Product of the Broken

Ch.3

"Call me if anything goes wrong, or you need anything okay?" That what he'd said to Nicolae as he began to step forth from the car he couldn't remember if he said anything in return save for "Thanks." Before starting to head up the cement walkway pausing to watch Dane stall the car longer then necessary near the stop sign at the end of the street. Maybe he was waiting or Nicolae to change his mind and flag him down. The only reason he thought this was because Dane kept ignoring the car waiting to turn behind him. The honking from the aggravated car behind him only had to object twice before Dance complied and finally gave in turning the corner and leaving Nicolae to stand apprehensively on Cambria's front porch. Fixing his hair in the reflection of the doors glass window, he took a moment to also reflect on what he was about to do.
There really wasn't any going back, she'd convinced him to come, not many people could convince Nicolae to do much of anything and it wasn't because she was attractive it was something in her voice something that made him feel safe, able to relax enough to come back to the surface. And when he hadn't been there in a long time he figured he might as well stay awhile and check the place out. No harm in that right? There's only one way to find out. He thought as he rang the doorbell hearing it chime throughout the huge confines of the home's interior. The outline of a body soon appeared and he forced himself to stop fidgeting as he smiled allowing the stranger who he assumed was hired help, cleaning lady most likely to escort him into the entryway leaving him there to wait for Cambria. Taking in his surroundings Nicolae noticed not only was he standing in one of the wealthiest homes he'd probably ever see in his life time but he was really beginning to wonder why someone living in these type of surroundings would need to hire him for anything. It seemed to him in a place like this she certainly had enough help as it was without needing him.
Nicolae sucked on the middle region on his lower lip before turning to notice that another human being had joined him. He found himself blushing rubbing his finger together he watched he watch him as she seemed surprised to see him which was quite idiotic seeing as how she'd spoken to him this morning. Walking up her three-inch heels clapped against the marble tiling causing him to wonder why he hadn't heard her coming. Reaching up and out she touched his shirt collar, finger nails brushing his neck he closed his eyes. When he opened them five seconds later her hand hadn't stopped it's musing, of course now it was playing with the large buttons on his trench coat which had slid down off his shoulders in a subtle attempt to relax in his new environment. "You changed clothes." Glancing down at himself he nodded "Why yes I did, I kind of figured you'd like me to look a little cleaner then when we first met, because no offence but your sort of intimidating." She looked herself over now and met his gaze "I thought you looked fine I'm just surprised you"¦" She stopped herself and knew that he knew precisely what she'd meant to say. "Its okay Cam, I understand that with the impression I gave you at lunch yesterday you must have gotten the idea I owned nothing but what was on my back and you have every right to think that because I really don't own anything other then what you saw. I'm just lucky enough to have a friend who's willing to loan a shirt or two." He said as loudly as he dared searching he face for pity he only found her own inner embarrassment for thinking what she had, whether he permitted her to or not. Letting her hand fall to her side she led him deeper into the house showing him the layout. The more she showed him the more greatly out of place he felt. He better get used to it he said inside his mind no sense in feeling inferior about something you couldn't change. Sitting down at the kitchen table, which was made of clear cut glass connected to welded iron legs dusted with a clean chrome finish, Cambria began to explain the outline of his duties. Out of all the things he thought he'd be doing was indeed not what she was explaining to him in plain English. An escort to her and a sitter to her daughter, was she insane? He felt so strongly about this thought he even voiced it to her "Are you nuts? Why would you hire me for that?" She didn't speak right away and this exasperated him. "No I'm not nuts Nicolae I just like having you around your nice to me for the most part and plus I've never seen my daughter take a liking to anyone as she has with you, hell she won't stop talking about you." "And that makes you think I'm the Martha Stewart of the babysitting world? Not to mention the whole escort part, I mean come on do I look like I'm made to escort a blind man let alone the richest girl I've ever had the pleasure of breathing next to?" She wiped the corner of her mouth "You don't give yourself enough credit" "What am I giving myself credit for?" He asked as sternly as he could.
