Holiday Hockey Tale: The Icebreaker's Impasse

Chapter 4: Not What I Expected

Luci

When I arrive at the address Mrs. Walters sent me, I didn't expect to need to be buzzed into a massive white iron gate. The house behind it doesn't come into view until I round a curve.

I gasp out loud as I stare at it. This is what a mansion looks like is all I could think. I lived in many different sized houses and even a few apartments as a kid. Janet's house was the biggest I'd ever been in and it was only like eighteen hundred square feet with four bedrooms. We had bunk beds, two sets in each room. I doubt anyone shares a room in this place. It's all gray and white stone with white bricks. The front double doors are mostly glass with an understated blue color on the sides. White ornate flower arrangements hang on each door.

I park and slowly walk toward the door, stuffing my hands into my jacket. I dressed a little nicer wearing black pants and a blue sweater. Hopefully there isn't a dress code.

I ring the bell blowing out a slow breath. Calm down butterflies, I tell my stomach.

A man wearing a white shirt and black pants answers the door.

"Yes, may I help you?"

"Hi, I'm Luci Forrester. I am supposed to meet Mrs. Walters here at 3:30."

He blinks twice before stepping back. "Of course, Miss Forrester. Please follow me to the mistress's tea room. I'm Baker the butler."

At that I bite my lip not to laugh. That would be so inappropriate right now. Who has a butler these days?! And really he's Baker the Butler? Is the cook named Butler because my mind will just explode at that point. Stop it, Luci, I fuss at myself; otherwise, I am going to giggle.

I leave that train of thought to board the next one, which is WOW. The floors are white and black marble, so shiny someone must mop and polish them daily. Huge chandeliers adorn the wide foyer with a fancy wrought iron table and matching mirror above it to my right. Ahead is one of those massive wide staircases you see in the movies. It's all very fancy and ostentatious but impressive nonetheless.

Baker makes a left turn and knocks on a door next to a set of glass doors housing what appears to be a small city library.

"Come in, Baker."

There she is. He opens the door and half bows with one arm extended to keep the door back. I take that to mean I enter without him. Again, I need to keep my mouth shut forcibly.

The room has white wainscotting with pink and blue floral toile wallpaper. The furniture is all white with frilly pillows on the white couch. A huge chandelier resides in here also. I see Mrs. Walters sitting at a small bistro table. It has a huge vase of pink roses on top.

"Miss Forrester, you found the address." She sounds surprised, and I wonder how low her bar is set for me. I simply nod and wait.

"If you will sit here, I have a contract for your employment. I kept it simple, so it's only one page long. Also, this is a non-disclosure agreement. You will be prohibited from revealing any information about my family and friends. You can say you keep a young boy named Cole, but nothing else, even his last name, can be revealed. If so, you will be in violation, Miss Forrester, and it is a steep penalty. I trust this isn't a problem."

"I have one question Mrs. Walters. Once a week, I have to pick up my best friend's nephew from after school care. He's five. Would that be a problem? I could have Cole at my place or could take him with me and they could perhaps play together. I wouldn't tell him anything other than Cole's first name." I wait nervously. If not, Syd said she would make other arrangements.

"I think that would be fine. Cole would like to have someone he could play with. Pick him up when you collect Cole and bring them here. If it becomes a problem, I will not hesitate to end the arrangement."

I'm sure she won't.

"Thank you, Mrs. Walters."

She hands over the papers, and I read them, trying to pay attention to all the legal jargon. The contract is easy, set up in lay terms, but the NDA is a disaster. All I get from it is that I will owe her a million dollars if I violate the agreement. That's enough for me to know I'll never do that.

She subtly pushes a pen in my direction, and I sign them both. I receive a tight smile in response.

"Are you ready to begin today? Cole is most anxious to see you again. Baker will be able to go over all the things you should need to know also."

"Yes, I am." I had prepared for this.

"Follow me."

She leads me out of the room and down the hallway. I hear Cole laughing at something, and it makes me smile. At least he's not sitting somewhere having to write lines about proper decorum or behavior. We round the corner into a massive gray and white marble kitchen. The cabinets are painted a light blue with silver appliances. Cole sits at the island eating cookies with a glass of milk.

"Madam." Baker says formally and Cole turns to wave but then his eyes light up and he leaps off the stool causing it to crash to the ground.

Mrs. Walters immediately barks out his name, "Cole Matthew!"

He stops looking afraid. "Sorry Grandmother, I pick it up." He turns immediately to do that as she sighs.

"Baker, Luci will begin watching Cole today. Can you please go over his routine and show her around the house?"

"Yes, madam." He nods at me, and I wonder if he's friendly. Cole was laughing in here moments ago.

"Perfect. I will be going over to Vivian's then. Be back in time for dinner. We have no guests scheduled. No need for Cole to change tonight. He can have his bath and be in pajamas for dinner." She walks away, and Cole comes to launch himself at me.

"You came to watch me. I said only Luci." He bouncing in my arms and I set him down.

"I'm here. And now I feel really special that you wanted me. Are you done with your cookies?" He nods at me happily. "Ok, we'll go play but I think Mr. Baker needs to show me the ropes first."

