Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Kendall never imagined she could be extremely productive in just several hours after waking up. Stretching her neck and back, she walked into the storage area to gather more cleaning supplies. She just finished sanitizing two pool areas and planned to go around the garden for a rest. She needed to make herself engaged with that much household works today to keep herself distracted. The last conversation she had with Grayson had caused this, so she wanted to find excuses to avoid him, at least for now. She wanted to take hours to clear her mind from anything until she could take up enough courage to face him again.

She did not want to interpret what he said, knowing that she might take it incorrectly. Things might have driven the man to become too emotional, so Grayson had spoken things he didn’t really mean. And Kendall should understand it. After all, she was older and should be considerate.

“Yes, that might be the case,” Kendall whispered to herself as she headed to the garden.

She was startled to see an old man attempting to heave a massive wooden fairy statue. He was wearing a faded jacket on top of what seemed to be an old shirt, denim pants, a torn rattan hat, and a small towel hung around his neck. She estimated he must be in his seventies. She took quick steps to approach the old man.

“Sir, let me help you. This is too huge for just one man to lift.”

Though surprised by her sudden appearance, the old man smiled and replied, “A-Alright. Thank you, miss. Hold on to the foot, I’ll take care of the opposite part. I noticed it’s obstructing the path so let’s move it somewhere it wouldn’t.”

“Is there any area in your mind?”

The old man pointed to the place near the fountain. It was about ten meters away from where they were standing.

“That’s a good place, but are you sure? Can you still do it? Let me know if you feel exhausted already, so I can lift it myself.”

“I’m good. Why do you think I can’t do it?”

“Nothing. I’m just worried you might break a bone at your back.”

Brushing off what she said, the old man laughed. He then looked at Kendall from head to toe. “I admire your courage to help. But, if I leave you alone, I don’t think you could lift this on your own with your lean physique.”

"Oh! Don't underestimate my body. I just look thin but my muscles are very rigid! I can lift even a whole cow."

The old man laughed again, finding her hilarious. The two carried the statue together and set it down near the fountain. As soon as they made sure it was positioned properly, Kendall immediately approached her companion, circling him and checking especially his back.

“How are you, sir? Is your back hurting? How about your arms? Can you move your hands?” she sighed. “Why should you still do such an extensive task at that age?”

“Don’t worry. I’m used to lifting heavy things.”

After assuring her, the old man turned and went back to his tools that were left several meters from where they stood. He picked up the shear and was now getting himself busy by cutting the thick garden, starting from a corner.

Kendall, who seemed not certain if the old man is fine, approached him again. Instead of stopping him, she asked, “I haven’t seen you before. Are you new here?”

The old man, surprised by the question, gave her a frowning look. “New? What’s new?”

“New gardener.”

Realizing what she meant, he answered, “Ah, yes. I’m just new here. And you?”

“I’m Hailey,” Kendall introduced herself with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

“What is your job here, Hailey?”

Shrugging, she replied, “Oh. An all-rounder, I’d say. Gardener, cook, house cleaner, pool cleaner, driver, personal attendant, heat catcher… anything his majesty demands me to do!”

“His majesty?”

Kendall moved closer and whispered into the old man’s ear. “No other than Grayson.”

“Grayson? The owner’s grandson?”

“Exactly! To be fair, he’s quite nice, except when he’s not in the mood. So, if that person becomes rude to you, just let me know.”

“Are you the brave woman he always seemed to be with?”

“Huh? Who told you that?”

“The staffs here talk about it a lot. I was not sure if it was a rumor or not, but is Grayson really afraid of you?”

“Nah, that stubborn man is not afraid of me. He only agrees with me sometimes whenever he knows I’m right. But if I’m wrong, he would protest against me endlessly.”

“Then, why do you still stay with him? Why keep working in this house? Don’t you have a family here in this city?”

