Patrick's worry being at its highest made him even more wary of Emilia's and Christopher's relationship. If she didn't know already, she was going to work it out soon enough. Or it was going to result in a huge falling out and he was going to be in the middle of it. Nevertheless, his forecast was looking rather bleak. His decision was instant.
"Good afternoon, Miss Vincent." Patrick smiled as he walked into the manor a few hours later.
"Good afternoon, Mr Cosby." Emilia smiled at him pleasantly, not any different than any time before.
"I came for a dog."
"Oh, yes! Barky is sleeping in the corner of the kitchen." Emilia cheerfully walked across the house, now familiar with its maze of corridors, so familiar that she treated it almost as her own home. She put Barky on a leash and walked back to the main hallway, with a dog obediently following, wagging its tail in excitement.
"God, that's an ugly dog."
"That's not a very nice thing to say, Mr Cosby. But yes." Emilia nodded as she squatted to scratch Bark Twain behind his ears. "May I, perhaps, accompany you to the vets and the groomer?"
"Of course. I was intending to catch you for a chat today anyways."
"Fantastic."
Emilia followed Patrick into the car, helping to get Barky into the backseat.
She sat in the passenger seat as Patrick drove towards the city.
"I know that you have university during day time so my request might not be met with an enthusiasm."
"Yes, Mr Cosby?" Emilia looked up in worry.
"There are a few events in the upcoming weeks overseas. I did wonder if you could go there for two or three weeks as they are fairly close together." Patrick's attempts to intervene in the inevitable started becoming more panicked. "Would you be able to attend your lectures remotely?"
"I should be able to catch up using the online content." Emilia nodded in agreement but her face was a little sullen. Catching up through online content wasn't comparable to being in the lectures where she could actively interact with her peers or the lecturers. "Where is it?"
"San Francisco."
"What kind of events?"
"IT and business innovation conference is one of them. Then there's an educational summit, and a dinner gala for tech leaders."
"Sounds… exciting." Emilia's face really didn't show the excitement. She was getting tired of all of the fancy events. She was getting tired of the job and the restraints it was having on her. Earning £73'000 was way above average but it increasingly felt like it wasn't worth it. And not only because of her role and decreasing satisfaction levels from it, but also because of Christopher Hayden. She hated to admit it but her stomach fluttered at the sight of him and she didn't dare to think to where it was leading. She needed to stop it before it was going to become something she couldn't contain and before she was going to end up heartbroken. "When am I expected to depart?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"What about Barky?"
"Barky?" Patrick looked over the confusion.
"The dog." Emilia looked down at her hands, trying to think of all that she had to do to be able to go. She would have to pay Maria in advance for the care. She would have to ensure Barky's care. "His name is Bark Twain."
"Who came up with that name?"
"I suggested a few names. Mr Hayden liked this one the most."
"I am sure we can arrange something with either housekeeper, groundskeeper, or one of the maids."
"But…" Emilia sighed. "Okay." She agreed as Patrick pulled over.
The vet visit wasn't that interesting. Bark Twain was a healthy dog and only slightly malnourished. Emilia registered the dog in her name and with her apartment address, and thence, he became hers.
The groomer tried their best in performing a miracle but even they failed to remove the stomach-turning odour off the pooch.
Once back in the car, Emilia contemplated of the thought of leaving the next day further.
"What time am I to leave?"
"The jet will be ready in the early afternoon."
"The jet?"
"Mr Hayden's private jet."
"No, thank you. Wouldn't it be better to fly economic?"
"It won't be quicker."
"No, but it would be less costly and more environmentally friendly than flying a private jet. Also, why a private jet?"
"You are representing Mr Hayden and that is what is expected."
"No one needs to know how I travel." Emilia shrugged.
"Okay. I can look into that. I will send you the itinerary for the duration today."
"Thank you."
Upon returning to the manor, Emilia went to pack her bags as Barky followed her into the room, settling himself comfortably on the rug at the end of the bed. The dog was happy to observe Emilia moving around and picking up the clothes as he calmly laid down and soon he dozed off.
On Monday morning, Emilia rushed to the bank then to see Maria and her mum before she agreed with Bernie that Bernie will take care of the dog for her.
Once ready, she took a bus to the airport, still unenthusiastic about her expedition.