Page 35 of Anti-Player

“Shit!” Paige gasps, jumping up, looking around in a panic for her clothes.

I pull up my pants and boxers. My phone, sitting on the nearby coffee table, shows the missed texts from the dog-walker. The only thing that stopped her from waltzing in and seeing Paige with my dick in her mouth is the fact I locked the door.

Paige is flustered, but she's also giggling as we stumble around, making ourselves look presentable. She can't get her shoes on right so she stands there with the VR suit in one hand, sneakers in the other, looking aghast. “Mikel...”

“Bathroom is there,” I say, pointing around a corner. “Take your time.”

She smiles, then rushes off to get clean in private. I straighten my joggers, my shirt, then smooth my hair. I feel confident Gardenia won't suspect anything. And if she does, so what? Who will she tell?

Paige wants to keep us a secret.

Right. I have to remind myself of that. Clearing my throat, I go and open my door. Beanie bursts through, tail wagging, muzzle digging at my cheek as he leaps up to put his paws on my shirt. When he's tugged down by Gardenia there are dirt smudges on the cloth.

Gardenia is aghast. “Oh my gosh, sorry Mr. Hause! We went running to the park but someone had set off a sprinkler, there was a ton of mud! I can take him to the groomer if you like? I won't even charge you for the time!”

“No, it's fine,” I laugh. Wrestling with my dog for a second, I give him a quick head pat. “You go on home, Gardenia. I'll take it from here.”

“You're sure?” she asks dubiously.

“Yeah, it's fine.”

She sighs, then offers a half smile. “Okay, thanks.” Her eyes travel the room. “Did your friend leave?”

I'm about to answer yes when we both hear the toilet flush. “No,” I chuckle, glancing down the hall. “Not yet.”

Gardenia looks like she wants to ask more, but she bites her tongue. “Same time tomorrow?”

A thought crosses my mind. Do I need her to take Beanie out? Can't I do it myself, now that the VR suit is complete? What if there's some minor tweaks Paige asks for. I should keep Gardenia around a little longer... “Yes, same time,” I reply.

She leaves, and I fix some water and a snack for my dog. He keeps sniffing around, like he knows Paige and I did something and the evidence is in the air. He looks at me with his big shining eyes. “Stop it,” I whisper, “you're no saint, either. I bet you've fallen for dogs just as fast.”

“Who are you talking to?” Paige asks, rounding the corner. She scans, noting Gardenia is gone.

“No one,” I say sheepishly. Beanie bounds over to Paige, and she pets his head with a smile. Lord, I love her smiles. I can't stop myself from closing the distance and kissing her then and there.

She embraces me, nails dancing lightly on my scalp. Then she passes me the VR suit. “Your offer to clean that is accepted,” she says, giggling.

“Got it. Can I get you a drink?”

“Sure,” she says, following me into the large open kitchen. She leans on the granite island while I fish for cups in a cupboard. I'm not digging for long before she asks, “Mikel... what is this list?”

I look up, see her standing in front of my fridge. Crinkling my forehead, I realize what she's talking about. “That's my Everybody But Me Checklist.” Moving to stand beside her, I read the paper with its little printed words.

“So,” Paige muses out loud, giving me a curious side-eye. “You've got a cleaner, a grocery shopper, a meal-prepper, a dog walker... is there anything you do for yourself?”

The tone in her voice makes my jaw tighten. “I need the extra help so I can focus on work.”

Paige winces. “Wait, please don't tell me that my VR suit is the reason you hired a team?”

“No!” Cupping her cheeks, feeling her soft hair between my fingers, I look at her intently. “I hired them months ago. Way before I met you.”

Her pupils get bigger, next is her smile. “Okay, I understand.”

“Really?” I ask.

“Of course. Who wouldn't want a personal army to brush their teeth and comb their hair for them?” She grins so I can see she's playing around. “I'd get a ton more work done in your shoes. It sounds pretty perfect to me.”

Chuckling in the deepest part of my chest, I open my fridge and grab a carafe of filtered water. I fill the two cups I found, passing her one. “It has its downsides.”

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