Chapter 11

• When the women left, Willow hovered by the doorstep indecisively, before stepping into the room. The whole floor gleamed like marble, the furniture would make any household magazine breathless. Willow fingered the silky soft curtains before parting them. She gasped at the view. From where she stood, she could see the vast expense of the estate. The sinking sun highlighted the features of a place that looked like it sparked from a dream. But this wasn't a dream. Willow let go of the curtains, sighing as it slid into place noiselessly.
• She lay on the soft bed and in a manner much unlike her, relaxed, completely. A few minutes later, the door opened and a pretty girl dressed in the worker's uniform came in, wheeling a cart of food. The quality and quantity was so astonishing Willow didn't think it was for her.
• "Is that for me?" Willow asked.
• "Yes."
• "Is Mr Scott back yet?" Willow asked.
• "No." The girl replied simply, looking amused.
• Willow sat back and considered her options. She ate what she could of the food. Looking at the great quantity that was left, she thought of telling them to wrap it all for her to take home. Or not.
• She sat waiting, hoping one of the many workers would come in to tell her their boss was ready to see her.
• Willow waited up to an hour, before she stood up and went into the bathroom. She splashed water on her face, smoothened her hair, used the fancy toilet and went back out. She picked up her phone and walked out the door.
• When she got to the stairs, she met one of the ladies that had escorted her to the room.
• "Please, Is Mr Scott back yet?" Willow asked.
• "Are you leaving?" was the answer she got.
• Willow nodded to the question and ignored the quizzical look on the woman's face as she walked past her.
• "Leaving so soon?" The question was asked this time by the lady that came to pick Willow up from her apartment. "Yes I am. It's late, so I really need to get going. Could you please tell Scott I appreciate the hospitality?" Willow says striding towards the door.
• "Alright, but know, Mr Scott will not be pleased." The lady says. She was sitting on a swing chair, looking through an iPad.
• Willow looked at the woman, puzzled.
• "You should stay, he'll be here tomorrow, he would wish to speak to you, then I'd just have to go get you, again. So spend the night will you? And save us both the stress."
• Willow looked at the woman, a lot of things on her mind she wished to say, but she simply went with, "Alright, I guess I could wait."
• As she moved back up the stairs, she heard the woman say something that sounded like, 'as if you were going to leave.'
• Why does everyone think I shouldn't leave? Willow thought. She bit down on her curiosity.
• Back in the room, the food had been cleared out. Willow took a long shower. When she came out, a pair of pure silk, black night wear was laid out on the bed for her.
• The comfort of that night had her strangely, dreaming of translucent brown eyes.
• - - - - -
• The next day still did not have Willow meeting Scott so she spent her time touring the house. She had just gotten back to her room and was about to open the door and enter when she saw the woman that fetched her from her apartment coming into the corridor, walking towards her. As usual, she was dressed impeccably in formal clothes.
• "We're going out, follow me." The woman said already walking past Willow and expecting her to follow.
• "Where are we going?" Willow questioned, not willing to move a foot until she knew where they were headed.
• "Shopping." The woman says simply like it made all the sense in the world.
• "I don't have money here with me to go shopping." Actually she didn't have money anywhere.
• "That's taken care of. Let's go." The lady said already typing on her tablet and walking away.
• "I'm sorry to ask, but who is paying?" Willow started to follow.
• "Who do you think?" was the reply Willow got. Who did she think? Scott of course!
• "Is he back?" They both knew who the 'he' was.
• "No." The reply was curt. It was clear she wasn't interested in answering any more of Willow's questions. They walked silently to the car. Willow was relieved it wasn't a limousine this time. It was a sparkling white sienna. But the driver was the same though. He smiled at Willow when he opened the car for her to enter.
• The boutique they came to was of course one of Scott's owned enterprises. It was only rational that's where they shopped.
• All the clothes were so stylish and expensive looking that Willow didn't know what to take, even when she was told to pick anything she liked.
• "We've been here for over thirty minutes and you still haven't picked anything?!" The lady, whose name Willow still didn't know, said curtly.
• "I'm sorry. It's just everything is so expensive and I'm looking for one with a lower price tag."
• The lady didn't mind Willow. She simply instructed two of the attendants in the shop to assist Willow.
• It took over an hour for Willow to try everything that was picked out for her. Everything fit perfectly.
• "You don't seem too happy with Sharon. What did she tell you?"
• Willow thought the two girls were conversing with one another but one of the girls tapped her and asked again, "What did Sharon say to you?"
• "Huh? Who's Sharon?'' The girls looked at each other before turning back to her.
• "The woman that came with you."
• "Oh," Willow said.
• "So, what did she say to you?"
• "Nothing." Willow says, wondering why they asked her the question at all.
