Paradise Found

Chapter 11 Oleanna

She was six minutes late to open the office, and the phone was already ringing off the hook. Who called at seven on a Friday morning?

“Hello, Valdez Cleaners, how can I help you?”

Silence on the other end.

“Hello? Is someone there?” Oleanna prompted.

“This is—” The man cleared his throat before continuing. “This is Axel Talstad. Cleaners came yesterday and I… Who is this?”

She was having a heart attack. There was no other way to describe the explosion in her chest, shrapnel made of excitement and terror demolishing her from inside.

She lowered her voice and pulled the landline away from her face. “How can I help you, Mr. Talstad?”

“There were items in my bedroom dresser. One of them is missing,” he spoke slowly and clearly. “Can I talk to the maid who cleaned my room? Are you the one who cleaned my room?”

Cold realization shocked Oleanna because was she this unlucky? The one thing she grabbed to remember their time together was going to get the company in trouble. Really?

“Yes. I mean no. I mean, of course, Mr. Talstad, I’ll let Mrs. Valdez call you as soon as she arrives. I’m sure we can recover the missing photo. Have a great day!”

She dropped the phone like it was hot coal. Oleanna pulled out the photo from her purse and snapped a picture with her cell. She would make sure it was returned as soon as possible, maybe even before the next cleaning.

At least she had a picture of the picture.

Listening to herself rationalize such a depressing consolation, Oleanna tore at her hair. She released a frustrated yelp just as two staff members entered the office.

“You alright, hon?” Malia asked, concerned.

“I just… Ugh! Hey, I need to go for a walk. Give me five minutes, please? Can you cover the phones before everyone drives out?”

“Sure, of course,” her cousin answered. Oleanna barely heard her.

She ran down the street till her heart hurt from effort instead of from the awful sense that everything was terribly, terribly wrong.

Having Axel on the other end of a phone line and not acknowledging him was awful. Stealing their picture like she was a common thief was ridiculous. Lying to him and to herself was unforgiveable. Finally, denying the depth of her feelings was a delusion she could no longer sustain.

Oleanna stumbled before grabbing the wall of a building. Leaning her forehead against the unyielding cement, she let her tears fall.

She was so tired of hopelessness. Of regret.

It took a lot longer than five minutes to stop sobbing.

Finally, she gathered her energy and walked back to work.

She would admit everything to her mother. Explain why she could never, ever work at Axel’s house again. Because if she stepped into that house one more time, she was going to confess. She would have to look at his angry face and cold eyes. Eyes that saw her but didn’t see her.

Head heavy and body dragging, she watched her feet move one in front of the other as she approached the office.

“Oleanna?” The rich depths of Axel’s voice filled her heart. Was she going to hear him in her daydreams, too?

“Oleanna!” The voice was more insistent, forcing her to look up.

There he was, fiercely beautiful and achingly earnest. Axel took her breath away. When their gazes caught, she felt alive and complete and found.

Oleanna was lost and now she was found.

Overcome with happiness, she began running toward him.