I open the door as he makes his way up the front steps. “Reilly, good morning. I have a package for you from Elton,” Jeeves says, as formal as ever, which is a slight contrast to the tattoos that peak underneath his always sharp suit. Or the slightly haunted look in his eyes that creeps out sometimes.
“Want to come in? I’m icing cupcakes. You’re welcome to one,” I say, cheerfully, always trying to counteract his reserved nature.
“I’ll pass, thank you,” he declines politely. He may come across as aloof, but he is never rude.
“Maybe you could take one back for Neive?” I offer.
“Or even Elton,” he responds stoically, even as his lips twitch at the corner of his mouth. I roll my eyes at his performance, knowing I’m starting to sneak inside the shell of the elusive Jeeves.
“Come on, the girls are with me. They can be ferocious, so don’t sit too close to them.” I let him in and lead him through to the kitchen. “Thea, Sarah this is Jeeves. Jeeves, these are my friends.”
He nods at them in greeting. Sarah’s the first to jump. “Is Jeeves your real name?”
“No.” He sets the package on the table by the door, hands clasped in front of him. I don’t think he wants to be here but I guess the idea of taking something back to Elton from me was too good to pass up.
“Will you tell us your real name?” Thea asks. His eyes flick to hers and I swear his pupils darken.
He holds her attention a beat before replying, “No, ma’am,” ever so slightly softer.
Thea and Sarah pepper him with more intrusive questions about himself and Elton, which he skilfully avoids answering. I ice a couple of cupcakes and pop them in a container for him to take back, releasing him from my friends’ claws.
“Have a good day, ladies.” He lifts a hand in goodbye and shuts the door behind him, carefully balancing the container in his other hand.
“I call dibs,” Sarah declares, throwing her hand in the air.
“You can’t call dibs on him. We both saw him at the same time. Plus, you’ve already had Charles. You don’t get both friends.”
“When did you have Charles?” I ask, astonished at this new information.
“I haven’t had Charles. I kissed him. No biggie.” She shrugs it off, not a hint of disappointment. “Thea, what are you going to do with Jeeves anyway? He definitely doesn’t fit your mother’s requirements or yours. It would be a waste of a fuck.”
“No one is calling dibs on Jeeves. I’ve got enough to work through with Elton without one of you fucking his friend/employee or whatever he is.” I shut this debate down. “That includes Charles,” I add, pointing my finger at Sarah. She holds her hands up at me in defence, shocked I would even need to point it out.
“Oh, so you will be working through things with him?” Thea squeals.
Yes, I will. And I’ll be starting by putting a stop to extravagant gifts. I have to force myself to close the lid on the sparkly bracelet he’s sent over, I’m half tempted to keep this one.
~
Elton
“Well, was she pleased?” I ask, holding the cupcake in front of my face. I had sent a beautiful diamond tennis bracelet around to Reilly’s. It’s just the start of my wooing process, showing her the things she could have and how her life could be.
“She didn’t open it. She had friends there.” Jeeves sits in front of my desk, his arms crossed and leaning back in his chair. He runs a finger along his lip. There’s something unnerving about Jeeves in a relaxed state, it’s a paradox.
“Go on then. What is it?” I ask. I take a small bite of the icing on top of the cake. Something floral and vanilla fill my mouth. God, she’s good, and she’s wasting away in someone else’s bakery.
“I know this would be the usual route to go down, but Reilly isn’t like the women you’ve dated before. Diamonds aren’t going to impress her. Based on her house and surroundings, I would say they may make her feel uncomfortable.” He adjusts his sleeves slightly awkwardly. We both grew up lacking material and emotional basics, but he took a little longer to come around and accept the help I offered him.
“Mmm maybe.” I forget how exceptionally perceptive Jeeves is and I value his opinions on all things. He definitely has a point. What am I thinking, trying the same old rubbish with Reilly? She’s not like the women I’ve previously dated.
I take another bite of cupcake, ignoring Jeeves’s loud tapping as he writes an excessively long email.
“Reilly holds no value over material objects,” he says without looking up from his phone.
He’s right, she doesn’t. Unless it’s top-of-the-line baking equipment. But even then, she wouldn’t accept it from me. Iroll the sleeves of my shirt up, finding myself agitated at my lack of imagination. We are still negotiating about how much I’m paying her for the lessons. She’s got a bakery business to start, and I can help her.
Jeeves stands, pockets his phone and does the button up on his jacket. I open a tab on my desktop to find ideal commercial space in the area.
