Shark Out of Water (20 page)

“Guy, why didn’t you just call me and let me know you were stuck in a meeting. I would have picked him up myself.”

“I did not want to interrupt your work. I know you have a lot to do.”

Her heels clicked angrily across the kitchen tile. “So you sent a stranger to pick him up?” she demanded.

Guy turned to face her, frustrated by her lack of faith. “Leila is hardly a stranger. I was the best man at their wedding! I knew I could trust her to pick him up and keep an eye on him until I could get here.”

“She’s a stranger to me! And to Warren! How did she even know who she was picking up?”

“I had already showed Eli and Leila pictures of you and Warren when I met them for lunch last week and they asked about the trip to France. I sent the school receptionist a picture of Leila as well so she could guide Warren to her.”

Charlotte hardly look appeased by his explanation. “You have pictures of Leila on your phone?”

Shaking his head in frustration, Guy brought up the pictures he had taken during the wedding and tossed the phone on the table for Charlotte to see. “They were pictures I took, playing around while we waited for the photographer to set up his equipment at the wedding.”

She stared at the phone, taking in the image of Eli dipping Leila and almost dropping her as she laughed hysterically, while the rest of the wedding party stood around them. Hardly anything scandalous. When she did not say anything in response to the pictures, Guy approached her cautiously. She did not push him away when he put his arms around her shoulders.

“Charlotte, please be honest with me. Are you more upset out of jealousy, or because I allowed Leila to help with Warren without your permission?”

Struggling against his embrace, Charlotte tried to turn away from Guy, but he would not let her dodge the question. With an exasperated sigh, she finally said, “Both!”

“Why?”

“Why am I jealous? Because she’s beautiful and I walked in to hear the word pregnant seconds before I reached the kitchen and saw you two acting like you’d just won the lottery.”

Guy shook his head. “That was explained, but you are still upset about it. Why?”

“Look at me,” Charlotte said as her eyes glassed over with tears.

“I am looking at you,” Guy replied. “You are beautiful. You are the only woman I am interested in being with.”

“But, it’s only been a couple of weeks and I already look like I’ve been run over by a car…several times.”

Guy knew she was referring to the dark circles under her eyes, the difference in her once perfect skin, the weariness she could not hide. Guy could see all of that as well, but he still found her beautiful. Loosening his hold on her, he pressed his hands to her face. “Charlotte, you are ill, but it does not make you any less to me.”

“What if my hair falls out?”

Guy shrugged. “Then it will grow back later, or you can pick out a wig. It will not change how I see you.”

Though she still looked doubtful about his claims, there was a second question still left to answer. “I don’t like asking favors of people, especially ones I don’t know.”

“Why? Leila was very happy to help. They have been eager to meet you and Warren.”

“I’ve never liked having to rely on people, but it’s more than that. They’re your friends, Guy.”

Confused, he could only nod in agreement. “
Oui
, and they want to help.”

“Do they? What must they think of me? I already feel like I’m taking advantage of you. I know you’re here helping me because you care about us, and I’m so grateful for everything you do, but on the outside, it must look very different.”

Guy sighed. He was glad to know what was truly keeping Charlotte from allowing his friends to help, but it frustrated him as well that her view was so skewed. He pulled her back into his arms and pressed her close. “Charlotte, none of them think that. They know me. They know I would not be pulled in by someone just trying to use me. They understand how much I care about you and they just want to be a part of our lives.”

“I just… it’s hard enough already facing people at work and having everyone stare at me and tell me how sorry they are and look at me like I’m so sad and pathetic. I can’t stand the thought of adding to all of that and worrying that they all think I’m some kind of leech.” Her shoulders shook as she started crying.

Guy knew things were still strained between Charlotte and her mother. He had overheard arguments more than once since their return from France. No doubt, her mother’s feelings about the situation were only making Charlotte’s fears even worse. Guy could only sigh and hold her more tightly.

He had no idea how to convince her that his friends truly cared about her and Warren. She needed to get to know them to understand how closely knit they all were. They were Guy’s family here, and when one of the group needed help, everyone stepped forward. She could only understand if she allowed them to help her, yet he knew she was not ready to face her fears. “Charlotte,” he whispered,
“s'il vous plaît, ne pleure pas
. Do not cry,
ma chérie
.
Everything will be okay.”

Chapter 22

Aidez-Moi

Startled awake by the buzz of his phone in his hand, Guy dropped the device as he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. It took him a few seconds to realize it was still buzzing at him. He snapped up the phone and slid his finger across the screen. “
Bonjour?
”

“Uh, is this the parent of Warren Brooks?”

Guy almost told the caller that it wasn’t, thinking they were looking for Charlotte, but they had called Guy’s cell phone. He had forgotten that he had given the school his number after Charlotte began chemo since he was the one doing a good portion of the picking up and dropping off.

“
Oui
, well, I mean, this is Guy Saint Laurent.”

“Mr. Saint Laurent,” the caller said, garbling his name terribly, “my name is Elizabeth Roberts. I’m the principal at Warren’s school.”

