The Firefly

10°

That was definitely the saddest day I had spent at the villa since I had arrived.

Once down the stairs the first sight was about eight girls all around one woman.

They were hugging each other, with some the hug lasted longer while with others it seemed only a form of courtesy.

I don't know why they all thought it was definitely goodbye, couldn't they see it as temporary goodbye? Wouldn't it have made them feel better mentally?

There was no sign of Mr Hale.

Calling him 'Mr. Hale' made me immediately think of a man in his sixties, but I certainly wouldn't have called him 'Boss' for goodness sake! I disliked that name even more than Jake himself.

I approached Geraldine so that I could hug her and immediately noticed her shining eyes, which she didn't try to hide this time.

-Thank you.- She whispered in a broken voice and I imagined she was referring to the day before.

Jake had calmed down towards her even if her behaviour couldn't be described as kind.

I let her finish saying goodbye to the flame-haired maid and headed for my boss's room.

Yes ok, I promise myself not to call him that anymore.

With two knuckles I banged on the white door a couple of times, but no one invited me in.

-Who is it?- A young, cold voice simply asked.

-Amber.- I reassured him as I entered cautiously.

Jake was sitting on the edge of the bed with his jaw contracted observing nothingness and seemed to have just woken up.

But his small circles under his eyes suggested otherwise, he had only just got up.

He looked exhausted by Mrs Holland's imminent departure, I tried to ignore him. I couldn't feel sorry for such an arrogant man.

I immediately went to his huge wardrobe, opening it and admiring all those fashionable new clothes.

-Today you'll take off those pyjamas, at least for a few hours.- I said, starting to rummage around looking for something to match.

-It's cold.- He told me as if I didn't already know.

-This day couldn't suck more.- He mumbled then, talking to herself.

-Don't you like the cold?- I placed a white turtleneck jumper on the mattress, already imagining him wearing it.

-I don't like any climate or any season.- I grimaced, how could he not like anything?

-I find autumn fascinating. You know, the trees are already starting to lose their leaves out here.- I looked at the backyard through the window, smiling.

-The meadow is already full of them, it's so hypnotic.- I continued, enraptured by that spectacle of reddish hues.

He did not utter a word, he just listened to the description without showing emotion.

I made sure to describe as best as possible even every single garment I chose for him.

When a pair of light-coloured jeans and a knee-length black coat were placed on the bed, I warned him and left the room to give him time to wash and dress.

Now that I thought about it, only the first time we had met I had seen him in something other than pyjamas.

I immediately pulled out my mobile phone and looked in the phone book for Nathan's number.