Maybe he’s not even thinking about my less than perfect body. Maybe he’s thinking about how best to spoil my day like he did yesterday, when he doused me with water and ruined my uniform.
I had to run back to the cottage and hunt down my back-up. By the time I was presentable again, the lunch hour was over and I had to go clean the windows. I was almost dead by the time I was off for the day.
“I don’t care,” I say.
“Got it.” Then she shrugs. “It’s against the rules, anyway.”
“What is?”
“You know, consorting with the people we serve.”
She air-quotes the word serve.
I burst out laughing. “Oh my God, you’re adorable.” I side-hug her. “There’ll be zero consorting where the new Mr. Prince is concerned. Believe you me.”
No one hates him more than I do.
As soon as we come down the stairs of the service entrance, I smell pie. Grace walks toward the staff room while I make a beeline toward the kitchen. I need a piece of pie after all that staring.
Before I even make it inside the kitchen, I squeal, “Maggie! I love you, you know that? How did you know I wanted pie this morning? You have no idea how shitty my week’s been –”
My words get stuck inside my mouth when I find him, of all people, in the kitchen.
How did he even get in here this fast? Wasn’t he just outside?
Zach is sitting in the nook and Maggie is fussing over him like he’s a little kid. He has a piece of my pie in front of him and he’s just taken a bite out of it when I barge in.
He’s still sweaty from his workout. But thankfully, he’s put on a shirt. Or rather a vest-like t-shirt with sweaty patches that puts his biceps on display.
“Cleo.” Maggie beams at me. “Sit.”
I don’t. I stay standing at the threshold, cursing the fates. Is this what my life is going to be like from now until he leaves? Seeing him everywhere?
I don’t wanna see your face for however long I’m here for.
Then why the fuck is he in the servant’s wing?
I glare at him and he returns it with a cool look.
“Cleo?”
“Huh?” I look at Maggie. “Sorry. I just kinda checked out.”
“Did I hear you say something about a shitty week?” Maggie is cutting up a piece of pie and plating it, probably for me.
With my eyes on Zach, I nod. “Yup. Super shitty.”
His lips twitch.
“Why? What happened?” she asks.
I narrow my eyes at him, then. “Bedbugs.”
“What?”
“Uh-huh. They came back.”
“Came back? What do you mean? I thought we called in the exterminators last time.”