assure a supply of it for my company.”
“You’re talking about a hostile takeover?”
“Not so much hostile. I wouldn’t want day-to-day control of the mines, because I know nothing about it, but with new sources of the ore, such a sale would have improved my stock and Dalaysia Mining’s. As it is now, Kriegov will drain the mines dry and all Dalaysia Mining will get out of it is cash—which I suppose motivates some people, but that country’s problems run deep, and the trade agreement isn’t enough to pull Dalaysia out of its troubles. At most, it forestalls an economic collapse for five years.”
Marisol chewed her inner lip while listening to Ryan’s assessment of her father’s negotiation. If Ryan was right, her father had made an agreement out of desperation to keep ahead of imminent ruin.