Twenty-Five
Valerie and Nico sat in the breezy gazebo watching Fernie film content as the acrid smell of Brayden burning something on the BBQ filled the previously pristine air.
Valerie kept an appropriate and professional distance from Nico, although she’d taken advantage of a few private moments to sneak a kiss or run her hand along his thigh.
Getting him ruffled had to be one of her favorite things in the world, and she’d been overjoyed to discover he was ticklish.
“What is Fernie doing?” she asked for the tenth time. Fernie was in a new unitard, this one white, and kept referring to her laptop as she stumbled through a series of movements that had her stepping back and forth while she spun. They looked oddly familiar. Some new kind of yoga?
Nico shrugged as if to say he had no more insight now as when she’d asked a few minutes ago.
“Check your email again,” she said to Nico.
“Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same result.”
“Einstein didn’t have email, which is constantly refreshing.”
He put his laptop to the side and looked at her. “Valerie. I have asked the investigator for updates twice. There’s nothing to do but wait.”
She sipped her iced coffee so aggressively that the cold made her cough. “I hate waiting.”
“I know.” He sounded like he felt her pain, but then he picked the laptop back up.
“What if she moved to the States?”
“Then Roger’s going to have to spend a lot more money.”
“What if she changed her name? I’m sure Yvette was her English name.”
“Valid point but we talked about this. She went by Yvette, and since we can’t find the family or any documentation from the Lakeview or the town or the place where they rented an apartment, we’re stuck with what we have. Also, remember our job is not to be detectives. Roger has someone for that.”
Just because he was right didn’t mean Valerie was happy about it. She pulled out her phone to check the time and saw a text from Alexis.
She didn’t want to read it.
She wasn’t going to read it.
She read it.
It was a link to a viral roundup about terrible funerals.
The second one is yours! Alex had written.
Valerie could almost hear her satisfaction and remembered Dalia’s comment about the group only taking pleasure in bad news.
Don’t worry about responding. I’m going to tell her that you’d actually tried your best but it’s hard to run an event puking your guts out. She can move it along.
Valerie hastened to assure Alexis that she absolutely did not want her help with this, at all, ever. But phrased in much more acceptable language thanks to the Valerie Politeness Translator, or VPT.
Original: Don’t send me more of this kind of thing because me feeling bad makes you feel good. I don’t need you to reply to the post and make it worse. Also, I don’t do funerals!
Valerie Politeness Translator: OMG, thank you for flagging this but you don’t need to do a thing. I’ve got it totally covered. Hope your summer is awesome! Then a series of sun emojis.
Alexis wrote back. Sorry. I was trying to make sure it’s not such a mess when I come on board as partner. There’s a lot to do for our rebrand into bachelorette parties.
Imagine the reply if she didn’t send it through the translator. One day she might have the nerve to sunset the VPT. Unfortunately it wasn’t today. She couldn’t help it. Alexis was overreaching but she still didn’t want to upset her.
Original: Stop bugging me.
VPT: Thanks. As I said, I’m taking a break, so you might want to think of alternative jobs. Maybe open your own company!
I can wait, wrote Alexis. Can you send me all of your files and stuff, so I can start our realignment? We need to talk about a launch date.
Somehow Alexis had again jumped past the point where Valerie had not agreed to any of this. She stared at the screen, wondering what it would be like to go through life with such self-assurance. Was there a downside to a total disregard for any view but your own? Alexis seemed happy enough.
“Everything okay?” asked Nico.
“Do you ever say no to people?”
Nico didn’t comment on the left-handed nature of the question. “Yes.”
“How do you feel when you do?”
He shut his laptop as Brayden shouted for his mother. “It depends.”
“Ever feel guilty?”
“Sometimes.” In the shade, his eyes were the color of stone. “I usually find when I feel guilty it’s because someone wants me to feel bad, so they can get what they want. Why do you ask?”
“Just wondering.” Valerie sipped her iced coffee.
She couldn’t remember the last time someone had put her needs over their own.
Jake had never been forceful about it, but Valerie had quickly discovered she’d have to deal with days of silent treatment and pouting if he didn’t get his way.
Not to mention that she loved him. Love meant you wanted to make people happy, didn’t it?
However, it never seemed to go both ways.
Or her way, even on small things, like the last slice of pizza.
Where Valerie always checked to see if he was still hungry, Jake had no problem simply taking what he wanted and leaving her the empty box to throw away.
Valerie was always the one to give in and make sure everyone around her was happy, or at least happy with her. It had felt safe that way, but if it made her miserable, it could be that perception of safety was a mirage.
David walked by, yelling into his phone and waving away his wife.
“It’s so hard to figure out the dynamic here,” she said, looking after them. “First they’re having a grand old time; then everyone is snapping at each other.”
“It’s a family,” said Nico. “There’s love, but they know how to irritate each other.”
“I guess my own family was more low-key, you know? Not a lot of ups and downs. We all did our own thing, or at least I did and they did.” The years had taken off some of the sting, but it hadn’t disappeared.
She wondered if it ever would. Regardless, she didn’t want to waste a gorgeous morning with a handsome man by using him as her personal therapist.
Penny appeared from around the manicured garden and waved as she approached. Valerie didn’t look at Nico. Despite making up, what he said on the boat had made her think harder about Penny.
“That boy,” Penny said fondly. “It’s hard for a genius to find their niche, but Brayden’s done it.
Try.” She held out what looked like a puck to Valerie, who took it with the gravity and respect the moment seemed to call for.
When she tried to break it in two so she could make Nico eat half, it crumbled into dust in her hands.
“Oh, Valerie.” Penny sounded disapproving.
She looked down. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s too bad you couldn’t appreciate the work Brayden put in that.”
