Page 63 of Dirty Money
Aulora felt her legs going weak. “Not another terrible day!” she wailed.
The woman she thought must work in the kitchen, came to her, running her arm around her and taking her back into her room. “You don’t worry about a thing. That cat is fine. I’ve worked in this building before. I’ll talk to the building manager and get them to check surveillance footage. I don’t want you to do anything but take a nice hot bath, relax, and let us take care of things. That’s what we get paid for. On top of that, I’m going to make a member of the staff the cat’s personal caretaker.”
Aullie started crying, yet again. “But that’s my job! He’s my cat. His name is Bruce. Please find him!”
With all her noise, the cat seemed to have heard her and came running into her bedroom. “There he is!” the lady said with enthusiasm.
Aullie fell to her knees then sat on the floor and held her cat, muttering, “Bruce, my only friend. Don’t leave me.”
The woman crouched down and took her by the chin. “Aulora, my name is Laura. I’m your head chef. I have a list of your favorite breakfasts that your mother gave the kitchen staff. But I’d like to get to know you. Now, how about a nice bowl of comforting oatmeal with maybe a half of a strawberry and a little bit of blueberries? And maybe a nice smooth glass of almond coconut milk and some homemade wheat bread with a nice honey butter spread?”
“Laura?” she asked. “That’s what I used to get called a lot when I was younger. People didn’t know how to say my name.”
“How silly they were. Your name is spelled perfectly. I love your name. I hope you’ll allow me to call you by it. I should’ve asked you first. Would you rather be called, Miss Wohrl?”
“No, call me Aulora. Or Aullie.”
The older woman ran a hand through her hair. “I really like your given name. Can I call you that?”
“Sure,” she said. “If you’d like. I’m not a spoiled brat like most rich people. I was rich then I wasn’t. Suddenly, I am again. My head is spinning, as you can imagine. I don’t expect you to bow when I enter the room.”
Laura laughed and sighed. “Oh, but some do, right?”
Aullie found herself giggling. “I know!”
With the comfort of her gray kitty and what seemed like a new friend, Aullie was feeling a little bit better than she had been feeling. Her new home was gorgeous. The staff seemed nice. Maybe, just maybe, she could adapt to the life she once had. She had been rich much longer than she’d been poor after all.
“If you don’t mind me saying, I think you’re dealing with this much better than I would at your age,” Laura said as she scratched behind the cat’s ears.
“And you are how old,” Aullie asked. “I know it’s rude but I’m having a terrible time gauging it.”
“I’m forty-nine. I’ve had two husbands, three kids, and more than a few pets in my time. And I took this gig on when I was told you were only twenty-two and an artist. I love art. I always have. Being a chef is kind of like art when you think about it.”
“Oh, I know!” Aullie was finding some excitement moving through her. “Do you like to make your food look neat, pretty, cool?”
“I do!” Laura said, sharing her excitement. “I knew you and I would make a great team.”
“Oh yeah?” Aullie asked.
“I sure did,” Laura quipped then got up. “Breakfast then perhaps you could hang out with me for a bit and we could talk about what you really like and dislike and I’d love it if you’d show me your work. I want to cook to inspire you. I heard you have your work in a gallery. You have no idea how much fulfillment I’ll get at knowing I get to cook for an artist! It’s like winning the lottery for me!”
Aulora looked up at the woman. She had long blonde hair, wrapped into a tidy bun. Her blue eyes had a sparkle to them. She was fit and trim, the perfect amount of healthy weight on her medium frame. And her smile was infectious.
“I’m glad you’re happy about this position.”
“I was out of work for the last year. I went into the hospital with a blood clot in my left leg and the damn thing moved. It moved up to where my heart is. By a miracle, it was blown apart and ended up in tiny pieces in my right lung. I was in the hospital for two weeks. In ICU! The doctors and nurses told me I could’ve died. When I got the call about the job, I felt a slight jolt. I knew I should accept it. And now that I’ve met you, I’m damn glad that I did, Aulora.”
“Were you afraid when you found out you had the blood clot?” Aullie asked with sincere worry.
“I was. But I had faith that everything would work out. It did. And I saw my youngest child graduate from college a few months back. Things are going great and I hope I can bring some joy into your life. If you don’t mind me saying, I hate to see you crying so much. If there’s ever a time you want to talk, I’ll be in the kitchen. You come on and talk to me anytime, girl. Consider me your friend. Always.”
“Thank you. That’s very nice of you,” Aullie said then smiled, a genuine smile. “I think you and I will get along well.”
“Me too. See you in the kitchen in a bit.” Laura left her alone in her bedroom. Just her and the cat sat on the floor as Aullie looked around her new bedroom. A room she’d barely seen as her vision was mostly blurred the previous day.
Her cell rang and she got up to see who it was, thinking it was most likely her mother or father. When she saw a number she didn’t recognize she thought twice about answering it then decided to take a chance. “Hello?”
“I have Hayley and I’m bringing her to see you. She’s going to tell you the truth,” Weston told her.
