Chapter 6: Home Again
Helina’s stomach growled as she rode the elevator. She would have to eat the vegetables in the refrigerator or go to bed hungry.
She leaned on the wall and sighed. Her first paycheck wasn’t for two weeks. Could she survive on what Chase fed her? Maybe things would be better when the housekeeper shopped. At least she hoped they would be.
When she reached the kitchen, Chase stood in front of the stove in pajama bottoms. That was it. She could have stared at his chest all day. It had just the right amount of hair on it. His muscles flexed and bunched as he moved something about the pan.
When he looked up at her, his eyes widened. “Are you okay?”
He put down his spatula and approached her. She looked down to realize that she had leaves and dirt on her from walking through the park. She swiped at them. “Yeah. I’m okay.”
“Did you go on a date? Did he try something? Are you hurt?” Chase asked.
She stepped back from him. “Long story, but I went for a walk.”
“Did you eat? I’m making some eggs that I bought on the way home.”
“Starved.”
He went back to the stove, but he still eyed her. He reached for a shirt that he had on the counter and put it on. She admired that he was a gentleman.
“Why didn’t you eat?”
Was it time to come clean? He’d kick her out if she revealed her deception. “I don’t have any money.”
“What?” he asked, his spatula paused above the scrambled eggs that smelled divine to Helina.
“Uh, I have a confession to make.”
He cocked his head. “Go ahead. Let me plate these.”
“I can’t take your food.”
“Stop, Helina. Whatever you have to say I’m sure it isn’t earth-shattering. I can at least feed you.”
He put two plates on the island and pulled out one stool for her.
“You might want to hear what I have to say first.”
“Just eat. Tell me when we’re done.”
He sat so she did the same. “Why are you home so early?”
He laughed. “This is funny.”
“Really?” she said.
“She dumped me.”
“I thought you weren’t dating.”
“We weren’t,” Chase said, waving his fork.
His warmth wafted over her as she ate what he’d cooked. The eggs were pretty good. “Then how could she dump you?”
“Apparently she thought we were dating.” He glanced at the ceiling as if looking for some explanation from it. “I don’t know why she thought that, but she did. According to her, I’m not an attentive boyfriend.”
“You wouldn’t be since you didn’t know you were one,” Helina added, getting into the humor of his story.”
“Exactly. I inadvertently made her break up with me. I’m a great boyfriend, but not when I don’t know I’m supposed to be,” Chase said.
His eyes sparkled with humor and Helina couldn’t help laughing. She forgot about her bad evening, but she didn’t forget about what she had to tell him.
“Is she with someone else?”
“Yes. That’s the best part. There is no chance she’ll come back to me. Now I have to find someone to go to galas with me, but I have a few women I can call on.”
“I’m sure it won't’ be a problem,” Helina said.
He eyed her for a moment. “The problem is finding someone who is interested in me and not my wallet.”
She nodded, not that she understood his problem. Kurt had been the only one who had pursued her, but she didn’t want to think about him.
Helina cleared their plates as Chase watched. “This was nice, Helina.”
“You make eggs well,” she said.
She was putting off this moment because she’d enjoyed joking with Chase. He was hot and smelled great and was a nice guy. She’d miss him even though she’d known him for a short time.
“You’re going to tell me now, right? I’m sure it isn’t that bad.”
She frowned while wiping her hands on a towel. She leaned against the sink, choosing her words carefully. “I’m not the assistant the agency sent.”
She let that hang in the air between them. Chase didn’t react, but this man was used to negotiating so she hadn’t expected him to be surprised.
“I’ve escaped a situation and when you thought I was that person I went along with it. Especially when you said I would have a place to live.” She looked down at the floor. “I can move out tonight.”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
Her gaze shot up to where he was still sitting at the kitchen island. “What?”
“I knew you weren’t the person they sent.”
“How?”
“You weren’t polished, nor did you know what I was talking about half the time when I described the job.”
“Why did you hire me?”
He rose and studied her. There was no reproach in his eyes. “Because I admired your chutzpah. I also saw something desperate in you and I knew you’d work hard for me because of that. We’ve all been in crappy situations. You don’t have to tell me about yours. It’s your business.”
“You knew all this time that I wasn’t that person?”
“Yes. I was waiting for you to come clean. I knew you would at some point.”
“I don’t understand. I’ve lied to you. You have every right to kick me out? I’m not going to be the assistant you need,” Helina said.
Chase shrugged. “You’ll learn.”
“How else did you know?”
“The person the agency sent has a reputation for being a biotch. I doubted that I was going to hire her. You were nice.”
“Nice? That’s what got me this job?”
He laughed. “Yes, Helina. That’s what got you this job.”
She stared at him trying to grasp it all. A minute ago she was sure she was going to be homeless again. “You’re not kicking me out?”
“No, Helina, I’m not. I might have confronted you at some point, but I wanted you to come to me first. You did and all is fine.”
She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“What is there to understand? You have a job and a place to live and whatever situation you were in you are out of,” Chase said.
“That easy?”
“Yes. That easy. Sometimes in life, one has to give back. I’ve given you a hand up and now you’ll be able to do it for someone else someday.”
That was it. He was okay with her deception because she was nice. None of it made sense, but she wasn’t going to argue.
“All good?” he asked.
“Uh, yeah.”
He pulled open a drawer. “On the phone I gave you for work is a takeout food app. It has my credit card on file and this address. Use it next time. Okay?”
She nodded still not sure what exactly had happened, but not going to question it.