Two Princes and a choice

Chapter Ten

‘Thanks for the ride,’ Hayley said with a smile. ‘I’ll be going now.’ She turned, stopped and then turned round. ‘Oh, your jacket’ she unzipped and took it off and held it out to him.

‘Take it.’

‘I’m going to take it off inside anyway so I have no use for it. Thanks.’

‘It could be windy on your way back. Take it.’

‘I didn’t think of that, thanks’ she smiled. ‘Safe journey and – ‘

‘Hayley!’

Hayley turned and her eyes widened in surprise. ‘Darryl?’

He came running and hugged her.

‘What are you doing here?’ she asked.

‘Looking for you what else?’ his gaze slid over to Will and he looked at Hayley inquiringly.

‘Oh, Darryl this is Will, Will meet Darryl my friend.’ She introduced. ‘Will helped me,’ she told him.

She appeared nervous and Will wondered why she was. His eyes went up to the boy she had introduced as Darryl. He was staring down at him hard and his arm was around Hayley’s shoulders possessively saying with his eyes back off she’s off limits. Will allowed an easy smile to curve his mouth as he started his bike.

‘I’ll be going now, see you later’ he said to Hayley put on his helmet.

‘Goodbye,’ she waved watching him ride away. She turned back to Darryl who was staring at her hard. ‘I’ll explain.’

‘You spent the night together!?!’ Darryl stared in shock leaping up from the bench. Hayley hissed between her teeth telling him to sit down. He did but the expression did not leave his face. They were in the Pizza place. It was Hayley’s break and they were sitting on the bench outside a box of pizza between them. He had hung around despite Hayley’s insistence for him to leave demanding for an explanation. And when she gave it to him he was shocked. ‘Are you out of your mind?’ he demanded, staring. To think that she had spent the night with that guy was shocking. From the looks of the guy you could tell he was a bad guy who would take advantage of a young innocent.

‘Nothing happened Darryl. He was really nice.’

‘He is nice now but he he’ll take advantage of you later. That’s what guys like him do. You shouldn’t have gone in with him.’

‘And what? Freeze to death? The rain didn’t let up till morning and I was under an awning. It was relief when he came.’

‘You should have called me.’ He said.

‘I had flat battery, and nothing happened.’

‘Something could have happened. He could have you know – ‘he paused uncomfortably. ‘Touched you.’

She looked away and he saw colour creep up her cheeks. ‘He didn’t.’

An awkward silence passed.

Hayley looked at her watch. ‘It’s break over,’ she jumped to her feet. ‘Time to get back to work. Now get going before Lisa finds us here and drag me to court for trying to seduce her boyfriend.’ She waved and turned walking into the pizza parlour. He watched her pause a bit for the door to open and then entered. He returned to his thoughts, he didn’t like the idea of her spending the night with a guy like Will. That guy was bad news and he looked kind of familiar but Darryl couldn’t pin point where and when. He just looked distinctively familiar.

Anna could not believe that Waldorf was dead. Even with the radio speaking about his death now, even after she had spied it in the newspaper even after they had taken her daughter away for questioning. She still couldn’t believe that he was dead. He had always seemed so immune to sickness or death to her. And out of the three of them he rarely fell sick, was always shining with good health.

After almost seventeen years of being apart, Anna felt like a blade had pierced into her heart wrenching through it, tearing it asunder.

She, Waldorf and John her husband were friends. Her mother was an employee in Waldorf’s parents’ service and she and Waldorf had become acquainted through that. After her mother had died they had taken her in. It was during her stay there that she met John, their chauffeur. The three had become friends. Waldorf’s mother had despised their closeness and severed their relationship. She had left with John and months later married him.

But his death was shocking. It had been almost seventeen years and she had still hoped to see him again. The three of them together once again like old times. But now the dream was now impossible, he was dead now.

Anna shook herself out of her thoughts and concentrated on the tea tray she was carrying up to Mr Johnson. Her thoughts went to Hayley. The poor girl must have been scared out of her wits to have been called to the police station and she hadn’t come home yester night. The boy Darryl had called her this morning to tell her that he had found Hayley she was in one of her part time works.

