He was shocked at the abuse she had to take, and the stress she was under, and he admired her immensely for her grace and poise, and strength. Although to him she readily confessed that she had an overwhelming urge to strangle Susie every time she saw her. And he didn’t blame her a bit.
In the weeks he’d been in New York with them, Simon had somehow become her confidant. He was smart, interested, and there every night. Blaise was surprised at the things she told him, how much she trusted him, and valued his opinions and advice about her life. And he was equally open with her about his own. He confessed the secrets of his childhood, his fears about his life and if he’d ever make something of himself, his regrets about Megan and the unhappy relationship he’d fallen into with her. And they talked about Salima a lot, and Blaise’s dreams for her. She wanted her to find a career path that was meaningful to her. It was the same advice her father had given her at the same age. Blaise wanted her to have a job she loved, to give meaning to her life. The rest would fall into place after that.
Simon respected Blaise enormously for the things she said. And despite the times she knew she hadn’t been there for her, Simon admired the kind of mother she was. Her heart was in the right place. And living under one roof, Blaise’s relationship with Salima was flourishing.
Both Simon and Blaise were surprised by the multitude of subjects they discussed, sometimes until very late at night. And neither of them felt the difference in their ages. They were just two people who had become friends, and respected each other, and liked each other better every day.
Both of them took pride in Salima’s progress. Thanks to Simon, she was more independent than she ever had been. She had learned how to do countless new things, and she was much more willing to go out into the world. But she still refused to use a cane, or talk about a dog. She was perfectly happy being with him.
“But what if I’m not here one day? If you’re a famous singer on a concert tour? You think I’m going to do that with you?” He teased her to make the point.
“You’d better!” she shouted at him and gave him a playful shove. She was totally comfortable with him now too. He was like the big brother she’d never had. “That’s your job!” she reminded him.
“What? Follow some crazy rock star around, while you sign autographs and keep me up all night, fighting off your fans? Hell, no! I’m going back to Massachusetts to live out my life in peace.”
“You’d be bored to death now after New York,” Salima said to him, and what she said was truer than she knew. He had been thinking that himself. He was having a ball in New York. And he loved spending time with Salima and Blaise. It no longer felt like a job to him after he had been there for a while. It had begun to feel like home, and they had a lot of fun together. His time with them had turned out to be none of what he expected. And when Eric called to check on him again, he told him so.
“Well, don’t wind up staying there with them,” Eric said mournfully, well aware that Blaise could afford to pay him far more than the school, and might steal him from them. “I’m expecting you back when we reopen in January,” Eric reminded him, but it seemed like a long way off. And Simon knew he had a contract with them that he had to honor until May. But in the meantime, he was thoroughly enjoying New York and everything it offered. And their dinners together every night felt like family. He loved his long conversations with Blaise.
Blaise was helping him clear the table one night and loaded the dishwasher with him, while Salima had a lesson with Lucianna later than usual, and Blaise was complaining about the network again. She couldn’t stand Zack Austin as her boss, and the trouble and angst he created for her every chance he got. Susie’s upcoming live interview still stuck in her throat, and the unpleasant, supercilious way Zack spoke to her sometimes made her want to quit. With his propensity for firing people without warning, she was tired of living with a sword over her head all the time. The tension he created around him was palpable and not the way she wanted to work.