her bottom lip. “If we’re lucky. Okay. And if we’re not?”
“He can do basic things for himself,” Ivy explained. “He’s just—well, I told you, he’s pretty unhappy about the situation. And moving is very awkward for him.”
“And you want to throw me in the cage with this particular bear? I thought you were my friend.”
“I am,” Ivy told her in a confident tone. “I got you a high dollar job, didn’t I? Listen, the maid comes in twice a week. I filled the refrigerator and freezer with stuff for both of you for now, but you’ll need to shop. He’ll give you money for that. He eats practically anything so he’s easy to please.”
“Good, because I—”
“And don’t forget,” Ivy interrupted, “you’ll have to be on the lookout for unwanted guests and get rid of them.”
“Unwanted guests?” Erin repeated. “Don’t his friends have enough respect for him to leave him alone if that’s what he wants?”
Ivy lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “There are always people who don’t respect boundaries, especially with someone who has a lot of money.”
“Maybe I missed the part where I’m supposed to be a bodyguard, too. Should we go over that again?”
“No, no, it will be fine.”
“Ivy?” Erin followed her to the foyer. “What do I do first?” Erin stood there, hands outspread, palms up.
“Hit the coffee machine. You’ll need it and so will your patient. Oh, and here.” She pulled a file card from her pocket. “The combination to the alarm system.” She showed Erin the panel on the wall by the front door. “There’s one by the door from the garage, too. You have twenty seconds to shut it off before it starts screeching.”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Erin held up a hand.
“There’s a monitor in the kitchen for the security cameras.” Ivy rushed ahead as if Erin hadn’t even spoken. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
“Does the alarm system cover the whole lot? Everything outside. What—”
“No, unfortunately. Apparently, he only wanted to make sure if someone broke in through any of the doors the alarm would go off. Maybe you can convince him he needs to up the system.”
Erin paid careful attention as Ivy rushed through the instructions. Why was the woman in such a hurry? So what if she was a few minutes late for work? It wasn’t as if she was an hourly employee on the clock.
“Okay. We good?” her friend asked.
“Um, I guess, but—”
Ivy glanced at her watch again. “Oh, look at the time. I need to get going.” She opened the front door and blew a kiss at Erin. “I’ll check in with you later.”
Then she was gone, leaving Erin standing in the foyer in a puddle of uncertainty with the feeling that she’d made a big mistake.
Oh, well. At least she could get through today. She hoped.
The kitchen was a gourmet’s delight. On one of the granite countertops, she found a shiny one-cup brewer that looked like the largest one made. Next to it was a carousel of single serving cups. In the cupboard directly above it, she found coffee mugs, took two of them down, and brewed a cup for herself.
One step down from the kitchen was a large family room with an enormous flat screen television on one wall. Of course. Men and their toys. She carried her coffee over to the big picture window that looked out to a well-landscaped back yard. Whoever this guy was, he did indeed have plenty of money. No expense had been spared with anything. Would he be like many of the assholes she’d met at the hotels where she worked, who thought his money entitled him to treat everyone like shit? Or would she be lucky and he’d at least be a decent guy?
Well, at least she had a nice place to stay and a steady income for a while, providing she could stand the man. She still had no real idea what this job would entail, and Ivy had been less than forthcoming, a sure sign this was a bad mistake. But she was already committed and at least she’d stay for one day.
She stood at the
“He can do basic things for himself,” Ivy explained. “He’s just—well, I told you, he’s pretty unhappy about the situation. And moving is very awkward for him.”
“And you want to throw me in the cage with this particular bear? I thought you were my friend.”
“I am,” Ivy told her in a confident tone. “I got you a high dollar job, didn’t I? Listen, the maid comes in twice a week. I filled the refrigerator and freezer with stuff for both of you for now, but you’ll need to shop. He’ll give you money for that. He eats practically anything so he’s easy to please.”
“Good, because I—”
“And don’t forget,” Ivy interrupted, “you’ll have to be on the lookout for unwanted guests and get rid of them.”
“Unwanted guests?” Erin repeated. “Don’t his friends have enough respect for him to leave him alone if that’s what he wants?”
Ivy lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “There are always people who don’t respect boundaries, especially with someone who has a lot of money.”
“Maybe I missed the part where I’m supposed to be a bodyguard, too. Should we go over that again?”
“No, no, it will be fine.”
“Ivy?” Erin followed her to the foyer. “What do I do first?” Erin stood there, hands outspread, palms up.
“Hit the coffee machine. You’ll need it and so will your patient. Oh, and here.” She pulled a file card from her pocket. “The combination to the alarm system.” She showed Erin the panel on the wall by the front door. “There’s one by the door from the garage, too. You have twenty seconds to shut it off before it starts screeching.”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Erin held up a hand.
“There’s a monitor in the kitchen for the security cameras.” Ivy rushed ahead as if Erin hadn’t even spoken. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
“Does the alarm system cover the whole lot? Everything outside. What—”
“No, unfortunately. Apparently, he only wanted to make sure if someone broke in through any of the doors the alarm would go off. Maybe you can convince him he needs to up the system.”
Erin paid careful attention as Ivy rushed through the instructions. Why was the woman in such a hurry? So what if she was a few minutes late for work? It wasn’t as if she was an hourly employee on the clock.
“Okay. We good?” her friend asked.
“Um, I guess, but—”
Ivy glanced at her watch again. “Oh, look at the time. I need to get going.” She opened the front door and blew a kiss at Erin. “I’ll check in with you later.”
Then she was gone, leaving Erin standing in the foyer in a puddle of uncertainty with the feeling that she’d made a big mistake.
Oh, well. At least she could get through today. She hoped.
The kitchen was a gourmet’s delight. On one of the granite countertops, she found a shiny one-cup brewer that looked like the largest one made. Next to it was a carousel of single serving cups. In the cupboard directly above it, she found coffee mugs, took two of them down, and brewed a cup for herself.
One step down from the kitchen was a large family room with an enormous flat screen television on one wall. Of course. Men and their toys. She carried her coffee over to the big picture window that looked out to a well-landscaped back yard. Whoever this guy was, he did indeed have plenty of money. No expense had been spared with anything. Would he be like many of the assholes she’d met at the hotels where she worked, who thought his money entitled him to treat everyone like shit? Or would she be lucky and he’d at least be a decent guy?
Well, at least she had a nice place to stay and a steady income for a while, providing she could stand the man. She still had no real idea what this job would entail, and Ivy had been less than forthcoming, a sure sign this was a bad mistake. But she was already committed and at least she’d stay for one day.
She stood at the
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