The girl worked so much and rested little. That poor girl. She deserved better and was just sorry she couldn’t give her that.

Anna picked up the silver tray and walked up the stairs. She preferred taking the stairs that the elevator. It’s good for exercising. She stood before the door hesitating, a feeling of uneasiness descending on her. Swallowing her nervousness she pressed on the button outside the door waited a little for the green light to show before she entered.

Mr Johnson was sitting on an armchair staring into space with that serious hard expression he always wore. In her years of service here she had never seen him smile before or see his expression soften rather he face was forever stern and he had wrinkles all about face. His eyes swung to her when she entered, hard behind his rimless glasses.

She silently placed the tray on the coffee table before him and proceeded to pour.

‘Wait,’ he said. She paused waiting. He inhaled deeply and said. ‘Leave it.’

Anna straightened and stood away, hands folded respectively before her waiting for him to dismiss her.

‘l haven’t seen Hayley for some time, where has she been?’ he said massaging the palm of his left hand.

Anna thought before she spoke. She felt that Mr Johnson dislike his son and her daughter being friends but didn’t show it straight forward but took more obscure means to show his displeasure towards their friendship though not to the children but to her. Trying to show her that their worlds were different. ‘She’s been busy sir.’

He nodded, and kneaded the back of his wrinkled veiny hand. ‘Strong and hardworking girl, she’s always try to balance work with her studies and succeed quite well. She fares quite well in her studies does she not?’

Anna did not miss the hiding meaning of his words. Hayley works so hard to fend for herself and help her parents while Darryl doesn’t have to work to fend for himself. ‘Yes, sir.’ She said politely.

He massaged his other palm. ‘She’s always manage to be at the top of her class, but doesn’t have much time for herself. Last time I saw her she was as thin as rake.’ He said and shook his head in mock concern.

Anna lips tightened and she struggled to bite back an acidic retort. How dare this man prey on the fact that they don’t have money?

‘You are lucky to have such a sweet diligent and hardworking girl,’ he didn’t look at her as he spoke but focused on the back of his hand outstretched for his scrutiny.

She couldn’t take it. ‘Yes sir, we are very lucky to have her. She makes us so happy and is constantly reminding us that we are not poor we just don’t have money and even though we are servant now we could be employers tomorrow and who knows maybe to our former employers.’ She said with a syrupy sweet smile.

Anna saw him flinch and smiled satisfied.

‘Yes,’ he placed his hands on his laps. ‘Do you know where Darryl is now?’

She knows he knew but feigned a no idea expression. ‘I don’t know sir.’

‘Okay,’ he waved her away.

As Anna went out of the room, her thought went back to Waldorf and the secret between the three of them.

Rufus raised his head as the front door opened. He heard familiar footfall and stood on all fours. He went over to greet his owner, tongue hanging out.

Will crouched and rubbed Rufus’ head and his neck. ‘How was your day?’

The dog answered with flicking his tongue.

Will leaned back avoiding the wet tongue. Stood up and went to the kitchen for something to eat. He found the oat meal she had made for him this morning on the table. He took of the cover and smiled. It was already cold and needed to be rewarmed.

Placing a pot on the stove, he emptied the thickened oatmeal into the pot poured a little water and began to stir.

He had left for a tat shop down town after he had dropped Hayley off and he had spent five hours having a new tattoo done. He was still sore in the neck, and it stung whenever he touches it. It was done in black blue with lines of red. It was a spider crawling up from his right shoulder blade to his neck. It looked almost real.

Sitting on a couch, he switched on the TV watching news and eating the oatmeal. His thought wandered to Hayley and the guy Darryl. The way he had hugged her to him protectively seeming to say lay off. The way he had looked at him as if he was going to eat him up. He wondered what Darryl thought of Hayley. She had told him they were friends but Darryl’s actions proved that there was more to it.

Rufus bumped against his leg and settled down at his feet. Will unconsciously reached down and patted the dog’s head. He poked at the stud below his lips thoughtfully.