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It lists some of the historical figures we discussed, like Sarah Bernhardt, with Madame Mattie listed at the bottom—because she was one of the greats too.
Who then threw Odai away when she was done with him.
That thought hits me as Odai and Mr. Bevilaqua begin to discuss what I assume they were talking about before Mrs. Sherman came knocking, such as when to approach the other businesses with our ideas. It is important to discuss, but my mind is suddenly back upstairs.
There is so much more of Mattie’s journal for me to read, and I am insanely curious to understand why she chained Odai back up. Why would anyone, ever, when they could have their hearts’ desires with him beside them. And Odai was, well, perfect, even if, like Mattie, other masters of his didn’t want to be with him the way I do.
“Jeffrey?”
“Hm? Sorry, what was that?”
Odai’s brow scrunches with honest concern, because he cares, he cares, so why would anyone throw him away? “Shall we discuss more in the office?”
“Yes! That sounds great. And Cas should be here soon too. She is going to love all this.”
It is a great morning. We cover so many ideas, so much that makes us excited, even before the doors open for day tours. I am starting to really believe we can save this place, Mrs. Sherman be damned.
Please.
We need new shelving in the storage room next to the office, so Cas has been trying to sneak in building some during down time. While Mr. B is downstairs with the first tour of the day, and Odai is in the office finalizing a few things, I can’t help gushing at her, even if I have to yell over her use of power tools.
Cas is the only one among the three of us—although Odai is basically an official fourth now—who I’d trust with a power tool. Years as a backstage theater kid and actually having biceps puts Cas leagues above me or Mr. B.
“Okay already!” She finally stops me, powering down her drill with a swipe at her brow. She is finishing number two of the four needed shelves. “You’re psyched and falling even harder for your new beau because he is making all this possible, I get it. Just remember to take stock of reality once in a while.”
“What do you mean?” I frown at her. I should be manning the checkout counter, ready for when the next group of patrons arrives, but I was so excited, I needed to share that excitement with someone. I thought Cas was as pumped as I am.
“It’s just… you’re expecting the best right now, and that’s great, but things don’t always work out that way,” Cas says, totally stomping on my good mood. “Maybe Odai’s ideas will work. Maybe they won’t. We’re right at the beginning of this, so there’s still a chance it’ll fail. Odai might have Mr. B thinking positive again, but someone needs to be practical. I’m sorry, Jeffrey, but things end, and even with our best foots forward, all this might end eventually too.”
But it won’t. It can’t. I have a freaking genie on our side to prevent it! But I can’t exactly tell Cas that.
Instead, since I am admittedly a little upset that she harshed my buzz so badly, I grumble just as she turns around to start up the drill again.
“Would you say something like that to SJ?”
Cas whirls around with an equally intimidating whir of the drill, before she promptly shuts it back off. “Dude. Not fair. Geez.”
“But it is fair,” I dare to spout back, even with the business end of the drill pointed at me. “You two met here. We met here. And you did kind of drag your feet before letting SJ move in with you. Didn’t she want to after, like, a year, and you made her wait almost double that? Why? Did you think that was going to end too?”
How much of my own foot I’ve just eaten becomes clear as Cas’s eyes go from irritated to blazing rage. Shit. Even when I have valid points to make, why do I ever stand up to people?
“Jeffrey! New patrons have arrived,” Odai informs me.
I am grateful for the rescue, but stewing the rest of the day, waiting for Cas to lay into me, is way worse than just getting it over with.
Only it never happens. Cas doesn’t bring it up again. Which I kind of think is worse?
Before she leaves for the night, I still say, “Sorry, um, about before.”
“Don’t worry about,” she dismisses.
Worrying is one of my basic character traits, so I doubt that’s possible. I just want to be happy. I want to enjoy happy times. I want to relish in the possibility of happiness lasting. And maybe, one of these days, find the real me somewhere in that bliss.
Not wanting to get bogged down by Cas’s practicality, that night, and Wednesday night, I show Odai a few more of my favorite movies. In the mornings or when I have a break from tours and bookkeeping, I read a little from Mattie’s journal. She doesn’t always mention Odai, but it all seems so perfect at the start of her journey. Perfect and easy and all around good as Odai helps her build what will eventually be her empire.
It makes me want to ignore what I know has to be coming at the end of her entries. An eventual betrayal, some great turn that has to have a catalyst… right? There has to be a reason.
Cas’s practicality is apparently contagious.
