2. Chapter Two
The emergency board meeting ended positively, and I could not wait to get home.
This is the drill with emergency board meetings. Some start very early and end late, often with lengthy deliberations and zero conclusions.
Thankfully, today was different. We started early and finished in less than four hours. No prolonged deliberations or unnecessary drama.
Reminiscing over the contract we just sealed causes a flip of excitement in my stomach. We had chased this contract for months, and we finally got it.
Furnishing a new five-star hotel was no small feat, and my company would get that done. Recruiting new staff could not have come at a better time, as we need all the hands we can get.
We already made headway with the plans, and they suited the client’s needs. This is the deal of the year!
Being a business executive comes with perks, such as the thrill of bagging a multi-million dollar contract like this one. I will sleep satisfied today, I’m sure.
I drive home swiftly, with thoughts of rest being the paramount thing on my mind.
I want to run a hot bath to calm my racing nerves and a glass of Cognac to celebrate this major win right now.
This will also be a good day to watch the movie series on Wall Street that I began a few weeks ago. It’s difficult to keep up with movies with a busy schedule like mine.
I remember seeing the lights in Kelvin’s house, or rather his grandparent’s house, which he stays in whenever he comes to Los Angeles. How could he return to LA without informing me? He knows I don’t do well with surprises, but he goes ahead and pulls one on me now and then.
On my way out this morning, I noticed a stack of boxes in his driveway. He probably came to drop off some of his parents’ old stuff again.
The past four months have been traumatizing for Kelvin and his sister, Lea. Dealing with the loss of not one but two parents has been a lot to take in for them.
Unfortunately, I could not be physically present for them as I was stuck in Rwanda, where I attended a business summit because of certain governmental restrictions.
I’m glad he is here, and I cannot wait to surprise Kelvin by showing up at his front door as soon as I get home. We certainly have a lot of catching up to do.
He would even be more excited than I am about this new deal, as he played a major role in securing it.
While my thoughts drive me to different avenues, I arrive at my house and notice the boxes still stacked outside.
I carefully lock my car and walk towards his front door. Thoughts of screaming his name run through my mind, but I don’t.
He wouldn’t be surprised if he could already distinguish who was at the door, so I gently knocked, which is unusual for when I come to his house.
The door opens.
“Lea…” I blurt out as my mind tries to comprehend the figure before me.
“What are you doing here?”
She seems lost in her thoughts of surprise and hesitates to answer my question while staring at me like I have three heads and dragon wings behind me.
“Lea!” I called her again.
“Damien!” She screams in realization. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Same here! I am surprised to see you here, and it’s been a while,” I said.
“It’s been a while, too. I am shocked to see you as well.”
I am more shocked. Why did Kelvin not give me the heads-up that she was going to be here?
Because of our parents’ closeness and my friendship with Kelvin, Lea and I saw each other a lot of times. Although we did not agree on a couple of things back then, I intentionally started many of those arguments just to piss her off.
Whenever Kelvin and I were engrossed in a video game, she would make popcorn or whip up a quick mac and cheese dish for us.
Lea was always the one who saved our backs whenever we got into trouble for causing mischief.
The effect of the death of her parents was apparent on her face. Through her smile, her pale countenance was glaring even as she asked me to come in.
The light that used to fill her eyes is almost nonexistent. Death has no mercy when it comes. It takes life from both the dead and the living.
She speculated that I should be on an exotic island, not Los Angeles. I also exposed how her brother had helped me get my house and how long the renovations took.
I remind myself to make sure Kelvin pays for this surprise he just gave me by keeping the news of this new contract from him. I couldn’t care less if this act was deliberate or not.
She describes how my house was before I moved in and the huge disparity between how it was then and now that I have touched it up.
I can see drops of paint on her overalls, hair, and underneath her eyes.
The same paint drops are now on my shirt as well. They must have been from the hug we shared by the door.
We talked about life after college, and she let me in on her jobs since then. She has carved a commendable career path for herself, a stellar achievement.
I’m happy about her career progress and inquired about this new place where she got a job.
A call interrupts our conversation, and from the look on her face, I can already tell who it is. Kelvin Carlo, my jerk best friend, who keeps information to himself.
She scolds him for not letting her know I lived next door, and I can see his mischievous smile in my mind.
While she is on the call, I move around to observe her progress with the painting. Some areas were devoid of fresh paint. I guess her hands couldn’t get there while she painted.
I heard him ask about the contract, and I burst into laughter. He would be in the dark about this for a few days, waiting for a taste of his own medicine.
Once she drops the call, I request to help her with the painting. She seems tired already, and my body can still offer some services before shutting down on me.
