LI: Nothing comes easy [Gabrielle Blanchard]

[Oscar Levine]

2nd of January, 2062

It had been worth it to take the first day of the year off, even if it meant that it would be an intense day afterwards to deal with the tremendous workload that came with his prominent position as administrator and manager. The party at Adler’s had been splendid indeed, even more so in the late night hours after some more drinks. Oscar had never felt the need to drink in reasonable amounts, and that was his weakness: too eager to feel the sweet intoxication, too thirsty for pleasure, too hungry for lust…

The second of January was therefore both the most stressful, but also the most enjoyable, day of the year for the workaholic. He prepared meetings with business partners to discuss coming marketing probabilities during the year, scheduled appointments with new clients and – of course - made sure old products was returned. The holidays were always the busiest days for his company, thus for him: people seemed willing to spend more on their recreational interests when they were on vacation.

The window in the back of his office offered a superb view of the boardwalk and the Eden beaches, as the sun started to sink in the horizon, slowly fading the blue sky into nuances of soft pink and purple. To the west, you could spot the clouds that slowly approached the city; there was some rain scheduled after sunset, as it had been decided by the meteorologists. Oscar stretched out his stiff limbs after the last phone call was made, and fell back on his chair with a light sigh followed by a glance to the clock on the wall.

It had taken him twelve hours to catch up, but now, he was finally finished with all his work. There was just one simple thing left, a late scheduled meeting with his favourite employee; just to check that everything was right and prepare her for the coming month. She would be here any second now... He had perfect timing, indeed.

[Gabrielle Blanchard]

It wasn't unusual for Mr Levine to call her up to his office. What was unusual, however, was that he chose a time this late in the evening. Gabrielle Blanchard, caretaker of Mr Levine's only son, was never late. Not even fashionably late. She'd arrived slightly before time, as was her habit, and sat on the edge of her seat in the small lobby while she waited. The receptionist had been kind enough to offer her something to drink, but she had refused. Meetings with her boss often turned... intense. And not in the good way. The young girl shuddered at the thought of his fiery gaze and his slight smile - large enough to be visible, small enough to make her uneasy.

There were other reasons for her unease as well, of course. Like the dress she wore, which had been given to her as a present, and was way too fitted for the girl's taste. The dark fabric was sleek and looked expensive; she was terrified it would get dirty or torn. And then there was the problem with leaving Tobias alone for any extended time. About this time every night, while the sun set over the facility which had been their home for so long, they often started a tournament in a videogame and played until her friend got tired and had to sleep. Mr Levine knew this when he summoned her. And yet still...

As the clock struck her appointment's exact time, the secretary gestured to her to walk inside. With a sigh of relief, and a quick gasp of breath to gather courage, the red-headed female got to her feet and prepared herself mentally. He wouldn't open the door for her, but he was there, and expecting her... Pushing it open, she poked her head in shyly.

"Uhm... you wanted to see me, Mr Levine?"

[Oscar Levine]

”Ah, Gabrielle~” greeted Oscar from his chair, and gave the young girl a slight smile. “Perfectly on time, as usual.”
But, as anyone in Oscar’s surrounding would know, nothing else was acceptable. Perhaps he would control his awful temper if the late arrival was someone of a higher position, but the mere employee knew better than to arrive to his meetings the minute after they were scheduled.
“Please come in. And sit down, would you?”

He indicated with a soft motion of his hand that the chair in front of his cherry tree desk was free for her to take. Even if it had been a busy day, the items laying scattered on the surface of his table was sorted and perfectly organized. Someone had changed the flower in the vase, standing in the corner of the free-standing desk, to a beautiful, blooming orchid branch, whose simple white color matched with the rest of the lightly colored interior.

[Gabrielle Blanchard]

This procedure was well known. The red-haired girl entered the room and gently closed the door behind her, careful not to make too much of a sound out of it. As she strode across the room towards the chair he had put out for her – same chair, always placed on the exact same spot – she tried to keep up a natural and good-natured smile. It was hard, of course, since she was so nervous she could barely keep her legs from shaking. Though this part of the meetings was familiar and ritualized, the subject often changed, and lately the part that followed this had started to turn… creepy. As Gabrielle sank down to a seated position, she shyly turned her eyes down towards the floor.

Did he want her to speak? No, probably not? She’d just… sit there, and wait for him to state his intentions with this summon. Surely, she hadn’t done anything wrong, had she? Tobias… Tobias was perfectly fine and healthy, if you could call his induced state of mind fine…

[Oscar Levine]

The green eyes, darker than his son's, followed the girl as she walked up to him. His own smile still lingered, perhaps it even grew wider when he noticed that Gabrielle was as cautious and nervous as always. A lot had been in jeopardy when he bought her off S.in. Adler; she had been a risky investment, and no-one had been able to tell for sure if she would succeed with the task he had given her.

