Grown Up
“Maturity is reached the day we don't need to be lied to about anything.” - Frank Yerby
After this…
It was morning. Such a morning.
The ranch was a flurry of activity the likes of which Cody Jean Lane hadn’t seen in a very, very long time. She drove up in her low, sleek, quiet sports car, and parked off to the side. Slowly, she pulled off her dark glasses, and exhaled. She had dressed with great care, and even now she glanced in the rear view mirror to make sure that she looked just right.
Hsu was home.
While he was gone, she had taken over the role of household organization. The housekeeper, the chef, all of the staff at the house had come to her for the details. Small things. Some not so small. Things that Andy didn’t need to be burdened with. From linens to toilet paper, from plants in the library to the care of the fine wood, Cody Jean had taken an almost obsessive interest in the care of the place. Hsu’s suite was kept absolutely immaculate. Sitting in the car, Cody had to smile, just a bit, knowing that when he walked into his room, he would have found it so perfectly cared for. There were fresh flowers, every day. His favorite shampoo, his favorite cologne…all of the things that he loved best, the very finest quality, it was all there. Cody personally checked it, every week. Never, in all the time he was gone, did she let it get dusty or stale. Clean sheets were put on the bed, regularly, so that they never lost the crisp freshness that would pamper him when he laid on it. His clothing was updated, twice a year, with custom tailored suits added in the newer fashions. Never trendy, for his style was timeless, but just enough to keep him on the edge, so that when he came back home, it would seem as though he had just been gone a day or two.
In the time since he had disappeared, she had made sure that it was as well run as it had been when he was there every day. Andy had so much to do, so much to worry about, that he didn’t need to burden himself with small things like coffee brands or bottled water. But Cody Jean knew, even in that year that she had spent with Hsu, how the smallest details mattered to the man. Plus, she felt a responsibility to the men who served Hsu, and who cared for her, to make sure that they, too, were well cared for, well fed and happy. The bunkhouse and private quarters for Andy, Lars and all the men were always well stocked with their favorites. From snacks to toiletries, Cody took care of them all. Each employee had a file on her computer, and she logged their allergies, birthdays, families, favorite foods, preferences in even the smallest things. Cody had a real knack for this sort of thing, which was a very valuable skill in the real world. It was something that made her a real help to Andy, yes, but also a marketable skill. Cody Jean had a gift for the smallest details, the little things that mattered in both business and in social interaction. She made it her business to note and remember the special things that could make people feel comfortable and appreciated. Andy’s personal assistant at the office found a lovely bouquet of her favorite ylang-ylang flowers on her desk, after she had stayed very late, several days in a row, a feminine touch and token of appreciation for a job well done that made her feel special.
Cody was exceptionally good at this, and it was something unique that she could bring to the office and Hsu’s organization, a niche that made her feel accomplished. It was a role that she protected zealously, even with Cassandra. Especially with Cassandra. In the five years that Hsu had been gone, Cassandra had attempted to “mother” Cody. Cody knew that her mentor’s mother had good intentions, but she wasn’t having any of it. For one thing, she already had a strong female guide, in Frances, and while she didn’t want to be unkind to Cassandra in any way, the fact was that many of Cass’ weaknesses irritated the living crap out of Cody. She was pushy, bug eyed when angry, shrieky and bossy. She acted like she was somehow involved in Cody’s “upbringing” while Hsu was gone, and Cody usually blew her off, doing what Andy said. Just because Cassandra was ten days older than Moses didn’t mean she knew anything about anything, and Cody endured her helpful suggestions with an eyeroll and sigh, and then blissfully went on to do as she damn well pleased. If Cody Jean needed feminine advice, she would call Frances. Period. Of course, Cassandra was no fool, and she knew that her son’s ward resented her interference, which only made her scold more. In short, the two women were not close, and when Cassandra visited, Cody Jean nipped any attempts at Cass stepping on her role as mistress of the household. Cody couldn’t tell if that amused or irritated MacDonald, but the staff knew full well who took care of their needs, and they deferred to the younger woman, giving Cody the mark in the win column.
This all came to a head about four months earlier, during the infamous row that the staff would forever refer to as the “Edelweiss Incident”. Cody, stressed from Marcus being gone, law school, lingering sorrow over David and Hannah and a host of other little things, had come to the ranch for a relaxing weekend of sleep, monthly chores and riding. Instead, she found Cassandra visiting with her new hubby. Now, it wasn’t that she couldn’t deal with Cassandra. She just flat frickin’ didn’t want to, not unless she had to. Cody still managed to be a very nice hostess at dinner on Friday night. Cassandra’s husband, Miguel, was a charming Spaniard Immortal. Absolutely divine. Cody Jean smirkingly asked Andy, in the hall, how she managed to land this one, and Andy scolded her for being a brat. Heh, Cody didn’t care one bit.
