I couldn’t explain the dull jealousy in my gut, and that annoyed me more than I wanted to admit. I reminded myself that Mila’s safety was the only thing that mattered. I didn’t have an issue feeding the men I’d hired to protect her.
That night,even though we were busier than ever, I went home. I arrived home around ten thirty, but most of the lights in the house were out. I found Oleg sitting at the island, reading a magazine.
“You’re here late.”
Shocked, he stood up when he saw me.
“Relax,” I told him, meaning it. “Sit down.”
“Thank you, boss. The outside guard had to take his dog to the vet, so he asked me to stay late.”
“Is Mila in bed?” I asked, as I made myself a drink.
“She went upstairs about thirty minutes ago.”
I felt a pang that I’d missed her. Which didn’t make sense, considering I had been spending so much effort to avoid her. I swirled my ice in my glass, hating myself for the question I was about to ask. “How’s she doing?”
“Boss?”
“Is she keeping you busy?”
He shrugged, not realizing that he knew way more about my wife’s habits than I did. “The usual.”
I took a slow sip of my drink. “What does that look like?”
Oleg cleared his throat, betraying his nerves. “After she eats breakfast, she likes to go for a walk on the beach. Sometimes she goes to a yoga class at her local community center on Monday mornings.”
“Does she have any friends?”
He shrugged. “Just us.”
“Thanks.”
His phone pinged. “The night guard just got back. I’ll see you later.”
I heated up some lasagna that I found in the freezer, walking around the family room while I waited. When I wasn’t looking, this place had gone from being a blank house to a home with cozy touches. There were plants. Big throw cushions on the couch. Candles and books on the shelves. There was even a new fabric ottoman that suited the room and the big couch.
The house had changed into something when I wasn’t paying attention. Mila had made this place feel real, warm and quiet. I had disappeared, and she had made this her space. That had been my goal, so I wasn’t sure why I felt so hollow.
The next morning,I found myself thinking about Mila. How was she doing? Was she handling the security okay? Did she like the chef? I had more than enough work to keep me busy, but instead I called Anton, Mila’s guard.
“Hey, boss.”
“How’s it going?”
A slight pause. “We’re good. We’re just downtown.”
My question was deceptively casual. “What’s Mila up to?”
“She’s at an open house at Adult Dogwood.”
“What’s that?” Was she trying to adopt a dog?
He cleared his throat clearly feeling like he was caught in the middle of something. “It’s a program that offers adult students a GED degree.”
“Her high school equivalent?”
“Yeah.” There was a note of discomfort in his voice. “She starts class tomorrow, and this is some sort of meet and greet. Should I stop her?”
