Page 45 of Run with Me

This was the first time I wondered whether Mary had a regular job; if she did, I was curious what it was. She was very good at ordering people around, that was for sure, but I’d quickly come to learn that she had the heart of an angel. When I talked to her, it felt like we came from two different worlds. The things I experienced and said were miraculous to her and obvious to me, and the things she’d told me about her life shocked me more each time she opened her mouth. I hadn’t thought I would in the beginning, but I liked her. I liked her alot.

“Will you work for me, Anna? Will you be my personal assistant?” she asked.

“Really? You think I could doit?”

“Absolutely. Say yes. Please sayyes.”

A personal assistant to Mary, sounded quite tempting. It wasn’t as if I had any other job offers on the table. I looked from Jack to Xavier and then back to Jack again, as they both waited for my answer. I knew what it would be as soon as she asked me, but I couldn’t believe how blessed I was to be asked. To have found so many answers I’d been searching for was truly something that could have only been achieved with God’s touch.

“Yes, I’ll doit.”

“Wonderful! Now if you’ll excuse me, my bladder is calling me again.” Jack helped Mary up and she waddled to the bathroom, holding onto her lower back as if she were at least eighty months pregnant.

I took the moment Mary left for the washroom to help clear the table. Jack and Xavier were in their office, talking business. I quickly came to understand that business meant none of my business, and so I stayed away from that part of the apartment.

“Thank you, Joe. Thank you, Silvia. It was delicious.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Joe replied.

“I’m pretty sure the last time I had Italian was when I was ten and my parents took me to Tucson.”

“You’re from Tucson, Arizona?”

“Ahm, not exactly,” I stumbled, realizing that I shouldn’t have said anything. “But close enough. It’s been like twenty years since I’ve been there. Excuseme.”

That was the moment I realized, if I wanted to keep my identity a secret, I’d need to be very careful. Otherwise, Ben could show up at my doorstep without a warning.

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