I open my mouth to respond but it’s too late; Eleanor heard him. I turn when I hear a cry and see her standing at the top of the stairs holding her kitten.
“Daddy, no! I love Muffin.” Tears stream down her face as I run up the stairs to embrace her.
“Now look what you did,” Mr. Hayes snaps as he removes his shoes and picks them up, holding them with his fingertips like they’re going to bite him. “There goes eight hundred dollars down the drain.”
“Sir, please.” I scramble, trying to comfort Eleanor who is sobbing while Mr. Hayes starts to storm down the hall to his office.
“Do—we—have—to get rid—” Eleanor struggles to say the words, her breath hitching in her chest as she sniffs and hiccups.
“No, no, sweetie. I’ll fix this. I promise,” I say, hugging her as I hear Mr. Hayes yell at me once more before slamming his office door.
“Clean up that mess, Miss Silver!”
I take a very confused Muffin from Eleanor’s trembling hands and walk her back upstairs to her room.
“It’s okay, sweetie. I’m going to talk to your dad and get everything fixed. You just sit tight here with little miss Muffin, okay? Can you give her lots of attention for a few minutes while I go clean up and talk to your dad?”
Eleanor smiles, wiping away a few stray tears with the back of her hand, and nods before lunging into my arms to give me the tightest little hug that makes my heart feel like it’s about to explode.
I head back downstairs and clean up the mess in the entryway before walking confidently down the hall toward Mr. Hayes’ office.
The door is ajar and as I approach, of course, Miss Perry is already running to the rescue, nursing Mr. Hayes’ temper tantrum and probably telling him that she thought the cat was a terrible idea and told me as much.
“Yes, I completely agree with you, sir. I’m on your side on this,” she says as she picks at a piece of lint on his shoulder before following it up by smoothing the material down. I watch momentarily, noticing the way she looks at him, her eyes traveling down his body and back up… Her demeanor and tone completely change when she’s speaking to him. Her body is so close to his.
“Thank you, Miss Perry. I have some things here I need to finish up.”
“Of course.” She smiles sweetly at him. “If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate.” She touches his elbow, her hand lingering a little too long.
I knock softly on the door and open it a little wider as Miss Perry makes her way out of his office, her smile falling the moment she sees me, instantly replaced by a thin, hard line.
“I’m not in the mood, Miss Silver,” Mr. Hayes snaps at me and I hear a slight chuckle from Fiona as she scurries down the hall.
“I don’t care, sir. We need to talk.” I cross my arms over my chest, trying to summon the courage I’m pretending to have. His head snaps up and he looks at me, probably surprised at my boldness.
“Your daughter loves that kitten more than life and I don’t think it’s fair to force her to give it up when it wasn’t her mistake.”
“Frankly, I don’t give a damn what your opinion is on the matter, Miss Silver, and you should think twice before you barge in here and start telling me how to be a parent.”
“That’s rich,” I scoff and I know I shouldn’t but now I’m angry.
“Excuse me?” His eyes narrow. “If you have something to say, just say it.”
“Alright. I don’t think you spend enough time with Eleanor. She’s only five years old and she craves time with her dad. She needs it, sir.”
“Let me guess, you learned this in one of your how to be a parent classes in college? Maybe a child psychology class? I’ll let you in on a secret. Being a parent is so much more than a textbook or theory, Miss Silver. I wouldn’t expect you to understand that.”
I’ve clearly struck a nerve with him but against my better judgment, I don’t shut up; I keep going. “Well, then I feel like you would know that a child who has lost one parent, needs more attention from the other parent. You can’t just avoid her, Mr. Hayes!”
“You’re on thin ice, lady!” he shouts, pointing a finger at me. “Now, you listen to me.”
“No, you listen.” I don’t know what’s come over me. I know I have no right to speak to him like this and I’m about two seconds away from losing my job, but it kills me to see him pulling away from this little girl.
“That little girl needs you. She asks me every day what you’re doing, when you’ll be home, if you’re eating dinner with us.” Tears prick my eyes but I continue on. “She just wants more time with you, sir. And if you doubt my ability to care for a child, then frankly”—I hesitate before taking in a deep breath—“I don’t know why you hired me then.”
He’s leaning forward on his desk, his hands balled into fists that are smashed down on the surface. He stares at me, his chest rising and falling rapidly. The silence between us is deafening. Finally, I see the anger leave his face as he slowly sinks down in his chair and looks out the large window to his left.
“I’m sorry,” he finally says and relief washes over me. “You’re right. She can keep the kitten but”—he points his finger again—“you’re responsible. You make sure she keeps up with it and that it’s taken care of and no more messes in the halls.”
“Yes, sir, absolutely.” I raise my hand like I’m taking an oath and I don’t know why.
“One other thing. Miss Perry mentioned that while I was gone, Eleanor was banging on pots and pans and running around the house, causing a ruckus.”
I bite my tongue. God, this woman! What does she have against me? I open my mouth to speak, but he raises his hand.
“I know she exaggerates and Eleanor is only five. If she’s not breaking or damaging things, I don’t care, but Miss Perry is very important to this household so please do your best to just stay out of her hair.”
I nod my head and now I’m left wondering just how important she is to the household. Is there something going on between them? Maybe the flirting I see from her isn’t so one-sided like I thought it was. I have no idea what their history is and frankly it’s none of my business. Still, I feel a tinge of jealousy welling up in my chest at the thought of him holding her.
“I will. I’m sorry for raising my voice. I shouldn’t have done that, and I apologize again for going behind your back with the cat thing. And I’ll do my best to stay out of Miss Perry’s way. Wouldn’t want to force her to be the victim any more than she already is.”
Damn. I almost kept my smart mouth shut. I flinch, fully expecting another tongue-lashing from Mr. Uptight but instead he breaks out in a roar of laughter, his head falling back and everything. It’s a relief, not only that I didn’t get my head bitten off but also seeing him relaxed… and laughing. It makes me laugh in return.
“You’re not wrong there,” he mutters. “Thank you, Miss Silver.” He smiles politely and gestures toward the door. I take the hint and exit, closing the door softly behind me as little butterflies dance in my tummy at the realization that I made Mr. Hayes laugh.