On Saturday morning, bright and early, Cody intended to do her monthly sweep of Hsu’s rooms, making sure that his jewelry was polished, his things laid out just the way he would have them, his linens fresh and his private quarters just the way he would want them, if he were home. However, when she bounced into the bedroom, she found Cassandra there, and she scowled. To Cody, it was an invasion of her job, and Hsu’s space. To Cassandra, it was the natural care of a mother who missed her son. Both were right. Both were caring for Hsu, right up to the point where Cody Jean noticed that the edelweiss plants were not in their places next to the bed and in the bath. Cassandra had taken them out and Cody Jean went very cold, very still and very…well, Hsu-like. In a frosty voice, she ordered the return of the plants, which were Hsu’s favorite flower. She also crisply informed Cass that should she have any needs in her guest suite, that the staff would be happy to assist her, but that the master’s suite was private. The two women faced off, and while Cody was the smaller and younger, it was Cassandra who backed down. Perhaps she didn’t care to push the point. Or, perhaps she recognized that Cody had, indeed, learned much from her mentor. Either way, it was a very tense situation, one that Cody was pretty sure Andy missed by design or by pure luck.
With a sigh, she opened her car door, and she got out. Clad in a tight, straight black skirt to her knees, with a beautiful amber colored silk button blouse that set off the flecks of gold in her brown eyes, Cody looked older and professional. She wore black stockings and Italian leather pumps, and subdued but elegant gold jewelry. The last time she had seen Hsu Danmei, she had been wearing bell-bottom jeans and a peasant top, with cheap costume jewelry and wild hair. Now, Cody reached up to smooth her blonde hair in its sleek chignon. Instead of bounding across the yard, she stepped gracefully in the heels, walking around to the back door by the kitchen, where she entered quietly. The cook told her that Hsu and Andy, and others, were in the library.
Cody suppressed a sigh, and poured herself a cup of chai tea from one of the three silver pots on the sideboard. She checked the coffee, saw it was low, and quietly told the cook to prepare a fresh pot, and to set out some of the teacakes and fruit. She took her stack of mail from the spot where it was always placed, and her china cup, and went up the back stairs to her room, which was now more of an office than a real bedroom. She slept there so infrequently, these days. Setting her cup and saucer down on her desk, she powered up her computer to begin reviewing the monthly household bills and logs. Cody knew that they would call for her when they were ready. In the meantime, she kept her door open, and she took care of the tasks that were hers.
Some people say that the definition of adulthood is when you WANT to sleep. Some say it’s when you no longer need people lying to you to be happy. Cody Jean thought that the definition of adulthood is getting on with your job, even as the world was spinning off its axis and not making sense. Hsu Danmei left here when she was a young girl, and he was home. But she wasn’t a girl, not anymore. Too much had changed in five years for her to ever be the same.
Cody Jean Lane
Highlander OC
1660 words
After this…
It was morning. Such a morning.
The ranch was a flurry of activity the likes of which Cody Jean Lane hadn’t seen in a very, very long time. She drove up in her low, sleek, quiet sports car, and parked off to the side. Slowly, she pulled off her dark glasses, and exhaled. She had dressed with great care, and even now she glanced in the rear view mirror to make sure that she looked just right.
Hsu was home.
While he was gone, she had taken over the role of household organization. The housekeeper, the chef, all of the staff at the house had come to her for the details. Small things. Some not so small. Things that Andy didn’t need to be burdened with. From linens to toilet paper, from plants in the library to the care of the fine wood, Cody Jean had taken an almost obsessive interest in the care of the place. Hsu’s suite was kept absolutely immaculate. Sitting in the car, Cody had to smile, just a bit, knowing that when he walked into his room, he would have found it so perfectly cared for. There were fresh flowers, every day. His favorite shampoo, his favorite cologne…all of the things that he loved best, the very finest quality, it was all there. Cody personally checked it, every week. Never, in all the time he was gone, did she let it get dusty or stale. Clean sheets were put on the bed, regularly, so that they never lost the crisp freshness that would pamper him when he laid on it. His clothing was updated, twice a year, with custom tailored suits added in the newer fashions. Never trendy, for his style was timeless, but just enough to keep him on the edge, so that when he came back home, it would seem as though he had just been gone a day or two.
In the time since he had disappeared, she had made sure that it was as well run as it had been when he was there every day. Andy had so much to do, so much to worry about, that he didn’t need to burden himself with small things like coffee brands or bottled water. But Cody Jean knew, even in that year that she had spent with Hsu, how the smallest details mattered to the man. Plus, she felt a responsibility to the men who served Hsu, and who cared for her, to make sure that they, too, were well cared for, well fed and happy. The bunkhouse and private quarters for Andy, Lars and all the men were always well stocked with their favorites. From snacks to toiletries, Cody took care of them all. Each employee had a file on her computer, and she logged their allergies, birthdays, families, favorite foods, preferences in even the smallest things. Cody had a real knack for this sort of thing, which was a very valuable skill in the real world. It was something that made her a real help to Andy, yes, but also a marketable skill. Cody Jean had a gift for the smallest details, the little things that mattered in both business and in social interaction. She made it her business to note and remember the special things that could make people feel comfortable and appreciated. Andy’s personal assistant at the office found a lovely bouquet of her favorite ylang-ylang flowers on her desk, after she had stayed very late, several days in a row, a feminine touch and token of appreciation for a job well done that made her feel special.
