“You’re not?” he said, raising a single eyebrow.
“No, I’m not. I know you might think I’m easy because I’m a little bit weird and a little bit feisty and a little bit—”
“You’re a little bit everything, Harriet,” he said, chuckling. “I cannot believe I hired you. Maybe Gladys was right.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I said, feeling upset at his words. Did he think I was a bad person?
“Maybe this is a little more complicated than I thought it was going to be.”
“How is it complicated?”
“Well, let’s just say I have a business dinner that I’m hosting tonight, and I was hoping that—”
“I can take care of it,” I said. “Just because this morning didn’t go well doesn’t mean that the dinner party I host is not going to be absolutely amazing. Just tell me how many people are going to be there and what sort of menu items you were looking for, and I will make it happen.”
“Really?” he said, staring at me. “You can make a dinner party happen.”
“Yes.”
“You can cook?”
“I’m offended that you would even ask me that.” I held my head up in the air and stared down my nose at him. I imagined I looked like a regal Queen but then I started to wonder if I had any boogies in my nostrils. That would totally ruin the effect I was going for.
“Well, you told me you were going to make eggs Benedict, which you didn’t. Then you told me you had made a special Eggs a la Campbell, which turned out to be McDonald’s. So I just don’t know if I—”
“I will have you know that I graduated number one from the Culinary Institute of Paris.”
He stared at me for a couple of seconds and pressed his lips together. “Okay then,” he said. “I will have a list of dishes ready for you. I will have eighteen guests, so you’ll need to make enough food for twenty.”
“Twenty?” I asked. “You just said you’re going to have eighteen guests.”
“Yeah, but then there’s me and you.”
“Me? But it’s okay. I don’t need to eat.”
“You’ll be hosting the party with me.”
“I what?” I said, my jaw dropping. “What do you mean? I’ve never heard of a housekeeper hosting a party with her boss.”
“Let’s just say I’ve added a new role to your position.”
“And that is?”
“And that is you will play hostess.”
“I don’t think so.”
I felt his hands slapping my ass lightly.
“What did you just do?”
“I just gave you a little spanking. But really, that was nothing.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t say no to me, Harriet. Haven’t you learned that yet?”
“Um, excuse me.”