The Mute Mistress

The Mute Mistress: Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Nathan combed the plastic fork into the cupcake. Mary grinned as the dessert hovered in front of her mouth. The convenience of her sitting on his lap let him urge her by way of rubbing the small of her back. He felt the old diagonal scar on her left side, stroking it gently. He rested his elbow on the desk and pressed his cheek into his fist.

"So, I'm sure Belle told you my family is coming here for my birthday. The big three-zero." He said nervously.

She kissed the corner of his lips. A smile flashed on his mouth.

"I spoke to Belle, and I asked for something really small because I don't want to see either of you working as I've been rethinking many things." He rubbed her lower back. "And I wanted to talk to you about meeting my family."

Mary backed away, but he held up a palm. "Just hear me out."

She forced air out and up, blowing any hairs around her forehead.

"We haven't made clear what we are, but I want to introduce you as my partner... my girl–"

She widened her eyes, cupping her hand over his mouth.

Her fingers slipped away when he pulled his mouth away. He knit his brows, "Then what are you?"

After a pained sigh, she skirted her fingers over his keyboard. I don't know, except I'm your live-in maid.

"And that's something else I wanted to talk to you about. Not being that role to me anymore."

She removed herself from him, eyeing him suspiciously. This was too big of a change, she thought. She closed her eyes tight for a moment. She had to be dreaming. But she wasn't when she felt him holding her.

Looking into her, he said. "I don't want you to worry about anything anymore. Not even what my family might think?"

Using both hands she punched the tips of her fingers at her before pointing beyond the window. When he arched an inquiring brow she turned his computer to type fast. What about my family? What they would think?

Nathan pinched between his eyes. "Mary... I think you're overthinking it."

Just then, her fallen expression told him he should have chosen his words more carefully. How could he be so cavalier about them? What did she have to offer? She didn't need to meet his relatives to know that she wouldn't be accepted. Mary Georgia was a woman from Sandy Hills who lucked out in getting a job in Queen View Haven. She knew it wasn't uncommon for a rich man to have a secret relationship with his help or assistants, but to make the relationship exclusive made little sense. She wasn't a Karina Burke with influence. Mary was who the influence called to do things for them. If she was suddenly his known partner, everyone would always think of her as the other woman.

Nathan scowled at her written conclusion. Maybe it's better for you to be single for a while. We shouldn't make this more than what it is.

"What? Why are we going over this again?"

Have you thought about how any of this would work? We began as a secret and I can't see beyond what we have now.

He bit back his frustration, pausing to remain calm but the flicker of anger shone in his eyes. "Try."

Then, his phone rang. He glanced at it but didn't answer. "Well, that's Belle. The must mean my family is at the estate."

He suggested they leave now. He began packing his bags, but she hesitated. Nathan drew to her stillness, sizing her up. His brows kept snapped together when he neared her face and gently held it with one hand. His darkened eyes examined her mouth before he brought his lips to hers. The kiss didn't last long enough, and neither did his touch.

"I don't know what I'm going to call you, but it's not my help, not my maid, not my side chick or mistress, and not just my friend.

Nathan's words brought a pang of pain once again. In another time, in another place, and maybe in another world, she imagined she could afford his outlook on life. Though, this was their reality and too many worries stationed in her head many of which might never disappear.

Quietly, they left his office. She followed after him as he called Belle back. His chat lacked excitement, and she tried to fight the guilt of dumping his spirits. But she couldn't regret injecting the truth where it needed reminding.

Like him, her phone called for her attention as they waited at the elevator. She instinctively turned her back to him, covering her mouth while reading Nellie's short message over and over. Taking in a breath, Mary exhaled feeling frayed lines cast off from one of the many old ships. She envisioned it undocking for the first time and a sting tickled around her nose.

Seeing his face, she was sure he felt the same eagerness to get out of the town car. His nose pointed toward his door with his arms crossed and a bouncing knee. Had she upset him that much?

The car hadn't come to a complete stop when he demanded she stayed back. In a blaze, he jumped out and sped indoors. His anger spiked, seeing an extra person in the gallery.

"Happy birthday, Nathaniel," Bernadette said.

Pale, he asked. "What is she doing here?"

Leaning against the center table, his mother scratched her unnaturally black hair shaped in a pixie cut she donned since her husband passed. She threw a brief but piercing glare at Belle before she pushed from the table and slinked toward him in a silk, off-the-shoulder dress.

As the past should have taught him, Mary inched through the door despite his wishes.

"So it's true?" Bernadette raised a brow as she took sight of her.

His nostrils flared, refusing to remove his eyes from the green pair glaring back. "Is what true?"

His mother shrugged, "That you've taken up a mistress."

"This isn't the time for this," Belle said flaring in red. She gestured for Mary to approach her, but Nathan stretched his arm.

Spinning on her heels, Bernadette tilted her head. "Oh, how funny that is, coming from you. Of course, you would support him wasting his time on some mopey floozy who's never had anything nice in her life. The private investigator's notes humored me so much that I had to come and see for myself."

Once again, she faced her last son. "She should hear me and hear me well."
"Stop!" Belle howled.

"You were an easy target for my son who I assumed by the age of thirty would act like the man he is too afraid to be. You are a distraction from his rightful path and he is nothing like his father."

Nathan felt the terror shred through him. He heard her first slithering breath, switched around, and caught sight of Mary holding her hand over her heart. His hands raised to her cheeks, whispering for her to focus on him. She trembled with a vacant stare.

Voices erupted as Nathan swept her up and sped out of the gallery into the living room. He rested her back against the long couch and knelt beside her. Gripping her tight hands, Nathan kissed them before calmly asking her to pace herself. Mary closed her eyes and mouth focusing on her breathing.

"Can you hear me?"

Mary gently squeezed once.

"Do you know I love you?"

Nathan stared at her hands until she held him tightly. She opened her eyes and found him. Her grip had yet to loosen. Using her other hand, she put up her thumb, index and pinky finger and kept her middle and ring fingers down.

His eyes glistened as he smiled before his attention darted wildly. "Let's go. Let's get out of here."