“Remember, next Friday is the dinner party with my mother. Blaire is going to be there, so…we’ll have that to deal with.”
Hunter turned back to his laptop as if he hadn’t dropped a huge bomb in the middle of this conversation.
“Blaire? At your mother’s?”
“My mom sent the invite to my house with both of our names on it. She doesn’t agree with my dealings with Blaire, but she’s the type to ignore unpleasant things—it’s how she coped with my father for so long.”
“Does Blaire know you’re definitely out of the contract?”
Hunter leaned against the desk again, bowing his head. His shoulders flexed in irritation. “Yes. I’ve given her a month to move out, and she’s responded with a great many threats. She’s going to turn up wherever I am. I have no idea who she’ll bring to my mother’s house, if anyone, but her sole focus will be me. She doesn’t like losing.”
“Is that who you were yelling at?”
“I don’t yell, Livy. Although I do, occasionally, loudly state important facts.”
“Ah.” I smirked and made my way to my office, which was a storm of boxes. Janelle had done a great job bringing everything over from my old apartment. She’d even gotten help, she’d said. Jane had stayed out of the way or opened the door, always smiling pleasantly. Those months when I didn’t have much money obviously strained her view of me, and she was another woman who could hold a grudge.
I pouted as I read the rooms of the house written on the side of the boxes. There were three total—bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. The kitchen only had one box, and within it, two appliances. Or so the detailed description noted. I had a feeling the appliances were things Jane wanted to get rid of, because I didn’t remember having anything.
I moved three bedroom boxes out of the way so I could get to the first bathroom one I’d seen. Tearing into it, I found soap and face wash and things I’d already bought to tide me over. I didn’t find my three unopened packs of birth control pills.
Frowning, I looked for the next bathroom box. “Why are they all on the bottom?” I asked in exasperation.
“What’s that?”
I jumped and spun around. Hunter paused in the door with raised eyebrows.
“I was talking to myself. Butt out.” I turned back to the stack of boxes.
“I was thinking of going out to dinner, and then stopping by my house and getting a few things. When can you be ready?”
I blew out a breath, blowing my hair away from my face. “Now, if you help me get these bathroom boxes out when we get back.”
“Sure. Let’s go.”
“Pushy.” I smiled and followed him into our—my—room.
I hadn’t thought of this flat as being solely mine since I’d moved in, and neither had he. I wondered what would happen when Blaire finally moved out of his place. Would I stay with him again, or would he continue coming here when he wanted to see me?
The shower started. “Come in here, Livy. I need to fuck you.”
All the thoughts fell out of my head. I’d have to revisit my desire to skip toward the bathroom. That couldn’t be normal. “Yes, sir.”
The week went by quickly. Hunter stayed over every night, setting off before me in the mornings, as usual, but often leaving the office with me. He worked out, ate, and finished up a few things from “my” building. Mrs. Foster now had a key to the flat and made breakfast for us, with Janelle doing the late shift and making dinner. Because of the shift changes and the two assistants combining efforts, Hunter and I got a fresh meal whenever we wanted it. Between them, they cleaned, straightened, and organized our whole lives.
I really loved my life. Money might not be able to buy happiness, but it could sure ease the troubles and promote laziness.
The only thing that was still going horribly wrong was Blaire. The woman would not let it rest. She’d found out where the flat was, and waited for Hunter a few days a week. Once she got face time, she was slinky and sexy and ready to seduce him at a moment’s notice. She’d even reached for his zipper on the street like a crack-whore needing a fix and willing to do anything to get it. The whole situation was madness.
“You have that dinner tonight?” Brenda asked as I was packing my computer up.
I glanced at the clock. It was still only four, leaving me three hours to get ready. I’d probably need all three, too, because Blaire would be there, looking drop-dead gorgeous.
“Yeah.” I slung the pack over my shoulder. “With the mother.”
“She’s a sweet lady,” Brenda said, swiveling in her chair and facing me. “Mind your manners, though, because she’s very…wealthy.”