Somehow he wanted her to send him away realize she was just lonely and that she'd made a mistake. Opportunities such as this just didn't come along to people like him, the outcast, and the loner. So why should this be happening to him? "Nicolae I know a good person when I see one, so do you want the job or not." He signed dejectedly at himself "I hope I don't regret taking this job." "You won't regret anything Nicolae you just have to cool down and let others show you the ropes okay?" Biting the skin inside his mouth he nodded. "What about living arrangements I don't exactly have a place to stay to be able to serve your every need Cam." Sipping on iced tea she shook her head "You'll be staying here in the house." She noticed his uncomfortable expression and gave him a puzzled one. "What's wrong Nic?" "Nothing it's just this house is so large and well to put it simply it's dripping in money, I think that glass your drinking from cost more then my whole wardrobe including Dane's shirt." Cambria raised a brow. "Dane"¦is that your friend?" "Uh yea he's my friend I spoke of earlier." He didn't seemed to be bothered by this new subject and with her having the curious nature she did she saw no harm in probing further. "What does he do for a living?" "He's a history teacher at my old high school, nice guy pretty tall, blondish peachy colored hair he's like thirty years old." For not seeming so bothered by the subject he sure seemed intent about answering any other questions she may have had.
With job introductions completed Nicolae could feel his life changing already. He wasn't sure just how much he liked it but he did know he liked how it was improving.
There really wasn't much to his new job he realized as he watched Cambria force him into a department store. The fifth clothing store in the last three hours, he'd stopped listening to the clerks announcing the costs around the second shop they'd waltzed into. He'd refused to let her buy him two Italian designer suits so she'd settle for one, explaining to him he'd need at least one and that he needed to just sit back and stop complaining. But her spending habits were making him ill and he knew objecting anymore would be futile. She was on a mission to spoil him rotten and fill his currently empty closet and dressers to their brims. He was still reasoning on whether she was insane or not.
He'd been living there for two weeks now and mainly just taking care of Adara he did have experience working with children considering he once had a little sister whom of which he guessed would be nine or ten now, depending on if his mothers second hand smoke hadn't done her in yet. He enjoyed playing with Adara she smiled and laughed without hesitation. Something he'd never seen his own sister do often. But he couldn't blame her he hadn't done much smiling or laughing then either. Adara seemed to enjoy his company as well and learned he had a hidden talent of playing the piano, he could read music if nothing else and was more then happy to entertain his tiny companion.
He'd been just a tad taken back when he began to notice clothing inside his closet, clothing he didn't remember buying nor did he remember asking to be treated in such a way. But he was learning quite quickly that Cambria did as she pleased with her money whether people felt comfortable with it or not. So when he'd questioned her motives with the cloths he'd earned himself a one-way ticket to an all day shopping spree.
He guessed she was lonely in this huge house, considering she didn't seem to know anyone, never invited anyone over, he never saw her talk on the phone either. She did play with Adara of course when she wasn't in her office, which in where he didn't know what she did. He also noticed she didn't speak about her husband in fact she'd failed to even mention the man until he'd seen photo's of him in the hallway. He was always dress in a suit and didn't seem to be very big family man. Nicolae had finally worked up the nerve to ask why he was never here and he'd gotten a rather tightly laced answer. "Mitchell enjoys his job he always has, he's never really been around. You have to understand Mitchell was born into money and so he believes that in order to keep living in it he has to take time and do everything he can for the business he inherited." "Mitchell enjoys some over sea's job more then his wife and kid?" It was entirely out of line and not anywhere in his place to say but he'd said it regardless of it all and he awaited her reaction.
She hadn't appeared uptight because she knew it was true. She should have yelled at him or maybe demanded an apology but she crossed her arms and nodded her head, her dark chocolate hair tousling in her eyes. "Mitchell's always been about business he's home maybe six times a year at best two to three weeks at a time if that at all." He raised his arm as the suit tailor measured his sleeve length calmly ignoring their conversation. "So does Mitchell know your spoiling me with his money or are you planning on surprising him with your Visa bill." She had to partly hide her amusement at his sarcastic comment "Mitchell could care less what I do with the money he's given me access to. I could buy a cruise ship and he wouldn't even notice." Nicolae tilted his head up lightly. "Ah I see, it's just if I were your husband I'd be a little distressed about you throwing money around in shops to buy the hired help new cloths." He said smiling unbuttoning the suit jacket he wore. "If you were my husband Nicolae I'm sure a lot of things would be different, like for starters you'd be around you'd probably have the common kindness to remember things like good morning kisses and"¦" She stopped suddenly when she heard him step off the platform removing the jacket hurriedly in an agitated fashion. "Cambria "¦ we should be going it's getting late."
