Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 90682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Food is my love language. I’m not a great cook, but I can bake well enough to be on any baking competition show.
I shake the feathers out of my head. “Of course I’d be glad to help you guys out. You said it was only for a little bit?”
“Yeah.” Molly swallowed a lump so big I could see it. “Okay, so there’s one more thing.”
“What?” What more could there possibly be? Wasn’t her asking me to harbor one of Eli’s clients—a man I didn’t know—enough? Sheesh.
“He’s kind of…” Her sentence trailed off.
I waited patiently.
“He’s kind of…a giant asshole.”
I stare at the asshole and his cowboy boots and his tight T-shirt with the flannel over the top, the scruffy jeans and the scruff on his chin.
I wonder what he sees as he stares back at me, our stilted conversation about his meals still lingering in the air. Does he honestly expect me to fetch him dinner? Or supper as he called it?
From the looks of it, he does.
I may be sweet as pie, but I have my limits. The only thing I discussed with Eli and Molly was housing this guy, not feeding or clothing him. Not doing his laundry or picking up after him. Not entertaining him either.
Someone obviously didn’t give him the memo.
Somewhere in his pocket, his phone makes a motorcycle sound, and he pulls it out, nodding to himself. He taps out a message to whoever was on the other end, then stuffs it back into his pocket.
“That was Eli. He just landed.”
“Guess you hadn’t needed to climb through my window and break in after all.”
He doesn’t agree with me. “Seein’ as I landed early, I prolly would have done it anyway.”
Seein’ as I landed early, he prolly would have done it anyway?
“You have no patience, do you?”
“No. And I’m so hungry I could eat corn through a picket fence.” Duke sighs loudly, slouching in his chair, boots moving further toward me on the desk, hogging up space and nearly nudging my laptop.
“You’re hungry but haven’t eaten and haven’t ransacked the kitchen? Why does that surprise me?” Then again, he was waiting for a fully prepared meal to be served, probably in the dining room.
“I have manners.”
Manners? “You climbed in through the window!”
“Your window was open. And why do you keep yellin’?”
There is no reasoning with this man.
He’s clearly used to getting his way and getting what he wants. Either that, or he’s been hit in the head so many times his brains are addled, which I realize sounds like a terrible joke to make.
“What else did Eli say?”
“He was headin’ to his place in the city but asked if I wanted him to swing by.”
There’s no swinging by from the airport—not in the Chicago rush hour traffic—not at this hour of the day.
“What did you tell him?”
“I told ’im we had it covered and that he could pop on a call tomorrow.” Duke pauses. “He and I have stuff to go over.”
I’m sure he’s got super important stuff to go over, no doubt. I don’t have a clue what they’re paying this guy, but for Eli to bend over backward for Duke, hiding him out until their big media announcement? Well, I’ll have to make myself scarce.
“I have to work, so you’ll have the house to yourself.”
Speaking of which, I open my drawer and pull out a stapled sheet of paper, sliding it across the desk toward him.
He ignores the papers. “Where do you work?”
“I’m a teacher.” I clear my throat. “I took the liberty of creating a few rules—house rules if you will. So not only are my expectations managed but yours will be too.”
I push a loose strand of hair behind my head nervously.
“What kind of teacher?”
“Kindergarten.”
“You’re a kinder teacher?” His eyes are wide. “Shit, if that don’t beat all.”
What’s wrong with being a kindergarten teacher, I want to ask. Instead, I give the papers a nudge closer to him.
He reluctantly snatches them, holding them up. “House rules,” he says dryly. “I ain’t had rules since I lived at home with my mama.”
Ain’t had…
His mama.
“Don’t eat your roommate’s food without asking—or replace it once you do.” He glances up at me briefly but makes no comment. “Always ask to borrow things.” Duke pauses. “So you’re sayin’ yor gonna ask if you want to borrow my clothes, roomie?” He laughs as if it’s hilarious.
“Haven’t you ever had roommates before?”
He nods his dumb head. “Sure, when I was eighteen, and it was guys, so…” He goes back to skimming the list. “Are you serious with this? I’m not one of your students.”
“This has nothing to do with me treating you like a student.” My kids have manners. He does not.
“Keep music and voice to a respectable volume, especially at bedtime.” Duke’s snort makes me blush. “Lady, this makes you sound like a house mother.”