“Leave it on,” Mosavi said with a teasing grin before shoving a wad of cash into the lacey strap around Roscoe’s waist. “It pleases me.”
“Hell, I didn’t know I’d be paid,” Roscoe said, glaring at me before doing a clumsy twirl before putting a finger in his mouth, biting it seductively. This was him getting back at me. At first, it had been just a mild irritation, but the maid outfits got more and more elaborate and harder to ignore.
Randall and Steve snickered at the other end of the table, and Blake lifted the skirt.
“Dude, are you wearing panties?”
Roscoe slapped Blake’s hand away. “Sir, I am a lady.” He made sure to sayladyin a much deeper voice while looking at me.
“What would work better at blinding me right now? Bleach or chlorine?” Austin asked, looking over at Adam. “I can’t believe you had sex withthat.”
“It was a dark and desperate time,” Adam said, shooting me a smile. “We’ve all done things we regret.”
“All right. I’ve had enough,” I said, shooting up from my chair while pulling out my phone. “You know what would please me? Entertainment with dinner.” I pulled up the video of Mosavi and began playing it.
“Take that stupid outfit off, Roscoe!” the mayor shouted in a panic.
I stopped the video and took a deep breath through my nose before sitting back down. “All right. Now we’re going to have a nice Christmas dinner.”
“I really hate you,” Mosavi growled.
“No, you don’t. You loooove me, remember?”
“Honey, don’t poke the bear anymore,” Willa whispered into my ear, sounding unusually worried. “So, how’s the construction coming along?” she asked, changing the subject.
“We’ve got the extra foundation laid, and more support beams in place. We’ll be able to start on the second floor soon,” Randall said.
“Second floor?” I asked loudly as Roscoe came back into the dining room now completely nude. “I thought you guys were just adding onto the house… laterally.”
“Roscoe,” Mosavi said calmly, closing his eyes while letting out a low growl. “I want you in clothing.”
“But I didn’t bring none except for the maid’s outfit.”
The mayor rubbed his temples in a circular motion. “Put on a pair of my sweatpants.”
“Yes, yer majesty,” he said before turning back around. “Oh! Dinner’s almost done.”
“We’re opening up the kitchen a little more, making the dining room bigger while also moving the front door to where the garage was. The house is old, but she’s got some good bones,” Blake said, pulling a folded sheet of paper from his pocket and sliding it toward the mayor. “Oh, and uh… we’re gonna need a bit more money to finish the project.”
Mosavi picked up the paper and unfolded it. “What happened to all the money I’ve already given you?”
“You know… inflation. Tariffs. Taxes—contractor fees.”
Mosavi folded the paper and slid it back across the table. “I see.”
“Yeah, so, uh… we’ll need it before next month so we can finish.”
I knew Mosavi too well, and the calmer he was, the more worried everyone should be. He didn’t respond to the audacious request; instead, he picked up his glass of scotch and lapped at it with his tongue.
“Blake, was it?” Mosavi asked as Roscoe walked back into the elaborate dining room wearing a pair of slacks that barely fit.
“Yes sir.”
As Roscoe sat down next to me, a rip broke the uncomfortable silence. I could practically feel the heat coming off Mosavi’s body.
“I’ll give you the money next week,” he continued, not looking at Roscoe as he spoke through a tight grimace. “You’ll simply need to come here to collect it.”
Blake’s ears perked up and he nodded with a clueless smile. “You got it, sir! What time do you want me to come by?”
