10 Bonding

THE MANOR

KIRA

The sunlight streaming from the window woke me up, it hit my face as just the right angle to make waking up a pleasant experience for me. I turned sideways and stretched my arm over the empty side of the bed. Another morning waking up alone. Even though I had an amazing good night's sleep, my loneliness made the bed seem all the more colder.

I sighed and got up from the bed, the dress I had worn to dinner last night was gone, probably to get dry cleaned, and there was simple dress placed on an arm chair beside the bed. I couldn't fathom how that nanny could come into the room, take a dress, place a new one and leave without me knowing it.

But it was enough proof that the caretaker of the Wade manor was not ordinary.

I got up, went into the bathroom and cleaned myself up. It was soothing, comfortable, and quite relaxing. There was just such an atmosphere in this house that made me want to just let down my guard.

To be honest I've never been more comfortable in my entire life, not even in my own house, and in the end the entire thing just felt weird to me.....but it was a rather comfortable sort of weird. As for the dress, I hated it. I'm sure I would look beautiful in the white floral print dress with golden and black flowers, but I was not a dress kind of girl.

My go to clothes were leather jackets, t shirts, skinny jeans, combat boots, and a whole host of other things that make me seem more like a girl that throws punches first and ask questions later.

And that's exactly the kind of girl I am. I know my family would want me to be dainty, demure and weak. I've lost track of how many times my mother had told me that the reason why a twenty eight almost twenty nine year old woman like me was still unmarried, was because I beat the men at their own game. Apparently men don't like a woman who's as capable if not better than them. It was stupid, it's the 22nd century and yet women are still not getting the respect the deserved. And it pisses me off, that so far, she was right.

I mean I know not all men are the same, there are a lot of guys who would not mind me being me, but I just can't seem to find them. And the ones I do see, are always in it for something else. (Sigh) damn it I'll just wear the stupid dress, no need to get all sappy and woe is my life about being a lonely almost middle aged woman. That's frankly not my style.

My room was in the west wing of the manor, right besides Aaron, and little ways down the hall was his father's. They let me stay close to him, and apparently the room I stayed in last night was Aaron junior's grandmother's.

They'll let me stay in it whenever I come for a visit. To be honest when I found out the room belong to Comfort Elizabeth Ojone, I almost lost it in excitement. Of all the legends of the Imperium industries in recent memory, she's the one I idolize the most.

She and her family had single handedly been responsible for almost fifty percent of the company's annual revenue, for the past 85 years.And with the Imperium industries rapidly approaching its 100th anniversary, it's safe to say that they also built the company. Too bad her son is a jerk, but thankfully her grandson is an angel.

I went down the stairs, and followed the sounds of a noise to an adjacent hallway underneath the stair case. I came up into a courtyard, and right there was Aaron senior doing Yoga, and Aaron junior trying with all his might to imitate his father, but the little kid was failing, miserably. I wanted to go ahead and impose myself, but something stopped me. This was a father and son bonding moment, I've seen my father and brother do something similar so many times I've grown to hate it. But this? This was different.

"Come on Hero that's not how you do it." Aaron senior spoke up.

"But it's hard." A tiny voice complained back.

"I know it's hard,that's why we're doing it."

"But if it's hard aren't we supposed to not do it, we'll get tired or hurt."

"Listen to me Hero, we do hard things because, it makes us stronger. If we do the hard things, and we become stronger, then the hard things won't be hard anymore, then we can beat up the bad guys."

"Oh so that's why. Can mommy do hard things too?"

COUGH! COUGH!

"Well of course your mother can do hard things, I can imagine a lot of 'hard things' she can ride, I mean do. That's what I meant to say. Hehehe"

I'm sure there was an ugly look on my face, I was about to go over there and beat the ever loving crap out of him. How could he be so, so vulgar! And how dare he say such things in front of Aaron. Maybe after I beat the shit out of him, he'll learn some manners. I was about to go pound his face, when I felt a hand around my wrist. I felt my blood go cold in fright, I didn't need to pretend, this woman scared the shit out of me.

"Please cut him some slack. He's nervous, inexperienced, and just like you he's afraid. He's just been thrust into fatherhood, with no warning whatsoever, and no help. He doesn't want to fail his son just like his father failed him, but at the same time he doesn't know what step to take. He's trying his best, and he's bound to make mistakes. But he'll learn from it, that's what he doe's best, learn. Now come with me, we need to set the table for breakfast, those boys must be hungry."

