Chapter 24
An hour later, the three were exiting through the front door, having discussed all the details while enjoying refreshments in the lounge.
Emilia felt excited to have secured the job. She was to start work in just two days. Andreas had been very generous with the flat fee he offered for the needed works around the garden, regardless of how many hours of work were required. They had agreed for Emilia to work at her own pace, as long as the work would be completed within two weeks, and she was more than happy with this arrangement. They even offered to help with the heavy manual work, and she was happy to reduce her fee for that reason. She always preferred to get the owners to help rather than hire someone else.
Most of the work involved pruning, and the planting of flowers, and she could do all that alone at her own pace. The biggest job seemed to be the herb garden Andreas asked for in one corner on the front. Emilia’s mind was already buzzing with ideas about the decoration of the herb garden and everything else they required.
As she allowed Andreas to usher her toward the garden gate with a gallant movement of his hand, she hoped the lie she had told about being herself’s own niece wasn’t going to complicate things. At least, it meant she would get to see Andreas every day, albeit not in the form of her choice. But she had promised Esmera and the girls to try the gift a few times and to go with the flow. So far, it had worked out some amazing coincidences for her.
‘Say…’ Andreas uttered with a quick swipe of his nose as he came to a stop before the closed garden gate. Turning his benevolent gaze to her he said, ‘Do give my best to your aunt, won’t you?’
Emilia felt captured by the deep blue in his eyes. All she could do was nod and smile.
‘She did say on the phone she’s tied up at the moment…’ he continued, slightly tilting his head with a lazy smile to add, ‘But do remind her to come over and visit me at the taverna. I certainly look forward to that!’
Emilia scratched her head, trying to think, as she took a deep breath. ‘Well, yes, indeed… she’s been busy clearing up the house from old junk… and has some paperwork to take care of…’
‘Yes, of course…’
Emilia gave an encouraging smile. The look in his eyes intensified, causing her knees to feel weak. Oh, look at him! So sweet… So eager to see me. If only he knew… that Emilia is standing right here before him now! A pang of guilt twisted her insides, causing her to plant a hand on her chest, then say, ‘I am sure she is eager to meet you, too. No doubt, she’ll pay you a visit soon!’
He chuckled then, and she did too, and they both turned to the bottom step where Stefan sat, cuddling Sissi.
Stefan looked up at them, his hands busy petting Sissi’s ears, and the doggie responded with a lolling tongue and a smiley face that made them all chortle.
In those moments, despite her laughing, Emilia felt indecent, immoral, like the worst liar, like a thief. What am I doing? I’m about to start a job in Andreas’s house as a young woman, posing as my own niece? How and when am I going to see him as the real me on any given day if I’m going to be Lia daily here? I don’t have any control over the time I change back to my real age. Oh, heck! Why did I take this job? When all I want… all I want is…
He turned to her then, smiling, none the wiser, causing her heart to stop. She lost herself in the sparkle of his cobalt blue eyes, in the Roman nose, the fleshy lips and the strong jawline. And in that dark hair that contrasted his eyes with perfection, a long strand flowing over them, as if mocking her for being so close to him yet being unable to throw her arms around him like she ached to. Could it be that I’m in love with him? I certainly have had a hard time casting the thought of him aside since our first meeting. And this… this amazing coincidence? What’s that all about? Could this be Fate is having a laugh at me?
Sissy barked, and Emilia came to with a start, to realize the doggie had run to Andreas and he had bent over to caress her head.
Emilia watched him as he scooped Sissi up and gave her a cuddle, his hands tender as he petted the dog in his arms. She imagined those hands around her, how his touch would feel, with her head nestling against his chest, her own arms around his torso…
‘Lia? Would you like to pet her?’ he said, causing her to snap out of her reverie. The first thing she noticed was the brush of his fingers against hers as she instinctively put out her hands when he brought the puppy closer.
Instantly, her head grew heavy. What is this? she wondered, feeling a little faint, and teetering on her feet as she shot a hand up on her brow.
‘Are you okay?’ asked Andreas, and Stefan drew closer. By then, she could only see their feet on the ground. It felt impossible to raise her head.
Something weird had just happened, and she didn’t know what that was. And now, she felt at a loss. Out of the blue, she found herself with her back against the closed gate, leaning at an impossible angle. Then, she realized Andreas wasn’t holding the puppy any more. He had pulled her gently by the shoulders, helping her to stand upright, and now had a firm hand around her waist.
He seemed concerned, his brow heavily etched, as he studied her up close, his free hand cupping her cheek gently to keep her head straight. Stefan was holding the puppy now and was asking after her.
‘You okay, Lia? Maybe you’d like to go back inside with us and sit down for a bit?’ asked Andreas, his hand around her waist tightening.
Stefan began to beckon to the house too, telling his father he shouldn’t ask, that they couldn’t possibly let her return to Adamas on her own in that state.
‘Are you feeling faint, Lia?’ Emilia heard, and this time wasn’t sure which one it was who had said that. That’s when she began to realize what was happening.
Or rather, what was about to happen. Oh-no! This dizziness… It can’t be anything else. It has to mean I am about to change. What? Here? Now? Before their eyes? Nooooo!
Emilia did the best she could to bring herself around. She took two steps away and fanned her face, and registered the others keeping away, just giving her the obvious space she was desperate to regain, but Andreas’s arms were hovering mid-air in front of him, evidently ready to snatch her if she were to fall.
‘Lia?’ she heard Andreas say then, his voice ringing heavy with confusion.