Cole giggles. "We don't have ropes."

"You do. You just don't know it." I tickle his side and turn to face the butler. He's smiling at us.

"Just Baker, Miss Luci. Cole has his snack when he gets home, and it's not cookies, but he helped me tidy the playroom before you got here, and that was his reward. After that he plays in the playroom or outside, weather permitting. Dinner is at five unless there is a big family dinner planned that he is to attend. Bath is at six and bed is at six thirty or seven though you will usually be gone by then. Tonight will be bath at five thirty and dinner at six though. I will inform you each day when you arrive if madam does not."

I try to commit that to memory. Maybe I can put it in my phone in a minute so I don't screw it up.

"If you are only Baker, then I'm only Luci."

"Sorry, Miss. It wouldn't do for me to forget in front of madam. But I will try to do it when we are alone. Cole has his snack here in the kitchen. Come, and I'll show you the living room, outside, playroom, and his bedroom."

The living room is massive with a huge projection tv and large leather couches. I try not to gawk as we walk through the french doors to a fenced-in outside area. There's a playground, zipline, table and other things.

"There's a lot more yard Luci, but this is where he usually plays." Baker informs me.

"Could he have his snack out here sometimes too?" I ask and see Cole's big grin.

"Yes, he loves to be outside. Madison did not care to be outdoors much." His face is impassive, but I catch the ripple of disapproval.

"She was no fun. Only wanted to play on her phone. No hugs too." Cole tells me watching Baker's face. "Luci saved me, Baker. And she let me have a popsicle before dinner."

I eye him, trying not to laugh.

"I like to be outside. If it's nice weather, we'll have your snack out here and then decide where to play. And you got a popsicle because that was a rough day. I think they should have given me one too." An adult one with rum in it, I add in my head.

Baker leads us back indoors. I notice how he is gentle with Cole. Maybe he's the one who has kept his disposition so sweet. I follow him down a hallway at the base of the stairs, and he shows me the playroom. It's as big as my apartment. Baker leads us up the staircase, and I mumble a few words about a map.

He turns to say quickly "I am always here, Miss Luci. I will give you my phone number, and you can call me should you need anything. Or yell my name like Cole does. He has run of the house too, so he will show you around."

"Thank you." I reply sincerely. He opens the door to Cole's bedroom and I step in laughing.

"You don't like Star Wars do you, Cole?" I look over the spaceship shaped bed complete with light sabers and guns. On every wall is every possible decoration from the movies imaginable.

"I'm a Jedi Luci. Sometimes I dark side and sometimes I light side." He holds one of his lightsabers pointed at me. "I'm going to be Dark Vader for trick or treat."

"Well, I can't wait to see that. How about you show me where all your pajamas are and your bathroom before we go play?"

Baker nods approvingly at me and leaves. Cole is more than eager to show me all of his things before he takes me to the playroom.

After his bath, Baker comes and tells me I can leave to go home. Cole's face falls. "She can eat dinner with me."

"Your grandparents are here to eat with you." He says softly and Cole looks no happier. "Tomorrow night she can, they will be out late."

Which means I'll be here late. I leave realizing it will be a fairly easy job, especially when Imogen Walters isn't around.

Three nights later, I'm laughing at Cole as he takes the bubbles I put in his bath and blows them at the wall. I put a pile on top of his head and showed him how he looked in my phone. He'd laughed thinking it was hilarious. I sit back as he plays with his toys not needing me for a minute. His little laughs soothe me and today I need them.

My usual tormentors had seemed to be in foul moods and they decided to take it out on me when they saw me in class today.

Julian had set the entire thing off with Deacon joining him. Julian had snarled that I could at least try to make myself scarce when he was around. To make matters worse, I was only barely paying attention to him because I was going through my schedule today and trying to mentally review my notes for a test in a later class. It infuriated him and he'd gotten right in my face talking about how I'm not even smart enough to fight back. I'd given him a perplexed look at that. "You want me to insult your pea brain" had slipped out easily and the veins in his neck had visibly swelled.

"Mouthy little mouse." That voice behind me had me on edge. I get the worst vibes off that Maxton guy. "I smell you little mouse, your fear."

"Hope it's not as bad as your breath. Back off you creep."

I had quickly spun away to put some distance between us worried he might touch me again. Before anything else could happen, I'd heard him before I saw him.

Easton called out, "She causing trouble again? Haven't learned your lesson have you?"

He'd moved in front of me his arms folded over his chest before smirking. I'd pushed past him, making sure I hit him with my shoulder, which was petty, but I was done.

"Luci bubble beard!" I return to the present to smile at him and his silliness.

"I like it, Coco." I called him that yesterday while we were playing and he thought it was hilarious. "Let's get out so you can eat dinner."

He races ahead of me once we are down the stairs. "Race Luci!" I follow behind slowly intending to let him win. Before I turn the corner, I hear him squeal.

"Daddy!" Cole is launching himself at a tall guy crouched down. I gasp audibly as I hear that voice that no one will ever forget.

"Cole."

Then his eyes meet mine and I shrink back at the swirling storm of emotions in them.

“Luci, this is my daddy. His name is Easton.”