juxtaposition

noun

1. the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.

My phone rang, waking me shortly before breakfast. Half asleep I answered it.

"Hello?" I quickly wiped the bed drool from my face.

"Good morning, Miss Twice. This is Ms Patricia Palmers. Would you be free today to talk about the job you offered me?" I sat bolt upright in bed when I heard her name.

"Yes, certainly. How does lunch sound at the Library Cafe in town? Meet you there at 12.00 noon?"

"Yes, that sounds good. See you then."

"Goodbye." I hung up and then squealed like a little girl. "Yay, I have Ms Palmers, I have Miss Palmers." I cried at the top of my lungs. No one was around to hear it. I blew my koi fish a kiss each then got up to get ready for the day.

Grant was carrying a travel coffee mug and handed it to me as I stepped out of the house. He was waiting at the town car I'd ordered for my appointments for today.

"You see chipper, this morning, Miss." Grant's smile was relaxed today.

"No calling me Miss. I'm not the young miss of the Overmeyers estate. It is inappropriate to call me that."

"Your mum married into the family and you live here. Why not?"

"You and I both know that I am a Twice. I've never been adopted, and I probably never will. Don't mistake my living here as anything other than room and board, Grant." He looked sad as I got into the car.

The appointment went well with the lawyer and Mr Anderson was perfectly happy to take me on as his client. He also became my over 18 years of age company director after we signed a power of attorney for this specific role. He then went over everything I'd set up the day before with the new company and gave me a few tips and pointers for insurance and vehicle expenses. We spoke about my first business project and he was really interested in the Arts and Antiques App and was able to put me onto a few of his contacts for authorisation for those pesky databases that weren't currently available to me yet.

I like Mr Anderson. He kinda felt like a really experienced grandpa who was checking up on his grand daughter then handing out candies for good work. He really did. Strawberry flavoured.

"We will classify this as our first meeting for the company, since you've signed a contract to have me as your lawyer. The notes I've been making, this is what we call 'minutes'. This is required for the monthly meeting we will have and you are required to keep a copy of these for seven years as part of your legal responsibilities as a company director. I'll send these to you by email once my assistant types them up." And that was the end of my first company meeting every.

Grant met me at the office building doors and lead me back to his parked estate car. He then drove me to my next appointment at the Library cafe.

Ms Palmers, Patricia was her first name. She looked much more like I remember seeing her in later years from 'before'. Her hair the other night was a matted scraggly mess, was now cut tidily into a slim looking bob cut to just below her chin. Her eyes were the darkest brown I've ever seen on a Caucasian woman. The scar on her face was covered in make up but still a bit noticeable. I already know how she got it, and wont ask. It is a sensitive topic from a life she no longer has to live.

"Good morning, Miss Lily." She was professional and calm. None of the riot of depressing emotions from the other night were evident. She looked fresh, serious and kinda felt 'spring loaded'... Do you know the feeling of watching a big cat get ready to pounce on its prey. She kinda felt like that. But I didn't feel like the prey. It was a weird juxtaposition.

"Good morning, Ms Palmers. You are looking well today." Grant helped me to sit and place my crutches within reach on the floor, then as he began to walk away I stopped him. "Come, sit and eat with us. Grant Hepburn, please meet my new friend Ms Patricia Palmers. Ms Palmers, please meet Grant."

"Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise."

"Grant works for my parents at the Overmeyer Estate. His mother is the head maid, and like a second mother to me. He's 21, single and after a handsome boyfriend, if know of any single." Grant I think choked on his spit at my introduction.

"Grant, Ms Palmers is a 7th dan black belt in taekwondo, a trained body guard, and worked as Mt Sommer's Regent Hotel's directing manager for many years before she was released for personal reasons. I like her a lot, so don't screw this up, OK?" That got a smile from both of them.

We ordered lunch and ate in companionable conversation. After lunch I ordered an Oolong tea and the others ordered a coffee. I then pulled out my contracts for employees that I typed up last night. I managed to find a copy of one of my mum's employee contacts on her business intranet and copied most of the details from that into the new contract, with my company name. I handed one to Ms Palmers then, surprising both of them, I handed one to Grant as well. He looked at me and I gave a cheeky smile.

"Don't tell Wallace I'm poaching his estate staff. He'd probably skin me alive." Ms Palmers choked on her coffee when she heard me calling the old man by his first name. I let them read and drink their hot drinks. After ten minutes I spoke up.

"So, what do you think?" Ms Palmers didn't have to think about it for long. She pull out a pen and almost signed it straight away, but paused and looked up at me.

"Are you sure you want me in your company? I have a lot of baggage, a lot of businesses that have black listed me and an ex that is trying to send me to the grave. You want that hanging around you, impacting all you try to do?" I scowled at that because it reminded me so much of everything I had lived – and died – through 'before'.

"Answer me two questions. Who is your ex-husband? And do you want to nail him to the floor?" She raised an eyebrow and that was the first real emotion I'd seen on her face the whole lunch meeting. Stoic was a great word to describe her.

"He is Matthew Channing, CEO of Channing Enterprises. And hell yes. He is scum and I want him to suffer and rot in hell," she growled out.

"Woah, that's a lot of aggression right there." Grant mumbled.

"Channing. What a small world. You know that past life I was telling you about? The younger brother was at the wheel of the car that ran me over." I didn't say any more than that, but gave her a feral look that spoke volumes about how badly I wanted to take that family of armadillo arse-wipes down.

I looked her in the eye and gave her my solemn vow.

"It wont happen anytime soon, probably years from now. But I promise you Patricia Palmers, I will make them pay for what they did to you and to me in my past life. I promise." She looked at me, eyes shifting from one side to the other, trying to read my intension, then slowly nodded.

"I believe you." Then she smiled a smile that every bit as feral as my own.

"Grant." I turned to him, not bothering to explain my past life mumbo jumbo stuff to him. "I want you on my team. You have so much potential, more than just a driver. If you sign on with me, I'll be paying your university fees to study business management with a few side papers in finances. I've noticed you're quick with numbers and know how to read people."

He looked bewildered, and began stuttering as he tried to answer me.

"I, I... I. Um... OK? I wasn't planning on going to uni. I'm already 21."

"Yes you're 21, but oh so handsome. I'm sure they will accept you as an adult applicant. Aaaannd its free for you. Come on. I need a study buddy when I start in two months time. What do you say?"