Everything was neat and tidy, clean and sterile and he felt himself relax, just slightly. She was being taken care of, and it made him feel better knowing it. He heard some commotion in the kitchen and glanced that way. He found himself face to face with a bubbly woman red faced and smiling. In her 40’s she had sprigs of red and gray hair and she welcomed him with a smile.
“You must be Raymond. Hello, I am Jeannie, I cook for your mother, and whoever may come by.” She gave his mother a wink, that he didn’t miss. She held out her hand to him, which he took and marveled at the grip she gave him.
“It’s just Ray, and it’s nice to finally meet you.” He relaxed as she rambled on about food for dinner and a light lunch, which she asked his mother to approve of.
After she left, he turned to face his mother once more. : You certainly seem to have things running smoothly mother.” He gave her a half grin.
“Yes, I rather enjoy having a lot of the bulk handled for me, thanks to my son that is.” She grinned as a buzzing sound went off beside her. “Oh, it's time for Lila, she will be down in a few seconds. She is such a sweet girl I think you will like her.”
Before she could get the last word out, he heard the soft sounds of humming as she came into the room. He felt something hit him in the stomach when she finally looked up at him. She was curvy, full and filling in her outfit. It suited her, all of those curves. Her hair was long and fell in waves around her. Her caramel skin almost glowing in the light. Her eyes were what struck him at last. They were brown with a hint of blue in them, and were set in her face, complete with a set of full lips and a dimpled cheek.
He watched her blink rapidly at him for a second, her eyes covered in a fringe of dark lashes that complimented her skin. She turned then, her focus on his mother.
“Ok Miss Margie, it's time for your favorite.” She gave her a sour look and then moved around the cabinet in the far corner to get her meds together. She never turned around to look back at him, which he found unnerving.
He did his best to seem unaffected as he let his eyes travel the rest of her, his focus on the uplifted derriere that was facing him now. He realized his mother as talking to him, and he shook his head to snap out of it.
“. top of her class.” His mother gave him a smile.
Lila turned then, her eyes flitting over him for a mere second before she carried the tray over to his mother.
“You are always too sweet to me, Miss Margie.” She set the tray down and waited as the older woman took the medication with a sour look.
“I know, like I said not the favorite.” She glanced over at him once more, giving him her full attention.
“I’m Lila, it’s nice to meet you.” She held out her hand to him, which he took. He felt the softness of her skin in his and he subconsciously let his thumb run across the bridge of her hand before he let it go. His eyes met hers, and he felt a shift there.
“Well, mom, I’m going to go get settled in and come back for lunch, since Miss Jeannie is working on such an impressionable spread.” He glanced over at Lila. “I will see you there.”
He didn’t wait for a response, simply letting her know what he expected of her before he turned to head down the other wing of the house to his old rooms. He wanted her, it was as simple as that. He wasn’t even sure why really. She was beautiful, almost exotic, which he found fascinating. She was certainly nothing like Angie…. He felt the familiar anger well up in him, but he tried to let it go and not let it ruin his day. He thought once more about Lila, he wanted her in his bed, and he would have her, he simply needed to find a way to convince her that’s where she belonged.
Lila
“Arrogant...son of a.” She whispered it under her breath knowingly. Someone, somewhere had told Ray Markley that he could have whatever he wanted and when. “I’ll see you there.” She said it mockingly.
He would certainly be surprised when she wasn’t. She always ate lunch with the ladies of the house, but not today, not when he had ordered her to be there. There was something about him that reek dangerous anyway, it would probably be best if she avoided him at all costs, until he went back to his own home.
She knew he was some big time basketball player or something. Apparently, it had all gone to his head at some point. She folded the blankets by the door once more, jerking it as she went. She loved Miss Margie, and she loved this job. It had come at a perfect time in her life, and she would always be grateful to Miss Margie for giving her a chance. At 23 she had already lived a full life.
