Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Rex
“She’s nervous,” Athena told me as we sat at the island in her kitchen.
I nodded.
Athena had a glass of lemonade she’d poured from a nearby pitcher. I had a bottle of cold beer that was hitting the spot.
It was strange not hearing the mansion alive with Littles. Or anyone else.
“Where’s Trevon?” I asked.
Trevon was the giant of a man who held the role of security. There was no team of guards. But a team wasn’t needed when you had Trevon.
He sort of looked like Ving Rhames in his younger days, if Ving Rhames had stood about seven inches over six feet and had so many muscles he could fight the Hulk.
“Trevon is on a date.”
“Oh? Good for him. But do tell.” I took a swig of my beer and waited.
Athena laughed. “While I’d love to spill the tea, I’m afraid there isn’t much to share. I don’t know a lot. You know how Trevon is—sort of private when it comes to stuff like that. But I do know he’s been looking for a Little. Perhaps he’s found one.”
“I hope so.” Holding up my beer, I added, “To Trevon and possible new love.”
Athena clinked her glass of lemonade against mine and it left a little condensation on the bottle.
“Perhaps you’ve found new love, too.”
I nearly spit out the sip of beer I’d just taken. “Oh, I’d be getting way ahead of myself if I said that.”
My host didn’t budge as she appraised me. “But you like her. I can tell.”
There was no denying it. Athena wouldn’t have believed me if I tried. So, I simply nodded and took another drink of beer.
Maybe a full minute passed before I said, “I can’t help but think of how crazy all this is. What am I doing? We don’t know each other and I just on a whim invited her all the way across the country to hang out? No wonder she’s overwhelmed!”
Athena lowered her lemonade. “True. But she still said yes.”
“Yeah. But, eh, you don’t think I’m being played, do you?”
I watched as she took another sip of her drink and then used a paper towel to wipe the condensation ring off the granite before she sat the glass back down on the island.
“You’re the detective,” she told me.
“But you’re the wise one with the insight. It’s why so many of us hang out here. That and the fact that we love you.”
“I thought it was for the cute Littles?”
“That too.”
We smiled at each other.
“Have you noticed some inconsistencies?”
I nodded. “A couple.”
“Could be that she’s nervous. Like we said, she is overwhelmed.
This is a lot! And you know how it is with Littles; so many of them spend their whole lives hiding this side of them that when they finally take the step and let others in, it’s terrifying.
It takes a lot of courage.” Her expression grew more serious.
“But if you’re apprehensive, I wouldn’t move too fast.” She shrugged.
“It’s probably a good idea not to move fast either way. ”
I knew she was right. But that was hard advice to heed when it came to Lila. Before I could tell Athena that, though, Trish hurried into the room.
“Honey, what did Auntie tell you about running in the house?” Athena asked her.
“I’m sorry!” the Little said. “I was just excited to show you… her!”
Following the direction Trish was pointing, I spun on the high-back bar chair to see Lila entering from the den.
The dress she wore was adorable! It was longer than Trish’s, so her diaper—or whatever she wore beneath it—wasn’t visible. But with all those ribbons and bows, she was still as adorable as could be.
I nearly fell out of the damn chair and made a fool of myself.
Lila was obviously bashful. But she walked in slowly and managed to smile at me.
It was one of the rare times in life I was utterly speechless.