11 Meiden and Krauze

"Gustav? Gustav!"

"Don't shout, I'm not deaf," growled Meiden standing in the kitchen doorway. "You robbed the store?"

The question was not unfounded, as Felix was laden with shopping bags.

"I had to. Knowing you, I expected to find you unconscious from exhaustion and hunger," he announced, pushing through to the kitchen and placing the purchases on the table. "Actually, you look like you haven't missed much. Another sleepless night?"

Gustav curled his lips.

"Will the day finally come when you stop tormenting me with your overprotectiveness?"

"Not until you start taking care of yourself. Why didn't you tell me you were coming earlier? I would have left for the airport to pick you up and..."

"That's why," he couldn't hide his irritation. "You are not my father!"

"Speaking of father..."

"Don't say that. Don't even mention him!"

Felix pressed his lips together and looked around the kitchen. He looked in several cabinets and in the refrigerator, where the light was not on.

"Good God, did you even eat breakfast?" he asked in horror. "And dinner? When did you even eat anything?"

Even if he wanted to, Gustav could not answer him. He simply couldn't remember.

"Felix, I'm really asking you to stop!"

"How can I stop when not only do you have a completely empty refrigerator, but you haven't even plugged it in!"

"Why would I plug it in if it's empty?"

"The logic of your thinking scares me."

"So do yourself a favor and stop..." However, he couldn't finish the sentence. Resigned, he sat down in a chair.

After all, he had already asked Felix dozens of times to leave him alone, to give him space. To give him freedom. But Felix didn't understand. Maybe he didn't want to understand. In any case, every time Gustav said a few unpleasant words to him he returned like a boomerang without showing that anything had hurt him. It was as if his friendship could not be moved by anything. It was damn annoying. Because of this kind of behavior from Felix, Gustav will never be able to start living like a normal person. He will always be a young gentleman requiring the care of his butler.

Felix approached him and gently touched his hand.

"Gustav, understand that we are concerned about what you are doing to yourself..."

We?

Meiden immediately jumped up from his seat. He felt fury overwhelm him. If Felix is speaking in the plural....

"I thought you cared about me as a friend! And you... You are nothing but his dog. It makes me… disgusted! You and…"

He couldn't continue speaking. He was too tired, too angry and too hurt. He laughed a little like a madman, shook his head and left. He could no longer stay in Felix's company. In company of the man, who more than his friend always was the loyal dog to Olaf Meiden.

***

The men were not in the driveway by the car. They were probably inside. Of course they were. Why should they be by the car, idiot, David knocked his head and the front door, not too loudly, although he knew that inside they would not hear him anyway. The keys, however, had to be returned.

"Mr. Meiden," he called out quietly and, waiting three seconds for an answer (of course, he didn't get any), stepped over the threshold.

"Gustav, understand that we are concerned about what you are doing to yourself..." he heard Krauze's voice coming from the kitchen. The plenipotentiary spoke with an excuse, but strangely softly, as if with concern.

"I thought you cared about me as a friend! And you... You are nothing but his dog. It makes me… disgusted! You and…" David shook his eyes in surprise. Krauze was disgusting? Did Meiden really say those words?

No way! He probably heard wrong, though Meiden's voice was somehow strange, full of resentment and pain, as if someone had just hurt him badly. David, listening, furrowed his eyebrows, but heard nothing more. The kitchen somehow became quiet and suddenly the kitchen door opened and Meiden fell out through it. He looked as if in a moment his eyes were going to start hurling lightning bolts. He ran past David, who only managed to open his mouth and rushed into his office.

Not good, thought the boy. The Norwegian looked really furious. Completely, like some kind of fury. What should he do with the keys now?

He went to the kitchen. Krauze was just putting out the groceries from the bag he had brought. He did it somehow slowly, as if his thoughts were occupied with something else entirely.

"Excuse me," spoke up David, "I brought the keys."

Krauze looked at him with unseeing eyes. Well, after what Meiden told him, everyone would probably feel uncomfortable. Only after a while his gaze begin to acquire the right focus.

"Oh, did you? Mr. Meiden has left," he announced warmly. "Most likely he is in his office."

David knew that this was certainly the case, but he preferred to avoid a face-to-face meeting with this fury, who passed by without seeing him. However, if he told this to Krauze, he would admit that he had overheard their conversation, or at least part of it, and he really didn't want to do that.

"Ok, fine," he said instead, and was about to leave when he remembered his earlier conversation with the Norwegian. "Ehm, Mr. Meiden said that my dad's company, that is, I'm supposed to take care of tending the grounds around the palace..."

"Oh, ah yes," Krauze was clearly distracted, as if he was struggling to tear himself away from his thoughts but smiled warmly. "That's very good. When I get back to the office, I'll prepare the contract and bring it to you for review and signature."

"That's great, thank you! Well, I'll hand over the keys and go home. Goodbye!"

Somehow he didn't really feel like meeting Meiden right now, but if must, then must, he thought with resignation. Gosh, if these two continue to behave like this, there will be quite a bit of chaos dragging through the surrounding villages. And up until now it was such a peaceful neighborhood!

David took a breath and knocked on the office door.

After a moment long enough for him to want to knock again, he heard a quiet "who's there?"

"It's me, David. I brought the keys!"

He heard the lock being opened from the inside. Meiden locked himself out from the inside? Probably not in front of Krauze? Did he? What a mess.

"Come in!"

The door swung open with a protracted creak. They will have to be oiled, he thought and stepped over the threshold.

Meiden sat behind his desk and stared into the laptop monitor. He spread an aura of inaccessibility and hostility around him, but did not give the impression that he was about to start throwing things. Looking at him, David had no idea how to behave.

"Eeee... Here I put the keys," he announced and left them on the desk. Meiden did not react. Should he mention that he had told Krause about their new contract? E, maybe another time, when Meiden looks more approachable. If such a moment ever comes at all. "Then I'll be on my way now. Goodbye!"

He retreated hastily, hoping that the fresh morning air would somewhat clear his lungs, which had inhaled the heavy atmosphere.

What's going on here, by the way, he wondered. The new owner of the palace is the most hostile man he has ever met in his life, gloomy and unapproachable, and his employee, Krauze, addresses him as if he were his older brother or mother. Meiden instead treated him like an enemy. A bit like a wife who unexpectedly meets her ex. Impossible! An odd couple? Ne. And it was puzzling in what field the Norwegian was a genius, because he didn't seem to excel at anything beyond hostility. Maybe it's better to stay out of his business and give up the job?

It's just that his father cares so much about it!

The plant breeding was still started by his grandfather, but after carnations fell out of fashion and had to switch to something else, the business declined a bit. There was no national demand for one particular flower. The market was changing so his father tried to meet it and started growing more original, exotic plants like hibiscus. However, they had several years of losses before the work bore fruit. They had barely made it to zero when it turned out that it still wasn't enough to make a good living.

Five years ago, inspired by his son's school, he started a business to design and plant gardens. As it soon turned out, however, this business wasn't light either. There were few private individuals willing to spend money on professional gardeners and designers, and there were not that many public areas in need of care at all. The green areas around the palace were therefore a savior for them. David knew this very well, so now he had a little problem. Working for Meiden might prove troublesome, but his father's company almost desperately needed the job.

For now, however, it would probably be best to accept the contract, he decided. The guy may not be sociable and, despite his handsome face, gives a very unpleasant impression, but he's not some over-demanding guy and doesn't seem stingy. If it goes well, he may not even be seen at all. He'll do his own thing and by the time Meiden appears on the horizon spreading hostility, he'll be home.

This was the plan David intended to stick to.