However, twelve years after the time she first met Tobias, she had grown into a beautiful young lady who actually did more for his son than was stated in their contract. Of course, she still disappointed him from time to time, but all in all... he was very pleased as he watched her sit down and turn those lovely hazel eyes to the floor. He hadn’t noticed that he once again had straightened his back, even leaned slightly forwards.

“How was New Year’s eve?” he wondered casually to break the silence. As always, there was more to this question; his son was unusually troublesome on this day, and he wanted to know how it had been sorted out.

[Gabrielle Blanchard]

Gabrielle, having settled down and now attempting to relax through focusing on her breathing pace, glanced up at the man's sudden question. Of course, New Year's...

He always brought it up. Tobias loved watching the fireworks, but while he was on medication he usually fell asleep long before they even started the display. So each year, he refused to eat and attempted to hide from the caretakers to be allowed to stay up and watch. This year had been no different. The young girl silently wondered why Mr Levine couldn't just allow his son this one evening to feel clear and happy; she, herself, enjoyed the smile it brought to Tobias' face as he sat wide-eyed and stared up at the ignited night sky. It was amazing to see him so free-spirited and... genuinely feeling, compared to his otherwise quite husk-like behaviour.

"It was okay..." she mumbled softly in the direction of Oscar Levine's desk, before clearing her throat nervously. "He took his medication eventually... It was a struggle, as always."
The young girl never dared questioning her boss, even though this was one of those rare occasions when an inquiry could actually be traced in the trailing of the last words, how she let them linger in the air. Always... always... but why?

[Oscar Levine]

”Old habits die hard, I suppose, even if you might not remember that you have them” noted Oscar, without respect for either Tobias’ situation or Gabrielle’s occupation. This rather interesting habit of Tobias, to run away and hide on different occasions for more or less well-thought over reasons, had begun somewhere around after his eight birthday. It hadn’t always been just on New Year’s Eve, but also been used as a tool for him to display displeasure or annoyance, especially against specific doctors or even towards food he had decided that he didn’t like. They had tried to drug the habit away; and, in his every-day behavior they had been successful, but the willpower to celebrate New Year’s Eve had remained. Oscar didn’t want to overdose, so it was in the way it was.

More interesting, however, was that Tobias’ hadn’t always just run away of his own. No... Most of the time, he had been accompanied, and by who else than his best friend? Oscar knew that Gabrielle simply agreed to the most things that Tobias suggested, but her approval of his actions nourished the intolerable behavior.

That was why New Year’s Eve was important. Not because what Tobias refused to do, but what Gabrielle did in response to his behavior. After all, she was to follow Oscar’s orders; not his son’s.
“Did you stay up afterwards then, when he had fallen asleep, to watch the fireworks? They were quite remarkable this year.”

[Gabrielle Blanchard]

”Actually…”

Gabrielle hesitated. This would hurt. It would hurt so much! Tobias had skipped most of lunch, giving him so much energy that he outright refused to take the medication that came with the dinner. Nothing she or the personnel had done had been able to convince him of the necessity of it. He’d been so adamant about being able stay up and see those magnificent fireworks that not even a sharp order from the head nurse had been enough to convince him otherwise.

So Gabrielle had taken matters into her own hands, and spent time on convincing the staff that just one night would not hurt him. One night out of all the other nights of the year – one night out of three hundred and sixty-five; surely they could grant him this small token of happiness?

And she’d been successful. With insists on that he would be given the medication upon the end of the firework display, one of the doctors had allowed them to stay up… Tobias had promised he’d be a good boy, and together they’d watched those colourful lights from the courtyard. It had been wonderful to see that spark of interest and delight in Tobias’ otherwise quite dull green eyes, and Gabrielle had smiled all the more wider as she’d leaned her head against his arm and wished him a happy new year. They were so rare, those moments in time, that she could savour one forever.

Now, apparently, it was time to pay for it. She… just couldn’t bring herself to tell him. She’d suffered Oscar’s fury before, and shuddered at the thought of having to go through a similar ordeal again.

[Oscar Levine]

"Yes?"
There was something there, lurking in the undertone of his voice. It was something soft, almost bitter sweet, but yet very attentive as every inch of Oscar turned to focus on the girl in front of him. The inexperienced might interpret this as something positive; as kindness, pure interest or even that he would be merciful when the confession was made.

