My Peculiar Man

Part Eight

Autistic. 

Autistic.

Of course, I knew that. 

He had seemed different from the moment I first saw him. He was obviously not normal.

 He hadn't caught on when I had been so obviously exhausted earlier from climbing all those stairs. He probably didn't mean to insult me at the party either. 

I wondered if it was weird that I was attracted to him. He was so perfectly good-looking, so perfectly different.

And it was completely wrong of me to be thinking this. 

I had an absolutely amazing boyfriend, who also happened to love me.

Carla was studying my face intently as if waiting for my response.

"That's okay," I said tentatively, wondering if I was supposed to offer her words of comfort.

 What do I say? How do I respond? That he seemed perfectly normal? Or that everything was going to be alright? 

"He's very handsome." It burst out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

  Good Lord. Why, why did I have to say that?!

 I really, really needed to learn to control my stupid tongue.  Why did I have to humiliate myself like that when everything was going so well?

 I felt my face grow warm with embarrassment.

Carla grinned. "I know. That's part of the reason why I keep him away from the public. I don't want silly fangirls hounding him all the time just because he's good-looking, and of course my brother. He wouldn't know what to do."

In spite of the fond smile, I saw for the first time the premature lines on Carla West's face. 

She was still beautiful. She would always be beautiful.

But maybe for the first time, I truly reflected on how hard she must have had to work to amass her empire. All people saw were the glitz and glamour. But there must have been so much sacrifice to get what she had today.

"Um...I saw him on my way up here. He wanted to show me his studio. I said I'd come after."

She rolled her eyes. "He did that again? He's been showing off his studio to everyone in the office lately. He likes showing off his things, especially new things. It's okay if you don't go. I'll tell him you had to go." 

I shouldn't have felt a tiny stab of disappointment that I wasn't the only one whom he wanted to show his studio.

"Oh, no. I want to go. I mean, he was very excited."

"I'm sure he was."

There was silence for a moment.

"One last thing Elizabeth. I would like it if Ethan's condition is kept a secret. I want to protect him from media scrutiny."

"Of course ma'am. You can trust me."

"Thank you."

As I was dismissed from Carla's office, I contemplated what an enormous burden I was carrying on my chest now. Carla trusted me by accepting Ethan's autism in front of me, and I was going to honour that with my life. 

If the media were ever to find out, there would be endless coverage, endless conjectures. I understood her decision to keep Ethan away from the public eye. 

"Hey again," I smiled at Sarah when I reached the centre of the hall. She was tapping away on a keyboard. "I was wondering where Ethan's studio is? "

Sarah stopped typing immediately, smiling nervously as if I had asked her to disclose a Dalitino trade secret.