"Well, notliterally. I’d say removing him from his water and just letting him flop around on the counter would be the worst thing."
"You know what I mean,” she says, yawning. “Besides, Xavier already fed him this morning.”
Christ,Xavieragain. Why can’t he just stand still and watch for trouble, like every other bodyguard? Dropping a few more defiant pellets into the bowl, I say, “Chester’s been absolutely fine for the past two years that he's been living with me, so I really don't see how letting him have one more little meal in his day is doing any harm.”
“The guy at the store said four pellets a day, max.”
“The guy at the store doesn’t know how athletic Chester is.”
“Athletic?”
“Yes,” I nod indignantly. “He’s constantly swimming around. If there were an Iron Fish race, he’d win.”
Tessa laughs at me and shakes her head. “Oh, would he, now? And how would he ride the teeny bicycle?”
I give her a sideways grin. “With his fins. Now come on, let’s get you back to bed for a while. I’ll even lay with you until you fall asleep.”
Tessa raises one eyebrow skeptically but takes my hand anyway and allows me to lead her to the bedroom.
“I’ve told the PR team the truth but that it’s not to be leaked. They’re going to say you had a sudden bout of food poisoning.” I pull off my suit jacket and tie, dropping them on the chair next to the bed, then toe off my shoes.
“Okay. That sounds smart. Let’s just hope people buy it. Apparently, the media is under the impression that I’ve developed a sudden and serious drinking problem.” She crawls into bed, and I get in with her, maintaining a safe distance.
“Not to worry. Once the news of the baby is out, they’ll forget all about Vomitgate.” I yawn and close my eyes. Oh, this bed is deliciously comfortable.
“I wonder if I’ll ever get used to...” Her voice grows distant as I feel myself drifting off to sleep.
I wake to the sound of pages flipping. When I open my eyes, Tessa is sitting up in bed, readingHealthy Mum and Babymagazine, which Xavier picked up for her earlier this week.
She grins down at me and runs her hand over my cheek. “Feel better?”
“I feel amazing. What time is it?”
“Nearly one. You’ve been asleep for over four hours.”
I bolt out of bed. “Oh fuck, I’ve missed two meetings and a lunch.”
“It’s okay. I texted Vincent and told him to cancel them. He was going to make up an emergency for you. I thought it best to let you sleep...even though you obviously didn’t need it.”
“Obviously not,” I say, giving her a little grin of admission.
“Because sleep is for normal humans.”
“Exactly. Which I am not.” I pull my collar up so I can put my tie back on. Giving Tessa a quick kiss on the lips, I say, “I should run. I’ll be back by five.”
I turn and hurry out of the room, grabbing my suit jacket on the way.
“Don’t forget your mask and cape!” Tessa calls to me.
“Already got them!” I holler as I rush out the door.
