“I also had a stepmother, says Gabe, she was a whore.
I laugh, spitting out most of the orange juice.
- They are all - I say, still between two laughs.
Gabe is LeBlanc's cook. She comes, takes her meal of the day and leaves. The same pattern applies to the woman who cleans, or to the one who irons the clothes. Apparently the man hates company when he's in the apartment.
Gabe finishes frying the bacon and places it on my plate. I asked him to because LeBlanc doesn't eat "junk food". In twenty minutes of conversation with Gabe, I discovered more about LeBlanc than in twenty weeks with the individual.
When I finished showering, I just put on a bathrobe, since my clothes are at Elliot's. I felt bad about everything, but that feeling disappeared as soon as I started talking to Gabe.
- Margot spends all of Elliot's money. She just doesn't know how to save - I continue our conversation about evil stepmothers.
- Lizie was no different. She sold dad's car while he was away, she said.
I smile again, throwing my head back.
Gabe is a woman in her thirties. She is married and planning her first child. Gabe is a beautiful woman, and I can see that even in her uniform and hairstyle.
- Now I have to set the table in the dining room – she said – the Lord does not eat in the kitchen.
I stare at Gabe for a second, wondering if she's kidding. Is it really so full of rules? Who does he think he is? God?
**
And second, doesn't she know the name of her boss?
I'm about to ask Gabe about it, but the kitchen door opens and my peripheral vision is occupied by Aaron LeBlanc. He goes to the cupboard and takes a cup, removes the carafe from the coffee pot and pours himself. The man ignores our presence as if we were part of the apparatus.
"I'll set the table," says Gabe.
- No need – he said – You can go home.
LeBlanc walks over to the table. He wears a black suit and a gray overcoat. Her hair is combed, wet after her shower. And the closer he gets, the more aware I am of his scent. It smells of bath salts.
Looking out the window, I can see the New York vibe. Maybe it will rain later, and then my task of finding an apartment will be mission impossible.
She sits across from me at the round table, then stares at my plate with obvious disgust. Apparently not everyone likes eggs and bacon. LeBlanc looks at the options on the table, which Gabe made especially for me. He disapproves of them all, as he chooses to drink only the coffee.
He takes his phone out of his pocket, puts it on the table and starts scrolling. Maybe he reads a virtual newspaper. I'm very surprised that he doesn't actually read the printed newspapers.
I hope he says something. At least apologize for trading me. Sure, Elliot is the only one who owes me loyalty, but that didn't mean LeBlanc had the right to buy me off. Are the days when people were treated like commodities over?
“So…you bought me,” I say, as if talking about the weather.
"For a good reason," he says, not even taking his eyes off the screen.
“My father sold me,” I say, more for myself than for him. I always feel like I'm living a lie.
If he had traded Margot, I wouldn't question it. She really is a mercenary. But I? The most faithful Donneli after my mother? Your only daughter? The one person who would support you even when everything fell apart?
- Am I your property or your employee? I ask.
Then, just then, LeBlanc looks up. The yellow streaks in his eyes are evident, giving him a cat-like look.