Kendall weighed all words she had in mind to answer him without confusing him further. “I am a working student and I wanted to live an independent life,” she replied shortly. “Grayson just helped me because I have nowhere else to live. In exchange, I’d have to work here.”

“What’s your relationship with Grayson and why would he offer such an extensive help? Are you, by any chance, his girlfriend?”

The woman laughed. “Oh, that’s hilarious. We’re just classmates and hang out together from time to time. We don’t have any romantic relationship. In fact, our preferences were far from each other. Grayson already has a girlfriend. Mind you, she’s stunning, smart, and has a unique personality, just like him.” Kendall then turned her attention to what the old man was doing and changed the topic, “I’m just wondering. Why are you cutting the plants? Aren’t plants supposed to be grown? Why shear them?”

The old man seemed amazed by the woman’s innocent question and gave out a hearty laugh. “I cut them to make them grow faster. Some I pruned to make them thicker. The one I made in that corner? I shaped them to accentuate their beauty.”

“Ah, that’s right. Then, can you teach me sometime? Gardening is also part of my job, but my knowledge is still limited.” She smiled. “Wait, have you had a snack yet? Are you hungry? Would you like some coffee? How about milk? Juice? Soda? I could grab some from the kitchen. What do you want me to get you?”

The old man smiled. “Tea sounds good in this weather.”

“Alright. I’ll come back right away.”

As Kendall turned on her heels and was about to start her way inside, her eyes landed on Grayson. He was looking around, clearly looking for someone. Not knowing what she needed to do, she immediately considered hiding behind a bush. She was not yet ready to face the man.

“Sir, I’ll be getting your tea soon. As you wait, when someone looks for me, tell him you haven’t seen me.”

Confused at her statement, the old man replied, “S-Sure.”

Kendall quickly hid in the thick garden. Meanwhile, Grayson walked closer to the old man as soon as he saw him.

“Hi, Grandpa!” she heard the young man call.

Kendall’s eyes widened with surprise and embarrassment. Fortunately, she was able to cover her gaping mouth to avoid getting both men’s attention. All this time, she was talking to the one and only, Arthur Hoffman?!

'The rich and famous Mr. Arthur Hoffman?'

Why didn’t she recognize him sooner? She looked at the two men again, who were now having their own conversation. The old man looked very different from the photos shown to her in the office, where he was dressed in a business suit.

“I didn’t know you have arrived,” Grayson muttered. “Since when have you been here? You should’ve knocked on my room, so I could have welcomed you back sooner. How’s your trip to Europe?”

“I didn't bother you anymore. I thought maybe you were still sleeping or taking some rest.” Noticing his grandson looking around, he asked, “Are you looking for something, Grayson?”

“Grandpa, have you seen Hailey? Remember the girl I told you about before? The one who will temporarily stay with us. She’s about this tall,” Grayson answered, estimating the woman’s height against his.

The old man sneaked a glance at the bush behind his grandson and saw the woman peeking from behind it, signaling him not to point at her, nor even look in her direction.

“Why are you looking for her?”

“Nothing,” he answered quickly. “It’s just that we’re scheduled to study together at this hour.”

Kendall’s eyes widened and squeezed herself into the thickness of the plant to hide even more. Peeking again, she saw the old man glancing at her and she motioned to him once more not to expose her.

The old man shook his head. “No, I haven’t seen her,” he replied, but secretly kept on moving his eyes between his grandson and the bush behind him.

Immediately getting his grandfather’s signal, Grayson smiled and rode the situation, “Are you sure you haven’t seen her?”

“I’m sure, son. Have you searched the whole house? Maybe she left and went somewhere.”

“You think so? Don’t you think that’s a good thing?”

“I don’t know. What do you mean?”

“Chester just called. He invited me for a drink today. Guess I can leave on my own. Alright, Grandpa, I’ll leave you for now. I’ll just get dressed and prepare myself,” Grayson said, winking at his grandfather.

