“I like stuff like this.” She said pulling up a bar stool to the other side of the counter so she could sit across from me. “My aunt and I didn’t really have meals together. But when I was sick, we’d have chicken noodle soup together. It makes me nostalgic.” She smiled and then began eating.
We ate in silence, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
“Where is your bedroom?” Lydia asked as soon as she was finished.
“Third floor, left end.”
She nodded. Her facial expression didn’t stick quite to one thing, like she was conflicted. “Anyway. After you’re done go rest again. If I find you in the gym, I’ll kill you.”
“Thank you, but I know. You don’t have to take care of me.”
“I know, but…” she trailed off. She looked like she had something more to say but she shook her head. “Sleep well.” And she left.
***
On Monday I decided not to go into work. I hadn’t missed a day since I was just interning there. But I had pushed my body past its limits. If people saw me shaking like I was at work, I would look weak. I couldn’t show that part of myself if I was going to be CEO in a few months.
I was also back to avoiding Lydia as much as possible. It made it easy when I didn’t want to leave my room. She didn’t use her new knowledge to check up on me like I was worried she might. That was, until that afternoon. I was sitting up in bed drinking some water before I planned to go back to sleep when the door opened and closed suddenly. Lydia was standing up against the door looking around my room.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, in more ways than one. She should be at work.
“I’m starting to get sick too,” she explained, a cough proving her point. “I’m having a sick day too.”
“Why are you in here?” I studied her.
“Okay, Sooo… Your housekeeper is here. I was chatting with her while I made some more soup. I mentioned I was going to take a nap. She mentioned that you never let her clean your room but asked if since we were married you changed your mind or if I had convinced you I wanted our room clean. Which is when I realized that if I don’t go back to your room and go to mine instead, she’ll get suspicious.”
“What are you going to do then?” I asked.
“I don’t know! Sit in here until she leaves?” She said banging her head back against the door. “Pretend I don’t need a nap and watch T.V. downstairs?”
“You should rest.” I felt even worse knowing I’d given her my sickness too.
“I know.” She sighed. “Throw me a pillow and a blanket I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“I should sleep on the floor.” I tried to insist.
“No, you are way too sore to be doing that.” She was right but I still wasn’t going to make her sleep on the ground.
“Fine.” I scooted over to one end of my bed. “Sleep on that side.”
“I don’t know.” Her eyes were glued on me. I realized I wasn’t wearing a shirt.
“The bed is plenty big; I’ll sleep all the way over here. If you don’t feel comfortable, I understand. I’ll let you sleep on the ground if you really want to. But we’re both sick, we both need our rest.” Her eyes went wide. I guess that was a lot of talking from me in one go. I was sick and tired; I didn’t feel like I needed to be so guarded.
“That’s fine.” I was worried that meant she was going to sleep on the floor after all, but she got into the other side of the bed. “Goodnight.”
“It’s twelve-thirty.” I responded.
She turned and rolled her eyes at me and then settled down. She was asleep quickly, her breaths evening out. I had trouble falling asleep knowing someone else was so close. But I insisted she sleep there. She wouldn’t take advantage of that. I had to trust her. Once I realized that, I too was able to fall asleep.
I was woken up a few hours later by my phone buzzing under my pillow. Groggily, I sat up slightly, careful not to wake Lydia who had turned towards me in her sleep. Of course, it was my grandfather.
“Hello,” I said quietly.
“Taylor, how sick are you?” He asked.
“I’m getting better Jiji, I’ll be at work tomorrow.”
“Take your time to get better, there’s a gala this weekend. We have to be present.”
“A gala? For what?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.
“It’s a charity event, one of the causes we’ve supported in the past. The women’s shelter?”
Yes, I had donated plenty to help get the shelter running. Good to see they had gotten big enough to host galas for potential donors. “I’ll be there.”
“Bring your wife too, so I can finally meet her.”
That was perfect. My mother wouldn’t be allowed to such an event. She probably wouldn’t want to go even if she could.
“We’ll be there.” I looked over at Lydia’s sleeping face. “You’ll love her.”
Chapter 8: Lydia
I had been to several fancy events in the past. In order to be anyone in the fashion world you had to be someone people knew. That meant I invited myself to a lot of fashion week after parties or snuck in with my models until people started actually inviting me. Each time I had seen the affair as business. No matter how fancy the hors d’oeuvres or how tempting the free bar was, I was always there to get my and Sew Fit’s name around. This time would be no different. This time business was just
