Page 18 of Sweet Little Thing

“I want to talk to you. I have questions. I feel that Beulah should be in here for this. Now, let’s begin with how you knew Beulah’s mother. We both know you don’t have a kind bone in your body, so why did you so willingly help Beulah and her sister?”

Portia’s gaze swung to me. “You told him?”

“I had to. He needed to understand why I was working a second job.”

She dramatically sighed and slung her iPad down on the sofa with obvious disgust. “I help you, and this is the thanks I get. Do you understand that he could take all that back? Demand a refund? Are you that dense?”

I didn’t know how to respond to that. I stilled and waited, dropping my gaze from hers, studying my hands in my lap.

“Father left me this house, money, the investments, and also the corporation. His will stated that I was to do whatever I decided to do with you. If I chose to take care of you, that’s fine. If not, he already knew, you’d eventually find another man to leech off his money and comforts. So, Mother, I’d be careful about how you speak to Beulah. All she did was tell me what you should’ve explained well before this meeting. Since my money was helping Heidi, I’d like to know why you did it. What do you owe Beulah and Heidi’s mother? You don’t do things out of kindness. There must be something you’re hiding. I need to know what that is.”

Portia’s glare was on me. I could feel it. But I didn’t look up. I felt guilty. She’d helped me, and now here I sat with Jasper, who was talking to her in a way I didn’t think was necessary. Demanding she answer questions. I hadn’t been here when he was growing up. I hadn’t seen the kind of mother Portia was, but from the anger and bitterness in her son’s tone, I imagine it hadn’t been a happy, contented home.

“I knew Pamela years ago. She made some bad choices and went a different way. I don’t owe her a damn thing. But because she passed away, I felt some sort of a connection and pitied the life she’d lived. She had so much potential back then when I knew her. Yet she. . .” Portia paused. I lifted my eyes to look. “. . .was stupid, naïve and it got her nowhere. I was simply doing a kindness for a woman I once knew. That’s it, and I feel like I did my duty, so whatever you choose to do with her employment is perfectly fine with me. She’s had plenty of time to figure out how to care for Heidi and herself. She’s almost twenty years old. It’s past time Beulah grew up.”

That was nothing more than what she’d already said—no explanation of the real connection. Yet, my mother knew if wecame here, she would help us without any questions. Because I knew my mother, I didn’t believe what Portia was saying to Jasper. She was hiding something.

“Why would I fire Beulah? She’s an excellent cook, keeps the house clean, and puts up with all your bullshit. I’d say the only smart thing you’ve ever done in your life was hire her. For a moment, I thought there was some compassion there when she told me how you helped them. I see I’m wrong, and that’s disappointing. Mother, you are what you are.”

Jasper dropped his hands to his side and said, “I’ve got things to do. You can continue living your pointless routine,” he told Portia with disgust in his voice. Then he turned to me: “I need to speak with you about a business matter. Please meet me in the pool house in thirty minutes.” He then left the room.

I stood slowly, wanting to apologize, but I wasn’t sure if I owed her an apology. Portia was difficult to understand. The longer Jasper was around, the colder she became, so instead of trying to smooth things over, I said, “I’ll get your coffee now.”

She gave me no response.

Chapter

Fourteen

Beulah

When I brought her coffee and a bowl of fresh strawberries, Portia completely ignored me. She was angry with Jasper and livid with me.

I didn’t have time to worry about that. Jasper wanted to meet to discuss some business I didn’t understand. Unless he meant he had additional chores for me or needed something else in the pool house. I couldn’t imagine that was the case. I’d stocked his kitchen well.

Since he was inside, I knocked. “Come in,” he called.

I opened the door to see Jasper on the sofa with a computer in his lap, his right ankle resting on his left knee to prop the laptop up. A cup of coffee was in his hand.

Smiling, he said, “Punctual, good. Please, Beulah, have a seat.”

I walked over and sat in a prepositioned chair that Jasper must have moved to face him. Between us was a large wooden barrel, once filled with Maker’s Mark, according to its black labeling,now served as his coffee table.

“This morning went as smoothly as I could imagine. I know you were hoping for a definitive answer. But if there is one, I’m afraid we’ll never know it. However, that isn’t why I asked you to meet with me. After breakfast, I went through emails and the endless weekly details that are backed up at Van Allan Industries. Paper and electronic filing, that I never have enough time for. Jed Bankhead has been handling everything since my father’s untimely death. His own personal secretary became Jed’s. She was to become mine when I took over next year. Two days ago, Jed’s wife walked in on Jed and Bethany, my father’s secretary, naked on Jed’s desk, fucking in the Chicago office.” He stopped and took a sip of coffee. “Gotta love marriage and happily ever after? Anyway, I can’t run Van Allan yet. I’m still learning, and the curve is steep. The Savannah office is the corporation’s smallest and the newest of the branches so far. When Jed releases Bethany, which I know he will do, she’ll file sexual harassment charges—more bullshit to deal with. In Savannah, I need some help. The actual building here has only been serving as a meeting location. My father used it when his officers came to town, and once his relocation became permanent, he was going to make it functional. Since his passing, it hasn’t been used much. That’s what I’ve been doing. Hiring locally or moving people here. The southern states will now have a central location. I need help organizing the piles of paperwork that have been ignored at the office. I’m looking for a qualified secretary, but I need an extra hand now. I know you require another job. Working nights isn’t going to be enough for you if you want to keep Heidi in the home. I’d like you to work in the office. Of course, three hours a day, Monday through Friday, continuing your duties here. I’m willing to pay you $50 an hour, averaging $750 a week. This would help resolve my current issue as well as cover Heidi’s care.”

Seven hundred and fifty a week was a lot. It would be more than I needed to take care of Heidi with my income from cleaning and cooking for the house. If I kept my night job, then I could save again for college. I had to ask about that, “Are you offering this, uh, well. . . contingent on me quitting my evening job?”

Jasper frowned and replied, “I’d hoped you would. You looked exhausted this morning. But I’m not demanding you do anything. That’s entirely up to you.”

“I could cut back my hours there if the manager’s okay with that. He kinda gave me a range of hours, though if I worked at the club a couple nights a week, I’d be able to save for college.”

Jasper nodded. “Fair enough.”

He was giving me a way to make more money and wasn’t demanding anything. I took a long, easy breath. The first one I’d had in three days. Heidi was going to be fine. And I now had a chance at getting that degree.

“Thank you, Jasper. Thank you so much.”

He grinned, the kind I was sure most women visibly swooned over. It made me feel a little swoony myself. That was bad, I couldn’t look at Jasper that way. The man was my boss; he held power to break me; though his smile, the way he wore a pair of jeans, and his sculpted chest and shoulders, I could still picture clearly after his all-day and night pool party. This couldn’t and wouldn’t affect me. It was of no consequence.

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