“Alright. Just be careful, okay?”

Alarmed at what he said, Kendall hurriedly went out of her hiding place and yelled, “What did you say? Where are you going this time? Aren't we supposed to study?”

Grayson pretended to be surprised. “Oh, Hailey, what are you doing there? I thought you left.”

“I-I was just trimming the plant. See, I’ve removed some weeds, as well! So, how about we start our way to study?” she responded, holding up some grass that she just pulled out at her feet.

“Yup,” was all Grayson said, keeping himself from laughing at the woman’s reaction.

“Alright, you head first. I’ll be following behind.”

Shaking her clothes from any dirt, she approached the old man, and waved shyly, “Have a good day, Mr. Hoffman.” Before she took a step, she added with a hesitant smile, “You’re amazing. You have talent.”

“What talent?”

She whispered, “You can be a secret agent. You’re good at disguising yourself to not look like an old rich businessman.”

The old man laughed out loud before Kendall turned to follow Grayson. But suddenly remembering something, she ran back and promised, “Mr. Hoffman, I’ll still bring your tea! Maybe you could order more, I won’t mind. You can order a lot, actually. Until then, think of anything you still wish to add. You know, bread is also good with tea. Keep me busy by doing orders so I don’t have to do a bunch of homework with Grayson.”

The woman then left Arthur laughing while still shaken by her cheerfulness. The old man couldn't deny how the maiden had lifted his mood today.

...

Kendall approached the slightly-ajar huge door of Grayson’s room and quietly entered. She found the man sitting already at his study table; several books were neatly scattered in front of him. She then sat opposite him.

She watched Grayson. He was wearing reading glasses, absorbed in a book and from time to time writing some notes. Based on his expression earlier, he didn’t seem affected by their last conversation. Maybe he couldn’t remember it, as well. She was right. Everything might just have been a spur of their emotions that was caused by their chaotic thoughts.

“Are you just going to sit there and stare at me?” Grayson asked, not lifting his eyes from the book.

Rolling her eyes, Kendall picked up a book from the table and pretended to read. But she couldn’t keep herself from asking, “Grayson, are you okay?”

“Why the sudden question? Is there a reason for me not to be okay?” Grayson asked in return, still focused on jotting down notes.

“I’m just worried you might be upset because of our conversation last night.”

That’s when Grayson’s eyes lifted from the book to her. “Why do we have to take what we talked about seriously? As far as I remember, I told you I was joking, right?”

Kendall’s face lit up. “Did you? Oh right, you were joking.” She laughed in relief. “It bothered me, but not as much. I thought you were insane!”

Grayson stared at her pleased smile, and for some reason, he was annoyed at her reaction. Furious, he threw a thick book at the bed, near where she was seated.

“What is this?” asked Kendall as she picked up the book.

“Math book! Study them so you don’t fail the next exam. Look for the sample questions there. Answer them all!”

Suddenly, Kendall stood up and headed for the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” the man thundered.

“I just remembered; your grandfather is asking for tea. I’ll just go serve it first.”

Frowning, Grayson spoke again in a slightly irritated tone, “Are you sure? You sound like you’re making an excuse.”

“I’m not lying. And looking at the request, I need to prioritize this. It’s embarrassing if I forget this single thing your grandfather asked, isn’t it?”

Not waiting for the man’s reply, Kendall hurried out of the room. Grayson was left appalled by the woman’s statement, but went back to reading, instead.

Twenty minutes later, the woman returned.

"What took you so long?" Grayson commented immediately.

"Huh, am I? Blame the size of your house. Just walking around is time-consuming."

"Stop making excuses. Start doing the book exercises!"

Sitting down at the edge of the bed again, Kendall frowned as she opened the book and saw the number of equations she needed to understand.

"Grayson, we have something to talk about. It's about Cady."

The man was suddenly startled and immediately turned to the girl. "What about her?"

"I need to know how she is as a girlfriend."

