Unstuck (20 page)

“Not the photographers, magazines and gossips. I hate that. Though, I had enough during my teen years to pass it on to my little sister,” he shrugged.

“Between you and Stuart, I had enough Stuart to be famous the minute I was born,” she smiled.

We ate and talked for a long time because, really, with Regina it seemed that there was no end to a conversation. She would go on and on with monologues that would require very little participation on our behalf. It took a small silence when Regina was taking a deep breath for Patrick to speak.

“Why don’t you continue the chat at my place, Gina?” asked Patrick giving the universal sign of “check,” to the waiter “The party planner will be there and you can start planning your birthday party.”

“yay,” said Regina clapping.

“You go out first, please,” he said motioning to the photographers “see you in a bit,” she said and walked out of the restaurant as if she was walking a catwalk. All the photographers snapped pictures of her while she striked a pose for them while she waited for her car.

“She loves it, right?” I said looking at her

“She’s a natural,” he said looking at her as well.

Once we were ready to leave most of the photographers were gone but there were a couple that lingered to get Patrick’s picture I guess.

“C’mon,” he said putting his arm around me in a protective way. I heard them scream “Patrick,” a couple of times but, unlike Regina, he didn’t stop.

“Ugh,” he said shaking his head when we were in the car “get ready, tomorrow they’ll say you are my girlfriend,” he sighed. It seemed that his good mood was sucked away by the flashes. He also seemed a bit of an expert the way he handled the paparazzi. I made a mental note to do some research about his relationship with the media back when he was a teenager.

When we got to the house Regina was already there. She didn’t hesitate in making herself comfortable on the living room.

“What took you so long?” she asked as we appeared on the front door.

“We had to fight a few photographers,” said Patrick sending her a murderous look. Regina shrugged

“Can I offer you anything, Regina?” I asked still holding my coat and purse in my hand.

“Coffee would be delightful,” she said putting her hands on her knees. She really was such a socialite.

“Patrick?” I asked him.

“The red tea, please,” he said sitting next to Regina “I’ll just wait here until Tracy gets here, I have a lot of work,” I just nodded.

“Hey Lucy, you are early,” I heard Miranda say as I enter the kitchen.

“He’s not having a good day, Miranda,” I told her “They need a coffee for Regina and a raspberry tea for Patrick.”

“I’ll be right there, Hun. Why don’t you go change into more comfortable clothes,” she asked me and I just nodded I did need to be more comfortable. I felt that something was bothering me. Maybe Patrick’s mood was contagious.

“Miranda will be here with your drinks in a minute. I’m going to change if that’s ok with you Patrick,” I looked at him and he just smiled.

“Sure, go, Pepper,” I nodded and left.

“Pepper?” I heard Regina ask.

“Long story,” He said.

I guess I didn’t realize how tired I was because the moment I sat down on the red couch to enjoy a sip of wine I fell asleep. I woke up to find Patrick’s face inches away from mine.

“What the hell, Patrick?”I screamed and Patrick jumped.

“Well, we were worried and wondering what was taking you so long,” he said smiling.

“I guess I just fell asleep,” I said getting up from the couch “Go change. Tracy is already here,” he told me while he drank a sip of the wine I had poured myself. I ran up to my room and just put on some jeans and a hoodie.

“Ready,” I said grabbing my yellow note pad from my purse and we both went to the house.

“There you are,” said Regina once she saw me “we were worried,” “I’m sorry. Hey, Tracy, how are you doing?” I said giving her a hug and then sitting with them.

“She was asleep,” said Patrick trying to contain his laughter “Thank you Patrick,” I said giving him a look.

“Of course she was, Patrick. Give the girl a break, she has to deal with your nonsense every single day,” said Regina shaking her head “you should give her a vacation,” she said looking at her brother.

“I did,” he said looking at me “she just won’t take them,” “I’m not even going into that,” I said “now leave,” I told him and we went into fool party mode.

Regina was his brother’s sister indeed. She had very specific ideas about her party. She wanted everything in purple with a bit of white, gold and black but basically the main color had to be eggplant purple. She wanted chandeliers, several dessert tables, especial drinks and expensive party favors. Tracy threw some ideas around that made Regina bounce on her seat. I was thankful Tracy existed I had no idea how I would’ve come up with so many ideas if I had to do so.

Around 4 Tracy and Regina left after agreeing to go and pick the club in which the party would be held. Patrick had 4 clubs in Philadelphia. I went looking for Patrick to the office to see if he needed help with anything, he always did. To my surprise he was not in the office or the library; that was very unlike him but maybe he decided that he wanted some alone time and took that break he talked about in the offices. I sent him a text message letting him know that I was done with the party planning and decided that I was going to work a bit on the Stinson case. I had as a personal challenge to give Patrick some solution or alternative to that.

I went to the pool house and opened every file I had on the case on the desk on my tiny office. There it was all I needed to know about E-course, spread in front of me; there was no way I wasn’t going to find something important. I got a text from Patrick letting me know he was working out at the gym and to let him know when the dinner was ready.

Patrick was very interested on E-course because he wanted to prepare people of May, Inc. Through online courses that provided the knowledge that the company needed. E-course had the infrastructure and the experience and May, Inc. had the money.

I felt giddy and excited as I start putting together my very own business scrapbook. I was such a dork but that was the only way I was able to work; I needed visual aid. Maybe I could get somewhere; maybe, just maybe I could give Patrick a way out of this and improve his mood. I wanted, no, I needed to help him.

I was like that, working, for a long time; I’d lost all glamour and had my hair up in my nest and was dancing like there was no tomorrow to the loud music I had put on. Music, sometimes, helped me in a creative process. I didn’t know much about current music but the sound of it was enough to help me. I was jumping around, freeing myself from the stress I had on me the past week when I heard someone calling my name.

