She sighed.A man who cooks? She felt strange allowing him to do all the chores, so she spoke up. “Can I help you with something? Isn’t it a female’s duty to cook?”
He shook his head. “This is a different age we live in. Besides, it won’t take long.”
He headed outside and she glanced around the living room until she felt awkward being in his home alone. She got up and followed him in the direction he went. He was grilling some meat for them to enjoy. She took in a whiff of the aroma and sighed. It smelled heavenly.
Some romantic music played while they ate in front of the fireplace. She was right, the food was better than she expected. Some pleasant conversation also came about. She felt comfortable around him but still a little nervous.
It took a nervous swallow from Lisa to get Alexander’s attention, at which point he sat down on the sofa by her feet. He began looking at her.
“I was just about to leave,” she said incredulously.
“No, I don’t want you to go,” he said emphatically. “What are your plans after the end of your year as an au pair?” he asked.
“I want to study,” she replied, deciding to stay.
He took a swig of his drink and continued their conversation. “You know, I really do have everything in my life.” He paused and she saw a frown cause his eyebrows to furrow. Their eyes met and she briefly wondered if that was the end of his statement. Then he continued. “But money and expensive toys do not make you happy. True happiness comes from family. And children.” He grabbed a quick bite of food and directed the conversation to her. “What about you? How many children do you want?”
She shrugged. “I suppose I’ve never really thought about it.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Well, I have. I would like two.”
It was a reasonable number, but she wasn’t really sure where the conversation came from. His eyes were intent on her and she felt a slight blush appear.
Perhaps the delicious tea, bright fire, and affection from Alexander were the reasons. Perhaps the reason was unknown to her, but it definitely awakened some new feelings. She was always pale, but her bloodless cheeks were stained with bright crimson now. Her eyes shone moist, which gave them a sudden extraordinary beauty. They had a vitality and radiance to them in that moment. Alexander began to speak to her heart, and her words flowed out from the unknown. She was a girl with a soul strong enough to bare the essence of spring itself and a comprehensive and fiery eloquence.
“Thank you for a wonderful dinner, Alexander. I really need to get back to my host family now.”
“Ok, I will drive you.”
“Thanks.”
40
The next day, Lisa wrote the following emaiclass="underline"
From: Lisa
To: Alexander
Subject: :)
Good evening, Captain Alexander,
Thank you for this beautiful and joyful weekend with you. I have enjoyed every second. It was really cool steering your boat. A woman on a boat is not always bad. In any case, thank you for the nice boating lessons. Perhaps next week we can finally have a picnic in the center of the city. Wishing you a good night and a fun time with the guys on Thursday.
Sleep well, or as my friend always says, sleep well and dream of me. J
Best,
Lisa
She was relieved to see that he felt the same when they made arrangements to meet on Wednesday.
Lisa had already taken Ben to kindergarten and went to the library to work on her vocabulary again. Just like before, Alexander called. She stepped out of the room and answered her phone.
“You know, I thought since I was free from work at lunchtime that maybe we could meet up and go to a pizzeria?” he said.
“Oh, good idea,” she said, remembering that in the refrigerator of her miserly family there was nothing but a couple of eggs. Her family thought a girl would be happy with a cup of cereal and a piece of bread for dinner.
I don’t even have a blouse to wear! I have some things in my closet that I used to wear. They should still fit me. I’ll try them on and go from there, she thought to herself after getting off the phone.
Lisa went into the bedroom. She rummaged around in her closet and started pulling out some blouses.
“Here’s a pretty one,” Lisa said, holding up a nice nude blouse. “It’s a great blouse. Like something a movie star would wear.”
The blouse fit like a glove and left Lisa just enough room to breathe and walk. “Umm…”
A curling iron and lots of brushing followed. “There, that’s better,” Lisa said as she sprayed a cloud of hair spray around her head.
“Now, makeup.”
“Oh my God. Is that me?” Lisa asked herself as she looked at her reflection. Looking back from the mirror was no washerwoman or chambermaid but a beautiful woman ready for an elegant evening.
The color perfectly set off her blue eyes. The girl was impossible not to fall in love with. Her smile was beautiful. Of all the things in life that Lisa had, she never had the confidence to assume she was beautiful.
After a 10-minute ride, she was near the venue. They met near the cozy little Italian pizzeria.
Alexander rode his bike and came up to her side.
“Hello, Lisa. Shall we go now? Here on the corner there’s a small Italian pizzeria. I’ve never been there before, but we can explore it together.”
The inside felt like Little Italy. There was cheerful Italian music playing and pictures of gondolas, Venice, and other parts of Italy on the walls. She had never visited Italy, but in this cafe she felt like she was there.
Lisa looked at the tourists sitting around with interest and admiration. They were imposing, well dressed, and apparently rich. What was she to do among them? A wave of pleasure brought tears to her, which, fortunately, Alexander had not noticed. The waiter appeared at the table and began to take their drink orders. When he walked away, Alexander leaned back in his chair with obvious pleasure, unbuttoned his jacket, and smiled gently at Lisa. His smile was sly, concealed, and designed for the arsenal of his delusions exclusively for women. Despite his smile, Lisa still decided to be stern with him. She did not know how to behave in similar situations other women may have experienced, so she decided to go on the defensive.
“What did you like about the city? Did you regret the decision to accompany me?” Alexander said as he turned to face her.
Lisa pretended not to notice his irony. Just then the waiter came back with their drinks. Alexander ordered their pizza and looked at her again.
Lisa could not bring herself to tell Alexander how badly her host family treated her or how she missed her normal life. Just thinking about it made her feel depressed.
“What are you thinking about, Lisa?”
“Nothing,” Lisa responded, showing some weakness in her voice.
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of work.”
“I’m not thinking of work, just another issue.”
“I hope it’s not that bad. Please tell me.”
“No, Alexander, I’m fine.”
Lisa thought about whether he would believe that her host family treated her as a maid when in reality she lived in a basement and ate only leftovers. Alexander was the only person in the city she could feel like a normal person with.
“I hope you don’t mind a cup of tea?”
“That would be great, Alexander.”
“Well, today we are in Italy,” he contined.
Lisa smiled and looked into his eyes. He could have any woman, and not just because of his money, but because he was a model for male attractiveness. She was only a modest au pair who did not even have a decent dress to go out somewhere with such a man. Yet Lisa succumbed to her eternal self-deception. To her, Alexander was the man who needed her.