Page 18 of She's Mine

“Wow, you really have thought of everything, haven’t you? So, which one is my room?”

“I asked Mavis to make up the largest guestroom, but you’re welcome to take any of the others if you’d prefer,” I said, opening the door to the room I’d envisioned Alyssa using.

It was right next to my room, and at the rear of the cabin, so that it had an excellent view of the woodlands surrounding us. It was decorated in shades of soft, relaxing lavender.

When my mom had been well enough to come to the cabin, this is the room she used. My secret hope now was that Alyssa found it equally as safe and comforting as my mom had.

Alyssa walked over to the Queen-size bed, tested its softness and then grinned at me. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

“I’m glad you like it,” I said, leading us back out into the hallway. “Dinner should probably be ready by now, if you want to go down.”

“Sounds good to me,” Alyssa replied, making her way downstairs.

When we got back into the kitchen, we found Mavis in there too, with a stack of plates and cutlery.

“Hey David, I was just about to lay the table. Where will you and your guest be eating?”

I glanced at Alyssa, who replied on our behalf. “Out on the deck, please. And please, feel free to join us. Eating together is always much more fun.”

I smiled internally hearing Alyssa treating Mavis and Lawrence so well. Even though they were my staff, I treated them like friends, and often had my meals together with them. I was glad to see Alyssa and I agreed on that without even having to discuss it.

“That’s very kind of you. Thank you.” Mavis stepped forward and offered Alyssa her hand. “I’m Mavis, by the way.”

“Great to meet you, Mavis. I’m Alyssa,” Alyssa replied, shaking Mavis’ hand warmly. “Here, let me help you lay the table.”

Alyssa took the plates from Mavis and laid one out for each of the four of us, while Mavis added the cutlery and then went back into the house to get glasses and a bottle of chilled water.

“Do you want to pick out a bottle of wine, too?” I suggested it to Alyssa, as we moved back into the dining room, and I opened the wine cabinet I kept stocked full of a variety of reds, whites and roses.

Smiling, Alyssa browsed the collection of wines, and finally said, “I think this coteaux bourguignons would go well with dinner.”

I was impressed by Alyssa’s choice, as the French rose -- with its initial blast of crisp acidity, followed by fruity flavors including redcurrants and raspberries with a hint of citrus -- would perfectly compliment the rich spiciness of the chorizo, as well as pairing well with the fresh, briny, slightly sweet and buttery taste of the scallops.

I was just opening the bottle of wine as Lawrence appeared from the kitchen with the pan of risotto and started scooping generous servings onto each plate. Mavis finished off the meal with the addition of some fresh bread rolls and salad, and then the four of us gathered on the deck to enjoy the meal and sunset.

8

ALYSSA

Lawrence’s chorizo and scallop risotto was on par with anything I’d ever eaten in a five-star restaurant and chatting to him and Mavis about their time working for David, as well as their life before he’d hired them, when they’d been raising their children, was fascinating.

I soon learned that in their youth, Lawrence and Mavis had worked in a luxury hotel in San Francisco, and that’s where they’d met and fallen in love. Lawrence had been a kitchen assistant, and Mavis part of the housekeeping team. Their romance was a whirlwind one that had lasted twenty-five years and counting. After Mavis had fallen pregnant with their first child, she’d stepped away from the workforce for a while, while Lawrence worked his way up the ranks in the kitchen, until he was head chef himself. By the time Lawrence and Mavis’ children were teens, Lawrence earned enough that they could all move to Blue Jay while still saving for their children’s college funds. Their children were grown and preparing to move out, and Lawrence and Mavis were considering an early retirement when David contacted them four years ago.

“It doesn’t feel like work though, not really,” Lawrence explained. “We’re not required to be here all year round, and David pays us generously when we are here. Plus, we get to share this wonderful cabin with him.”

“And David is always willing to let us use the cabin even when he is back in LA,” Mavis added.

“It sounds like the perfect set up,” I agreed, taking a sip of my wine.

While my parents employed a housekeeper, and occasionally a chef, there was always a very clear employee-employer divide. And while my parents never treated our staff badly, I had seen other affluent households that considered their staff little more than servants. It was nice to see that David respected Lawrence and Mavis so much that they were almost like family to him.

It was another side of David I hadn’t seen at first. Once you got past that stoic exterior, underneath, David was a caring, charming man who seemed to get along well with everyone and doted on his friends and family.

The gallery wall of photos above the fireplace had exemplified that, and I was touched by how close David and his mother appeared to be. I felt terrible that illness had kept them from spending holidays at the cabin together. My guilt was compounded even further as I thought, if it wasn’t for the situation my family and I were in, David could be back at home, supporting his mother through her treatment.

Ihatedthe Bloodline. I’d always been afraid of the cartel and hated them for taking Joey from us. But since their attacks against my family had become more serious, I despised them. They’d separated me from my family, and now David from his too. I couldn’t wait until all the remaining gang members were imprisoned and everyone would be free at last.

I shook all thoughts of the Bloodline out of my head -- especially the lingering feeling of that guy’s cold, metal knife against my throat -- I wouldn’t let the gang take anything else from me.

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