We entered the office with me leading the way and found Joseph behind his desk. He wasn’t surprised to see me or Claudia.
“Hey, guys. Miss Belle,” he corrected himself.
“You’re just in time. I’ve ordered breakfast since we don’t have the luxury of eating our wonderful cafeteria food this morning.” He looked at his watch again, blinking. I didn’t believe the time myself. “Or afternoon for that matter. I figure I’d get us a little something.”
I squinted my eyes over at him. He seemed cheerful and in good spirits. I guess the talk we had must have something to do with it. There was a bag on his desk.
“Miss Belle, since I had a feeling, you would be joining us. I got you a little something as well.”
Claudia’s eyes beamed, and became slightly wide, there was no doubt Joseph’s kindness had been met with delight. She neared his desk with me alongside her into the office. Joseph rose and opened the large paper bag on his desk that read, ‘Billy’s Breakfast Place.’
He poked through the bag, taking out a blueberry muffin and handed it to Claudia.
“You look like a blueberry muffin type of girl,” he said to her.
She grinned. “Thank you.” She dropped on one of the seats facing his desk.
“You’re welcome.” He looked pleased by her appreciation.
I was happy things were changing between them for the better.
“Joseph, you shouldn’t have. You went out and got breakfast for us?” I said.
Joseph pulled out the rest of the items one at a time.
“I love you, nephew, but not that much. Luckily for us, they deliver,” he said, and I laughed.
“That’s so good,” Claudia said, wiping at her mouth.
She looked so cute doing so.
She grabbed the orange juice Joseph had placed on the table near her end. As he motioned her to take it, she popped open the lid and sipped it.
Taking the seat next to her, I moved the chair a little closer to the desk. Leaning forward with one hand resting under my chin and my other arm resting on the armchair, I watched her. She was beautiful, even doing something as simple as eating.
She put the cup down on Joseph’s desk and took a deep breath. “God, I was starving.”
My lip curved back at her, she looked so adorable.
Joseph stood near the side of the desk staring over at us.
“What?” I asked.
He just shook his head. “Nothing, just observing. Eat,” he instructed.
“What about you?” I asked, taking the chicken biscuit he had set in front of me.
“I’m fine. This is my treat to you both.” He dropped on the other end of his desk and took the lid off his cup of coffee to take a sip.
Claudia put her muffin down, taking one of the hash browns Joseph had set on a plastic plate on the desk. She put it in her mouth and then grabbed for a napkin close by. With the hash brown between her teeth, she mumbled a distorted line in Joseph’s direction.
She stopped eating and asked, “I’m sorry, is this one yours?” She sounded silly and sweet.
“No, no, I bought those for you,” he said to her. “You eat and don’t worry about me. I’ve already had my breakfast. Sorry, I didn’t get anything else. I wasn’t sure what you liked. John failed to tell me that.” He furrowed his eyebrows at me. I just grinned. At least he was being a gentleman with her.
“Miss Belle likes everything but red meat, Joseph,” I informed him taking a bite from my chicken biscuit.
Taking a drink from his coffee, Joseph nodded his head with a grin. His head was bobbing, taking notes as I had often observed him do.
“No, meat, loves blueberry muffins and is a sucker for my nephew’s disgusting good looks. Got it.”
Claudia laughed.
“But seriously,” Joseph said, “no red meat? Religious reasons?”
“Nope. I just don’t like the taste of red meat,” she volunteered.
“Ah, I see,” Joseph said.
I wondered if she could hear him, the watch had moved a bit when he set his eyes on her. It might’ve meant she was slightly nervous when he had given her his attention.
“Okay, noted.” Joseph said.
She gave him a quizzical look. “What’s that? What are you doing?” she asked.
Joseph smiled at her.
“What’s what?” I asked her. “Oh, you mean what he’s doing? That’s just Uncle Joseph making notes in his head about what you like and don’t like. It’s a thing of his to make sure he knows what you prefer,” I explained.
“Oh,” she whispered.
Joseph gave me a look over. The only one that didn’t know the truth was Claudia, at least, about what Joseph knew.
Claudia blushed, scarfing down the hash brown. She grabbed at her orange juice again, took a sip, put it down, and then wiped at her mouth.
“Thanks again for the breakfast, Dr. Müller,” she said very sweetly. “It was really delicious.”
“You’re very welcome, Miss Belle. Please, call me Joseph. I think that’s fair since you’re now committed to my nephew.”
“Joseph,” I said, “don’t embarrass Claudia.”
He winked at her. “He told me you guys are going to prom? I thought—” he came to the other end of his desk and put a hand on my shoulder— “I told him to take you shopping …” he narrowed his eyes at me.
