Confessions of an Heiress

Leaving Robi -2

Gwen lead me into a large kitchen, the obvious result of major renovations.

And here's the kitchen, this is where I spend most of my time. George and Nick are running McCarthy McCatering out of here right now while the commercial kitchen is under construction downstairs. It's super busy, but good news is, there's always something to eat!

Nick? George must have a business partner. Well, with all the Espresso Express stores he would have to have help to run a catering business too. Maybe he's finished some of the other apartments and he's renting those out to people. That would make sense. But what kind of name is McCarthy McCatering??

You're welcome to use the kitchen any time you need something, just so long as Nick and I aren't cooking for a client, and of course all meals are included with the job. You'll be working directly with Mr. Jared of course, but I always say that the kitchen is the heart of the house so I thought I'd better show you that first. Mr. Jared will be up soon, so why don't I show you to your room and then you can come and meet him?

Ok, well, I am here to see George McCarthy...

Of course you are, but since he's out, he said he'd like for you to meet Mr. Jared when you got here.

How many partners does George have? This has got to be the funniest case of mistaken identity. Well, maybe this Mr. Jared or Nick would be hot. I wonder if they both live here. George probably rents the extra apartments to them. It could be fun to hang around with George and his friends. I've never really socialized with George. We were usually off in a closet making out.

Now, come with me dear and I'll show you to your room.

What a trip this woman was. I already knew where George's bedroom was - not that she knew that, and of course there had been renovations, it could have changed.

Here's your room dear. It's small but I think it will have everything you need.

It was a small room down the hall from the kitchen. There was a single bed and a few pieces of furniture. It was nice, but it certainly didn't feel like George.

I'll give you a few minutes to unpack and get settled in, and then you can come into the kitchen and meet Mr. Jared. I'll call Mr. McCarthy and let him know you've arrived.

I sat on the edge of the bed and looked around the plain room. Gwen thought I was there as a new employee. George or Mr. Jared or one of them was obviously expecting someone else. I knew it was going to be funny when it was all over, but it was beginning to feel awkward. What was I supposed to say? "I'm not here to work, I just came to shack up with George because my life has lost it's purpose?" I didn't unpack because this wasn't my room. Once George came it would all be settled.

I looked at my watch. It was almost lunchtime. Robi and my dad were meeting a big client for lunch, they had talked about it at breakfast. The client wanted to license one of the pesticides Robi had invented. I wondered how long it would take anyone to notice I wasn't there. My schedule has strange hours sometimes, and it's not unusual for Robi and I to pass like ships in the night. It could be a few days before they even realized I hadn't been home. It made me sad. And then I thought about George and how happy he'd be to see me. When he realized I was there I bet he'll pick me up and carry me to the bedroom straight away, leaving that Gwen with her jaw on the floor. We probably won't come out for days. We'll just tell Gwen or Nick to leave plates of food at the door.

There were noises in the kitchen. I figured I should go in there and explain to this Mr. Jared guy that I wasn't the employee he was expecting. It was time to get this mix up straightened out.

I went into the kitchen but only Gwen was in there, she was talking to a baby who was following her across the floor. She was pretending she couldn't find him and he crawled behind her laughing

Now where did you go little boy???

Oh there he is! Are you hungry? Do you want your bottle Mr. Jared? Ok. Here you go sweetie.

Oh.

Mr. Jared is a baby.

That makes more sense, and less. Gwen must think I'm the nanny or something. Well. George needs to get here soon. I don't even want my own kids. I didn't run away from my life to take care of somebody else's.

This is Jared, he's the one you'll be working for. Isn't that funny? Working for a baby.... Ahhh, anyway, he's a great little guy, it's just that Nick and I can't have him under our feet while we're working in the kitchen.

Oh, Jared is Nick's son?

Of course! Oh there's the phone. Listen If you wouldn't mind putting Jared in his highchair I'll get his lunch ready as soon as I'm off the phone.

I was silently relieved. I had wondered whose kid he was, but he obviously belonged to George's partner Nick. Jared was Nick's son. Yes. And I was supposed to be the Nanny. Yeah, George needs to get here soon and tell Nick I'm not his nanny. George and I pretty much feel the same about kids. We like them, but feel no need to have them ourselves.

Alright little guy. Miss Gwen says you need to get in your highchair. Will you let me pick you up?

He was a cute little guy. He was a lot younger than my nephew James. There was something familiar about him, but I couldn't place it.

So I put the little guy in his high chair and he looked up at me and said

Mama

And I told him "No, I'm not your Mama little guy. But I will find you something to eat. Just sit tight."

And then.

I saw it.

It took the air from my lungs.

I felt my heart fall to the floor and shatter into a million pieces.

It was like watching my own death. All my dreams just died there in front of me. I felt myself drowning in a simultaneous sea of questions and answers all converging on me at once. I tried to scream, I tried to laugh, I tried to cry but every sound was immediately sucked into the vortex of my shattered heart.

It was a picture, a picture of George; he was holding Jared and standing with a woman, like it was a family picture. George doesn't have kids. What was he doing holding somebody else's kid and posing with that redhead? What was that for??

And then, the same way that the flesh gives way to allow a bullet to enter the body, the realizations began to enter my mind. Jared. How could I not have seen this? He looks exactly like George. No wonder he looked so familiar. George has a kid. My brain just couldn't register the information. I was just here, three months ago... George would have told me about this, George would have told me he had a son. He would have told me he was getting married. Wouldn't he?

The conversation Gwen was having on the phone suddenly became audible to me....

....Oh it WAS the wedding of the year. Yes, they just got back from their honeymoon a few weeks ago.... Oh I think they're going to be just fine now. They're quite the lovebirds, George seems to have gotten over whatever his 'issues' were and I say, it's about time, because now my niece won't have to raise that baby by herself.....Those two have been on and off so many times I can't keep track......Oh yes, he's a very active father now, you wouldn't know there had even been a problem, no, Jared accepts him, he's so young you know....the nanny did quit while George and Nick were away on their honeymoon, can you believe that? So I've had the little dear ever since. Yes, they've got a new nanny now, she just started today in fact, yes.... I know. Uh huh, a lot of changes, yes....Well happy parents are all a child needs, right? Oh, and did you hear he's to be a big brother? Yes! I know, so soon....well those two are practically inseparable, I can barely get them out of the bedroom sometimes, thank goodness that will be the new nanny's problem from now on.... I wouldn't be surprised if it was twins the way they carry on with each other......

I thought I was going to vomit. How did I not see these pictures? George was everywhere... and Nick... Nick... As her name arrived in my mind, it kicked me in the gut. Nicole.... Nicole Brettweiler.... It was her.... The girl George dumped me for in high school. And here he was, married to her? And having kids with her? I forced the bile building in my throat to stay back as my mind quickly did calculations....If this Jared was approximately a year old, then he had already been born the last time I saw George - when he was so depressed, and then before that... exactly how long had he been carrying on with her? Since 'The Heiress' ??? My mind refused to go any further, and then, I heard a scream.

It was Jared, and for a moment I was glad there was something to drown out Gwen's phone call about how happy "George and Nick" were and how many layers their wedding cake was.

For a minute my life wasn't the only thing that stunk.

I lifted Jared from the highchair and prayed something wouldn't be leaking out of him. Gwen motioned to the doors and I welcomed the opportunity to leave the kitchen. I wandered through the other side of the house until I found Jared's room. It was the old kitchen.

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