Maybe she was right, I was being aggressive and unfair to him. But can you blame me, the very thought of loosing my son brings out the worst in me. But just one day and night in this house, and I feel like I belong. It doesn't help that his Nanny is treating me like a newly married wife, urgh my skin crawls just thinking about it.

The thing is, there's a family here, a family that Little Aaron has just become a part of. And without asking for anything, they're letting me be a part of it. So maybe it wouldn't hurt to at least get to know the bastard and be friends with him. It will do Aaron a lot of good.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"The media is going insane about your reveal, aren't you going to host a press conference or something?" I asked as the giant tow drone, towed my destroyed car away. Aaron was being held by Nanny Florence, while I stood beside his father watching them.

"There's no hurry, I'm waiting for my father to make the first move. But on that note, aren't you supposed to be at work?" he asked me back.

"I am, but there's nothing I can do. Even with a PhD in social and computer sciences, my position in the company is just as a figure head. I'm just keeping the seat warm until my brother is ready to take over from my father. Every other thing is just for show, so I'm sure I could go missing In this crisis and they won't even notice." I said to him.

"If it's so unfavorable to you, then why do you keep working there? From what I've seen, you're not the kind of woman that gets told what to do when it's not in her best in interest."

"And how would you know what kind of woman I am? You think just because you saw me topless, that means you know me?" I asked him with a voice a little too hostile, even for me.

"No nothing of the sort. First of all, your change of tone, and the aggressive questions means you're defensive about something, so if you don't want to tell me I won't pry. However based on how you've acted since we've met, has let me know that you're a woman who punches first and ask questions later, literally. The fact that you have so much tattoos on you, means you're rebel, you prefer to go straight to the point, and are direct in your approach. However as cliché as it sounds; your strength while it's a real part of who you are, is just something you use to cover your own weaknesses. It's not such a bad idea to let someone in once in a while."

I couldn't say anything to that. He was right, but how could he have gleaned all this much information about me in just a few hours. Was he a shrink or something, it was weird and I felt exposed under his gaze. It was ironic, I was completely topless in front of him, but I felt more exposed now,than then.

"Why don't you come work for me?" The sudden question threw me for a loop, and I couldn't fathom what he was getting at.

"Work for you, why would I do that? We're in opposite camps, and doing so would cause a scandal within the company and even with the media. And what position would I even hold working for you?" I asked him.

He looked at me with a smile on his face, a smile that I recognized almost immediately as something his son would have on any time he was being mischievous. He shook his shoulders and crossed his hands, leaning on door frame behind him as he said.

"Why do you think I asked you to work for me? It's just for the chaos and the scandal it would cause. I'm pretty sure I'll be getting an executive position soon enough, I'm not really down for that shit, but I'll be around. You'll do all the work, doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing without being a figure head. Being the figure head would now be my job. Also you get to stick it to the bosses, and make a choice that suits you, rather than someone else. And I get to sow discord in the camps of my enemies. It's a win for the both of us."

Was he drunk or something. Did he even have half an idea of what he was talking about. I'll be honest, everything I've heard sounds like ramblings of a child, who has no idea how the world works.

"Are you alright in the head? I'm the enemy! Or at least the enemy's daughter. You don't tell me your plans, or how you plan to execute them dumbass, and what makes you even think that you can trust me? Hunh! Are you even thinking straight?"

I asked him, even going as far as poking my fingers on his head to emphasis his insanity. He grabbed my hand suddenly, and I hated to admit it, but I felt a jolt go through my body and I felt myself blushing. What the hell? He's not even half as cute or as handsome as the guys I've dated. I must just have been a little cold that's all.

"I'll give you two good reasons why I believe I can trust you, even with my life."

I raised an eyebrow at that. His hands felt warm in mine, and they were big, really big. But I was looking forward to what he has to say. He drew me closer to his body, and I involuntarily let out an 'eep' squeal, sounding like such a girl made my embarrassment jumped up two levels. I'm sure by now my face was completely red. He drew closer and whispered to me.

"The reason why I believe I can trust you is that one, you're my son's mother, and two I've seen you half naked. It's only a matter of time before I see everything."

Well he was right about the first part, and about some parts of the second part. But his delusions about seeing everything had to be killed at it's infancy. Which was why I did not hesitate to send my knee straight in between his legs. I have to say he's made of tougher stuff considering he did not squeal like I expected him to. But he was hunched over as pathetically as I wanted him to be. I bent down and whispered to him.

"It would be a pleasure working for you...….Sir."

Then I went up the stairs, moving as fast as I can to my room. No matter what I had to do something about this blush that won't go down. What's happening to me.