“I’m good.”
“For sure?”
“Yes. I was with my parents for dinner until a little while ago. Thank you for asking.”
He nods. “I’ll leave you to it.”
***
I brought most of the clothes I own, not having the frame of mind to be able to effectively plan for two weeks on a half a moment’s notice.
Two weeks. Here. In this place. While Ray scampers around trying to figure things out?
I shake it off. Talk about being thrown. After all the hangers are on the rod, I carefully put non-hangable things in the armoire drawers and set up the several pairs of shoes I’ve brought in the cubbies, kicking off the booties I’ve got on.
I grab a pair of cotton pajamas - blue shorts with cats all over them and a white tank top with the Lord Nermal kitty giving the finger (a gift from my teen brother last Christmas) along with my short purple kimono and carry them back down the hall, finding myself again in Killian’s bedroom, seeing the doors wide open and that big king-size bed with the burgundy bedding, lots of pillows. The room smells good. Faint citrus. Men’s aftershave. Leather. Something spicy like cinnamon, I think.
When I step in, he’s on the phone over in his office area, leaned back in his chair.
“---give no fucks. That bullshit happens again, she’s done… well, I thought that was what I was paying you to do. Am I paying the wrong person?” His eyes move to me as he senses my presence.
He jerks his chin up and lifts his index finger.
I back away anyway, waving my hand apologetically as he listens to the phone but tracks me with his eyes.
“Email me the recording. I’ll think on it. Right. Bye.” He ends his call and meets me by the doorway. His suit jacket is gone and the first two buttons of his dress shirt are undone.
His sleeves are rolled up, revealing strong, corded forearms. He has a tumbler with amber liquid in his hand, just a mouthful left. He puts it to his lips and tilts it back. I watch him swallow. His throat is as attractive as the rest of him.
“Something to drink, Violet? I have plenty of wine options, or I can mix you a cocktail.”
“I’m good with just some water.”
“Follow me.” He leads us back to the kitchen. “Make yourself at home. Help yourself to any food or drinks you like. I have a vast wine collection and none of it’s off limits to you. Cocktails. Whatever you like. My housekeeper was here this afternoon, won’t be back until Monday, but she’s stocked me up. She always ensures there’s enough for two, in case I have company, so we’ll have dinner here tomorrow night, me and you. Sound okay?”
I don’t know how else to answer other than to say “Okay.”
“I’ll ask her to come early Monday, so you have a chance to meet her before you leave for work. Then you can talk to her about any dietary needs.”
“It’s okay. Thank you, though. I don’t want to disrupt anyone’s routine.”
“It’s her job to take care of the apartment and any guests I have. You’re a guest, Violet.”
“I don’t wanna be any trouble.”
He looks at me assessingly. “We’ll see how much trouble you’ll be.” He smirks.
I’m now even more discombobulated.
He sobers and loses the smirk. “I’ll take you to work in the morning and pick you up after.”
“I can just take my car and-”
“No. We’ll make sure Ray doesn’t try to approach you on the way to work. If he shows up, he’ll see me dropping you off and know better. We’ll do it my way. My way and he won’t fuck with you.”
Oh boy.
He passes me a bottle of water from the stocked and well-organized fridge before he pulls out a domed plate. He lifts the dome. It’s penne with roasted vegetables and a piece of breaded meat, looks like chicken. He puts the dome on the counter and pops the plate into the microwave. “Do you want to watch television? Or…” He looks around.
“I think I’d like to just maybe take a bath or shower and then go to sleep. If that’s okay.”
“Of course it is. Feel free to use the tub in my bathroom. Under the cabinet are extra things you might need. Feel free to use them. Lotions and potions more suited to a woman in there compared to what’s on the shelf. Don’t be afraid to open drawers and cupboards. You’re welcome to make yourself at home in there.”
“Thank you. I brought my own potions, but I appreciate it.”
“The wi-fi network name starts with KC. You’ll see it in a list. I’m the only KC. The password… ”
He spells out K$ll1aN~
I nod, while putting it into my phone and then I say, “Thank you. And, um, goodnight.”
I hurry to my duffle bag in the guest bathroom and grab a few of my things before heading down the hall to his bedroom and closing the door. I set the bottle of water down on the nightstand and head into the bathroom with my pjs.
After I lock the door, I stare at myself in the mirror.
What a day.
What a crazy day.
I peek under the vanity and find extra toothbrushes and feminine products. Female bodywash. High end stuff. He is stocked up for a female in his ensuite bathroom, so clearly, he has enough female guests who might need tampons, nail polish remover, or other similar things. Or, he has a girlfriend, and this is her stash. But the hers side of the closet is totally empty, so maybe it’s just for casual guests.
I have all my own stuff so that’s what I set down on the side of the tub – a tub big enough for two, maybe even four. It has jets, too, so I use them. I close my eyes as I let them pulse at my body, which feels battered. I haven’t had much sleep in the past couple of days. I haven’t had a truly restful sleep in much longer than that. And all the stress…
Yeah, it feels like I’ve been through a war. A long and agonizing one. And I don’t know when it’ll be over.
This new development is just – weird. I have no idea what to make of the events of the day. It all washes over me. Ray in the apartment - terrified but determined to take me with him, despite that his stuff was out of my room and the lock had been changed.
Ray, looking enraged. Looking devastated and shocked that I want to end things. Would he have dragged me to the car? Would he have hurt me if I outright refused to go?
I burst into tears.
I cry hard. I cry as if I haven’t cried in years and have held it all in to the point that it just blasts out of me.
Ugly crying.
Sobbing hard.
Crying into bubbles in a beautiful bathroom belonging to a stranger. A stranger who has me here as a marker for Ray’s debt. But, really, a stranger who has saved me from the insanity of life with Ray, which would’ve gotten even more insane if I hadn’t found a way out.
I have to get my head straight and figure out what all this means. Find a way to communicate with Killian, who I find insanely attractive but absolutely terrifying.
If Ray finds the money, I absolutely need him to just leave me alone anyway.
If Ray doesn’t, I have no idea what that means for him. Or me.
I don’t think Killian would do anything bad to me. He doesn’t seem by his actions so far like that’s in the plans, though maybe he wants Ray to think it is.
I have no idea. I just don’t know.