AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Okay. But you’re coming with me, right?”
“Of course. I need to make sure this goes off without a hitch.”
Harper got up and asked, “Are you sure I can’t bring my chicken?”
“She’s not coming, for two reasons. First of all, it’s going to be hard enough finding a hotel on such short notice, let alone one that allows livestock. Second, and most importantly, I refuse to get stuck chicken-sitting while you’re out partying.”
“Fine.”
After he left the room, I placed a call to someone I knew on Tommy Allen’s staff to make sure nothing had changed with Harper’s appearance on the anniversary show. Then I booked a hotel and our flights. Once that was all squared away, I left the office and went in search of Harper.
Along the way, I found the new personal chef in the sleek black and white kitchen. The tall, handsome Black guy looked more like a model than a chef, and his skin-tight tank top showed off his muscles and tattoos. He was chopping up a mountain of leafy greens while three pans sizzled on the stovetop, and he said, “Oh hey, you’re that country star.” He snapped his fingers repeatedly while he tried to think of my famous identical twin’s name. “You’re named after a city. Memphis? Detroit?”
“You’re thinking of Dallas Jaymes.”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Trust me, it is.”
“Oh, okay.” He smiled at me and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Dallas.”
“No, I’m Phoenix.” He looked confused, but I didn’t have the energy to explain myself.
Kel joined us a moment later, absolutely reeking of artificial lavender. He had the bug-eyed chihuahua in his arms, and the little monster growled when he saw me. Kel ignored the dog and looked embarrassed when he said, “The poop’s gone, but I spilled a bottle of air freshener on the Bronco’s carpet. I left all the doors open to try to air it out, and hopefully it won’t be so strong once it dries. I’m really sorry.”
There was no point in getting mad, so I just shrugged and said, “Don’t worry about it.” Then I told him, “Harper needs to fly to New York tonight, and he won’t be back until Sunday afternoon. Will you be able to look after his animals over the weekend, including that spoiled chicken he’s overly attached to?”
“Definitely! Loco and I get along great, and I’ll be sure to give her extra attention while Harper’s gone. Just so you know, I live here, and I always work through the weekend to make sure everyone’s cared for.” While he was talking, Kel opened a canister on the black and white marble counter and gave Pepe a treat. The dog went right on growling as he chewed it up.
“Okay, great. I’m going to go see how Harper’s doing with his packing, because we have to leave in just a few minutes.”
Tristan asked, “What about lunch? I’ll be done with this vegan feast in about an hour.”
“Sorry, we need to hurry if we’re going to catch our flight.” Also, that was an alarming amount of kale, which really didn’t bode well for a so-called feast. I kept that observation to myself though and went upstairs to find my employer.
When I reached the open double doors to the master bedroom, I stopped in my tracks. Harper had just taken a shower, as evidenced by his damp hair, the wet towel on the floor, and the scent of soap and shampoo drifting in from the adjoining bathroom. He was also buck naked, and his back was to me.
Despite myself, I ran my gaze down his body and lingered on his absolutely perfect ass. Actually, every inch of him was perfection. He was a former football player, and he still worked out religiously to maintain his big, powerful build. Apparently he also sunbathed naked, because his golden skin tone was uninterrupted by tan lines.
When he turned to face me, I quickly directed my gaze upward, away from his cock. “We need to get going,” I said. “There weren’t a lot of flights available, and the one I booked is leaving in just under three hours.”
“We have plenty of time.” He held up two ties and asked, “Which of these should I pack to go with this suit?” A marina-blue suit was strewn on the bed, along with a few random articles of clothing.
“Take both ties, in case you need a backup.”
“Why would I need a backup tie?”
I shrugged and said, “I don’t know, just bring them. We still need to swing by my apartment so I can pack too, so put some pants on and let’s get moving.”
He pulled on a pair of skimpy white briefs, then got distracted by his pet chicken, who was too confused to get herself back out from under the bed. I sighed and took over the packing job, first by carefully hanging the suit and two white button-down shirts in a garment bag. Then I neatly folded the things he’d thrown onto the bed and layered them in his designer duffle bag.