Guy sat up immediately, shaking off his remaining sleepiness. “Warren is all right, yes?”

“Physically, he’s perfectly fine. He’s in a bit of trouble, though. Could you or Mrs. Brooks please come down to the school?”

Hesitating, Guy wondered what he should say. Charlotte had only been napping for an hour after her chemo treatment. He did not want to wake her, but he was also unsure of stepping in for her on something like this. Sighing, Guy doubted Charlotte would be well enough to make the trip to the school anyway. “
Oui
, I will be there shortly.”

“Thank you, Mr. Saint Laurent.”

He was too tired to care much that she mispronounced his name again. Guy struggled up from the sofa and looked around for his keys. He could not remember where he left them when he brought Charlotte home. As exhausted as he was, he was lucky he remembered where his head was. Unable to locate them, Guy reached for his coat as a last resort and discovered them in one of the pockets.

There was little chance Charlotte would wake before he returned, but Guy left a note on her nightstand just in case. He woke up the more he walked around, and by the time he made it down to his car, his head was clear enough to drive and begin wondering what on earth Warren had done to warrant a trip to the principal’s office. The answer was not immediately clear when he found his little friend sitting on a chair in the main office. He certainly did not seem upset when he jumped off the chair and launched himself at Guy.

Squatting down to his level, Guy gave Warren a brief hug before pushing him back to see his face. “Warren, what is going on?”

“It wasn’t my fault. That stupid girl started it!”

Guy knew from experience that Warren was not allowed to say stupid. Before he could chastise him, a tall, professional looking woman strode up next to them with her arms crossed and her eyes leveled at Warren menacingly. “Young man, is that appropriate language for school?”

“No, Mrs. Roberts,” Warren replied, yet he was clearly not repentant.

“Please take your seat, Warren. I want to speak to your stepfather first.”

Guy’s eyebrows rose at her mistake, but she gave him no chance to object until they were both seated in her office. Once they were settled, Guy did his best to set things straight. “Mrs. Roberts…”

She seemed to find it amusing that he had trouble pronouncing her name. It came out sounding more like “roh bear.”
Well
, Guy thought,
she did not pronounce my name correctly either.

“Mrs. Roberts, first of all, I think you should know that Warren is not my stepson. Charlotte and I are dating, not yet married.”

“Oh,” she said, seeming genuinely surprised. “I apologize for the mistake. Where is Mrs. Brooks?”

Unsure of whether or not Charlotte had explained her situation to the school, Guy struggled to answer. “Uh, she is not feeling well today. I came in her place as she was not able to leave the apartment.”

“Well, I trust you’ll fill Mrs. Brooks in on our chat when she is feeling better then.” She waited for Guy to nod before continuing. “Warren is in my office today for fighting. He and a girl in his class got into an argument during lunch recess and he pushed her to the ground.”

Guy knew he was inexperienced at caring for children, but this did not seem to be something he would judge as unusual behavior for a kindergartener. Children frequently argued and fought. He and Sabine certainly did at that age.

“Now, I know that may not seem like much,” Mrs. Roberts said, no doubt in response to Guy’s puzzled expression, “but district policy requires me to notify both parents when there is an altercation where a child is knocked to the ground. To be honest, though, the bigger problem is Warren’s ongoing poor behavior.”

“Warren has not been behaving?” Guy asked in surprise. If this was not the first instance, he was curious as to why nothing had been said before. “What has been happening?”

Mrs. Roberts frowned, though Guy was not sure if she was judging him for not being aware, or simply displeased with the situation. “Over the last several weeks, ever since he got back from his vacation, Warren has been acting out. We had hoped the winter break would solve the problem, but this week hasn’t been any better. His teacher is having a hard time getting him to focus in class, and he gets into arguments with the other students quite often. She thought he would calm back down after a while, but today’s events landed him in my office.”

“I am very sorry to learn this.”

“Has Warren been acting out at home?”

Guy considered her question. Warren was frequently impatient and had to be asked to do his chores several times before they were completed, but he was not sure it had been any worse than usual. He had only a little more than a month with Warren, and it had been a difficult time for all of them. “I have not noticed any large changes in his behavior,” Guy said cautiously, “but I am not always there to see how he is acting.”

Again, Mrs. Roberts seemed surprised. “I was under the impression that you lived with Warren.”

“Well…” Guy had barely seen his own flat in the past several weeks, but he did not want to tell her he and Charlotte were living together only to have Charlotte disagree later on. Guy hedged, half-answering the question. “I have been working night shifts more often lately. I am not with him as much as I would prefer.”

The stern principal seemed to know he was not being completely honest. Guy was sure that was a handy talent for someone in her line of work, but it made him rather uncomfortable as she sat staring at him. “Uh, what exactly was the fight about?” Guy asked in an attempt to distract her.

She narrowed he eyes a bit, but answered the question. “Apparently, Warren saw you talking with the girl’s mother today before school. When he told the little girl that her mom had to leave you alone, the girl told him her mom could do whatever she wanted. That made Warren very upset. He said you were his dad and Caroline, the little girl, couldn’t have you.”

