HEAT Vol. 2 (Master Chefs: HEAT Series #2) by Kailin Gow

by someone
else.  Even though I knew it was useless, I still asked, “Do you have any other
vacancies, even if it’s a smaller apartment?”
    “ Non. 
Rien .”
    “ Ah,
d’accord.  Merci tout de meme .”
    Glancing
over her shoulder as her soap opera steamed up, she muttered, “ Bonne journée ,”
and closed the door.
    I
tried to keep my shoulders from slouching as I headed back out to the street
and got into the car.
    “So?”
    “She
rented it out already.  I can’t believe it.”
    “Well,
I think it’s just as well.”  He drove off and I stared out the window as the
familiar surroundings passed by.  It may not have been the most elegant
neighborhood in Paris, but it was my neighborhood.
    “Right,
so what am I supposed to do now; sleep on the streets?”
    “We
could always sneak you into my dorm.”
    “Brilliant. 
You were expelled and I lost my teaching position just for dating you, but I
should sneak into your dorm and actually spend the night with you.  Really,
Bobby.  Brilliant.”
    “Hey,
when you get a better idea, let me know.”
    Sulking,
I crossed my arms over my chest as he continued to drive on.  When he pulled
into the parking lot of his dorm I looked at him.  “Bobby, you can’t be
serious.”
    “Do
you have enough money to go to a hotel?”
    It
was the only other alternative, but one that would empty my bank account in a
matter of days.
    We
sat there looking at the large building where he lived.  What would happen if I
was caught with him?
    “It’s
too much of a risk, Bobby,” I finally said.  “I won’t do it.”
    “So
then…?”
    “When
do you have to return this car?”
    “Lilly,
you can’t…”
    “When
are you bringing it back?”
    “Next
Friday, but you can’t really sleep in this car.  There’s barely enough room to
sit up, never mind lay down.”
    “I’ll
make it work.”
    His
phone rang and we looked at her other.  “Taryn, yeah, sorry.  I was…”  He
looked at me and chuckled softly.  “I was taking care of important business. 
We’ll be there in ten minutes.”  He hung up.  “If you're going to be living in
my car for the next week, we’d better get you a good meal first.”

Chapter 7
     
    I was nervous about meeting Taryn and Errol
again, but the minute we arrived at their luxurious penthouse home in the heart
of Paris, all my doubts and fears disappeared.
    “Lilly,”
Taryn beamed.  “The country really agrees with you.  You're positively
glowing.”  She took me by the hand and led me inside.  “And I’m happy to see
you’ve gained a few of those pounds back.  I was really getting worried about
you.”
    “You're
sweet.”  I looked around the spacious apartment that was in such sharp contrast
to the life I’d always known.  Every single item, from the art on the walls, to
the Oriental rug in the hall, to the gold mirror in the front foyer, was pure
opulence.  That mirror alone would probably have paid my rent for several
months.
    “Welcome
to our home,” Errol said as he gave me a peck on one cheek and then the other. 
“Would you like a glass of wine?”
    “That
would be great.”
    “Red
or white?”
    “White,
please.”
    Taryn
and I sat on the leather sofa while Bobby and Errol headed off to the kitchen. 
“We’ll let the men take care of dinner tonight.  I would assume you’ve been
through a lot these past days.”
    “I’ll
admit it’s quite a turn around.”
    “I’ll
say.  From a convent to a country house on the sea, back to Paris.”
    “And
I have to say I’m very happy to be back in Paris.”
    “Good.”
    Bobby
and Errol arrived several minutes later with chilled white wine and bites to
nibble on while we waited for dinner.
    “So
now that you’re back in Paris, where will you be staying?” Taryn said.
    I
looked across the coffee table at Bobby.  “I’ll…”  I couldn’t possibly tell her
I was planning to sleep in her brother’s rented car.  “I’ll check into a hotel
for a few