‘Oh, it’s anitnow, not ashe?’ Can’t say I feel very comfortable with where this is going.
‘He’ll just take her back to the breeder.’
‘Yeah, well, she’s here now. Just have to get used to each other, I suppose.’
Remember, Katherine, always receive gifts graciously, echoes my mother’s voice.
‘You’re sure?’
‘So long as I haven’t got to do any of the clean-up.’
‘Heaven forfend. Darling, that’s why we have staff.’
I sense now is not the time to complain about said staff. Besides, where would I start? I slide that thought away with the other topics I’m avoiding today.
‘If Martha can’t manage, by all means, ask Rashid to take you to a maid agency. Pick one.’
‘Shut the front door!’
‘What?’
‘You did not just say that.’
‘We’ll need a larger staff eventually, so go choose.’
‘They’re people, not pick and mix!’
He laughs loudly while I frown. Sometimes I think I’ll never get used to living here.
‘My apologies,’ he says in a more sober tone, before inhaling theatrically. ‘Sweetheart, if you need tohirea new domestic engineer, in view of our new addition, please do so.’
‘That’s marginally better,’ I mumble, as a phone rings in the background. ‘Do you need to get that?’
Kai excuses himself for a second, and I hear him thank whoever is on the end of the other line while I’m still stuck on maids.
Yes, I’d like a maid for my kitten. Oh, you only have goldfish nannies available? What a shame.
‘My driver is here.’
‘What? Oh.’ I sigh. ‘Things to see, people to do?’
‘Not a bit of it. I’ve only one person who falls under the doing category, and fair warning, when I get back in eight days, she’d better not have any plans.’
‘Eight days?’ Somehow, this comes out in a purr, which is preferable to a squeak I suppose, and my heart thumps loudly, just once. ‘The advantages of being unemployed mean exactly that.’ Eight days! Ladies and gentlemen, I have a countdown!
‘Just the way I like it. Barefoot. Naked. Chained to my bed.’
‘Easy there, Kathy Bates.’
‘Who?’
‘Man, you need to watch more TV.’
‘I’d rather spend time with you.’
‘The feeling’s mutual,’ I whisper.
‘I like mutual,’ he sort of whisper-growls back.