She was silent and she studied the look on his face, he was flustered and heated as if she'd suggested something so out of his league it was almost considered risqué to him. She'd truly embarrassed him that much was for sure. Standing up she helped him hang up the suit and left him to redress in the changing stall seeing as to how she cross some invisible line, she figured leaving him be for a moment might save her from hitting another sore spot. Paying for their things she waited patiently for him. Not another word was spoken about Mitchell that day, Cambria didn't know why she'd opened up so much to Nicolae in the first place and she noticed she was telling him a lot of things lately.
It had taken 15 minutes for Nicolae to sift through a stack of music sheets he'd found in a drawer Cambria had asked for him to clean out. If she knew what it's contents were he had no clue, she'd been on the phone seemingly all day and for once she was avoiding a lot of people in the house. He'd stalled beginning this task until she and Adara drove out of the garage and down the street heading as quickly as possible towards a late doctors appointment. To which Nicolae declined the offer to come along. He hated doctors they scared the living daylights out him. Sorting through the papers he found a few pieces he recognized from when he was in band class. Setting them aside he rubbed beneath his eye's easing away a stray lash. Holding onto the table next to the cabinet he hoisted himself up shutting the now tidy drawer and pausing to listen he caught the sound of a male voice he couldn't identify as any of the help around here. Walking cautiously he poked his head outside the sitting room which was mainly a spare office, he saw standing in the living room a medium sized man wearing an Armani suit, high glossed dress shoe's and a dark green silk tie. The man seemed oddly familiar and Nicolae couldn't place where'd he'd seen him, not until the man fully turned his way did it hit him like a two ton brick wall. Mitchell.
Like a doe caught in the headlights, Nicolae stayed motionless as Mitchell walked up and over the distance that separated them. He could feel Mitchell's searing gaze wash over him, taking in everything before opening his mouth, bringing Nicolae to full attention. "Do you happen to know where my family is?" Simple question nothing to get worked up about. "Cambria took Adara to a doctors appointment they should be back in about um"¦an hour." Mitchell's facial expression seemed to mold and change into something else. Nicolae instantly began to search for mistakes in his response. "Are you a personal friend of my wife's?" Swallowing Nicolae found his mouth cavity dry as sun bleached bone, He hadn't been in this man's presence for more than ten minutes and already he could feel he cut people down for a living, he contemplated every word inside his mouth so that every syllable appeared exact and purposely placed. "No"¦ not really she hired me last month." "Alright then, that's what I suspected that mean's you call her Mrs. Slater same proper name pronunciation will go for myself as well do we have an understanding?"
Yeah, yeah sure Nicolae thought to himself tightening his jaw as he nodded "Yes Sir Mr. Slater I understand perfectly, it was a mistake for me to go out of line like that, please excuse me." He bowed with that said and done making it a point to stand up straighter and show Mr. Slater he was just an inch or so out done in height. Mitchell said nothing now and watched Nicolae walk away from him and towards his wife's piano, which he'd purchased for her in Switzerland. Nicolae ignored the male burning holes into his backside as he started to play a difficult piece by the ever-popular Mozart. He didn't know why he was testing his luck, pushing his limits in a way he'd never done before. Maybe it was finally becoming clear he could respect himself enough to defend himself. Instead of letting everyone bog him down and step all over his face. This was probably the wrong man to be acting sarcastic towards but in the circumstances given, Nicolae didn't give a damn. Although it felt unusually nice to stand up for himself he knew his place and thought it best to cool it down a notch.
Sliding his finger tips along the cool slick key's he fed off the vibrations coming forth from his fingers menstruations. Neck craning forward in slow motion Nicolae sat up as he finished playing smiling to himself he shut the piano lid as gently as you may please. Catching Mitchell's eye's as he walked towards the kitchens entrance, licking the corner of his upper lip before disappearing from sight.
Dane coughed covering his mouth feeling dribbles of coffee slip through his fingers, "You didn't, oh crap Nicolae you didn't really tell him that did you, and then give him that look!" Nicolae smiled knowingly and played with his spoon twirling it inside his cup of hot chocolate. He'd received his first day off by Mitchell himself just this morning out of the blue. He didn't trust the man's reasons behind it but he had no doubt it had to do with his little performance in their quite brief yet informal introductions. So beyond that Nicolae though it was only right he go and spend the day with Dane who of course wanted a full detailed report on what had been going on. He hadn't however expected hear about Cambria's husband who ultimately seemed like a spoiled brat from some really bad southern royalty flick. Dane had been slightly intrigued in Nicolae's behavior change and guessed it had to do with Cambria.