“Lucinda,” I screamed at the same time I jumped scared out of my mind. It was Patrick.

“Fuck,” I said putting my hands on my knees trying to recover from the near death experience I had just survived “Have you forgotten about knocking,” I said turning the volume down on my computer.

“Not at all. I knocked at least 5 times but you didn’t hear me,” he said leaning on the door with his arms crossed. He was recently showered and was on his sweats and gray hoodie.

“I’m sorry. I was way into this,” I said picking up everything on the floor.

“Sure, let’s call it that way,” He said grinning. I was not about to go into a debate about my dancing skills “What is it anyway?” he asked crouching in front of my mess.

“I’m planning something that could work instead of E-course,” I said a bit ashamed because, really, if you didn’t look closely you could easily think it was a girly scrapbook.

“Oh, let me see,” he said trying to grab the binder where I was working but I snatched it from him “Or not,” he said with an amused look.

“It’s not ready yet,” I smiled getting up from the floor and placing everything on the desk “dinner?” I asked and he nodded.

“I brought it here,” he said very proud of himself

“Why?” I asked scrunching my nose as I tried to do something with my hair.

“Well, I thought you had fallen asleep again and that you might be too tired so the idea of having dinner in here would be a relief to you but then I got here and heard the music so loud. There was no way in hell you could be asleep,” I laughed and we both walked downstairs to the kitchen.

“Let’s see,” I said opening the containers that were on the breakfast bar. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I saw Miranda’s lasagna.

“How was the party planning?” he asked leaning on the red couch.

“It was great. Tracy and Regina seemed very in tune with what they see for the party so that won’t be a problem,” I said while putting the lasagna on the microwave. I wasn’t heating it on the conventional oven, I was starving.

“Did my sister have crazy ideas?” he asked

“Not really,” I open the fridge taking out a bottle of wine and then two glasses from the cabinets in the kitchen “She is just…,” I shrugged

“Just….” He said with a smile on his face

“Your sister,” I said containing my laughter

“What does that mean?”He asked very amused

“She knows exactly what she wants. The difference between you and her is that she actually can put a name on the stuff she wants. She actually said I want cake pops on my dessert table. You would’ve just said, “I want those round things that I ate at my sister’s party,” I said and he was looking me in a strange way, “What?” I asked as I took the lasagna from the microwave

“Nothing. It’s just that you’ve managed to become completely necessary in my life in a matter of months,”

“Oh! C’mon Patrick.” I said while putting the lasagna on the dining table “If it wasn’t me some other assistant would be doing it,” I smiled at him.

“Nope,” He shook his head as he walked to the table “No one, in all my years as an adult, has ever become so essential for my every day,” he said holding my hand that was trying to pour some wine on the glasses. Black caramel apples, that’s what I felt.

“Dinner is ready,” I said as we both sat down.

“So what is it that she wants for the party?” he asked as he took a mouthful of lasagna.

“Purple and expensive favors,” I said summarizing what Regina wanted.

“Go Figure,” he smiled.

“We need to go and check the clubs, Patrick.” I said chewing on the lasagna.

“What? Regina didn’t know which one she wants her party at?” he asked in a sarcastic tone I laughed.

“No. The thing is that she knows what she wants for the party so we have to see which club would be the best option for everything she wants,” I shrugged.

“Fine. See if they can make it tomorrow morning. We can do that before lunch,” he nodded and gave a sip of his wine “We have a gala tomorrow,” he said and I was ready to throw my lasagna to the wall.

“Not themed I hope,” I said hopefully

“Great Gatsby,”

“Oh my god, Patrick. Why? Why would they do shit like that?” I said as I downed the rest of my wine.

“Why God invented galas?” he asked rhetorically.

“Why didn’t you let me know?” lately he had been announcing galas one day before the event.

“Regina told me yesterday. It’s for her friend’s parents’ charity,” he shrugged “I don’t know she just gave me the invite and gave the sad puppy eyes that she knows I can’t resist,”

“Ok, but it’s not business. Then I don’t have to go,” I said pushing my plate because I was done and putting my feet up in the chair.

“No, but you are the best friend ever and you are coming with me,” he batted his eyelashes. I couldn’t believe he was doing that.

“Patriiiick,” I whined

“Peppeeeer,” he whined back.

“Ugh! Fine,”

“Thank you so much,” he hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“I don´t have a dress, though,”

“I’ll ask Tracy to get us both an outfit,” he said and I just nodded. “How are things going with Brian?”

“Ugh,” I said taking the dirty dishes to the kitchen.

“That great uh?” he said raising his eyebrows.

“No, it’s not that,” I sat on the red couches and he went to sit next to me with the glasses of wine “It’s just that… I have no fucking idea how am I supposed to feel at this stage of a relationship,” I shrugged and took the glass he was offering me.

“What stage is that?” he asked giving a sip of his wine “I don’t even know that,” I said frustrated “Is there a stage where you are just going out to stupid dates, kissing a lot and not talking about feelings or future or anything?” Patrick looked disgusted as I said the kissing part.

“That sounds like dating in high school, Pepper,” he smiled “I wouldn’t know that. How could I?” I shook my head “No, but seriously, I am confused,” “What are you so confused about, Lucinda? Either you like Brian or you don’t,” he shrugged “I do like him, Patrick. But you like Brian too. It’s just the feelings part that I have no idea if I’m doing right,” I threw my hands in the air after putting the glass of wine in the coffee table.

“Lucinda,” said Patrick getting up and sitting closer to me “there’s no right or wrong way in the feelings part, like you call it. You just feel it; you know when everything that the other person is or is ever going to be is what you want to have in your life forever. You just know that suddenly you forgot how to breathe when you are next to them and you are completely ok with that shortage of air for eternity,”