Blood Relations Ch. 03

Serena had pulled her hair up, securing it with bobby pins and curling the ends of the pieces that hung out. She kept her makeup soft and natural, but did wear more than she would to work. Finding a dress proved more difficult. She wasn't planning on attending many formal occasions out here. All of her appropriate clothing was in the storage locker back in New Mexico.

She decided on a white eyelet sundress with thin straps and an empire waist. Serena though it could be appropriate for a wedding, if it were in a different color, made of a different material, and the wedding was a rustic outdoors sort. She slipped on her same tan sandals and headed down stairs.

John stood on the curb outside. Serena almost didn't recognize him. His long hair was slicked back and he traded his glasses for contact lenses. He had on black pants, a red dress shirt and a black vest complete with a black tie tucked in.

"You look great," Serena said.

"My mom always said I clean up nice," John said. "You are very pretty yourself."

Serena could tell by the look on John's face what he meant to say was 'you would wear that to a wedding?' She nodded her head in appreciation when the car pulled up. The driver started to get out, but John waved him away and held open the door for Serena. He held out his hand and she accepted with some reluctance as she sat down in the car. Serena made sure to scoot as far away from him as possible. Not wanting to give him any ideas.

"Where does Malcolm live?" Serena asked as the car started moving.

"Near the lake," John said. "It will be about a ten minute drive. Have you been out that way yet?"

"No," Serena said. "I saw it though. I hear it's more like a pond."

"Some people swim in there," John said. "But I wouldn't. I think it's on the list of repairs Malcolm wants to make to the town."

"How do you repair a lake?" Serena asked.

"Get the right fish in there to kill the bacteria," John said. "Pluck all the seaweed, import sand from lush places. Essentially turn it into a giant pool that looks like a lake."

"I doubt it will happen this summer," Serena said.

"Probably not," John said.

The rest of the ride they remained silent. They were surrounded by woods on both sides traveling down a small dirt road. The car came to a stop in front of a gate, Serena would have missed it. The driver entered a code and the gate opened. While Hawkins was the main owner of pretty much every business in town, Malcolm's name was on a lot of the paperwork. Serena expected him to have money, but this was bordering on extravagant.

Malcolm's home was on a hilltop, trees covered what should have been his front lawn. The car came to a stop right in front of the giant house. There were tall white columns out front, and the building was at least three stories high with long windows decorating its face. Malcolm stepped outside on the brick porch and started down to meet them.

"Serena thank you for coming," Malcolm said.

"Your house is huge," Serena said.

She shook her head, feeling like that came out inappropriate.

"Sorry, she said I meant to say lovely," Serena said.

John walked out of the car and shook Malcolm's hand. Serena thought John's outfit looked right at home. Malcolm was in almost the same, but sans vest or tie.

"This must be Serena," a new voice said.

A tall, almost painfully thin women stepped out of the front door. Her hair was short, stopping just below her ears. Serena couldn't begin to guess her age. She wore a long dress, that clung to her figure. It was simple, looking like it was made out of silk with a halter tied in the back. She looked timeless, almost as if she was from another century altogether Serena definitely understood what John was getting at with the wedding attire. The woman grabbed Serena's hands and kissed her once on each cheek.

"I feel like I'm in East Egg," Serena said.

"Don't be silly," the woman said. "We would be West Eggers all the way. Please come inside."

The woman did not drop Serena's hand as she walked back up the steps.

"I thought we would have dinner outside," Malcolm's wife said.

Serena blanked on Malcolm's last name. She had no clue what to call this woman. The interior of the house was more beautiful than the exterior.

"I designed and decorated this entire place," she said. "It's my baby. Do you like it?"

The house was a wide open space. There was a giant stair case leading upstairs, and Serena could see another giant one leading downstairs.

"It's the most beautiful building I've ever seen," Serena said.

"I will give you the tour after dinner," she said. "For now let's go have an aperitif on the veranda."

Serena didn't know what an aperitif was, but she let the woman lead her to the back on the house. The entire edge was glass doors that were open, letting the air flow in. White drapes hung in the breeze. The veranda was just a huge porch. Serena figured a thousand people could fit comfortably out here. She went to the edge and saw a beautiful garden below that ended at the lake. From this viewpoint it did not look much like a pond.

