Page 375 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 5
“Nigel isn’t violent. He’s a caretaker if anything.”
“Maybe to you. He creeps me out. Look at what your weird little houseboy said to me.”
Tanner unfolded the letter and started reading aloud.
Mr. Caldwell,
You never told me if you liked meat, but I assume since you didn’t complain about your last lunch that you really like it. So I gave you double today.
As always, I want to make you as comfortable as possible in Master Tanner’s abode. Please let me know if there’s anything else you need me to acquire. I’m at your disposal any time. Day or night. I put my number below again because you haven’t called or texted yet. It’s best to send me special requests that way. It’s a private line, in case you’re worried about interlopers.
Have a lovely and fetching day at work. No fighting with the other boys, remember. The last thing I want to have to do is reprimand you again. Speaking of which, I forgive you for making me worry last night. But I will need details to fully recover from the agony. I’ll let you explain where you were last night to me during your bath.
Yours,
-Nigel
XOXO
P.S. I will keep giving you meat until you text me otherwise.
Tanner folded the letter and handed it back to me. “That’s so sweet of him. He never leaves me notes. Well, maybe he used to at first. I can’t remember, it’s been so long.”
“Sweet? More like murdery.”
“It seemed normal enough to me. What from that lovely note would possibly make you think he wants to lop off your head?”
“Poor choice of words. I think he probably wants to give me head.”
Tanner laughed. “Nigel isn’t gay. You’re leaning into this role here tonight a little too hard. Really, the note was kind and caring. Like I said, he’s a caretaker if anything.”
“He wants to watch me bathe.”
“Surely there will be bubbles hiding anything unseemly.”
“Tanner, Nigel is clearly into me. He makes me very uncomfortable.”
Tanner sighed. “Please don’t tell him that. His sole purpose is to make you feel comfortable. He said it in his note. He’d be devastated.”
“Well, I don’t want to devastate him.”
“Your parents were moderately wealthy,” Tanner said. “I can’t believe you didn’t grow up with a houseboy. They just take some getting used to. It took me forever to think of Nigel as more of a friend than the little nuisance he sometimes insists on being.”
Moderately wealthy? All my life I would have said exorbitantly. But that was before I’d met Tanner. “If you didn’t like him originally, why didn’t you fire him?”
“Oh it wasn’t my choice, believe me. I’m stuck with him. But we’ve set our boundaries now and my house runs seamlessly.”
And Tanner thinks I’m the weird one?
“Enough about Nigel. Tell me more about your contract with Poppy. Is it ironclad?”
It wasn’t. “Actually, I have some other non-Poppy related news that I want to discuss with you. But I want to make it clear that you shouldn’t mouth kiss me again.” I was suddenly nervous and I had no idea why. Brooklyn had been my one and only girlfriend. I’d been adamant about not dating anyone else after her death. This was a big deal for me. And as one of my best friends, I wanted Tanner to be happy for me. But I had this weird feeling he’d make me feel like shit. For breaking my vow to love Brooklyn and only Brooklyn.
Tanner laughed. “I promise to not celebrate whatever it is you’re about to say.”
I pressed my lips together for a second. “I’m not dating Poppy. But I am dating Kennedy, Brooklyn’s best friend. I asked her to make it official.”
Tanner’s smile grew with each word. “I’d celebratorily peck you so hard right now if you hadn’t made me promise I wouldn’t. I’m really happy for you, man.”
