His boss nodded. "I don't know if we have the ingredients." He looked at Mattie. "The downside is that you will have to smell yourself all day, and it could also create a problem for you with the customers. You might lose your job."
"I don't mind. I'd rather return to being a maid anyway. I liked it much better than serving drinks in the bar."
Petrov nodded. "That will probably be for the best."
"I was planning to speak with Dave about Mattie becoming our lab assistant." Dimitri unwrapped a sandwich. "I need to convince them that we will work faster if we have someone cleaning the equipment after our experiments."
Petrov smiled. "That wouldn't even be a lie. Half our day goes on cleaning the equipment and preparing it for another experiment."
33
MATTIE
"I'll wait for you in the bar," Petrov said as they entered the hotel.
"It will take me ten minutes." Mattie was beyond grateful for the escort.
She'd put on a brave face for Dimitri, but the truth was that she was terrified of encountering Tarik again, and there was a good chance that he would come to torment her or worse.
There wasn't much Petrov could do but just having him there would be a much-needed emotional support. Heck, it was necessary. She doubted she could make the rounds otherwise.
"Take your time," he said with a smile. "I'll order my first drink from the barman." He winked and headed for the bar.
His first drink had probably been as soon as he had opened his eyes, but he seemed surprisingly sober despite finishing an entire bottle of vodka. It had been half full when she and Dimitri had come down to the lab, and when she and Petrov had left a couple of hours later, it was all gone.
It was a shame, really, that he was ruining his health like that, but it was his life, and he was battling his own demons in his own way.
The staff quarters were quiet at this hour. Most of the maids and service workers were on duty, cleaning rooms or serving the midday meal in the various dining areas scattered across the complex. Thankfully, Mattie's roommates would be among them, so she wouldn't have to answer questions about where she'd been.
The door to the room she shared with three other women was unlocked because no one bothered with locks in the staff quarters. They had nothing worth stealing. Well, that wasn't true. They didn't have any possessions worth taking, but they had bodies that the immortals considered possessions as well.
Not that a lock would do them any good if an immortal decided that he wanted to get in.
Inside, she stripped quickly, tossing the wrinkled uniform into her laundry basket, and pulled a fresh set from her shelf in the closet. The white blouse was crisp, and the black trousers were properly pressed. She tucked and buttoned and smoothed until she looked presentable, then checked her reflection in the mirror hanging on the bathroom door.
Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes too bright, and she looked like a woman who'd been thoroughly pleasured. That wasn't good. The immortals would assume she'd been with one of them, which would signal that she was available and willing.
She wished Dimitri and Petrov would hurry up with that smelly pheromone-suppressing lotion, but since their workflow hadbeen disrupted so they could take turns guarding her, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.
With a sigh, she walked out the door and headed for the bar.
She found Petrov seated at his usual table with a glass of amber liquid in front of him, and he raised it in salute as she crossed the room.
"Much better," he said as she reached his table. "You almost look respectable."
"Almost?"
"The 'I just got laid' glow is hard to hide." He took a sip of his whiskey. "It's a good look on you, but you shouldn't advertise it. Hunch your shoulders and stop smiling."
"Yes, sir." Mattie rolled her eyes and made her way behind the bar, where Anil was arranging bottles on the display.
"Hi, Anil," she said, picking up her tray.
He turned, his dark eyes scanning her face with concern. "How are you doing?"
"Scared," Mattie admitted. "I'm afraid that he'll come back, or that he's told others and they'll give me trouble."
Anil's expression darkened. He glanced around the empty bar before leaning closer.