Taking Nicolae's hand in his own he studied his nails that were messily painted green, shaking his head he laughed tentatively, "Are you happy Nicolae? It's just I've noticed a change in you and I guess I'm just concerned you know being the worrier that I am I'd feel much better knowing if you were really feeling better?" Despite their joyous mood the questions seemed to catch Nicolae off guard. "Uh, yeah I guess I'm feeling okay nothing super special but I'm doing better." Dane's smile faded just enough and he nonchalantly let go of his hand. "That's good Nic, I want you feel better but I'm wondering now about how your sleeping that hasn't disrupted your work has it?" Oh no. Dane thought as he felt the mood completely crumble and he knew this by the way those topaz eyes sunk into the floor, teeth biting the skin off the lips. "Nicolae?" Jesus some things just never change. "I have to go Dane I'm really sorry but I have other things to do." His voice was smooth like walking on syrup, runny and unpredictably nervous. "Nicolae don't leave over that stupid question please, it's nothing really come back and stay it's only five o'clock you don't have to go." He pleaded uselessly. Coat in hand he waited in place beside the sofa foot tapping as his toes curled inside his shoes. "It's fine I really do need to go I'll see you soon hopefully no worries okay Dane please don't be mad at me for going." He said before slipping away.
Dane exhaled stridently "Yeah sure no worries." Even though he was talking to himself he wanted to say it either way. This visit had seemed short and he could already feel something was getting ready to happen,. Here were things he didn't know about Nicolae, parts of Nicolae so buried inside they hadn't seen the light of day in years. However beyond all that he knew that Cambria had managed to get Nicolae to open up a bit; she really had no idea what she was doing. And now with her husband home he wasn't sure what was going to happen. He just had the sinking feeling it wouldn't be good.
Normally when people have bad dream's, they wake up just as things hit the high note. They'll roll over, maybe go get a drink of water and mutter on about how they need to remember to take out the trash in the morning. In Nicolae's case it wasn't like this at all. He didn't have the pleasure of waking up right away and being able to immediately tell reality from the horror that dwelled inside his dreams. Laying on the mattress one moment led him to the floor the next. Attempting to stand was hopeless, the screaming was flooding his ears. Biting his lower lip until he broke through the first layer of skin, tasting the familiar flavor of metallic essences. Tripping in an intolerable fashion Nicolae finally stopped in place, laying half on his side while holding onto his stomach and sobbing uncontrollably. Feeling the long since healed wound along his belly, that as a lanky ten year old had been ever so plump with left over baby fat. For a few fleeting moments he could still feel his hair being wrenched from it's roots, could still sense what it felt like to be kicked in the gut as if he were a mangy dog, drug by the nap of his neck into the laundry room. Thrown against the cloths dryer and pelted with a stray electrical cord. That charming incident had been carried out by his father. Unlike most times which were for nothing at all, this had been due to the desperate act of his son throwing out all his whiskey, bourbon, and anything else that lay in his fathers personal treasure chest of twisted self redemption.
Most people recall their parents giving them a bicycle for their birthday, not a tremendously horrific beating. Nicolae couldn't even remember if he knew how to ride a bike. That was probably the first and only time Nicolae ever tried to help his father with whatever problems he may or may not have had. Chest vibrating with each sucked in breath, Nicolae let out a fearful wail of a scream when he felt hands against his own pulling them away to see what was the matter. When he opened his eye's he saw he was actually awake and for the most part laying in a heap in his room. Not the laundry room no sign of his past kneeling before him holding his hands together at his wrists, but Cambria was. She was just staring at him, as if she'd never seen him in her life. She was gripping his hands in her own as tightly as she could.
Clearing his throat he licked away the remnants of blood and tired to sit up but was taken aback when she forced him back down into the floor. "Nicolae." feeling the chill of the cold floor against his bare back he forced himself up and as gracefully as he could he wrenched his hands away from the woman. This woman that confused him at every turn of her world that she'd invited him into, unbeknownst to her she'd been cordially invited into his own. "Go back to bed Mrs. Slater. I assure you I'm okay." He was shaking and resisted the urge to check his stomach for purplish snarling bruises that throughout his childhood had never seemed to heal. He only made it to the edge of the bed before she took a hold of his arm pulling him back a step causing him to topple and catch the corner of the square bed frame railing it scraped along his ribs, playing them as someone might play a harpsichord with a wrench.