She shook her head, eyes glued to her feet, using a quick hand to rake her hair with her fingertips. She put up both hands. ‘I am okay. Just a little warm… Dizzy… I’d better go, thanks… I’ll be here the day after tomorrow… as we agreed…’
Stefan took a step forward. ‘What? No way. You might faint, Lia! Please! Let me drive you home, at least… I’ll just get the keys… Our car’s parked right outside…’
‘No!’ replied Emilia abruptly, and when she met the expressions on both father and son she saw their intense mystification and that made her feel worse. ‘I’ll be okay, really… I just need to go. Now!’ she said, more loudly than she’d planned to, fearing she was going to change right before their eyes. She put her hand on the latch of the closed gate and then a loud horn echoed from the street outside.
She opened the gate, just a smidgen, and a hand appeared from behind the gate, grasping hers, taking her by surprise.
Emilia looked up, her head still spinning, feeling lucky she hadn’t seemed to have changed as yet, by some miracle. What she saw when she looked behind the half-opened gate felt so relieving, so miraculous, that she let out a squeal of delight, despite herself. ‘Elise! What are you doing here?’ she said, stepping aside.
Elise gave the door a slight nudge, opening it, and beckoned to Emilia to hurry through the gate. She pointed to the wide open passenger door of a black Jeep with tinted windows parked on the curb outside and said urgently under her breath, ‘Get in! I’ll be right with you!’
Emilia did as she was told, scurrying to the car and diving for the seat, then closed the door in a hurry. Only once she did that she felt safe, leaning her head against the headrest that felt so soft it might as well have been the shoulder of an angel.
She felt comforted to have been out of sight from Andreas and his son, so relieved to have her big secret intact. When she heard the driver’s door open she wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Did I doze off? How long have I been in here on my own?
She’d just opened her eyes and realized she wasn’t dizzy any more. Looking down at her hands, she ascertained that her change back to her true form had been completed. These age marks on the back of her hands were unmistakable.
She turned and saw Elise sitting behind the wheel. She’d just started the engine and pulled away.
‘What did you tell them?’ she asked her.
Elise gave a cunning smile. ‘It’s okay. I told them I had an appointment to pick you up from their home at this hour, and that you have a temporary iron-deficiency anaemia. I said you were so excited about the interview this morning that you’d skipped breakfast. Andreas told me off for letting you leave without as much as an orange juice. And he got so worried about you, but I assured him you’re on a strong supplement and that you’ll be right as rain soon.’
Emilia gave a deep sigh of relief. ‘Wow, thanks. Anaemia is a great excuse. Nothing too serious, but perfect to explain the dizziness. You’re a genius!’
Elise gave a titter. ‘I know, right?’ She patted her marcel waves with a manicured hand, then added, ‘Don’t worry. They didn’t suspect anything untoward. Actually, they were very concerned about you. They both made me promise to take you straight home and feed you well.’
‘That’s amazing. Thanks a lot. But, I have questions…’
Elise gave a lopsided grin. ‘I bet you do…’
‘For starters, how did you find the house? I never gave you the address. And how did you know I needed rescuing?’
‘You asked… so I came.’
‘I asked?’
‘Yes. Or, should I say, “you thought it”?’
‘I did?’
‘Yes. Your thought was clear. “I just need to go. Now!” Those were the exact words inside your mind.’
‘So, is that your explanation? That you’re psychic?’
Elise raised a shoulder, never taking her eyes from the road. ‘I guess you can call it that…’
‘But… what about the car? Where did you get it? Is it yours? And how did you arrive so impossibly fast once I started to feel dizzy?’
Elise twisted her lips, then let out a sigh. She turned to Emilia and said, ‘Look. I know it’s human nature to want to understand… But don’t let the questions in your mind vex you. You just need to trust both Chloe and me, okay? Because if you let the mysteries bother you, you’ll take your eyes off the ball…’
‘The ball?’
‘Yes. The ball. What Esmera asked you to do. Which is to take your time and then decide what age you want to be… You want my advice? All you have to do is decide if Andreas is enough to make you crave life at forty-five, instead of seeing your age as a curse…’
‘Oh… Yes. You’re right…’
‘From where I’m standing, girlfriend, it looks like forty-five is not so bad, after all…’
Emilia said nothing. She just shook her head.
‘It’s early still. I get it. So just chill, okay? Focus on your mission, if I can call it that… and don’t ask any questions about how Chloe and I may be helping you in the days to come. Trust that Esmera sent us here for your own good. That’s all we are here to do. Look out for you. And we have access to resources beyond your understanding. Just accept it all, and don’t worry about it. Okay?’
‘Okay… I guess...’ said Emilia, for the first time looking up at Elise as if she were more than a strange girl sent to her for help. Having seen the way she’d just intervened to save her from absolute mortification, Elise now felt so miraculous a helper she might as well be a real-life fairy godmother. Surely, she wasn’t going to sneer at that. She was going to be anything but blindly trustful from then on.
Elise, as if guessing her thoughts, seemed pleased. ‘Good. You concentrate on yourself… not on Chloe and me. Now that you’re back to your real looks, it’s high time you met Andreas at his taverna. So concentrate on that. You make it happen first chance you get. And let us worry about all the rest.’
‘I like the sound of that,’ said Emilia, feeling herself getting giddy. The very thought of seeing Andreas again soon, this time as her real self, without pretenses and lies, filled her with the kind of anticipation that sent her heart racing.