Chapter Twenty
After rolling over in bed and languorously stretching my limbs, I glance at the clock and nearly scream. It’s already nine, and I’m always up by six. I call out for Sky, but when she doesn’t answer, I assume she’s long gone.
I hurry to grab my phone and check my schedule for the day. Luckily, I don’t have a showing until ten thirty. I’m not very excited about it because I’m taking my client to see one of the available apartments in Abril’s building. And while I like Abril, I’m afraid she doesn’t like me right now and I’d hate to run into her and have hard feelings taint the energy around my other showing.
Gerard hands me a coffee cup as I walk into the kitchen. “I hear we’re having a party,” he says.
“Not unless Jonathan gives us the go-ahead, and I can’t see that happening.”
“Mmmm.”
“What does that mean?”
Flipping a pancake high into the air and catching it with his skillet, he replies, “Nothing.”
“That ‘Mmmm’ was rife with innuendo, Gerard. Now spill it. What does it mean?”
“I think he’ll let you do it.” In response to my quirked eyebrow, he adds, “Mr. Silver walked into his house last night to find his houseguests, staff, and brother all lying on the entryway floor and didn’t chastise anyone. I could have never imagined such a scene before you came along.”
“Probably because he doesn’t let people into his house.”
“He has people over, just not large groups of them. And in the five years I’ve been here, not once that I know of, did any of them lie on the floor.”
My brain conjures the scene of me and Jonathan under his train setup and heat immediately rushes to my face. “Gerard, have you ever been up to The Depot?”
“Ah, yes, the playroom. Of course, I’ve been up there. Mr. Silver takes his supper there quite often.” I inwardly chuckle at his calling it a playroom. If you used that term in most Hollywood circles, people would assume it was some kind of kinky setup à la Fifty Shades of Grey, not an actual room full of toys that any little boy would dream of.
“What if he says no?” I ask.
“Invite him to come and tell him that you think his perfect match might show up.”
“Ah, so you know why I’m here and Jonathan is at my house.” I had wondered what they all thought was going on.
“Of course, I know. It was my idea that he call you.”
“Your idea? Where did you hear about me?” I demand.
“One of your clients married my sister Jane.” Before I can ask which client, he tells me. “Harrison Stuart.”
“Your sister was the cleaning lady for Harry’s neighbor!” I announce excitedly.
“That’s right. Harry told us all about you and I passed your information on to Mr. Silver.”
“I would have paid a fortune to have been a fly on the wall during that discussion,” I tell him. “How did you go about it?”
“I told Mr. Silver my sister met her husband through a psychic realtor. Then I handed him your phone number.”
“What did he say to that?”
Gerard puts three pancakes on a plate along with two pieces of bacon before handing it to me. “He said, ‘Thank you.’”
“That’s it? Thank you?” I don’t have time to eat but the pancakes look too yummy to pass up, so I sit down at the kitchen island and prepare to make quick work of them.
“That’s it. Not a week after giving him your number, you moved in.”
After chewing and swallowing my first bite of heaven, I ask, “How is it that you decided Jonathan needed my help?”
“Let’s just say he spends a lot of time in the Depot room, alone. He rarely has lady friends over to the house, and he works too much. It’s human nature for him to need a partner to share his life with.”
I suddenly get sidetracked. “Do you have someone special in your life?” I ask.
“Not yet.”
“Are you looking?”
“I’m very open to the idea, I just haven’t had the good fortune of finding my person yet.”
“Maybe I should look for a house for you, too.” How exciting!
“While I would love that, I’m in no position to buy a house on my own. Maybe after my screenplay gets sold,” he says hopefully.
I think for a minute before answering, “I’ve never worked with rental clients before, but I assume it would work the same way as it does for people who are buying. Do you want me to give it a go?”
Gerard pours more batter on the hot griddle before answering, “You could, but I’ve been living here in the apartment over the garage to save money. I’m not sure I want to throw thousands of dollars a month down the drain in rent.”
“Fair enough, but I’m still going to look at the listings just to see if anything pops up for you. Are any of the other staff married?” I don’t recall seeing rings on fingers, but that doesn’t mean anything.
“Martin is a widower and Greta and Helga are both single.”
“Interesting …” I don’t finish my thought. I’m too busy wondering if I could set up Jonathan’s whole household.
“Before you get any ideas about us, take care of Mr. Silver,” Gerard says. “He’s the most in need of love.”
I’m not sure how Gerard comes upon that thought. All people need love. Maybe despite the era we live in, he still has some Downton Abbey sensibilities going on. “I’ll take care of Jonathan first,” I assure him, “but that doesn’t mean I can’t start plotting for the rest of you.”
“According to the staff calendar, Mr. Silver is having lunch with Mr. Fox today. He’s always in great spirits after that. Why don’t you plan on calling him around two o’clock to ask him about the party then?”
“The staff has access to Jonathan’s calendar?” I wonder if that’s normal. Also, Atlas, yum!
“He has a separate online calendar for us in case he decides to bring people home. It’s easier than calling us every time something comes up.”
I don’t know how hard it could possibly be for Jonathan to talk to his staff, but whatever. Gerard clicks away on his computer and shows me the screen of activities for this month. He points to today and says, “Oh my, Mr. Silver’s lunch has moved from the Ivy to here! I’d better get planning something.”
“Here?” You’d think that was information he’d tell me. After all, it’s my home now, too. Although, the house is large enough for four families to occupy and never run into each other. “I have a showing at ten thirty,” I tell Gerard. “Maybe I’ll stop home afterward and ask Jonathan while Justin is still here. He might have a hard time saying no in front of his friend.”
Gerard looks nervous. “Please don’t tell him that I shared his schedule. I’ve actually signed confidentiality agreements saying that I would do no such a thing.”
“Worry not, my friend. I’m like a doctor. Everything you say to me goes straight into the vault.” I make a motion as though locking my lips.
Gerard breathes an audible sigh of relief before nodding his head once and getting busy with today’s lunch preparations. I shovel down the rest of my breakfast before grabbing my purse and heading over to Abril’s building.
I’d rather ask Jonathan if I could host a yoga seminar for nudists in his living room than run into Abril again. It’s a big building though, so my chances of avoiding her are good.