"How are you enjoying Juliet so far?"

Serena turned around to see the woman behind a marble white bar she hadn't noticed earlier.

"I like it," Serena said. "Are you from here?"

"God no," the woman said. "I am a child of the world. I was born in Paris, and have lived everywhere over the years."

Serena didn't understand what a woman like her was doing here. That seemed like a rude question to ask.

"So how did you and Malcolm meet?"

"He is one of the founders of this little vacation spot," she said. "When I was about your age my parents dragged me here. We met at a little café, back then courting was more civilized. We could only meet with a chaperon."

"You mean in the 90s?" Serena asked.

There was no way this woman was more than twenty years older than her. She pressed her lips and then smiled.

"Yes," she said. "Between all that grunge rock and flannel there were still lots of societal rules."

Serena couldn't tell if the woman was joking or not.

"We only live here during the summers," she said. "April through September. I cannot wait until we are on the road again."

"That explains why Malcolm was able to offer me the job so late in the year," Serena said.

"Kay are you boring her to death with your stories?" Malcolm asked.

He walked onto the veranda with John in tow. Malcolm went to his wife and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. The two of them looked at each other with love. Serena felt like she was looking at a page in her history book.

"Cool house right?" John said.

Serena nodded. Kay made two more drinks and handed them to John. Serena took one, unsure of what it was she took a sip. Delicious. There was alcohol in there, so maybe Malcolm wasn't so concerned with drinking during the week after all.

"Sit," Kay said.

Everyone sat down on the couch. Serena wasn't sure if it was actually patio furniture of not, but it was certainly custom made.

"So Serena," Kay said. "Tell us about yourself."

"Not much to say," Serena said. "I was an army brat. I've lived in eighteen different states."

"That seems like a lot," John said. "I didn't realize they moved service men that often."

"Women," Serena said. "My mother, and it depends on what your skill is. She was in high demand."

"Extraordinary," Kay said. "What about hobbies? Do you like the movies?"

"Sure," Serena said. "I am pretty focused on school though, and work now of course. I've sort of experimented with different hobbies over the years."

"I've never heard it phrased that way before," Kay said. "Tell us about some of your experiments."

"The most recent one was baking," Serena said.

Serena spent the next few minutes discussing the perfect cupcake with the group. Eventually the topic moved to cooking altogether and everyone had something to contribute. She didn't feel self-conscious at all, these people were putting her at ease.

When they moved to the table Serena half expecting servers to pop out like Downton Abbey, but instead the table was set family style. The main dish was lemon chicken and it was the best food Serena had ever tasted.

"I can't believe just the two of you live here," Serena said.

"It's almost never just the two of us," Kay said. "Sometimes there are up to fifty people staying here. I am a big fan of company. In fact, I wanted Malcolm to have you stay here this summer."

Serena almost spit. The place was beautiful, but living with your boss who you had never met before would be a bit creepy. She was suddenly very grateful for the loft.

"I thought it inappropriate," Malcolm said. "But now I think my darling wife may have been on to something. I can send someone for your things tonight."

"No thank you," Serena said. "I enjoy living so close to work."

"I can have my driver take you and pick you up every day," Malcolm said. "Then you won't be all alone down there."

"I haven't even been here a week," Serena said. "I am flattered for your offer, but I have found plenty to occupy my time."

Serena could see the irritation on Malcolm's face. This was weird.

"John told me Mr. Parrish stopped by the office today," Malcolm said. "I will arrange it so he is no longer allowed near the premises."

"Why?" Serena said. "He came by to take me to lunch."

"Does taking a young woman to lunch include swearing and yelling at them these days?" Malcolm asked.

"Not in my book," John said.

Serena gave John a dirty look. He wasn't helping the situation.

"Why do you hate him so much?" Serena asked. "Or more importantly why do you want me away from him so badly?"

"You're a very bright girl," Malcolm said. "I would hate to see you fall in with the wrong crowd."

"Are you this concerned with all your employees?" Serena asked.