However... he was indeed interested, but the undertone suggested that he suspected that he wasn’t being told the whole truth, or perhaps even that he knew. After all, everyone who worked with Tobias’ health had to report to him now and then, both mutually and on paper, so someone could’ve told him before Gabrielle’s arrival. The one who was the first to report that something special had happened was often the one Oscar looked the kindliest upon; thus, people where often eager to be the first to snitch.

And perhaps... Perhaps Gabrielle wasn’t the first one to report that something special had happened on New Year’s Eve.

[Gabrielle Blanchard]

"... We both stayed up to watch them", she confessed shakily, clenching her fists nervously in her lap, and looking down at them as to avoid Mr Levine's gaze.

There was no use in being untruthful in this matter. Odds were he had already heard it, and if he hadn't, it would be very easy for him to make an investigation and find out the truth of the matter. Multiple people had been involved that night, and a lot more had observed them as Tobias, smiling and clapping his hands, enjoyed the fireworks outdoors. If Gabrielle sough to lie about it, the punishment would be far more severe than if the took it straight away through telling the truth.

She didn't try to defend herself either. Starting of a litany on how it had been all in good fun and what effects it had had on Tobias would only further Mr Levine's anger, if he felt any. The young girl knew by now that he did not want explanations and excuses unless he indicated so... So she shut her mouth and tried to hope for the best...

[Oscar Levine]

"I see...."
The dark green eyes, contemplating the young girl in front of him, didn't indicate that any change of emotion had occurred in him. Neither did his deep voice; he spoke just as calmy as he had did before. Therefore, it was only safe to guess that he had actually known before Gabrielle now told him: otherwise, he wouldn't been able to keep his cool.

"You know, the way you spoke before almost indicated that the night had went without any trouble. Why did you lie to me?" he wondered softly, but the soothness of his voice inciated a sudden tension. Not an outburst, but a warning to henceforth play it very safe.

[Gabrielle Blanchard]

Gabrielle swallowed as quietly as she could manage. There it was – the tone indicating danger. She’d traced it before, and it was enough to make her skin crawl with discomfort.

“… there is always trouble on New Year’s”, she carefully replied, avoiding the stern gaze of her crush’s father, “but Tobias did real good this time. When we’d watched the fireworks, he took his medication without a fight and went to sleep instantly. He was a good boy, I assure you…”

Now, the auburn-haired girl’s voice trembled from fear. She knew she had to thread real carefully in order to not set Mr Levine off when he was using that extremely calm voice of his… but so far, the number of occasions where she’d managed to keep off his edge when he’d entered this mood could be counted on the fingers of one hand. And this temper often led to accidents…

[Oscar Levine]

"What my son was - and wasn't - on New Year's isn't crucial in this situation, my dear Gabrielle..." mumbled Oscar softly, whilst he slightly tilted his head from one side to the other before straightening his neck again. The way he discretely stretched his muscles was an unconscious threat, since it was common knowledge that Oscar solved a dispute by his fists rather than his words. Even if you managed to talk your way out from a brute lecture given by Oscar's fists, you could be sure that the main reason was really because he was saving it for later. He never forgot.

"The real question is: were you a good girl?"

[Gabrielle Blanchard]

His display of coy stretching was as terrifying as if he’d clenched his fists and threatened to hurl them in her face. Gabrielle was used to his treatment: she knew his behaviour inside-out, and would’ve given anything to be rid of it quickly. The young girl had very few ideas on how to treat Oscar when he was in this kind of mood. She knew she’d made wrong by him when she’d allowed Tobias to watch the display… but in the case of the CEO of Levine Industries, admitting your faults were just as dangerous as claiming you were oblivious to them.

She shuddered, reacting with a start as he used those positive words in such a negative way.

“I… I’m…” – a trembling pause – “… no. No, I wasn’t. I tried to do what I thought was best to keep him calm… I was wrong. I’m very sorry.”

She hung her head, waiting for the reprimand. It would come, it was only a matter of time. And she wondered what it would be this time around. Trying not to think of it, Gabrielle fixated her gaze on her feet and swallowed. Nice and easy now. Please!

[Oscar Levine]

”Of course you are. You’re always sorry, Gabrielle, and yet... you continue to disappoint me.”

The broad-shouldered man sighed with distrust and disappointment, and gave a slight shook of his head before the dark green-eyes yet again focused completely on the girl in front of him. He slowly massaged his hands, and made his scarred left hand to crack at the joints when he carefully squeezed it with his other fist.

What was he to do about her? Shouldn’t she had learned her lesson by now, and know that the safer way was just to follow what had been stated in their signed contract? Yes, he was pleased, but... still...

“You’re not irreplaceable, y’know, even if my son fancies you... He wouldn’t question if you suddenly died from a fall down the stairs.“