Fed up already he reached out and pulled her to the floor, taking his kneel and pinning her along the waist to the foot board of the bed, straining his arms to hold onto it to keep from crushing her. Nicolae took a moment to revive his lungs they were beginning to strain. "Why can't you just leave me alone!" He huffed out waiting for her to answer he turned to check his side, it was only minimally covered in misplaced scuffed that sweetly sizzled and hissed with the cherry dusted color of blood. Nothing more then feather light kisses. "Don't pity me Mrs. Slater and while we're at it, don't aggravate the matter either it was only a nightmare. It's really none of your concern." Picking himself off of her he stumbled into the bathroom that forked off the side of the room next to the door that led into the hallway. Turning on the facet and retrieving a wash cloth he did his best to clean the artificial battle wounds. Cambria stood inside the doorway. "Why are you calling me that?" "Because you're my employer and your husband asked me in his most sincere voice to call you by your last name, because it surely wasn't appropriate for the hired help to use your first name. I suppose he was just a tad bent out of shape." He responded coldly.
Feeling irritable and tired he let his shoulders sag and turn to look at her. She was only wearing a faded pink tank top and dark blue pajama pants, it made her seem more down to earth and casual. With no makeup on she came off as more humanly real and entirely capable of making mistakes. He liked her this way. When she wasn't trying to impress anyone. "Nicolae you don't have to call me that in fact I'd prefer if you didn't." She said taking the wash cloth from him and cleaning his chin getting what he'd only managed to smear with the back of his hand. "Yea know it's just a thought but"¦I don't think you should be concerning yourself in my problems"¦" He said ignoring her request for a time. "I thought you were hurt you were sure as hell screaming like you were." Taking the wash cloth from her he tossed it into the sink searching for a shirt, he wanted to rid himself of the coldness his flesh felt for only having gone to bed in linen pants. "Cam, Please trust me when I say I'm okay now." "You don't seem okay to me something happen to you Nic anyone watching you scream and toss around like that would think it to." Fingering his brow he tapped his foot "And what do you think happened to me Cambria because it wasn't some petty school yard fight I'll give you that much of a hint."
She kept pushing him and he was really starting to regret having baited her questions further then he might have wanted them to have come in the first place. Thoughts were slipping from his head. "Do you really want to know Cambria, because I've never told anyone the whole story of why I have so many problems sleeping. You have to understand babe that it isn't some happy sun shiny tale where I didn't just get my way you better know now that you just might regret hearing it. So don't you dare promise me friendship like you have been and turn your back on me." He took a second to sit on the bed checking her face for any sign of backing out, When he saw none he smiled in a hurtful sort of way. "it really isn't important to start at the beginning you have to understand that shockingly enough it wasn't the worst section of my life, it was when I went into high school and first started to work"¦Other kids worked to but they worked to buy cars or take their dates to the movies, I was working to stay in my own damn hell hole of a home."
Leaning back against the head board he went on. "Most people told me to suck it up and get my shit together, stop whining like such a baby. It was hard to get yourself together at all when your alcoholic father is beating you at two in the morning with whatever he deems workable at the moment and then moves on to have a beer and start up on your mother. It's really kind of hard to get it together when you mother is calling you the epitome of low culture sin and a household abomination, while she lights up with her fourth cigarette of the morning, and your baby sister is sitting two feet away inhaling burnt nicotine like a coal train engine, making it's way to Chicago." He expected her to laugh at him or turn her face away but she kept her eye's locked to his own, he felt like he was in sinking sand and did his best to continue on without the tone of his voice betraying his true emotions. "To put it easy and simple my life wasn't nor is it a damn cake walk, my parents were low life's as long as I could remember, they left me to rot when I was 17, or 18 I really don't remember which, my father had practically bashed my brains in when he packed up the family, threw everything I owned onto the front lawn and drove off in the station wagon we'd owned since the start of time and left me there, I've never seen of heard from them since and as far as I'm concern I hope they got sucked into a black hole, because I'll probably never sleep right again thanks to my ole dad."
The room was pulsing with pre-digested silence and it felt sonically charged as he finished his little story Cambria seemed stunned for the most part and Nicolae couldn't truly see why. But something felt wrong as he felt her hand against his face. There was something wrong with this picture as he felt her kiss him. With angelic intake he pulled back he'd unknowingly started something that may have been overlooked had Cambria Slater not taken the subway that day. As the frayed edges of his mind opened up allowing light to shine on fragments of lost hope and low starts in life, She kissed him again once for mercy and again for the truth of the matter in which she was committing a small crime of inner indulgence. Pausing to leave his side she locked his door tasting her lips she found nothing but the everlasting bittersweet flavor of pennies.