The Billionaire’s Housekeeper

She waited for him to speak. He stared out into the garden for a long time, and he had yet to acknowledge her. Rita wondered if he had even heard her at all.

Her mind was racing with all sorts of things. Was he fired? No, that was silly. He couldn’t have been fired from his own company…not unless the entire board had voted him out. If that were the case, then it was probably due to all the negative press they were getting because of the home wrecking house keeper who had dissolved one of America’s youngest most successful couples. It didn’t help that she was a black woman from a lower class family and that he was from an upper class upbringing and was golden haired and bright eyed.

Rita shook her head to shake the thoughts away. He hadn’t said anything yet, and she was already jumping to the worst possible conclusions. She was so used to things falling apart since having to leave Montreal that complete happiness, and feeling so much love was new to her.

“We need to talk, Rita,” George said, breaking Rita away from her thoughts. His voice was stiff and cold. Rita’s insides plummeted, and she felt all the blood from her face draining too.

“Did something happen?” she stood a few feet away from George. He still hadn’t looked at her. He was staring blankly out at the garden. Rita could see her little cottage from there, but she turned to keep her focus on George. He looked like he had so much to say, but he couldn’t find the right words to use in order to say them.

George didn’t know how to tell her exactly what was on his mind. Julie called him earlier that day. There were things she wanted from him, and she promised that she wouldn’t leave him alone until she got her way. She was out for more of her possessions. She had let him know that because she was wronged, she needed to be adequately satiated financially for all of the emotional damage.

George had let Julie go on her tirade, as he usually did. It made him bored and tired. They weren’t like this in college or when they were first married. Was it the wealth that changed her so much? He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he was worried that love wouldn’t last…that anything could change at any given moment, and there would be constant fighting and bickering. He couldn’t put himself through that again…and he didn’t know how to tell Rita.

“I don’t think that this is working,” he said instead. It was easier this way. The less Rita knew, the better it would be. If he could get everything in his life to slow down now, he could sort out his heart and his thoughts.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean what it is that we have,” George sighed. “Trying to make this work is proving difficult. I have my business and reputation to think about, I have to get Julie off my back, and being with someone so soon after the divorce might not be the best idea.”

“Are you scared?” Rita asked. George wasn’t expecting for that to be her reaction, but he nodded his head slowly. He really was scared. He was afraid of starting over.

“I’m afraid too. I didn’t think this would happen,” she said and added, “but I don’t regret any of this. I feel like we can work it out if we give it time. We can keep getting to know each other. If you’re worried about work or Julie, then we can go through these things together. You won’t have to face them alone now, because you have me. I’m here for you.”

Rita was speaking very fast. Her speaking matched the violent rhythm of her heartbeat. She had been so happy not too long ago. How could it be that everything was crashing down around her now?

“I’m sorry Julie, I can’t do this,” he said weakly, still not able to look at her.

“Julie? My name is Rita,” she sputtered. Her voice cracked. He was comparing her to the woman in his past; the woman who had made his heart cold.

That was when George finally looked up at her. He looked like he was in pain.

“I’m sorry,” he said again. He stood up and took a step toward her while she took a step back. “Please enjoy the mansion. I’ll be spending a few days with mother. I have to sort my thoughts out. When I come back, we can discuss how we proceed from there. Please try to understand.”

Rita didn’t know how to respond to any of this. She didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t expecting for things to turn out like this.

George moved forward and tried to give Rita a kiss on her cheek, but she moved her head away. To her, he might as well have said that he didn’t love her, and that he would rather spend his time alone.

George pulled away and lowered his head. He was ashamed, but he didn’t know how else to handle any of this. He didn’t want anyone to be hurt.

Rita was numb now. She could barely process what it was that was happening. She watched him walk away from her. She watched his frame disappear from view.

She didn’t know what she could do or say. There wasn’t anything that she could say at this point. He was already gone.

All Rita could do was stand on the balcony, and look out into the garden.