Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
"Oh, how interesting! How do you guys schedule it? Is it because you're climate-controlled over the whole planet or is it just that the weather patterns are so predictable?" She fires more questions at me, flinging herself down on her couch even as I pick up a bottle of human hair cleanser and try to read the ingredients. "Is it weekly? Monthly? Gentle rain? Thunderstorms?"
...and this is why I don't talk to the staff unless I can help it. Answering her just makes her talk more. I open the bottle and sniff it and then hold it at arm's length as the artificial smell of flowers assaults my senses. "Kef me. I can't use this! It smells like a courtesan's armpit."
"Thank you, Maeve," she says in that goofy, deep voice of hers again. "I appreciate you buying me the most expensive shampoo in the store. I'll use it anyhow."
"I will not use it," I say in a biting voice, letting her know my displeasure. "My nose is sensitive."
"Yes, yes. You're a fragile snowflake. I get it." She waves a hand. "No one asked me if I liked the shampoo here and I'm not asking you, either. You get what you get."
I eye the sodden pile of clothing in the basket. It looks to be rough fabrics and dull colors, and as I touch one sleeve, it's apparent that the clothing has been worn before. "This is what you brought me?"
"You said you needed clothes. Voilà, clothes." She gestures at the basket. "Now you can stop wearing my towels and dress like a normal person."
"I'm not wearing this filth. It's used."
"Yeah, it is, but it's clean and it might fit and I paid a lot for it." She holds her hand out, palm up. "Which, speaking of, pass me some of your credits."
"I beg your pardon?"
She closes her fingers over her palm and then opens them again, repeating the motion quickly. "Gimme. This isn't a charity. You said you were going to pay me, so pay me."
I hold one of the dripping uniforms aloft, trying to hide my horror at the sight of it. "You can take it out of my account."
"What account?"
"My household account?" I shrug. "That's how the servants are paid."
She's silent, and when I look over, she's pinching the spot between her brows. "You...you don't have any money, do you?"
"Of course I do. I'm not an idiot."
She flicks her hand again, holding it out once more. "Cool, then give it to me."
"I will once I know how." I hold the uniform up to my chest. "These are dreadful. I would be mortified to be caught wearing any of these."
Meev nods thoughtfully. "I saved the best stuff from the rain. It's outside in the barn so it wouldn't get wet. Come on."
"The best stuff?" I eye her. "You are showing me the rejects, then?" I huff with relief. "Thank kef, because I was questioning your ability to discern between garbage and clothing." I toss down the uniform back into its sopping basket. "In the barn, you say?"
"Yup," she says cheerfully. "Follow me."
We step outside, and the rain has slacked off a bit. I don't like how muddy it is but I follow her out to the nearby barn, wondering at her choice to keep something so important out here. Perhaps she located my trunks? Kef, that would be such a relief.
"Right through there," she says, opening the door and gesturing that I should go inside.
I step into the darkened building, looking around. It smells awful and there are no lights. "I don't see anything out here, Meev—"
The door slams shut behind me.
CHAPTER
TWENTY
MAEVE
He's fucking broke. Of course he is. His money is probably tied up in some rich guy wallet somewhere and he doesn't know how to access it because his people do that for him...except his people aren't here and I'm stuck with his ass.
Well, no fucking longer. Mama don't work for free.
I all but race back to my house, locking and bolting the door behind me. I don't know how Zhur is going to retaliate now that I've locked him out. He's not going to be happy, that's for sure. I rest against the door, panting and giddy with what I just did. I just kicked out an alien.
And I don't even feel bad about it.
I let him use me. I felt a bit sorry for him, because he's clearly lost. I let my excitement in having another person nearby carry away my good sense. I was dreaming about the money, and the pet I'd get. My dream of a companion wasn't gone, just delayed.
It's gone now. Man doesn't have two nickels to rub together. He demands and demands and he's got no money to back it up, so he can just take his ass to town and swindle someone else.