"And why do you want to know?"

“Of course, if I have to live with her or even see her frequently these days, I have to adjust. The situation is different now. Your new girlfriend is studying on the same campus as you. I'm sure you'll be with her more often compared to how occasionally you met with Abigail before."

Grayson considered her point and immediately answered as soon as he understood, “There’s no need for a huge adjustment. Cady is as accommodating as Abigail. She might be mean to you before, but that’s not the real her.”

“I know. Noah mentioned it once.”

Gradual irritation became visible on his face. “If Noah has told you, then why still ask me? What’s the need? Why don’t you go to your dear Noah and just ask him all other things you want to know?!”

“Look at you reacting that way. I’m asking nicely. What’s with your irritation against Noah? He’s your girlfriend's brother, did you forget? Shouldn’t you be nice to him so you two could get along well?”

"Hailey, did you start a conversation with me to talk about Noah?"

“Alright, alright. I won't mention him again. What else?"

"What do you mean by what else?"

"What are Cady's other traits I should be aware of?"

"Be attentive, okay? One thing for sure is that your job will be lessened. She likes doing errands for me. She also prefers taking care of what I’ll eat or even the little things I need."

The girl's face brightened. "You mean you’re not gonna order me around as much anymore?"

"I just said your job will be lessened, didn't I?"

“Yes, you did.”

“And I also said you should be attentive, didn’t I?”

“Yes,” she agreed again, smiling. "Is Cady the jealous type?"

"Yes, she is. But you don't have to worry. She will definitely not get envious of you. You’re not the type of girl that Cady will be jealous of."

"Of course. Why should she be jealous of me?" the maiden agreed, finding it ridiculous. Though she didn’t know if she’d be glad to hear it, he got a point.

Grayson was silent for a moment before he looked back at her. "And one more thing: unlike Abigail, you can't fool Cady with flattering words. She has a high IQ and she is definitely smarter than you."

“I’m not surprised. She’s Noah’s sister. They’re very smart.”

Grayson glared at the woman again after hearing the unpleasant name.

Noticing his expression, Kendall covered her mouth with her hand. "I'm sorry… I forgot,” she muttered. “By the way, Grayson, since you and Cady are on the same campus, she might invite you to go together. You know it's a good bonding time too, and maybe study together as well. Don’t you think that’s sweet?"

“Now that you mentioned studying, aren’t you distracting me with all these talks? Let’s go back to what we were doing.”

After a while, one of the maids appeared. “Hailey, Mr. Hoffman is calling you. He’s asking for juice.”

Kendall smiled and turned back to her companion. “Grayson, you heard that, right? Your grandfather is requesting something. I’ll go and do it.”

Again, Kendall hurried out of the room and didn’t wait for the man’s response. When she returned, he immediately confronted her.

“What’s going on, Hailey?”

“What? What’s going on?”

"Why do you have to be my grandfather's servant? We have countless maids available to attend to him."

“Oh, I’m curious too! Maybe Mr. Hoffman realized how good I am at making these drinks?”

"Good? How many times have you been good at anything other than talking back at me?"

“Drinks do taste different depending on who made them, right? There’s that sense of passion you put into making them that makes them taste better. Maybe your grandfather realized that in my mixture!”

“Stop making excuses just to escape studying. I know you. Now, go back to that book.”

“You and your strictness, ugh! Other professors are kinder than you. They just come in, check the students’ attendance, provide assignments, and then leave. Then here’s you: burying yourself in all those books, then still providing lecture, then there’s the sermon, and then later, you’d go... Hailey, here are the math exercises you need to finish! Isn’t that a talent? You can become a teacher someday,” she continued to blabber, ignoring the man’s sharp look.

“Hailey, can you stop talking?!”

Kendall fell silent, grabbed the book, and then forced herself to read. After a while, she raised her head and whispered, “Grayson, can you lend me your iPad?”

