8
Andrea
Erik told me he had to go take care of some business, and that it was better if I didn’t come along.
That was a couple of hours ago, and honestly? I’ve slept.
I think I just needed the rest and relaxation, and where better to do that than here?
Thinking back over the last day, I can’t believe the things we’ve done together. I can’t believe what I’ve done.
Offering my body in exchange for a man’s help like some sort of seedy backroom deal. But there’s nothing “backroom” about all this.
This is like Pretty Woman on fast-forward, with a whole load of hidden dirty scenes thrown in.
I feel exhilarated, I feel sexy, and I feel so, so naughty.
I spread out across the king-size bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering what we’ll do today.
With everything fixed for Aunt Jess and her house, it’s like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders, and I can start to enjoy life. And I want to enjoy it with someone. And that someone is Erik Leonard.
Honestly, if you’d taken me to a fortune-teller a year ago, and she’d told me that I would fall for a big, brutish Viking of a man with a bunch of shady business associates, it would have only confirmed my belief that fortune-telling is all a big
scam. But somehow, it happened, and I couldn’t be happier.
After I get up and showered, and pull a robe from the closet so I’m not running around totally naked, I head to the kitchen and start rummaging through cupboards.
I’m not the world’s greatest cook or anything, but I can whip up a mean breakfast when I have to, and I grin when I find everything I need. Erik likes to eat, clearly, and that means we’ll get along perfectly.
Yeah, I know, I’ve heard the whispers behind my back about how I eat so much and still stay slim.
The rumors about me having an eating disorder. Honestly, it doesn’t bother me.
My body metabolizes fast or something. And one day that will probably stop, and I’ll get some curves, and I’m fine with that too.
The industry is changing anyway—not fast enough, if you ask me, but plus size isn’t a dirty word anymore.
There are modeling jobs out there no matter what shape you are.
Once I’ve got bacon, eggs, French toast, tomatoes and beans all cooking away, my phone starts buzzing. I ignore it.
The world could be on fire, and I’d go down with a smile on my face. Whoever it is, they can wait.
When it starts ringing again, I take it out of the pocket of the robe I’m wearing, and toss it across the counter, letting it slide to a stop by a big bowl of very tempting fruit.
A shiny blood-red apple, straight out of Snow White, dislodges from the arrangement, bounces on the phone screen, somehow accepting the call, and rolls off the edge.
That makes me laugh, and I’m not sure why, but I think I’m just happy.
The world is good, and I’m bad, and I have my very own Daddy to take care of me.
“Andrea?” It’s Aunt Jess’s voice coming through the phone, I can hear that from here, and for a moment I have a pang of guilt that I ignored her first call and was going to ignore this one.
“Are you there?”
“Hold on, Jess! One second!”
The food is done anyway, and I turn off the burners on the stove before grabbing the phone and putting it on speaker.
“What’s up?” I ask as I grab two plates from the cupboard. I don’t know when Erik will be back, but he said he wouldn’t be more than a few hours, and that was hours ago.
If he isn’t back before it starts to go cold, I’ll eat his for him and tell him how good it was.
“Are you all packed for going to your new place?”
“Andrea—”
“You should see this place, Aunt Jess. Honestly, it’s like a dream. There’s a pool.
Did you know it’s called a natatorium? I went swimming, and I didn’t have my costume, right? So guess what I did—”
“You need to listen to me—”
“I stripped down to just my underwear, and I didn’t even care!” I laugh as I put out the last of the food, and pile the pans in the sink. “I’m so happy, I—”
“Andrea, stop talking and listen!”
Her voice is harsh, and it stops me in my tracks. She sounds… Angry, yes, but also scared. Worried.
“Aunt Jess?”
“He was lying,” she spits. Then her voice softens. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to bring you down, but it’s the truth, honey. I got another visit from that man.
That Buffalino. After you left yesterday, the three of them paid me another visit.”
“Aunt Jess! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. They didn’t touch me. They just wanted to gloat that the eminent domain went through, that the house is no longer going to hold up their project.
