Page 26 of Unsuitable

“What happened to the maid who worked here before me?”

Cooper’s expression drops a little. “Tania. She left…well, I say left, but she upped and disappeared on us about two months ago.”

“She disappeared?” I frown.

He nods. “One minute, she was here. The next, gone. When I asked Kas about her, he just shut me down.”

“Weird,” I muse. “Had she been in prison?”

He gives me a surprised look, and I instantly blanch.

Shit.

“No, not that I know of. Why’d you ask?”

Because I’m an idiot.

“Um…I don’t know. Just with her running off…” I give an awkward shrug.

I guess I just assumed that, because of what Toby said, the Matises are employers who are willing to take on people who just recently got out of prison.

Knowing I’m the first leaves me feeling a bit weird.

“Nah, Tania was a good girl. No way she was mixed up in bad stuff.”

Yeah, because girls who go to prison are mixed up in bad stuff. And they’re definitely not good girls. Right?

The knowledge of how Cooper’s opinion of me would instantly change once he knew the truth about me leaves me feeling a little sick.

I don’t know why because I should be used to this by now.

I guess my recent encounters with Kastor Matis have left me feeling a little raw. More than I want to admit.

Cooper leans closer, lowering his voice. “I know Tash thought that Tania and Kas were…you know…” He gives a knowing look before leaning back. “I couldn’t see it myself, but if Tash was right and they were bumping uglies and it didn’t work out…maybe he gave her the push. Or maybe it has nothing to do with Kas, and Tania just went back home.”

“Home?”

“She was from Poland.”

“Oh, right.”

For some reason, I’m having visions of a tall blonde beauty and Kas liking her a lot.

But not little old jailbird Daisy.

Not that I give two shits about what Kas-hole thinks of me.

“Tash tried ringing Tania’s mobile after we found out she’d left, but it was out of service.”

“How long did Tania work here?” I ask.

“About six months.”

Feeling a bit strange about this conversation as a whole and knowing it must be time for me to get back to work, I reach into my bag for my phone and check the time.

Yep, five minutes before I have to be back to work. I don’t want to be late and give Kas-hole another reason to be shitty to me.

“Well…I should get back.” I gesture to my phone before dropping it back in my bag. “It was nice meeting you, Cooper.” I take a step away.