With practiced ease, Aspen flipped the electric kettle on and started filling metal tea balls with loose-leaf tea, none of the bagged stuff that Raleigh and I were used to. Then he patted the stool closer to him, indicating that Raleigh and I should sit and get comfortable.
As we waited for the water to finish heating, we told Aspen about what had happened at the club, both inside, when Sean smacked Raleigh’s ass, and the way he’d been waiting for us in the parking lot and grabbed Raleigh. We told him about the grocery store encounter too, Sean’s threats, and the complaint Raleigh had filed against him. When we were done, Aspen’s face was drawn into a pinched frown as he poured water into our mugs and covered them with ceramic tops to steep.
“He tried to play thatmy daddy is a copwith me a few years ago when we got into it atLaces.That is one young man who has not learned the meaning of the wordno. He’s since been banned from the place for being an overbearing jackass.”
“He’s banned from Hot n’ Bothered too.”
“I should let Phoenix know what happened,” Raleigh said, pulling out his phone and firing off a text.
“That boy is seriously lacking in home training, humility, and a whole lot of other things too,” Aspen huffed. “If a kick to the nuts didn’t drive the point home, perhaps it’s time to teach a different sort of lesson.”
“Do you have something in mind?” I asked. “Because I’d love to help.”
“Not just yet, though there is an idea or two brewing beneath this perfectly styled coif of mine,” he insisted. “We might have to call in the big guns for this one though, since I believe a bit of subtlety, as well as a whole lot of trickery, might be in order if we’re going to pull this off. You two just be ready to kick back and enjoy the fallout when it goes viral.”
“Viral?” I squeaked, “Holy shit, what are you cooking up over there?”
“Not a thing, dearie, not a thing,” he replied. “This is where I teach you both an important lesson in something called probable deniability.”
“What’s that?” Raleigh asked.
“It’s where the things you don’t know can’t get you in any trouble,” Aspen explained.
“In other words,” I said. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want to be called to testify about the answers to.”
Winking, Aspen just flashed him a grin. “Precisely.”
The tea was amazing. I had no clue what kind it was, but man was it smooth and fruity, like summer in a mug.
“Now, have either of you two thought to mention to your new Daddy what is going on with Sean, or have you left him in the dark?” Aspen asked.
I squirmed beneath his scrutiny while a slow flush flowed over the bridge of Raleigh’s nose.
“We, um, we weren’t actually working for him yet when everything unfolded,” Raleigh hedged. “I mean, we, um, well…”
“We hadn’t signed the contract yet when things happened at the club, and the whole grocery store thing was the day before we started the job, so…”
“It just wasn’t something we thought we needed to concern him with,” Raleigh blurted.
I nodded along with his words. “Yeah, what he said.”
Aspen glanced between us and pursed his lips, drumming his nails on the top of the refreshment stand as he regarded us. “I can appreciate that. Only now things have changed between you, so tonight, when you finish in the shop, I hope you will share with him what you shared with me. A Daddy cannot look out for his pets properly if his pets withhold information from him.”
“You’re right,” I murmured. “Even if it’s new, we should tell him, especially since Sean spotted us here.”
“Yeah. We’ll tell him tonight,” Raleigh said.
“Good, now let’s enjoy our tea before we get back to work; the shelves aren’t going to restock themselves.”
“If only,” Raleigh said.
“Until it turned into a repeat of Mickey asThe Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” Aspen declared.
Blinking, I shot a glance at Raleigh, but he looked as perplexed as I was.
“You two have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” Aspen said, looking a tad bit exasperated.
Shrugging, I shook my head. “Not a one.”