She sat down on the bed reflecting. Her father was a prestigious official in Washington DC, and her mother had been in love with him for years. Unfortunately, she had settled for being the woman waiting in the wings for him for years. He had convinced her for years that he would leave his wife, but sadly, he never had. Her mother had fallen ill and died of cancer four years ago, and only once had she even met the man. He had come to visit her mother in the hospital and her mother told her then that he was her father.
She hated him for never making the choice to pick them, hated him for never being around. Now, all she felt was indifference. Sure, he had cried and held her mothers’ hand, but ultimately he had gone back home, leaving her wondering about the life they could have had. She would look him up from time to time, and see the faces of her two half-brothers that never even knew she existed. She was essentially alone in the world, except for Andre, and that was a mess as usual.
He was a musician, and beautifully talented. She loved him, or at least she thought so. He always seemed to be busy these days, never having time for her. But then that’s what you had to do to make it big in the music business. Not to mention he often commented on how her dieting was going, trying to motivate her to do more and to get healthier. She knew her weight was an issue for him, especially when he always had women falling all over him. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to be working, at least not quickly anyway. They had plans to meet tomorrow, and she couldn’t wait to hear all about the new developments on his album. She just had to be careful to not make him angry.
It wasn’t that he wanted to hurt her, in fact he hated himself anytime anything happened between them. Nothing had happened yet, but he would get so angry and from time to time she would get a little scared of him. He never touched her, but he had thrown a thing or two to get his point across. He was obviously under a lot of stress with his career. All she could do was be supportive and do her best to try to help him. She made her way out of the rooms and down the long hall to the garden to walk, she loved it there more than any other place on the ranch.
The weather was beautiful this time of year and she loved being able to enjoy it. She settled into a lounge chair, face upturned as she let her eyes close to enjoy the cool breeze that flowed over her skin. Taking deep breaths, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. It could have been an hour, or even two before she realized she had fallen asleep. She heard the crunch of gravel and knew now that someone had woken her. She sat up with a start and found herself face to face with him.
“You have a habit of napping in the garden?” He let his gaze linger, looking her over.
“No.” She said with an edge, jumping to her feet as she did. “I suppose I was just relaxed that’s all.” She crossed her arms waiting. She couldn’t leave the area until he moved out of her way, which by looking at his face he was well aware of.
He smiled at her as he leaned on the twisted oak. “You missed lunch.” He said it simply and she met his gaze.
“I wasn’t hungry.” She lifted her chin another notch. He chuckled.
“Well, perhaps I will see you at dinner then?” He waited for her to answer.
“Perhaps.” She knew it was weak at best, but it was almost like saying no.
He smiled at her once more, then sat down on the bench near the entrance. “So, how is mom doing, really?”
She felt his tone turn serious, and she relaxed. She couldn’t handle the charming side of him it unnerved her. But this… this she could do. She sat beside him.
“She’s actually doing much better than before. Her white count is lower and her blood pressure under control. She goes in to see Dr. Baker every few weeks, and he helps me keep her on track. She can be…. Well...”
“Combative?” He finished for her. “Yes, I know.”
“I think she just gets tired of life keeping her from doing what she wants.” She said it simply enough.
She felt his gaze on her face once more. “What about you Lila?”
She swallowed hard. “What do you mean? What about me?”
He leaned back on the bench, breaking his gaze on her. “Well, tell me about you. I let the agency find a few people, but my mother ultimately made the decision on who she wanted to have here. I never get to have an opinion, so this is my chance to get to know everyone.”
She sighed. “Well, I am a nurse; I grew up in Covington. I love your mother, and I love this ranch.” She shrugged. “Not much else to tell.”
“What about family?” He leaned up once more, this time closer to her. “Parents, siblings… boyfriend?”
She felt the heat creep in unexpectedly. He wasn’t touching her, but she felt the heat off of him like he was branding her skin. “No, no family. I do have a boyfriend.”