“Uh, the gardens are lovely,” said Valerie, trying to avoid talk of her deficiencies.
“Thank you.” Penny looked around with a gratified eye. “People don’t understand how much effort multiple properties can be, between the taxes and the upkeep. Not to mention we only use this for a few months! It’s empty most of the time and that brings its own set of challenges.”
“It sure sounds rough,” said Valerie.
“It’s worth it. Tracey Jefferies was by earlier and she was so jealous. She has a black thumb, unlike me.” Penny watched one of the gardeners weed the roses. “Simply magical.”
Valerie hoped this wasn’t another lead-in to having her parents up at the cottage. Also, how did they miss Tracey again?
“All of this modern life takes us away from our roots, but I’m the kind of person who was raised to truly appreciate the natural environment,” Penny continued. “This is the well-deserved reward for all my hard work.”
Alice paused as she passed by. “You can’t be serious, Penny. Others work hard too. Do you know how lucky you are to afford this?”
“It’s not luck, it’s effort.” Penny leaned back in the chair. “Also, it’s not about money.”
“I would say it is very much about money.”
“What really makes us rich is that we love each other. That we’re family. We’re Badgertons.” She glanced over at Valerie, then Alice. “Most of us.”
Alice looked like she wanted to argue further but shrugged and moved on.
“I never understood what Peter saw in her. Now, Valerie.” Penny fixed her with a serious gaze.
“Roger has talked to me about that little document I want you to sign again. He’s being ridiculous, but I know you’d want to do the right thing.
I’ve brought it with me and I’m not leaving without a signature.
” She gave a gentle laugh. “I can be very persuasive.”
It sounded like she had the punishment room already prepared. Valerie stared at the sheets Penny held out with a pen as Nico looked up from where he’d been rapidly typing on his phone.
“Valerie!” called Roger, suddenly appearing on the upper deck. “Can you come here for a sec?”
Reprieve. Valerie jumped up and made an apologetic face to Penny, whose lips had disappeared in anger. “Coming!”
“Nico sent me an SOS,” said Roger when she arrived. “What’s going on?”
“She still wants me to sign that waiver document for the will.” Valerie glanced down to see Penny on the phone and looking in her direction. She tried not to duck.
He shook his head in disbelief. “This isn’t like her at all. I’ll talk to her one more time and make it crystal clear you’re not signing a thing.”
They chatted to make it look good for a few minutes. Then Roger went back to work and Valerie turned to Nico, who had followed her up. “Is that not like her, though?” she whispered. “How much does Roger really know his sister?”
“As opposed to how much is based on a perception of her created from common memories and nostalgia?”
“Exactly.”
“I don’t know,” he said. “But I have a bad feeling he’s going to have to come to grips with that before the end of the summer.”
“Poor Roger.”
Nico nodded as Valerie peeked out to see if it was safe to leave, only to find Fernie crouched with a leg outstretched.
What was she doing?
* * *
It wasn’t until they were on the dock later in the afternoon, that Nico realized he might be in a bit of a bind.
Valerie was gazing at the water like an ancient mariner contemplating the endless sea, and he wanted to kiss her.
He’d spent most of last night and today kissing her, but that didn’t matter.
It was in the small moments, like now, when she was perfectly herself, that he found her almost unbearably captivating.
The problem was, should they tell Roger? Technically they were employees. Was this a workplace relationship they needed to disclose?
Valerie turned around. “Would you rather face down the kraken or Ogopogo? I vote Ogopogo because with a lake battle you’d have some chance of getting to shore. There’s no help in the middle of the ocean.” She stopped and peered at him. “What’s wrong?”
“How do you know anything is wrong?”
“According to my therapist, I constantly monitor my environment for potential disturbances and threats.”
“Like a permanent SWOT analysis.”
“With heavy emphasis on the W and T over the S and O, so can you tell me what’s wrong? Don’t say nothing because I can tell.”
He hastened to reassure her. “I was thinking of whether we need to tell Roger.”
“About us?” She gave him an impish grin and wiggled her eyebrows. “That we’re being intimate? Enjoying each other’s company?” She lowered her voice. “Doing the deed?”
“Stop it.”
She laughed. “Sorry. You had me worried for a second.” She didn’t elaborate, but given what she’d told him about her fears of rejection, he had an idea of what had concerned her. “Why would we?”
“Because Roger’s our boss?”
“So?”
“Shouldn’t he know?”
“That we’re having sex?” She made a face. “Ew, no.”
His heart plummeted. Was this all it was to her? Having sex? No wonder she didn’t want to say anything.
Valerie picked up on his change of mood. “What is it?”
Ah, fuck it. As the classic tattoo said, “No regrets.” Roger was living with enough for all of them. “What if it’s more than sex?”
Her eyes became wide, but then she smiled. “Whatever it turns into, it’s none of Roger’s business. He’s your boss but that doesn’t give him an all-access pass to our lives.”
Whatever it turns into. That wasn’t as positive as he’d hoped, but if he had to flowchart the steps of a relationship, it was better than following an arrow pointing to no. He’d take it.
Valerie’s forehead wrinkled. “A good rule is for us to act the same way we would if this was a job. Badger Las Vegas is our office. The Badgertons are our coworkers. We wouldn’t be physical in front of people if we were working at a bank.”
He felt an intense relief to have her describe it so simply. “That makes sense.”
“Thank you.” She gave him an exaggerated up-and-down look. “After hours, though, all bets are off. Oh, hi, Roger!”
Roger was coming down the dock, looking at his phone. “Hey,” he called. “What a magnificent day! It really cleared up. Valerie, want to go kayaking?”
As Valerie and Roger talked about the finer details of paddle crafts, Nico slipped away. He had some special plans to check on for tomorrow.