Lady K

"Take this upstairs please."

Natalie returned the maid's smile. God, she was so beautiful. You just couldn't help but smile a whole lot when you saw her, and when she smiled at you, it was divine. The maids loved her so much. It was no wonder why they always found reasons to smile when they were around her. Her personality was gold and her heart was precious. She had to be the nicest mistress they had ever met. Trust me, she was.

Natalie was always known for being so soft hearted. It was no wonder why her father chose her, and involved her in his plans for an arranged marriage to save himself out of all her seven sisters. She understood everything and more so, she loved her father. She was really beautiful, too beautiful to even explain.

Natalie walked towards the glass that led her to the swimming pool area outside, just by one of the corners of the big house, keeping the smile on her face really steady as she approached the first table beside the pool. The table where Susan sat with her eyes in her magazine, and a maid standing beside her.
"Susan," Natalie called her name as she pulled out a chair across her to make herself comfortable. Susan lowered the paper from her face. A smirk appearing on her face. "You wanted to talk?"

That was what the text Susan had sent to her earlier was all about anyway.

"Yes, I did." She folded her paper. "I just missed talking to you. We've not talked over tea in a while now." She sat straight, her eyes focused on the maid's hands in front of her as she served her tea. "You know, you, Kodi and I, we are the only women in this house. We need to have some women time once in a while to talk about the men." She chuckled and then turned to the maid. "That's enough." She gestured her to stop filling her cup with tea. She raised her head to Natalie. "Unfortunately, Kodi isn't interested in any of my boring conversations, she's always out with her friends. You're the only one that has my time apparently."

How could she just come to the conclusion that Natalie didn't have anything else to do? Anywhere else to be? But of course, Natalie wasn't going to be the one to tell her, or say no to her request.

"Tea?" She raised her head to the maid that had asked her. Natalie was going to say something when-

"Not this one." Susan told the maid, cutting Natalie off. "Serve her the tea I got her from Singapore, the herbal one." She turned to Natalie. "You love it don't you? You said you liked it."

"Oh yes," Natalie shifted nervously on her seat. "It's really good. I've only been drinking it for two months, and I feel really energized. It makes me sleep better too." She told her. "I've been taking it a lot lately, since I've been finding it really hard to sleep, I'm almost out." She chuckled faintly.

"I'd get you a new pack," Susan reached for her tea cup as the maid poured Natalie a cup of tea from a different jug.

"Thank you." Natalie whispered to her after she was done. The maid bowed and then walked away.

"So," she started, lowering her cup back to the table, "I heard Christian has not changed his mind about wanting to leave the mansion."

Natalie exhaled.

"I'm really sorry for all the ruckus Christian and I made at dinner the other day—"

"What do you mean Christian and you? You did nothing wrong. That ruckus and drama was done by Christian, and Christian alone. You are not entitled to control how your husband feels and acts, you're not responsible for his actions. You have nothing to be sorry for."

Natalie swallowed hard on her saliva.

"Natalie, I know you and Christian don't really have a great relationship as far as marriage is concerned, I also know he's a very tough one to handle, I mean, I've lived with him for nineteen years and he barely says a word to me, he barely says a word to anyone so I know. He's not really a fan of people, or trusting people, especially after what happened to him years ago, so just be patient with him and try to understand where he's coming from. If he's going to take Benoil one day, it's only rational that his wife stays by his side all the way to give him strength. It may not look like it but you're the only one he talks to more than any of us here. So maybe moving out of the mansion isn't really a bad idea. It could give you both the chance to focus on your relationship and maybe start having children too-"

Natalie chuckled loudly as she took a sip from her tea. Children? Children were the last thing on her mind, on both their minds, especially with the kind of relationship she had with her husband.

"I really doubt that is even going to be possible." She told Susan. "Christian and I are way off to even think of these things."

"But children are necessary. You have to grow your family, to expand. What's the point of a marriage without kids?"

Natalie looked at her for a while.

"Take advantage of this opportunity to fix things with your husband. Who knows, he might surprise you. I heard he wasn't always this cold when he was growing up. He used to be so adorable and kind and considerate. But after his mother died-" She exhaled and then shook her head. "Anyway, we don't have to focus on the past, let's just have tea and talk about the club. I heard you have plans to expand the volleyball court?"

"Oh yes I do." Natalie pushed herself closer to the table. "And the pool area too. I'm yet to talk to father about it but I was thinking-"

Natalie's eyes were looking brightly into Susan's who happened to be listening word by word without saying a word.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Jeremiah checked his wrist watch again.

It had been exactly two hours since he got to the restaurant, and still he hadn't heard a thing from anyone, one hour since he waited. He adjusted nervously in his seat looking left and then looking right. He had to make sure no one was watching him. Funny how he was risking it all again, even after he was warned not to, even after Christian's punch. There he was again, in search for the attention of the same woman that didn't look like she cared to talk to him the last time he stopped by.

His phone rang.

God, he hoped it wasn't anyone from the mansion. His heart was almost skipping multiple beats. He reached for his phone slowly, his eyes focused on his environment. There was no one watching him. He slowly turned back to his phone, letting out an exhale as Oma's name appeared on the screen. He swallowed hard, and put the call on silence right before turning it upside down, the moment he recognized the woman walking to his table with a wry smile on her face.

What was it this time?

"Hello?" He sat straight, wondering why there was no one walking behind her, his gaze focusing on hers. She exhaled and then frowned.

"I'm really sorry." She came to a halt right in front of him. "She has refused to come see you. She doesn't want to see you. She asked that you went home."

Jeremy frowned harder.

"She said that?"

She nodded.

"I don't know the kind of relationship you two have, but it's obvious she doesn't want to meet with you. I'd suggest you just stopped coming here for her. Invest your time in something else-" Jeremy quickly reached for his wallet. "Or someone else."

He got out a hundred dollar note and then another one. He closed his wallet quickly and then stretched the money towards her, watching her eyes widen in surprise.

"Here." Her hands shook as she reached for the money. "It's double of what I gave you before. You're her boss and that means she takes instructions from you. There must be something you can do."

"I can only tell her to wash the dirty dishes." She looked at him. "I can't ask her to see someone she doesn't want to see. I can't force her hand."

Jeremiah exhaled.

"I'd try again." The woman added. "But remember, if she doesn't give her consent, I won't return your money."

Jeremiah nodded in a hurry. The woman scoffed, and then raised the money to her breasts. She pushed it into her bra and scoffed.

"Just What is going on between you two?" She whispered to herself, turning hurriedly to leave. Jeremiah exhaled and then dropped both his hands on the table. He placed his head gently in it, he needed to breathe.

Just how long did he have to wait again?
How long did she have to keep running from him?

As long as it takes Jeremy, as long as it takes.