But the man was already digging in, so I sat too and began eating. Wow, I’ve really outdone myself. The beef cubes melted on my tongue, highlighted by savory carrots and slivers of celery. The bread was amazing, light yet chewy, with just the right amount of crunch on the outside.
But like an idiot, I tried to make conversation again. Call it the fool inside, but I just can’t sit at a table with another person, and eat in complete silence. It’s weird not to mention awkward and borderline rude.
“So where do you get inspiration for your books, Mr. Nielsen?” I asked politely. He shot me a long look. He was silent, and for a moment I thought he wasn’t going to answer, but then he spoke.
“The news, mostly,” he replied. “Truth is stranger than fiction after all. You can’t make up some of that shit you read in the papers.” Well, that’s accurate. The things that I’ve seen over the past couple of years on the news are truly bizarre and surprising. Evidently, assassins really do exist in real life, and governments torture suspected terrorists all over the world.
“I know, right?” I remark. “All those mystery crime channels and documentaries are insane. The world is more messed up than we’d like to admit.”
He nods.
“Personally, I think the world is even worse off than what’s shown in the news, which is sobering if you think about it.”
We’re both silent for a moment.
“Why do you say that?” I ask quietly.
Bo sits back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. “I think the news only reveals a fraction of what’s going on in society. A snapshot, if you will. Yet there’s a deep, darkness within each and every one of us, and when ignited by the wrong circumstance, it births itself and shows its ugly face. It’s sobering.”
I nod.
“Yes, that does sound frightening.”
Suddenly, those blue eyes swing in my direction, so piercing that I freeze for a moment.
“So have I scared you, Haley?”
I pause, thinking.
“No, not scared exactly. But the world is a big place, and I choose to look at the good, I suppose. Every person has a light side, even if sometimes, they indulge in the dark.”
Bo shoots me a sharp look.
“What do you know about light and dark?”
I smile. “You mean, other than from Star Wars?”
He rolls his eyes. “Yes. Other than from the movies.”
“Okay,” I giggle. “But don’t laugh. I just think that people are multi-faceted that’s all. Even the worst of us. I believe criminals can do good deeds, and even more, that there is light in their hearts. I also believe that the saintliest of us also experience temptation, and may be tempted by dark urges that must be addressed.”
His eyebrows raise.
“Do those dark urges include Pope Francis?” he quips.
I think for a moment before nodding. “Yes, I think it does. Our Father is a good man, but no man has ever been able to resist the apple in the Garden of Eden. It’s human nature.”
Bo looks like he’s going to say more, but then he turns away.
“You know...” he begins to say.
“Yes?” I ask. But Bo doesn’t pursue the line of conversation anymore.
“You haven’t eaten much of your food,” he remarks. With a jolt, I realize my boss is right. I was so swept up in the conversation, that I’ve only had a few bites of my stew. “Eat,” he commands with a stern look, and obediently, I lift my spoon to my mouth. But after a few bites, I speak again.
“I organized your mail for you,” I say while chewing my bread. “You know the unopened envelopes on the coffee table in the living room? This place was really disorganized.”
He grins.
“Precisely why I need a maid.”
I roll my eyes. “I think you also need a personal assistant, to be honest. A maid would only throw them in a pile, but I actually chronologically sorted them based on the date they arrived so that you have some frame of reference.” Bo looks surprised.
“That wasn’t necessary,” he says, but I cut him off.
“No, it was because you have a lot of unopened mail. I’d definitely take a look, if I were you. I feel like I even saw a notice from the electric company, so I’d take a peek at that first.”
“Good point,” Bo admits. “Well, seeing that you’ve been enterprising, maybe tomorrow you want to take a shot at cleaning my room then.”
“Your room? Like, your office?” I ask, but he merely shakes his head.
“No, I mean my room meaning my bedroom. My office can come next.”
I stare at him.
“I thought your office was off-limits though.”
He shrugs easily. “I thought about it some more, and I think it should be part of your duties. I’ll increase your pay, of course.” I frown. Oh geez, did I just give myself extra work to do? Well, it’s not like I have a choice.