"Of course," Malcolm said.

For some reason Malcolm did not strike her as the type of boss who was so involved in his employees social lives or living situations.

"Maybe we should keep the conversation lighter," Kay said.

"Would you be so kind as to let me know where the restroom is?" Serena asked.

"I will show you," Kay said.

Both men rose as the women stood up. Serena half expected to see a hidden camera, as if this whole set up was a prank. Kay led the way back inside.

"Don't mind Malcolm," Kay said. "He is a bit over protective of everyone he cares about."

"I don't understand why he cares about me," Serena said. "I'm just an intern. I haven't even been here a week yet and he is telling me who to date and where to live."

Serena knew she shouldn't complain to his wife, but it was more like speaking out loud.

"To be fair, he did get you the apartment so he has always been telling you where to live," Kay said. "And I just like a full house. So I think he was humoring me. I will let him know to back off a little. He cares about his businesses a lot. So give me the details. Who is the man you're interested in?"

"I'm not," Serena said. "Well, as nothing more than a friend. Adam Parrish."

It looked like the color drained from Kay's face.

"I didn't put two and two together when Malcolm said Mr. Parrish," Kay said. "He is quite handsome."

"And overbearing, and pushy, and smug," Serena said. "What is it with the men in this town wanting to boss the women around?"

"Ah, you're too young," Kay said. "They know sooner or later it will be you giving the orders, but for some reason their macho sides feel the urge to challenge that fact."

Kay stopped walking in front of a bathroom.

"I will talk to Malcolm about being over involved," Kay said. "Don't let anyone push you around. Trust your gut and do what you think is best."

"Thank you," Serena said.

She almost wanted to hug Kay, but the older woman started heading back outside. It almost looked as if she were floating away as her long dress shifted back and forth along the floor.

Serena was quick in the bathroom, really only wanting to get away from the conversation. As she made her way back to the table she could hear the three whispering.

"Banning her from seeing him is only going to make him more attractive," Kay said. "Don't you know the first thing about girls! Why would you give her a job with that boy's sister? Didn't you think this was going to happen?"

"I didn't have a lot of time to plan this out," Malcolm said. "It's not like there are tons of accounting firms in town."

"Serena," John said. "We're waiting for you to eat dessert."

Malcolm and Kay were smiling. John and Malcolm rose again as Serena went back to the table. For whatever reason Malcolm and Kay did not seem the least bit concerned if Serena had heard them or not.

"I hope you like chocolate," Malcolm said.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The car stopped in front of the office. Serena found the night exhausting and could hardly think of anything except her bed.

"I had fun tonight," John said. "You know...except for when your boss invited you to move in with him."

Serena let out a nervous laugh and shook her head.

"Me too," she said.

"Maybe we could do it again sometime," John said. "And maybe it could be just the two of us next time."

"Look," Serena said. "I appreciate the offer, but..."

"As friends," John said.

Serena felt the blood rush to her face. She had to reason to think John was romantically interested in her. All this pressure over Adam was getting to her head.

"In that case, sure," Serena said.

John lifted his arms and Serena gave him a hug before exiting the car. It was dark outside, Serena thought about Adam's silly warnings that she shouldn't walk around alone at night. There didn't seem to be a single thing about this place that was dangerous. She let out a yawn as she walked in to her apartment and didn't even bother taking off her dress before falling into her bed. Sleep came quick.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Serena didn't make it to work until 8:45. It was later than she thought when she had went to sleep and her dreams were still plagued by images of the children. If Serena was going to be subjected to these horrific images she wished they would at least vary.

John showed up a little before 10:00. He brought some coffees and pastries with him. Serena was having a hard time with the flexible hours the entire town seemed to enjoy. She didn't even have to be here until 9, but showing up only fifteen minutes early had made her uncomfortable enough to skip breakfast. John kept his radio turned up and the rest of the morning the two worked away.

"I'm gone for two days and already getting replaced?" A familiar voice asked.

Serena almost squealed with happiness to see Piper standing in the center of the shop. She hadn't even heard the door open.

"You know I'm just a lacky," John said. "Glad to cover for you though, take as much time as you need."