• "You're staying at Mr Scott's estate right?" One of the girls asked her again. Willow nodded in answer.
• "Welcome to the family." The other girl said giggling. Willow was going to ask what they meant but they left.
• All in all, everything, including shoes and bags and toiletries fit into five big bags. Though Willow protested at the bulk purchase, Sharon would have none of it. And so they went out of the boutique with Willow feeling like a superstar in some blockbuster movie.
• - - - - -
• It was on her third day in the house, Willow discovered the cameras. There were security cameras within the house, all set at very strategic points, all over the house, well concealed. Scott apparently took security seriously.
• Willow took Simon's Scott's continued absence, to survey the house. The workers had told her he had left town for something important but would be back soon.
• Wherever she went, the inocuoussss stares of the many workers followed her. She counted eight workers in all. Four cleaners, – including the twins, (possible twins) – two chefs, a gardener and a driver. She made this all out by herself. They weren't really keen on having conversations with her. Apart from bringing her meals and making sure she was comfortable, she didn't initiate communication with her. Willow had gathered they all stayed in the house. The house, Willow now knew, was much bigger than what she'd thought at first. With three separate wings and some outbuildings, two large swimming areas, a lounge, a golf course, and a large expanse of land, the whole estate was large as the college Willow attended. She discovered something new everyday and got lost on many accounts.
• Four days elapsed, yet Simon Scott was still no where near the four corners of his house.
• Willow hit the indoor gym that morning, aching to be rid of all the extra calories she's gained from eating and sitting around with nothing much more to do. Truly, she felt silly waiting here all these days but she knew the lady, whose name she now knew to be Sharon, was right. If she left, a man like Simon Scott who was used to having anything he wants would just send to have her brought back when he returned. She didn't like to wait around till he returned, like some obedient, dutiful fellow at his beck and call, but she had to. The week has ended and being back at her place meant facing another one of her Caregiver's loud and embarrassing rants which she would pleasantly do without, especially as she didn't have the money to pay him yet.
• She warmed up with push ups that left her energized, then moved to the treadmill that reared her for more. Later, she moved to the dumbbells and counted every pull exerted on her muscles.
• "You never called."
• Willow jolted and the dumbbell on her left hand slipped, missing her toes by a hair's breath.
• "You scared me!"
• "Didn't mean to," said Simon Scott. He leaned by the entrance, wearing a navy coloured long sleeved shirt, tucked neatly into black ironed slackkkss, his feet covered in sleek black shoes. He would have looked prim and proper but for his shirt with two buttons undone and his suit jacket hanging loosely on his shoulders. He looked good, like chilled water on a sunny day. Willow was chagrined at the thought. It was just because she was sweaty from all the lifting and wanted a drink, that's all, she told herself. With his eyes assessing her, she felt largely unnderdressed in her gym clothes.
• "Uhm, welcome back." Willow said to him.
• "Thank you," he replied with a slow smile. "Did you miss me?"
• Did she? "Hard to miss what you don't know. I mean, Who you don't know." Willow replies not missing a beat.
• He took a step towards her then stopped, "Is that why you didn't call me?"
• "Call you?" Willow asked, dropping the dumbbell.
• "Never mind that. You said you don't know me? Everybody knows me."
• "I don't. I only know the man painted on tabloids. I don't know the real you."
• He took a step, and another, then another, until he was standing so close, she felt his breath. "Do you want to know?" Willow blinked, processing the question he asked.
• "Maybe." She said, her voice raspy. Her tongue darted to wet her lips. His eyes followed the movement. Willow's breath came out shorter, he bent his head towards her, she smiled and looked down.
• Scott cleared his throat. "Nice gym attire."
• She laughed a little. "I make do." They looked at each other for a few breathing seconds, until he turned to leave.
• "Tonight, after dinner, meet me in my office here, by 8pm," Scott backtraced his steps. "Don't be late," he says right before disappearing out the door.
• Willow released a long breath. Damn the man! Why was he doing this? And how did he affect her like this? It was like she couldn't think straight when he was near. What was it he said?You never called. What was that supposed to mean? Shouldn't he have been the one to call her? He had her brought here to his place, when he knew he wouldn't be around. Now, he just came back, yet without an apology, even with the knowledge that she's been waiting for him. Rather, he just gave out another order, expecting her to obey, again. Where was his office anyway?
• ''And why couldn't we have this meeting now?!" Willow questioned aloud, exasperated.
• She picked up her hand towel and stomped out of the gym, wishing she could miss this meeting he'd so nicely asked – ordered – her to. She couldn't. But who says she couldn't be honorably late?
• She'd just loved to witness his reaction at her stepping into the office, well past the stipulated time. But she couldn't. Something told her Simon Scott didn't take lightly to disobedience.