Claudia turned a lovely shade of red.
“Joseph,” I groaned under my breath. I liked the idea, but it was bad timing especially since she now had a dinner planned with her newly found relative.
“My treat,” he said taking out a credit card from his pocket.
The silence seemed to absorb me until she sat up next to me. She pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and seemed to fidget slightly, biting at her lip as Joseph, extended his card out for me to take. She didn’t know how to tell him of her plans, especially after his promise to check the stranger.
“I’m sorry, doctor— err—Joseph but I have dinner plans tonight.”
“Oh,” he said putting the card back into his wallet.
“Michael made arrangements with her uncle to have him join them for dinner this evening, Joseph,” I said. It was the tone and the way I said it that furrowed Claudia’s brow. I sounded accusing, and well, discouraging, to be quite honest.
“Uncle?” he looked perplexed. “I thought we agreed I would check him out first. I’m confused,” Joseph said.
“Michael said he has proof,” I interrupted. I wanted to tell him I didn’t believe it, but I didn’t want to do so in front of Claudia, who already believed in her heart she had a living relative.
“You sure this is a good idea?” Joseph asked, I shrug.
The puzzling stare Claudia was giving me, made me regret my words. But I wasn’t happy about the whole idea. The same emotions that had stirred in me before were again resurfacing, but far stronger. This connection to one another was overbearing. The watches remained steady.
“I can check him, Miss Belle, like I promised I would.”
“It’s alright,” she said. “Michael said it’s him and I trust Michael.”
Joseph nodded. “Very well.”
“Joseph,” I said as he moved away to pick up the trash on his desk and put it into the paper bag. I wanted to object, and Joseph seemed to know it.
“No, no, nephew. If Michael has checked him out, then, the man knows what he’s doing. It’s obviously very important to Miss Belle. And she trusts her guardian. We must respect Michael’s position on this. It’s none of our business.” And that was the most important part he wanted to make clear to me. It was none of our business.
“But that doesn’t mean we are not concerned about you.” He said turning to meet her eyes.
Again, her eyes widened back from her spot on the seat. I was beginning to feel just the same.
“I’m sure John has already said this, but we don’t want you to get hurt or get your hopes up. I would feel more comfortable if I had done the background check on him myself, but I understand. This is your guardian’s responsibility.”
She nodded. “Thank you for saying so, Joseph.”
He softened. There was something about the way he was regarding her now. It wasn’t the old Joseph I had seen at the beginning. He seemed to be warming up to her a lot more. Almost in the same manner that he had with me when we had first met. I often wondered if he and I had become close friends quickly because Joseph didn’t have family. It was something about guardians, none had or could have committed relationships or families. Their devotion was to their official.
Joseph grabbed the paper bag and tossed it in the trash can behind his desk. “By the way, Miss Belle,” he said suddenly. “I’m sorry if I was harsh the other day regarding the roof incident.” My mouth dropped. “You didn’t deserve that big of a punishment.”
Claudia looked just as surprised.
“Let’s write it off as time served. After all, you are dating my nephew, so I say you you’ve been punished enough.”
My nose wrinkled.
“Just kidding, nephew.”
She laughed.
Mrs. Wallace poked her head into the office. Joseph’s head spun toward the office doorway.
“It’s started, sir. The teachers want to talk to you,” she said.
Joseph nodded, “Tell them to meet me in the cafeteria.” Turning back to us, “Looks like my group is here. About time.” he said checking his watch.
“Is this why you're still here?” I asked.
“No other reason.” he winked and moved over to the entrance of his office. “By the way what are you two here for? Go, take Claudia home, John. She looks bored. Or I’m sure the mall is far more interesting and entertaining when everyone else is still in school,” Joseph said.
“We can’t leave, Joseph, we’re waiting on Claudia’s uncle to arrive. He’s meeting us here.”
“Here?” he repeated.
I nodded. He looked interested. I would have guessed he wanted to meet the guy face-to-face. Wouldn’t put it pass Joseph if that is what he wanted to do. In a way to make sure his vibes about his guy were on spot. Joseph was a human lie detector. I was sure he had already dissected the guy the first time he had met him.
“I see,” he said. “Well, this shouldn’t take me long. I’ll be back.”
I got what he was saying, even if he hadn’t said anything. He wanted me to keep him here talking.
“Hear you loud and clear, uncle,” I said.
Claudia’s nose wrinkled; the tilt of her head indicated she had no clue what we were talking about. She hadn’t heard anything. Joseph disappeared through the door and was gone.