Chapter 10: Sergio Willis's Tactics

What the hell did I ever do to you? It was our first meeting, and you were already trying to throw me out? I felt a surge of annoyance, but I swallowed it. She was Leslie's mother, after all-I couldn't exactly snap back. "Mom, he's Sergio's relative," Leslie interjected. "He's hit a dead end and came here to work as a housekeeper. No matter what, we can't just kick out Sergio's own kin." "A relative?" Beatrice narrowed her eyes. "You just said he was a housekeeper." "He is here to be a housekeeper," Leslie replied calmly. Just like that, I was pegged as Sergio's broke relative who had to move in as help. Hearing this, Beatrice held off on ordering me out. She only stared for a few seconds before warning her daughter, "Leslie, you need to be careful around this man." "What do you mean?" Leslie asked. "Look at him, tall and strong. He could get any number of decent jobs, but instead he leans on Sergio's connections to become a male housekeeper. Say no more-he's probably a freeloader and a layabout. You need to watch him." Beatrice didn't bother lowering her voice. That really got under my skin. What was her problem? Earlier in the living room, she'd been hiking up her skirt and accidentally flashed me. Now, just because I caught a glimpse she didn't mean to show, she had it out for me? Shit. I silently cursed and kept my mouth shut. I had her figured out. Beatrice looked elegant on the outside, but inside she was petty and small-minded. With her camped out here, my odds with Leslie were shot. "Eighty grand," I groaned to myself, grinding my teeth, my heart aching. Eighty thousand dollars on the line. "What are you standing there for? Don't you know your place? Get in the kitchen and cook," Beatrice barked. For the money, I bit my tongue. I said, "Okay," and headed back to the kitchen. Earlier, on our way home from the hospital, Leslie and I had stopped at the supermarket. We'd stocked up on vegetables, spare ribs, and fresh, never-frozen pork. She paid for everything. She'd said my cooking was good. If I took care of the meals every day, she'd pay me five hundred dollars a month. That was about what a line cook made in a modest restaurant. That was generous, so I agreed on the spot. It would take time for her to get pregnant, and I needed to eat while I stayed here. Truth be told, I could cook. Back in college, I delivered meals to make ends meet. While I waited for orders, I watched the chefs over the counter, learned their moves, then tried the dishes at home for my parents. So yes, I could hold my own at the stove. There would be three of us for lunch, and I figured Sergio would come back too. He'd signed the agreement last night, and he had to be anxious to see whether Leslie would conceive with me. Four mouths meant four dishes and a soup. I settled on red-braised spare ribs, sweet-and-sour pork, Hunan-style stir-fried pork with chilies, hot-and-sour shredded potatoes, and a simple West Lake-style beef and egg drop soup. By the time I finished, it was noon. I set the dishes on the table one by one. Leslie's eyes lit up. "Didn't know you had this in you." "That's right," I said, grinning. I chuckled. "Does this make you like me a little more?" "Watch your mouth," she said, her face turning cold. "Remember your place." I knew I'd crossed a line. I was only here for the surrogacy arrangement. Maybe Leslie could convince herself to sleep with me for a child, but she would never let herself fall for me. I was just the surrogate. Even if I looked good and was, well, blessed below the belt, I was still just the guy hired to get the job done. She was never going to like me. "Sorry. I spoke out of turn," I said, and meant it. I brought out the rice and added, "Go get your mom for lunch." "Okay," she said coolly, and went upstairs. During the meal, Beatrice kept giving me side-eye, clearly still sore that she'd flashed me and I'd seen something I wasn't supposed to. I hesitated, wondering if I should just grab a bowl and eat elsewhere, when Sergio came home. He stepped through the door and blurted, "What were the test results?" "What test results?" Beatrice asked. He froze, clearly not expecting his mother-in-law to be here. His face tightened. "Nothing." "Nothing?" Beatrice's voice sharpened. So she talked down to Sergio, too. Seeing her boss him around like that made me feel a little better. At least I wasn't the only target. Leslie gave a small, helpless smile. "It's nothing. Sergio wants a kid, so he asked me to get checked at the hospital." "Why didn't he get checked with you?" Beatrice asked. Sergio jumped in. "Oh, my company had a physical yesterday. I already did mine. Everything's fine. How about you, Leslie?" "I'm fine too. Healthy," Leslie said. At that, Sergio shot me a meaningful look. He knew Leslie hadn't gone for any tests that morning-I had. I figured Leslie had been checked before and was fine, and Sergio's result had come back infertile. "Good, good," Sergio said with a loud laugh as he walked over. "The spread looks great. Who cooked?" "Your relative, of course. Sergio, really, Leslie is a young woman. How could you hire a male housekeeper? Even if he is your kin, you should show some propriety. Men and women ought to keep a proper distance," Beatrice said. That was enough for Sergio to put two and two together. He wasn't stupid. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Mom, he's my younger cousin. It's fine. Besides, unemployment has been climbing, and there are thieves targeting big houses and mansions. We need a man in the house." Hearing that, Beatrice let it drop. Sergio then asked, "Mom, how long are you planning to stay this time?" "Yes. It's summer break, and I get bored alone at home. I came to keep Leslie company for a few days," Beatrice said. Sergio's eye twitched. He clearly didn't like that one bit. After lunch, while I debated what to do with myself, Sergio came over and took me by the arm. "Wayne, let's step outside for a smoke." "Okay, John," I said. We stepped out. Before I could speak, Sergio said, "My mother-in-law isn't leaving. With her here, it's hard to get things done." "I know," I said. "She always takes a nap after lunch. I just brought her a glass of water and spiked it with a strong sleeping pill," he said, a hard glint in his eyes. "How are things between you and Leslie?" I didn't dare tell him we'd already done it once but I hadn't managed to finish inside her. I only said, "She agreed." "Good. Then go to her at lunchtime. I'll stand guard at the door," Sergio said in a low, threatening voice.