Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54509 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54509 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
“Are you good in here?” he asked.
“Yes. It’s great. Thank you.”
“It’s yours for the time you are here, not just tonight, so if you want to leave things rather than hauling them back and forth, it will be fine. My staff are trustworthy.”
“Do they know about our arrangement?”
“No. They are on a need to know basis and that is not something they need to know. However, they are well versed in not repeating anything that happens in this house. They’ve all signed non-disclosures with serious penalties if violated.”
Aileen had a feeling that the comment was to serve as a warning to her, as well, though he hadn’t said it. She tried not to take offense. The fact was that she was a stranger and this was a business arrangement. It would be unwise to think that she was of any more importance than his cook or gardener. It shouldn’t be that hard with his rather abrupt mannerisms, but there was something about him that she found oddly appealing. Perhaps, it was just a desire for the unobtainable. Nothing good ever came of that.
“Anyway, this is your room and you are free to do as you wish the rest of the evening. Oh, there is a remote in the nightstand that moves down the panel above the dresser and operates the television behind it. There are several streaming services installed if you want to watch a movie. The kitchen is at your disposal if you want a snack or a drink. The bathroom is stocked with linens, toiletries and such, in case you need anything you didn’t bring with you.”
“Thank you,” she told him.
“See you in the morning at eight sharp. Be up and be ready. I don’t tolerate lateness.”
“I will be,” she replied.
“Goodnight then,” he said, turning to exit the room, but pausing at the door. “Do you want the door open or closed?”
“Closed, please.”
He nodded and pulled it shut as she echoed his goodnight back to him. Aileen stood looking around the room. It was gorgeous, like something out of a home and garden magazine, but there was something cold about it, as well. It was generic, nothing cozy about it. She supposed that was always the case with guest rooms. They were intended to make your stay comfortable, but not so much so that you would be reluctant to leave when the time came.
She showered and slipped into a pair of leggings and t-shirt she had packed to sleep in. Usually, she slept naked, but had decided she’d be better off in something that she could feel comfortable padding down to the kitchen in if she got up for a drink or something in the night.
She was tempted to call Cassie and tell her what was happening, but it was against the rules. Plus, something told her that it would only bring her more grief. Cassie wouldn’t approve. The sad truth was that Cassie had been her only friend for a while now and she had clung to her as some sort of life raft, but they had grown apart with Cassie’s pending nuptials. They were on two very different paths and neither approved of the other’s choices. Perhaps it was time to just let her go.
She set the alarm on her phone and plugged the charger in by the bed, letting it work its magic to replenish the battery. Slipping between the sheets, she retrieved the remote and turned on the television. After flipping through most of the channels, she switched to one of the streaming services and selected an older romantic comedy to watch. It reminded her of her current circumstance, two people pretending to be in love for money.
Eventually, she fell asleep and slept surprisingly well for a woman in the home of a strange man. When the alarm went off, she climbed out of bed, put a few things in a dresser drawer to leave behind and tossed the rest back in her bag before making her way downstairs.
She was ten minutes early, so at least that should make Yakov happy. While she waited, she went to the kitchen to grab some orange juice and leaned on the counter drinking it until she heard voices approaching. Several women turned up in the kitchen doorway, laughing and chatting amicably until they saw her.
“I’m sorry. We didn’t know anyone was here,” one of them told her.
“I was just leaving,” she replied.
There was no reply, only hushed whispers and another round of low giggles as she made her way down the hallway to wait in the foyer for Yakov to arrive. This might not be an actual booty call, but she felt no less awkward than if it had been an actual walk of shame.
“There you are. Ready to go then?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s get you home then,” he told her, starting for the door ahead of her.