Considerations Read Online Free PDF Page A

5.30 for the gala."
    Well, at least there was a note, I thought, remembering the time I'd brought a man home and he'd slipped out in the night. I'd never seen or heard from him again. Brad must be at work.
    Work! I suddenly remembered Neilson and Sons, and fished out my cell phone. My morning voice was hoarse, but Lisa sounded skeptical when I told her I had a cold.
    "We'll see you tomorrow," she said curtly, hanging up on me. I couldn't blame her - I' d only been there for two weeks.
    I padded over to the window again, and looked out. There was a small garden below, and judging from the view, I seemed to be on the fourth or fifth floor in the Upper East Side .
    There was a door next to the window, and I wandered through it, finding myself out on a large terrace. There was no-one else around, but I felt disheveled and grungy, and walked back inside.
    T he bathroom was on the opposite side of the room. It was modest but elegant, in shades of white marble and gold. I washed up, and changed into a different blouse, wishing I had more comfy shorts - but the designer jeans would have to do, I thought, grinning and admiring the way it lifted my butt and made me look slimmer .
    I meandered through the house, padding around on bare feet.
    A winding marble staircase led me to the floor below. There was a library on one side, with wall-to-wall shelves loaded with books. A large bedroom was on the other side, larger than the one I'd slept in. It was decorated in shades of beige and green, and I spied a framed black and white photograph of Brad and an old man. With a shiver, I realized this must've been his Grandpa's room, and went downstairs to the floor below.
    A living area with large bay windows and a large dining room made up this floor. A painting of the ocean hung over the dining table, and as I wa lked over to it, I could make out the tiny brush strokes, the texture emphasizing its authenticity. The signature at the bottom right was unmistakable, and I smiled as I wandered over to a small pantry area.
    There were some narrow stairs here, and as I walked down them, I heard someone humming under her breath. I paused, and then called, "Hello?"
    A head poked out a round the landing and I saw a plump woman with dense, dark curls and a friendly face. "You must be Alexis," she said, "Why don't I bring you some breakfast upstairs?"
    Her friendliness was infectious and I smiled back, "No, I'll come down."
    "These stairs are meant for servants, Miss. There's a buzzer you can press if you need anything."
    But I was already downstairs, admiring the modern kitchen which was clearly her territory . "What's your name?"
    "Eva. Are you hungry?"
    I nodded, and smiled. Eva walked over to the coffee machine, and made me a cappuccino. "Would you like an omelet?"
    She wasn't waiting for my answer, and started beating up some eggs and bringing out veggies and cheese. I pulled a chair up to the counter and chatted with her as she worked.
    She'd been employed by Brad's Grandpa for the past fifteen years, and he'd been a simple and honest man. Brad took after him, he wasn't like those flighty rich kids of today, she mused, shaking her head. I pressed her for more details and Eva told me that Brad rarely brought girls home these days. "Since he took over the company, it's just been work, work, work for him," she shook her head.
    The omelet was done, and I sank my teeth into it, sighing out loud in delight. "This is amazing!" Eva smiled, and started clea r ing up the used dishes.
    "What about before he took over?" I asked
    "Oh , before that - he worked at the company, you know, as hard as any of the other employees. He had some girlfriends, but they never lasted. What do you do, how did you two meet?"
    "I work at a law firm - "
    "Oh, I thought you looked smart!"
    I laughed, pleased at the compliment, but unable to accept it. "I'm not a lawyer," I admitted, "I just work there as a receptionist."
    "Ah," she smiled. "That's a sweet way to meet. But most people