Cody was exceptionally good at this, and it was something unique that she could bring to the office and Hsu’s organization, a niche that made her feel accomplished. It was a role that she protected zealously, even with Cassandra. Especially with Cassandra. In the five years that Hsu had been gone, Cassandra had attempted to “mother” Cody. Cody knew that her mentor’s mother had good intentions, but she wasn’t having any of it. For one thing, she already had a strong female guide, in Frances, and while she didn’t want to be unkind to Cassandra in any way, the fact was that many of Cass’ weaknesses irritated the living crap out of Cody. She was pushy, bug eyed when angry, shrieky and bossy. She acted like she was somehow involved in Cody’s “upbringing” while Hsu was gone, and Cody usually blew her off, doing what Andy said. Just because Cassandra was ten days older than Moses didn’t mean she knew anything about anything, and Cody endured her helpful suggestions with an eyeroll and sigh, and then blissfully went on to do as she damn well pleased. If Cody Jean needed feminine advice, she would call Frances. Period. Of course, Cassandra was no fool, and she knew that her son’s ward resented her interference, which only made her scold more. In short, the two women were not close, and when Cassandra visited, Cody Jean nipped any attempts at Cass stepping on her role as mistress of the household. Cody couldn’t tell if that amused or irritated MacDonald, but the staff knew full well who took care of their needs, and they deferred to the younger woman, giving Cody the mark in the win column.
This all came to a head about four months earlier, during the infamous row that the staff would forever refer to as the “Edelweiss Incident”. Cody, stressed from Marcus being gone, law school, lingering sorrow over David and Hannah and a host of other little things, had come to the ranch for a relaxing weekend of sleep, monthly chores and riding. Instead, she found Cassandra visiting with her new hubby. Now, it wasn’t that she couldn’t deal with Cassandra. She just flat frickin’ didn’t want to, not unless she had to. Cody still managed to be a very nice hostess at dinner on Friday night. Cassandra’s husband, Miguel, was a charming Spaniard Immortal. Absolutely divine. Cody Jean smirkingly asked Andy, in the hall, how she managed to land this one, and Andy scolded her for being a brat. Heh, Cody didn’t care one bit.
On Saturday morning, bright and early, Cody intended to do her monthly sweep of Hsu’s rooms, making sure that his jewelry was polished, his things laid out just the way he would have them, his linens fresh and his private quarters just the way he would want them, if he were home. However, when she bounced into the bedroom, she found Cassandra there, and she scowled. To Cody, it was an invasion of her job, and Hsu’s space. To Cassandra, it was the natural care of a mother who missed her son. Both were right. Both were caring for Hsu, right up to the point where Cody Jean noticed that the edelweiss plants were not in their places next to the bed and in the bath. Cassandra had taken them out and Cody Jean went very cold, very still and very…well, Hsu-like. In a frosty voice, she ordered the return of the plants, which were Hsu’s favorite flower. She also crisply informed Cass that should she have any needs in her guest suite, that the staff would be happy to assist her, but that the master’s suite was private. The two women faced off, and while Cody was the smaller and younger, it was Cassandra who backed down. Perhaps she didn’t care to push the point. Or, perhaps she recognized that Cody had, indeed, learned much from her mentor. Either way, it was a very tense situation, one that Cody was pretty sure Andy missed by design or by pure luck.
With a sigh, she opened her car door, and she got out. Clad in a tight, straight black skirt to her knees, with a beautiful amber colored silk button blouse that set off the flecks of gold in her brown eyes, Cody looked older and professional. She wore black stockings and Italian leather pumps, and subdued but elegant gold jewelry. The last time she had seen Hsu Danmei, she had been wearing bell-bottom jeans and a peasant top, with cheap costume jewelry and wild hair. Now, Cody reached up to smooth her blonde hair in its sleek chignon. Instead of bounding across the yard, she stepped gracefully in the heels, walking around to the back door by the kitchen, where she entered quietly. The cook told her that Hsu and Andy, and others, were in the library.
Cody suppressed a sigh, and poured herself a cup of chai tea from one of the three silver pots on the sideboard. She checked the coffee, saw it was low, and quietly told the cook to prepare a fresh pot, and to set out some of the teacakes and fruit. She took her stack of mail from the spot where it was always placed, and her china cup, and went up the back stairs to her room, which was now more of an office than a real bedroom. She slept there so infrequently, these days. Setting her cup and saucer down on her desk, she powered up her computer to begin reviewing the monthly household bills and logs. Cody knew that they would call for her when they were ready. In the meantime, she kept her door open, and she took care of the tasks that were hers.
Some people say that the definition of adulthood is when you WANT to sleep. Some say it’s when you no longer need people lying to you to be happy. Cody Jean thought that the definition of adulthood is getting on with your job, even as the world was spinning off its axis and not making sense. Hsu Danmei left here when she was a young girl, and he was home. But she wasn’t a girl, not anymore. Too much had changed in five years for her to ever be the same.
Cody Jean Lane
Highlander OC
1660 words