"You look amazing," Serena said.

It had only been a few days, but Serena felt like she hadn't seen her new friend in months. Piper did seem to have a change about her, it was subtle, but still there, like she was filled with energy that was bursting through her skin. Serena walked over to Piper and gave her a huge hug.

"I trust you're taking good care of my baby," Piper said.

"Trying my best," Serena said.

"The shop couldn't be in better hands," Piper said.

The door opened again and this time Serena heard the noise. She turned to see the tall blond man from the club walk inside.

"Serena I'm sure you remember Thomas," Piper said. "John have the two of you met?"

John walked over to the group and stuck his hand out. The two men shook hands.

"The town is all a buzz about you two," John said. "Congratulations."

Serena thought it was strange an entire town would care about a new couple. Maybe everyone here was invested in everyone else's personal life.

"We were hoping to take Serena to lunch," Piper said.

"Take her away," John said. "I can hold down the fort."

"You can come too," Serena said. "I've closed for lunch before."

"Remember I didn't get here until 10:00?" John asked. "I'm far from hungry, you crazy kids go on though."

"That settles it," Piper said. "Come on."

Serena mouthed thank you at John and went and grabbed her stuff. Piper and Thomas were waiting outside next to a very sleek car.

"We thought we would head off the main drag," Piper said.

She climbed in the passenger's seat and Serena jumped in the back. Her knowledge of cars was limited, but it was obvious this was an expensive one. Thomas did not come off like a wealthy individual with his fluffy blond hair and oversized smile, but Serena knew appearances could be deceiving. She had so much to talk about and was grateful to be with Piper. The two women hadn't known each other very long, but she was the closest thing Serena had to a friend at the moment and she needed to vent as well as try to find some answers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Adam had gone over his apology at least a hundred times. Last night he showed up at her loft before work, only to find she wasn't there. At first he was worried, unsure where she would have wondered off too, but reminded himself she wasn't his problem. He only hoped he hadn't screwed up so badly his chances of getting back at Malcolm had vanished. He walked into the accounting office and looked towards her desk it was empty.

"She's not here," John said.

Adam wanted to bite John's head off, it wasn't fair he was working so close to Serena. But last night Adam realized that was the wrong way to go about it. John could be an ally. Adam needed to stay on his good side.

"Where is she?" Adam asked.

"Malcolm decided to keep her locked away in a tower," John said.

Adam turned the growl that was coming out into a forced laugh. John looked up from his work, clearly surprised at Adam's response.

"I actually just came here to apologize," Adam said. "Maybe take the both of you to lunch. I tried to come by last night, but she wasn't here."

"I know she wasn't," John said.

If John was trying to make Adam jealous it was working. He envisioned John's hands on Serena's hips and it sent a shudder through him. Adam choked it down.

"We used to be friends," Adam said. "Or at least acquaintances. I never had a problem with you before, why start now?"

Adam took a seat on top of Piper's desk.

"I don't know what sort of con you're running here..."

"No con," Adam said. "I like the little human. She is making me want to...to be better."

John gave a crooked smile.

"I think she's a bit of a haughty snob sometimes," John said.

Hearing negative words about Serena made Adam want to jump out of his skin and shift on the spot, challenging John to defend her. He pushed the feelings away though, not knowing why he took the insult so seriously.

"I wouldn't speak so negatively about her in front of me," Adam said.

John just shrugged and went back to his work.

"Thanks for the invitation," John said. "But I'm not hungry."

Adam was determined not to leave here empty handed.

"How about a bribe?" Adam asked.

"What could you possibly bribe me with?"

"The club," Adam said. "I will give you free drinks all night of your choosing."

"I'm more of a sports bar sort of guy," John said.

"And I'll...fix you," Adam said.

John looked up with a raised eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"Give you whatever the male equivalent of a makeover is," Adam said. "Then you can come to the club and I guarantee you will get laid."

"Maybe I am just waiting around for my mate to show up," John said.

"Bullshit," Adam replied. "And even if that were the case your "mate" might be at my club soon. More couples have found each other there than any other spot."

John seemed to contemplate Adam's offer.