Mahalia Dilemma

3

    Mahalia groaned inwardly, seeing Elvira Watterson in the same seat she'd been sitting in yesterday, smiling at her like a  cheshire cat.

     “Oh sweetie, it's good to see you again” Elvira said standing up and walking towards Mahalia, who took a step back. But Elvira clamped her claws—ehm, manicured hands, ehm—on Mahalia's shoulders and guided her to a seat in the dinning set on the side patio over looking the lush land and gardens.

     “Seems like a beautiful day to have breakfast outside, don't you think?” Elvira asked, signalling for Sally Anne to bring the food out.

      Mahalia felt tongue tied. Elvira was always the social butterfly and loveable but growing up in this household, she always made sure to avoid being sighted by Elvira.

      “So how have you been? It's been years right?” Elvira asked.

    Shaking her head physically, Mahalia gave Elvira Watterson her own cheshire looking smile,“Yes, ten and a half years to be precise.”

       Elvira threw her bone straight, almost waist length sangria red hair over her creamy alabaster shoulders, and shook her head ruefully. “I don't think I can be that far away from family”

       Mahalia shrugged, not really understanding the reason for this chitchat. “I'm guessing this conversation is leading somewhere I won't like, so I'll stop it here.”

      Elvira looked taken aback by her take charge tone, and attitude but didn't let it affect her smile as she took a sip of the cool white wine one of the housekeepers dropped off along with the rest of the food.

     “Heavens dear.” Elvira said, her sparkling bottle green eyes smiling. “I'm just wondering, why someone would hitchhike out of Chesterfield the way you did, didn't come back for ten years and suddenly, here she is”

      Mahalia looked around the lush grounds, the beautiful walkway leading to the pool and guest house, and if you knew the lands as well as she did. You could be skinny dipping and eating fresh apples all at the same time. It felt like home.

     “Home is where the heart is” Mahalia said, her eyes still fixated on the lush gardens where bees were buzzing. “I never thought I'd say it, but Chesterfield is home”

      She turned to look at Elvira, “I've been running away and dodging it, but I believe this is where I'm meant to be at this stage in my life.”

     Elvira smiled at her, but this time it was a genuine smile. “Well, I know at the moment your jobless and I need a manager for one of my stores, are you interested?”

     Mahalia pondered the buttery offer,and that of Grant earlier. She knew Sally Anne must have been talking to these people but she didn't want the help,at least not from Grant or Elvira Watterson.

     “I'll have to turn it down” Mahalia said standing. “Chesterfield has a lot of businesses and I'm sure I could find a job outside the McArthur-Watterson business empire....”

     Take a few days to think ruminate over the offer” Elvira said, with another wolfish smile, “Who knows, you might find my offer tempting.”

      Mahalia shook her head, “I'll see myself out,” Her appetite was ruined and it was ruined for the whole day.

    Still ruminating over the fact that she'd gotten and turned down two very lucrative job offers in one day,she missed the fact that a pair of changeable blue eyes was watching her stew and was in her line of path.

     Grant Watterson steadied her on her feet, when she marched head first into him. His hands on her delicate shoulders, that showed the tiniest bit of stretch marks, from the halterneck dress she had on.