"And what are you planning to do this time?"

“I’m just gonna check an e-mail from Nancy.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Come on!” she complained. “I asked her for notes. She said she would scan them and send them via e-mail.”

Grayson still continued to look at her as if she was a specimen under a microscope.

Kendall lifted her head proudly and said, “I am not lying.”

Convinced, Grayson reached out for the device lying next to him and handed it over to her. As soon as Kendall received it, she pretended to open her e-mail. Checking if the man was still looking, she scrolled over her mailbox. When she noticed that he was focused on his book again, she shifted her seat and went to the foot of the bed until she reached the floor. Sitting on the carpet, she leaned her back against the bed and lowered the sound of the device until there was nothing heard already. Tapping around, she opened an application.

A few minutes later, the woman was immersed.

“What’s that?” Grayson's daunting voice echoed.

“Candy crush... Oh! What the heck? I didn’t know how I got here. I was just checking on my emails!”

Letting out a fake laugh, he responded, “You’re not funny. Give it back.”

Grayson stood and snatched the iPad from her, frowning as he went back to his seat and continued reading.

Another maid appeared at the door again. “Hailey, Mr. Hoffman is asking for coffee.”

Kendall’s face immediately lit up. She stood and shouted as she walked out, “Coffee coming up!”

“Hey, where are you going, Hailey?!” Despite how loud he yelled, Grayson wasn’t able to do anything because Kendall was in no time out of the room already.

He waited for her to return to reprimand her, but as soon as she returned, her hands were already against her ears. Instead of blurting out words, Grayson was left stunned and trying to hold back his laughter. He watched as she walked back to her seat and opened the book. As soon as he made sure she was studying, he continued reading.

The whole room was quiet for a long time as they didn’t talk for a while.

“Hailey, can you hand me the dictionary? It’s at the bedside,” Grayson commanded, flipping a page at the book as he continued reading.

No one answered.

“Hailey, bring me the dictionary.”

Again, no answer.

“Hailey, I said...”

Lifting his eyes to her seat, he was met by a woman sound asleep on his bed. Half of her body was on the bed while the other half was hanging on the floor. Laughing quietly, he just shook his head.

He stood and gently approached her. For some reason, he had the urge to lie down next to her and lean toward her sleeping face. Instead, he sat at the side of the bed and stared at her. Suddenly, words that he uttered last night gradually returned to him.

Did he like her?

He himself didn’t even know if it was true. Lately, his feelings were confusing to him, which was new, knowing that he had been dating women for years. He should definitely know how he felt for a woman, right?

Wrong!

In spite of all these, there was one thing he was sure of: that he was happy whenever he was with Kendall, that things lit up whenever she was around. Right now, he wished for nothing more but to keep this woman by his side, even just as a friend.

He continued to stare at her until, without realizing it, his face was drawing nearer to hers.

He gently touched her hair, brushing off some strands that fell down her face.

His finger traced her face down to her cheek.

He looked at her lips and wanted to touch them with his fingertips as well.

Until another helper appeared at the door, “Hailey, Mr. Hoffman is asking for a brewed tea.”

Grayson panicked. He quickly picked up the nearest book he could find and pretended to read; his face flushed with nervousness.

Kendall, with her eyes now open, was taken aback at the sound and wasn’t able to speak at first.

“Hailey, Mr. Hoffman wants a cup of tea,” repeated the maid.

"O-Okay," the yawning woman replied.

Blinking several times to unblurry her surroundings, Kendall was surprised to see Grayson sitting next to her. She immediately stood up when she realized she had fallen asleep while studying. Fixing her hair, she quickly left the room before the man could scold him.

When the woman was finally out of sight, Grayson helplessly threw himself on his bed. Annoyed at himself, he stomped, crumpling his blanket down his bed. He sighed and picked up a pillow to cover his face and muffle his scream, “Ah! Grayson, you fool! Stop this!”