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I really, really wanted to ask her if he was ready for it with me, if she’d had this conversation with another woman, what he’d said about me, what he hadn’t said about me, and anything else relevant. I had no interest in what he did at work, it was all Top Secret security stuff I wasn’t allowed to know about, but his personal life drew my obsessive attention.
I’d already torn through his house from top to bottom when he wasn’t home one day, inspecting it, looking for some sign that would lead me to believe Leo was anything other than what he appeared to be, the perfect man. Instead, all I’d found was an almost brand-new home that showed pretty much no signs of being lived in, other than when Honey and I romped through the place. If we didn’t dirty it up, the maid would have no job, so we did our best to leave stuff lying around and mess the house up. I did most of the destruction, while Honey napped near my feet.
It was an odd thing to do, but I’d heard Leo talking about firing the housekeeper’s assistant, and I felt bad that she didn’t have work because I cleaned up after myself. The first time I left dirty dishes in the sink, I stressed all night about it, but when I woke up, the place was as clean as I would have made it and the housekeeper had left me a tray with freshly brewed coffee and a creamy orange-frosted muffin.
I took the hint and began to drop clothes on the floor and not rinse out my glasses, but cleaning up after myself was an ingrained action that was hard to break. I told Leo what I was doing so he wouldn’t think I was weird, but he merely laughed and said if he’d known I liked her, all I would have had to do is tell him, instead of making our bedroom a pigsty.
Threading my fingers together over the green crochet of my dress, I smoothed the skirt, trying to cover some more skin on my chilly legs.
“Cold, dear?”
“It is getting brisk.”
“You must be starving, let’s go inside and see what the chef has cooking.”
I followed her back inside, the soothing silk of cool air blowing over my skin in a tingling rush. “Do you think they’d mind if we ate?”
“Of course not. I bet food burns right through you. I had a cousin like you, she’d eat six meals a day and still be hungry. You have a high…what’s the word…metabolism—correct?”
“Fortunately, yes. I can eat pretty much whatever I want without getting unhealthy. Thankfully Leo is there to try to make sure I’m eating better than I was. He cooks for me all the time.”
“He cooks for you?”
“Well, kind of. He tells the chef what to make for me. His cook and I also go over every week’s menu and we have a lot of fun doing it. Luckily the chef’s really cool, and we come up with some unusual but good food pairings. Whenever we get super creative, Leo has the chef make a ‘just in case’ steak and potatoes so Leo has something to eat while I try more exotic fair that isn’t always good. Though the ginger-infused pear soaked in apple schnapps was pretty yummy. We filled it with light chocolate and salted caramel so when you bit in, the combination of flavors was transcendent. I’ve been playing around with ideas for a more kid friendly version.”
“It sounds like you’ve been busy.”
“I have. Because of my burn, I wasn’t able to go back to work for a bit. In fact, I won’t return until next week, got some kind of extension. They’re paying me while I’m out, and I don’t have school, so for the first time in my adult life, I get to do whatever I want and it is amazing!” I let out a happy sigh before returning my gaze to an amused Judith. “And then there’s Leo.”
“I worry that Leo is too attached to you, that you might be feeling a bit smothered.”
“If I’m being honest, I like it when he smothers me with attention. I’m…well, I’m kind of needy. For someone like me, Leo’s overwhelming attentiveness is exactly what I want. He fills me up, Judith, and I’ve been empty and sad for so long.”
“Have you been depressed as well, Hannah?”
The alcohol combined with Judith’s kindness loosened my tongue. “Pretty much my whole life, but I deal with it. Occasionally I go on meds when it gets really bad, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to cope. That’s not to say depression didn’t totally mess with my life when I was in its clutches after my sister’s death, but I had a great support system, outside of my parents, who held me together.”
