Chapter 5 - The Woman Behind the Uniform
The investigation lasted three weeks.
Cole Development executives were questioned.
Accounts were frozen.
Former employees started talking.
And Madison disappeared from Chicago society almost overnight.
I returned to work.
But nothing felt normal.
Especially Garrett.
He started appearing at West Erie more often.
Sometimes for meetings.
Sometimes for dinner with Margaret.
And sometimes, apparently, for no reason at all.
One Tuesday night, I found him sitting alone at table one.
I approached with a menu.
“Waiting for someone?”
“No.”
“Meeting?”
“No.”
“Then why are you sitting in a closed section?”
He looked at me.
“Coffee.”
“You own three coffee companies.”
“I want this coffee.”
“You’re strange.”
“So I’ve been told.”
I poured him a cup.
He watched me.
“What?”
“You’re different around me now.”
“I discovered you’re capable of human expressions.”
“Disappointing?”
“Terribly.”
His mouth twitched.
Then his expression became serious.
“Why do you work here?”
“For money.”
“That wasn’t what I meant.”
“I know.”
I hesitated.
“My mother died when I was nineteen. My dad raised my younger brother and me afterward.”
“How old is your brother?”
“Twenty.”
“College?”
“Northwestern.”
Garrett understood.
“You’re helping him.”
“I’m helping with what scholarships don’t cover.”
“That explains the hours.”
I frowned.
“You know my hours?”
“I own the restaurant.”
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
Before he could respond, Margaret entered.
“There you are.”
Garrett stood.
“You said seven.”
“It is seven.”
He checked his watch.
It was seven.
Margaret looked at me.
“Rachel, I need a favor.”
“Of course.”
“Have dinner with us.”
Garrett sighed.
“Mom.”
“What?”
“You’re interfering.”
“I’m elderly. It’s one of my privileges.”
I laughed.
Garrett stared at his mother.
Margaret smiled innocently.
We ate together.
For the first time, I heard Garrett talk about his father.
Not the businessman.
The man.
“He taught me chess when I was five,” Garrett said.
Margaret smiled.
“And cheated.”
“He did not.”
“He absolutely did.”
Garrett looked offended.
I laughed again.
His eyes shifted toward me.
Something passed between us.
Small.
Quiet.
Real.
After dinner, Margaret left with her driver.
I started clearing the table.
Garrett took a plate.
I stared at him.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping.”
“You own the restaurant.”
“I’m aware.”
“Put that down.”
“No.”
“Garrett.”
“Rachel.”
“You don’t know where dishes go.”
“I can learn.”
“You terrify half of Chicago and you’re arguing with a waitress about plates.”
“Apparently.”
We carried them into the service station.
Dany nearly dropped a wine bottle when he saw Garrett Weston holding dirty dishes.
“Sir?”
Garrett nodded.
“Dany.”
Dany looked at me.
I shrugged.
Later, Garrett walked me to my car.
At the curb, I turned toward him.
“You don’t need to do this.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
He considered the question.
“Because for six months, you watched my mother when I didn’t.”
“That wasn’t your fault.”
“It was my responsibility.”
I said nothing.
He continued.
“And because when everyone else was afraid of Madison’s last name, you weren’t.”
“I was terrified.”
“You still moved.”
I smiled faintly.
“Sometimes those things happen together.”
Garrett looked at me for a long moment.
Then he said quietly, “Dinner.”
“We just had dinner.”
“Not with my mother.”
I blinked.
“Are you asking me on a date?”
“I’m trying.”
“You’re not very good at it.”
“I don’t practice.”
That made me smile.
“Friday.”
His expression softened.
“Friday.”
Then my phone rang.
Margaret.
I answered.
“Mrs. Weston?”
Her voice sounded wrong.
“Rachel.”
I straightened.
“What happened?”
“There’s someone inside my house.”
Garrett heard her.
His entire expression changed.
“Mom?”
May you like
The line went dead.
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