Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 105301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
“What an arsehole. But you’re so fucking lucky to be there.”
“And don’t I know it? Hence the fact I just say, ‘sorry, Chef. Yes, Chef.’ Like a submissive little fool.”
“You’ve been reading those whip and chain novels again, haven’t you?”
“Yes, during my work breaks.” My eyes roll heavenward. “So… anything new to report other than the usual?”
“New as in what?”
“I dunno,” I lie because I’m fishing for information about the proposal. “Just asking.”
“Nothing that I haven’t told you already. Why? What’s wrong?” He suddenly sounds panicked. “Although Sasha has been acting odd lately.”
Oh no. “She has?”
“Yeah, I caught her searching through my pockets. Though I didn’t tell her I saw her. Any idea what that’s all about?”
Oh dear.
Sasha, what are you doing you crazy bitch?
“Nope, why don’t you ask her?” Their level of communication is below par.
“I asked her what’s wrong. She said nothing and then the next day I caught her searching my pockets.” He clears his throat. “Does she think I’m having an affair? Because I literally spend no time away from her, excluding work hours.”
“I umm… I have to go. I think Dillan is crying.”
“Don’t use the brat as an excuse to escape an awkward conversation,” he laughs.
“Why else did I have him?” I look at my beautiful babies who are napping happily on the sofa, a thin blanket thrown over both of them. “And don’t call him a brat. He’s an angel.”
“If you say so,” he jests. I know he’s kidding. He loves how cheeky Dillan is. He taught him most of it. “I’ll come and visit soon with the psycho woman I love.”
“Make sure you do; we miss you.”
“As you should.” I hear a door close on his end. “She’s home. I should go or she’ll be checking my phone next. Speak later.”
“Later.”
I rest my head back against the wall, enjoying this moment’s peace. My body aches. My brain aches. I don’t know how people work this hard and enjoy it. I haven’t had the chance to enjoy the things I’m learning because I’m so tired.
Have I jumped into this too soon?
No. It’s just the start; I’ll get used to it. Soon Kerim will allow me to actually cook something. So far all I’ve done is cut, chop, slice, clean and watch him order things for the pantry. We all have to start from the beginning and, considering I’m going into this blind, without a University degree up my sleeve, it’s a huge accomplishment just to be there and holding my own. I’m more surprised that I haven’t yet been fired. Kerim hates me. He’s told me so on two occasions when I botched the length of an asparagus tip. I was supposed to cut them all to the same length and I was sure I did, but I was out by a millimetre.
No word of a lie.
A fucking millimetre.
But when one works in a twenty-million-star restaurant, everything must be perfect and I’m not moaning about that fact. I just wish he wasn’t so aggressive. It makes me panic and when I panic, I make more mistakes.
Like now, just thinking about how he makes me panic is making me panic.
Dillan sits bolt upright, like a meerkat peeking over grass. I laugh at the suddenness of it and open my arms ready to welcome him when he scrambles towards me.
“Mumma.” He nuzzles my hair that rests over my shoulder. I had to cut a lot of it off after the fire so it’s not as long as I’d like, but it’s getting there. Hair takes so long to grow.
The living room door clicks open and Nathan pokes his head around it. He’s so handsome, especially now he’s had a shave and doesn’t have a ton of scruff circling his mouth. “When’s your next day off?”
I shrug. “I’ll have to let you know.”
“I thought we could ask Jeanine to babysit. I want to take you out for the night.”
Yay. “Date night?”
“If that’s what you’d like to call it.”
“Woohoo!” I whisper cheer. “Date night.”
“You’re adorkable.”
“Thanks.” I give him my cheesiest grin and Dillan does the same, simply to copy me. “Where are you taking me?”
“I haven’t gotten that far yet. I’ll let you know.”
“Oooh, exciting!” I blow him a kiss and he blows me one back. I can’t deny the fact that we are a sickly sweet couple. Even I find it nauseating how happy we are sometimes. It worries me too because happiness like this doesn’t last forever according to everyone else in the world. We need to be unhappy more often so that when a blowout does come, it’s not so huge.
I’m being moronic.
This gorgeous man walked through fire for me and chose to die beside me. How could we ever be unhappy?
“You’re staring.” He frowns; he really doesn’t like it when I do that.
“I can’t help it.”