The demolition is moving forward.” She sighs. “I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
I know what you’re doing, and I know you’re doing it partly for me, but you need to think about yourself.
If you still want to go ahead with using your body, well, that’s your decision, but don’t do it because you think you owe me. And make sure you get what you want out of it.”
I shake my head, my lip quivering. The smell of the food is starting to turn my stomach.
“No, that can’t be true. Aunt Jess, Erik wouldn’t… He said he’d take care of us. Both of us.”
“Men lie, sweetheart. Especially if sex is involved. I’m sorry, but there it is—”
“No, you don’t understand. I—”
I was about to say, I love him. And despite what’s going on inside my head I think that’s still true. She must be wrong.
How could I possibly fall in love with him, if what she says is true?
“Andrea, I took a cab and swung by the house not an hour ago.
I wanted one last look. Sure enough, there were men there, the house was fenced off. It was a demolition company.
They’re preparing to get rid of the house. That’s how things go, and me being sad about it isn’t going to change anything. The world doesn’t work like that.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. How could Erik lie to my face like that? I wipe at my eyes, and my fingers come away wet with tears, but the sight of them just makes me angry.
Lashing out, I push the two plates of food off the side, watching them shatter and spill their contents all over the floor. My own little demolition project.
And then I hear his voice. “Andrea? Baby, what’s—”
I back away from him, shaking my head. How can he look so innocent and be so evil? Who is this man, whose brother married my best friend? Is Cassie in danger?
Are all the Leonard men the same?
“Aunt Jess, I’ll call you back,” I say. Then I end the call and face the man I thought I knew.
“What’s going on?” he says, and I laugh through the tears.
“I could ask you the same thing. Did you lie to get me to have sex with you? And you promised. Promised to take care of my aunt’s house.”
“Babygirl, I’d never lie to you. And I’d never break a promise to you.”
“Don’t babygirl me. It was all just pretend, wasn’t it?”
My words are hard, but inside my heart is breaking as I say them. Babygirl. Daddy. It was all just a game to him, wasn’t it? And I lost.
“Did you and Buffalino have a good laugh at my expense? At least tell me you got a good story out of all this.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Aunt Jess told me everything. There are men at her house right now, ready to tear it down.”
He squares his shoulders. Then he holds up a finger to me and pulls his phone out of his pocket.
“What are you doing? Calling the police? Because you don’t need to, I’ll go. I don’t want to stay here another—”
“Trevor? Good, glad I got through to you. I’m going to put you on loudspeaker, and I’d like you to tell me what you’re doing with that house.”
Erik takes the phone away from his ear, and presses the screen, and the voice of the person he was talking to fills the room.
“You want me to—”
“Just say it, Trevor,” Erik growls.
“We’re moving it.”
Erik meets my eyes. One eyebrow goes up, and I bite into my bottom lip. “You’re not demolishing it?” he says.
“No, you said not to. We’re going to have to pull some of it apart, but we’re keeping it as intact as possible, and reassembling it in the new location. That’s what you said, but if you’ve changed your mind…”
“No. That’s fine. Carry on, I’ll speak to you later.” Erik ends the call and tosses his phone down next to mine.
“That’s Trevor. He’s one of my contractors.”
“They’re not tearing it down…” I mutter. “They’re… And what about Buffalino?”
“That’s who I just went to see. He won’t be bothering you or your aunt again.
In fact, if he ever looks at you the wrong way in future, you tell me, and I’ll take care of him permanently.”
“You didn’t…” I take a quick breath as I meet his eyes.
“No. He’s powerful. I’m powerful too, but I didn’t touch him. I couldn’t take that
risk with your safety. But he knows you’re off limits, and that’s all that matters. He wanted the land, not the house, and he’ll get it.”
“I’m…” I glance down at the smashed plates, tomato juice and baked bean sauce like modern art all over the floor. And I start to giggle.
“I’m sorry, Daddy.”