your age.”
“I mean, I can’t see it.”
“
Ancient Greek Myths and Legends
.”
“Oh! Right.”
“What were you expecting?” He still doesn’t look up from the book, but I don’t think he’s reading it anymore, as his eyes aren’t moving. He’s waiting for my reply.
“Something intellectual and douche-y.” Apparently constantly repressing the urge to be sick means I don’t care what I say to him.
I see a smile at the corners of his mouth, but he turns the page pointedly and doesn’t say anything.
I pick up the sandwich and take a tiny, feeble bite. “Did you make this?”
“No, I got your kitchen friend to do it. Smudger.”
“What—Dan? He’s there already? Am I late for work? What time is it?”
He throws his head back on the sofa. “Don’t give yourself a seizure. Yes, ‘Dan.’ Yes, he’s there already. No, you’re not late. I have no idea why Mr. Pot Washer is here. It’s only a quarter to seven. In the morning.”
I stand up, and Jamie grabs the back of my T-shirt and I fall back against the sofa. He has his head to the side, looking at me.
“I’d like my clothes back.”
“Well, I wasn’t going to wear them to work.”
“You’d better take them off, then.”
“I will. In your bathroom.”
He’s doing his curious, amused look at me again. I feel the urge to move along the sofa toward him. I look at his lips. They’re just a few inches away. Our legs are still touching.
Jamie looks like he’s about to say something. I get that nervous feeling again. If Cleo came back in here now, this might look … odd.
“Okay, I’m going.” I stand up quickly. Too quickly. I geta massive head rush and fall forward onto the coffee table and end up with my ass in the air.
Jamie laughs. “I didn’t know you were in heat.”
“Oh, shut up,” I grumble as I scramble to my feet and then stomp off to the bathroom.
“No, really. It’s an interesting seduction technique,” he calls after me.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I say, hopefully with “attitude.” Then I ruin it by walking into the door frame. I try to tell myself he didn’t see, but he definitely did.
“Joseph?” Jamie says when I emerge a few minutes later after the quickest shower and clothes-change known to man. I’ve just gotten to the door, and I turn back.
“You have a lovely smile,” he says.
I smile at him involuntarily.
There’s a mist hanging over the castle as I walk back along the stony path away from the pool house. It makes the two back turrets look magical. I wonder if Jamie is watching me go.
Then I see Cleo coming through the arches, going the other way. She waves and flashes me a warm smile. I wave back and say, “Hey!” but there’s an uneasiness clinging to my voice. I don’t want her to think I’m just another girl hanging around the pool house trying to sleep with her boyfriend. Because I’m not.
Chapter 14
Work today is every kind of hell. Any part of my body that can ache is doing exactly that. Jamie and Cleo loll lazily at one of the tables outside. I try to avoid them and let Andreas serve them as much as possible. But now Omar hands me a cheeseboard and says, “Table sixteen.” I ask if Andreas can do it, but Omar says, “You take. Lazy.” So I do.
There’s a breeze coming from across the grounds that blows my hair across my face. At least I can hide behind it. Cleo’s wearing massive sunglasses, so I think she’s suffering too. I plonk the plate down and Cleo says, “Feeling good this morning?”
“My blood hurts,” I say shortly and stomp back to the kitchen. Jamie’s laughter follows me in.
My suffering is turning into a running joke among the other waiters. They keep trying to get me to take out the garbage and other jobs that will definitely make me puke.Dan hasn’t spoken to me yet. He’s hanging out by the bar, and I haven’t gone over. I wonder if he’ll be funny about me going to the party. I get the feeling it’s a bit “us” and
“I mean, I can’t see it.”
“
Ancient Greek Myths and Legends
.”
“Oh! Right.”
“What were you expecting?” He still doesn’t look up from the book, but I don’t think he’s reading it anymore, as his eyes aren’t moving. He’s waiting for my reply.
“Something intellectual and douche-y.” Apparently constantly repressing the urge to be sick means I don’t care what I say to him.
I see a smile at the corners of his mouth, but he turns the page pointedly and doesn’t say anything.
I pick up the sandwich and take a tiny, feeble bite. “Did you make this?”
“No, I got your kitchen friend to do it. Smudger.”
“What—Dan? He’s there already? Am I late for work? What time is it?”
He throws his head back on the sofa. “Don’t give yourself a seizure. Yes, ‘Dan.’ Yes, he’s there already. No, you’re not late. I have no idea why Mr. Pot Washer is here. It’s only a quarter to seven. In the morning.”
I stand up, and Jamie grabs the back of my T-shirt and I fall back against the sofa. He has his head to the side, looking at me.
“I’d like my clothes back.”
“Well, I wasn’t going to wear them to work.”
“You’d better take them off, then.”
“I will. In your bathroom.”
He’s doing his curious, amused look at me again. I feel the urge to move along the sofa toward him. I look at his lips. They’re just a few inches away. Our legs are still touching.
Jamie looks like he’s about to say something. I get that nervous feeling again. If Cleo came back in here now, this might look … odd.
“Okay, I’m going.” I stand up quickly. Too quickly. I geta massive head rush and fall forward onto the coffee table and end up with my ass in the air.
Jamie laughs. “I didn’t know you were in heat.”
“Oh, shut up,” I grumble as I scramble to my feet and then stomp off to the bathroom.
“No, really. It’s an interesting seduction technique,” he calls after me.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I say, hopefully with “attitude.” Then I ruin it by walking into the door frame. I try to tell myself he didn’t see, but he definitely did.
“Joseph?” Jamie says when I emerge a few minutes later after the quickest shower and clothes-change known to man. I’ve just gotten to the door, and I turn back.
“You have a lovely smile,” he says.
I smile at him involuntarily.
There’s a mist hanging over the castle as I walk back along the stony path away from the pool house. It makes the two back turrets look magical. I wonder if Jamie is watching me go.
Then I see Cleo coming through the arches, going the other way. She waves and flashes me a warm smile. I wave back and say, “Hey!” but there’s an uneasiness clinging to my voice. I don’t want her to think I’m just another girl hanging around the pool house trying to sleep with her boyfriend. Because I’m not.
Chapter 14
Work today is every kind of hell. Any part of my body that can ache is doing exactly that. Jamie and Cleo loll lazily at one of the tables outside. I try to avoid them and let Andreas serve them as much as possible. But now Omar hands me a cheeseboard and says, “Table sixteen.” I ask if Andreas can do it, but Omar says, “You take. Lazy.” So I do.
There’s a breeze coming from across the grounds that blows my hair across my face. At least I can hide behind it. Cleo’s wearing massive sunglasses, so I think she’s suffering too. I plonk the plate down and Cleo says, “Feeling good this morning?”
“My blood hurts,” I say shortly and stomp back to the kitchen. Jamie’s laughter follows me in.
My suffering is turning into a running joke among the other waiters. They keep trying to get me to take out the garbage and other jobs that will definitely make me puke.Dan hasn’t spoken to me yet. He’s hanging out by the bar, and I haven’t gone over. I wonder if he’ll be funny about me going to the party. I get the feeling it’s a bit “us” and
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