Guy rubbed his face, confused, tired, and not sure what to say about the fact that Warren was telling everyone he was his father. “Mrs. Roberts, I am sorry for the trouble Warren caused today. His mother and I will discuss this with him tonight. He knows better than to do such things.”

“Thank you,” she said, looking very pleased.

It was tempting to end it there and walk away, but Guy was beginning to think the problem was not going to dissolve so easily. He knew Charlotte might be upset with him later, given how much she did not like to rely on other people, but he felt it was necessary.

“Mrs. Roberts, I think you and Warren’s teacher should know that Charlotte is very ill right now. She is undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia and it is very hard on her physically. She is not able to spend as much time with Warren as she usually would and I am a poor replacement. That is no doubt the reason behind Warren’s behavior lately. I will work with him, but I do ask that you and his teacher are patient, and that you keep in contact with us about his behavior.”

For a moment, Mrs. Roberts sat in her chair, too stunned to say anything. “Charlotte has cancer? Why didn’t she tell us? Of course we understand how devastating that would be for Warren!”

“Warren does not know,” Guy said quickly. “He knows she has been sick, obviously, but he does not know how serious it is. I think that is making it harder on him, but Charlotte feels it will only frighten him if he knew.”

Mrs. Roberts did not seem to know what to say to that. It took her several false starts before she was able to collect her thoughts. “Is there anything we can do for Charlotte and Warren? We have a school counselor if it would be helpful for Warren to speak with him.”

“I would have to discuss that with Charlotte first. I am a psychiatrist by profession, and I will work with Warren now that I know he is acting out, but speaking to the counselor may be helpful as well. I will discuss it with Charlotte this evening.” Guy was beginning to get anxious about leaving Charlotte alone and stood. “I do not mean to rush away, but Charlotte is at home resting.”

“Oh, of course!” Mrs. Roberts said. “Please let us know what we can do, and I will have his teacher keep you updated on his behavior from now on.”

“Thank you,” Guy said as he shook her hand. He was quick to excuse himself after that and collect Warren. They were outside the school before either of them spoke.

“You told Mrs. Roberts it wasn’t my fault, right?” Warren asked. “I knew you would tell her. Caroline is dumb! She shouldn’t have been mean to me.”

Feeling more than a little out of his depth, Guy sighed. “No, Warren, I did not tell Mrs. Roberts the fight was Caroline’s fault. You should not have pushed her down.”

Warren yanked his hand out of Guy’s and stared up at him in outrage. “You said it was my fault, too?” he shouted.

In front of the school was not the place for such a discussion. Guy took Warren’s arm again and kept walking toward his car. “Warren, you know better than to push, and boys should never strike girls.”

“But it was her fault! Caroline is the worst!”

“It is not Caroline’s fault her
maman
was speaking to me this morning. It is no one’s fault.”

“Yes it is!” Warren yelled, crossing his arms over his chest angrily.

Guy shook his head in confusion. “Why were you so angry that I spoke to her
maman?
She was only asking how your
maman
was doing. She was being nice.”

Warren’s whole body bristled. “No she wasn’t! Caroline’s mom wanted to take you away.”

“What? Warren, what are you talking about?”

His little red face was so filled with emotion, it was ready to burst. “Caroline doesn’t have a dad either!”

Suddenly, the fight began to make sense. It still did not make it right for Warren to have hurt the little girl, but Guy at least saw the reason behind Warren’s frustration. To his perspective, Guy had dropped into his life suddenly and filled the role of his father without any discussion. He could not know their situation was far from normal. His fears that Guy talking to another woman could lead to him developing a relationship and abandoning him were too great for him to deal with.

Guy pulled to a stop in front of Charlotte’s building, but as he turned to speak to Warren, the little boy had already jumped out of the car and run for the entrance. The conversation was far from over, but Guy understood that Warren needed some space. A neighbor coming out of the building nearly knocked the boy over, but after Guy waved them on, they let him inside. Guy followed a little behind, hoping Warren would calm down by the time they reached the flat.

That did not happen. By the time Guy caught up to Warren, the little boy was more red-faced than ever, lying on the ground in front of the door and kicking his feet against the wall. “Warren, stop that!” Guy snapped. “You will wake your
maman
!”

“All she does is sleep! Who cares if I wake her up?” He started kicking harder and Guy was forced to yank him up from the floor, only to have Warren begin stomping.

Guy unlocked the door and hurried Warren inside. “Be quiet, Warren,” Guy said in a harsh whisper. “Go wash your hands and change your clothes.”

“No!” Warren shouted. “This is my favorite shirt! I don’t wanna change it! You can’t make me!”

“Do not yell, and do not argue with me!” Guy snapped. “Go wash your hands and change your clothes.”

“I! Don’t! Want! To!” Warren took off running down the hallway, slamming the door when he got to his room.

Guy was at a total loss for how to handle Warren. He did the only thing he could think of. “Carmody,” he said after dialing, “
S'il vous plaît aidez-moi.
” If Carmody did not know how to help him, he had no idea what to do next.