I move to collect the paintbrush from her hand. Paint already stained my shirt, so I might as well get messier.
“Were you trying to draw something here?” I point to a side of the wall towards the kitchen island, where there’s a blue and black mural that looks like a half butterfly.
Lea has always had a thing for arts, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see her turn this place into her canvas.
“Yes, I was drawing it and got lost in thought. Will you help finish this entrance area while I complete the drawing?” I agree and we switch places as we paint.
We paint till the clouds get dark while we listen to music, eat pizza, recreate some old-school dance steps, and play with some paint.
I go outside to help her move the boxes in as she tells me where to place them. They contain books, stationery, shoes, and kitchen utensils, numbering up to eight boxes.
When we are done, we both look painted and exhausted from climbing up and down the ladder.
We slump on the floor beside each other, careful enough not to spill more paint on our bodies. I hear her stomach make a loud sound, and we laugh so hard.
“I have an idea to quiet your noisy tummy.”
“What could that be if not food?” She chuckles.
“Not just any food, but a proper meal made by the Master Chef.”
“That’s such a great idea, as I haven’t even stocked up the kitchen. I’m stuck with takeouts till tomorrow.”
“Let me be your chef for the night then,” I say with pride in my culinary skills.
Her eyes roll as she throws her head back in laughter.
“I hope you still have your magic touch from years ago?”
“Some gifts never die. Prepare to have your mind completely blown. Be my guest.”
“I gladly will.”
Heading over to my place while she showers and gets ready, I wonder how long she will be here for. For Lea to consider repainting the house, she must have plans to stay here for a long while. It feels nice to have a familiar face around.
I wash off the paint, don an apron, and quickly whip up some Chicken Alfredo. Now, I see why my mom would always emphasize having something for a quick meal in the fridge all the time. Afterwards, I proceed to have a shower.
My doorbell rings as I put on a T-shirt and spray my signature cologne in the right places.
As I open the door, I see how beautifully stunning she still looks. She won lots of pageants back in high school and there are more reasons to justify her victories even now.
“Make yourself comfortable. You are home.”
“Thank you, Damien. The outside of your house impressed me, but I am even more astonished by the inside.”
“Thanks, Lea. I got the best workers in Los Angeles. Being an interior and construction guy with such exquisite taste, I had intricate details that needed to be followed to execute everything I wanted. They understood the assignment and executed it to the T.”
“I love the aesthetic paintings, and the couch blends nicely with the wooden floors. Excellent choice! The interior designers deserve their accolades,” Lea says and then clears her throat, “By the way, Kelvin called again, saying you weren’t picking up your calls. He asked about the deal.”
“I have decided to keep him in the dark on this one like he did to us.”
We laugh at our new common enemy, and then I smile at her excitement while she sets the dinner table.
As we dive into the meal, we also delve into other areas of our lives that we had missed out on earlier in the day.
“You still make heavenly meals, Damien! You have not lost your Master Chef touch after all.” She says this as she takes in the meal’s flavor.
Culinary school was one place I spent the past year in. I just adore making a delectable meal with a combination of distinct ingredients. My days of learning are paying off now.
I struggle between eating my meal and watching her devour hers as she makes funny sounds and faces. I must have hit the jackpot with this dish.
I share some stories from culinary school and my face-off with the Chief Chef. I lost five grand in a bet but learned many techniques.
Instead of a cognac, which I planned to drink earlier, I opened a bottle of white wine and filled our glasses.
“What do we toast to?” Lea asks.
“Since you have a new job and I have a new contract I’ll be working on from now, these are new beginnings for both of us.”
“Cheers to new beginnings.” She says with her glass raised in the air.
“To new beginnings.” I raise my glass and clink hers. We drink.
“Tell me about your time in Rwanda, Damien,” Lea says as she feasts on the meal before her.
“Rwanda is a beautiful country. It’s known as ‘The Land of a Thousand Hills’. I would advise anyone wishing to visit Africa to visit Rwanda first. The scenery is stunning, the people are hospitable, and they have great food, although extra spicy and hot.”
“Is that where you learned to spice up your meals like this?” Lea gulps water and smiles at me.
“Well, I did pick some of their dry spices, which I’ve been adding to my meals. The chef who prepared our meals for the entire conference recommended some to me.”
Lea nods, interested in my story.
“One of the days of the conference, he prepared a meal with rice cooked in tomato sauce and fried chicken wings with chili sauce. He must have overly spiced the food because I choked and gulped almost a full milk jug.”
Her laughter reverberated across the room, and I hoped she wouldn’t have to gulp down milk like I did.