Chapter Three - Harper
Harper
WE’RE HEADING TO a small island on the Pacific Ocean in Gabriel’s private airplane for a three-day honeymoon. It only takes ten people, but it’s as spacious and luxurious as the first-class cabins I’ve seen on T.V.
I’ve had so much champagne that I feel tipsy. My idea was to stay sober to make sure I was ready for the first night. However, the friendly flight attendant kept passing by with a filled glass; I couldn’t say no.
After City Hall, we all returned to the hotel Oscar, Selena and I stayed at the previous night so I could change then we had lunch at a famous restaurant, the three of us had hoped to eat at for a while, since Oscar heard they did the best steak in Arizona a few years ago.
Saying goodbye to him was heart-wrenching. Apart from the few weeks I was in college, we’ve never spent a night away from each other. He would love to be here, but taking him wouldn’t have been fair to Gabriel.
He looks up from the report he was reading.
“Are you missing your brother?”
“How did you know?”
“You have this expression when you look at him. Your eyes look the same way you did earlier, when you were speaking with him.”
“It’ll pass. He’ll be happy enough at home with Selena.” She’d offered to stay at our house with him. We were moving to Gabriel’s house only after the honeymoon.
“If we need to get back, it’ll only take a couple of hours. The pilot is on standby.”
Warmth spreads in my heart as I look at him. From the moment I signed the marriage contract, he’s been referring to me, Oscar, and him as us. It makes me feel like he’s already taking responsibility for us as a family. For six years, since Mom and Dad’s accident, I’ve made all decisions and taken care of everything in our lives. It’s strange, yet reassuring, to know that I’m no longer alone.
“Thank you!”
I turn and gaze at the white mass of clouds outside the window so he doesn’t see how emotional I’m being. As well as being a great employer, I suspected he was a caring man. He offers scholarships to talented young people all over the world. Plus, he donates to several charities. Some people might say that’s okay since he doesn’t have children to leave his fortune to.
However, I believe he genuinely wants to help people.
The pilot explains we’re going to land and Gabriel puts his papers away.
“Did you finish revising the urgent paperwork?”
He gazes at me.
“I did. I’m all yours now.”
I cough. A blush spreads over my neck and face.
Gabriel grins.
It transforms his face. Makes his expression open, more approachable.
“When you smile, you look really boyish. Sexier than usual.”
“Sexier than usual, eh? I like that.”
That’s when I realize I spoke aloud.
I turn to the window again, this time deciding to avert my face from him until I’ve sobered up. But not before I noticed how cute he is when he jokes.
In the six months I worked for his assistant and while I was covering for her, not once did I see him joke. He rarely smiles. Whether it’s with his department managers when he’s in meetings, or Mrs. Hall with whom he has worked for over a decade or in the rare magazine interview, he accepts.
When we arrive at the island, it’s late afternoon. I follow Gabriel to a brand-new truck parked near the landing strip. He has a distinctive gait, caused by a shorter leg, which I can’t help thinking adds to his rugged sex appeal.
“You leave it unlocked? What if someone steals it?” I ask after he ushers me into the truck.
“Only the caretakers and the pilot come here. It’s private land.”
“So, we and the caretakers are the only people on the island?”
Gabriel drives off in the sand. I stare at the aquamarine sea and clear blue sky. A seagull takes flight near the edge of the water, it’s singing loud in the quiet. It’s paradise.
“They’ll leave for the main island once I introduce you to them.”
So, it’ll be just the two of us. I try not to be intimidated by Gabriel’s wealth, but when the house we’re staying in comes into view; I gasp. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
“Your house is beautiful.”
“Our house, Harper.”
I nod. It’ll take substantially more than the few hours we’ve been married for me to think of his houses as ours.
“This is my wife, Mrs. Cross,” Gabriel says to the family of five that greets us outside the house.
“Please call if there’s anything you need,” the housekeeper, Mrs. Baton, says.
I watch her, her husband, and three grown children walk away.
“How long have they worked for you?”
“Since I bought the island eleven years ago. They helped with building the house and managed the construction.”
Gabriel takes me on a tour of the three-bedroom house.
“This is our bedroom.”
My gaze strays to the massive bed. When I glance at him, he’s staring at me. I check out the bathroom, telling myself to stop thinking dirty. The large tub, big enough to fit two people, doesn’t help.
I avoid Gabriel’s eyes as I escape to another room in the house.
“This can be Oscar’s bedroom,” he says.
A lump forms in my throat. At this rate, not falling in love with him will be extremely hard.
After putting our bags away, we stuff two plates with food Mrs. Baton prepared and take a bottle of wine outside. We have dinner on the beach watching the sunset. The orange glow on the horizon is so beautiful, it takes my breath away.
“You must have been under twenty-five when you bought this island. Was that a dream you had?”
Gabriel is silent for so long, I think he will not answer.
“I grew up in a home. When I was about twelve, it was declared too old to maintain safely, so I moved to another home. There was little privacy. So, kind of. I promised myself that when I made enough money, I’d get a place where I could stay by myself whenever I wanted.”
I can’t imagine being alone for long periods of time. My parents have always been around me. Even if we weren’t in the same room, I liked knowing someone was in the house.
Gabriel must enjoy being on his own. At work, he doesn’t go out with the other workers like the managers do. He eats alone, at his desk.
“What’s the longest you stayed here by yourself?”
“One month. It’s hard to get away for longer than that.”
“You were only nineteen when you sold your first computer program and became a millionaire. You must have worked hard all your teenage years. You still do. Don’t you get tired and want to give it all up and retire?” I’ve always wanted to know.
He was the first to arrive at work and the last to leave. I’ve always felt a little sad seeing him slog like that, especially during the holidays.
“I love programming. It’s my work and hobby.” He takes a sip of wine, then looks at me. “I ran away from my home when I was sixteen. I caught one worker abusing a young boy.” He shrugs.
“I suppose I should have ignored it, but I couldn’t. The staff member tried to intimidate me into being quiet, but I fought back. That’s how I got the scar.”
“You must have been terrified!” What horrors did he go through?
He shrugs again and my heart breaks a little for the boy he must have been.
“It was life. The kid refused to testify, but there were signs of abuse on him, so the staff member was arrested. Since then, the carers looked at me differently. So did the other kids. I figured I’d be better off on my own and left. So, while most other kids my age were going to school, I was developing my own programs. When I turned eighteen, I sold them.”
In the semi-darkness, he looks awkward, making me wonder if he’s ever talked about this before. There’s nothing about it in the interviews he’s done. It’s common knowledge he’s a high school drop-out and took the GED when he was eighteen, but not the reason.
“No wonder you’re an inspiration to young people across the globe. I was gutted when my parents passed and I had to drop out of school to care for Oscar. Coming across your company and it’s policy to hire anyone with the right skills regardless of education level, gave me hope. I decided then and there I was going to work at Cross Tech. Your story inspired me.”
“I’m glad,” he says, his voice thick like molasses.
“Thank you for telling me your story.”
“I want you to know the real me. Being honest with each other will help our family and marriage.”
The more time I spend in his company, the more I appreciate his idea of a good marriage. It’s not perfect; I don’t think a relationship can ever be great without love. Yet, being honest with each other will make our relationship, whatever it is, better.
Still, can a clause in a contract really solve all problems? There’s no way I can tell him to stop treating Oscar as family because his care and attention is already making me fall a little in love with him.