I stepped into the toasty entrance and sighed in relief. After rubbing my hands together, I removed my long, black wool coat. Taking off the hat, gloves, and scarf, I looked at Eric expectingly.
“You’ve got two hands and know where the closet is.”
That was more like the old Eric—rough, down-to-earth, and cheap. There had only ever been one housekeeper for each of his homes, no matter the size of the property. Maybe he’d hire a chef for special events, but that was it. For a billionaire, he lived rather frugally.
“What about the housekeeper. You still have Ms. Lasko—”
“No,” Eric cut me off. “She, uh, had to go. Personal reasons.”
Eric was acting weird again. He was obviously hiding something. But given all that I was keeping from him, I decided not to press him further.
I put my things away, then followed him into the kitchen. This was the one room in this home I loved, since everything else felt like a museum. The kitchen was made to be inviting, like someone’s grandma would pop in at any time to concoct an old family recipe.
While the counters were marble, the cabinets were a dark wood with an old green refrigerator in the corner. The floors were a simple beige tile, and in the middle of the room was a large island and five stools on the far side so the family could always gather.
Which made it sort of sad. Who did Eric have to gather around while he cooked? His only family—his sister—a wanted nothing to do with him.
She may have broken my heart, but she ruined their family. Eric now had nothing left except his money.
Would he wind up like his father? Forcing what little family he had left to never leave him, refusing to let them out of his home.
I swallowed a large lump in my throat as I took a seat on one of the matching wooden stools with a pale green cushion on top. Pushing my shoulders back, I braced myself for what I was about to tell him, as I knew he wouldn’t like it.
“Eric, I need to tell you something...”
He smiled. “Is it about Lola?”
He appeared so serene that it hurt to look at him. I sighed, ready to rip his peaceful naivety to shreds.
“Yes. I don’t think I can help you look for her. I just don’t feel comfortable looking for someone who doesn’t want to be found.”
I winced as he walked around the island, then slapped his hand on my shoulder. He was going to break my arm; I just knew it.
“Okay.” Then he made his way to the refrigerator and opened it. “You want something to drink? We got juice and a bottle of one of those bubbly flavored waters.”
He was fucking with me again. Some long, drawn-out plan to mess with me. Why hadn’t he slapped me across the face or punched me in the gut yet? That was what he did when he was upset.
“Okay?”
He turned. “Okay to the water or the juice?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m not thirsty. I was just confused because you seemed to really want me to find your sister. And now you’re okay with me not looking?”
He shut the door and sauntered over to the island. “That’s the thing about searching for someone... They have to be lost in order to find them. And Lola is no longer lost.”
My heart didn’t like that sound of that. “What do you mean she’s not—”
Lola strolled into the kitchen, her dark hair fluttering around her and her soft lips pushed down. She wore a white fuzzy sweater and a long, flowing skirt—nearly identical to how she used to dress years ago. The few times I ran into her over the past two weeks, she always wore button-up blouses and trousers I suspected were office-wear. She wore all hard edges, but this was soft.
Then it hit me. These were her old clothes. Why had she changed out of the clothes she wore at the restaurant?
“Isn’t that better, Lola? Just like old times.”
She pulled at her sleeve, and it was obvious she wasn’t comfortable. “Thanks.” She nodded at Eric. “I texted my date to let him know I had to leave. I just wish you let me say goodbye to him before leaving.”
Eric’s lips thinned. “I already told you, that guy isn’t right for you. And now you’re back and wearing something I saved just for this moment. A wonderful family reunion.”
“What’s going on?” I was on edge because nothing about what was happening felt right.