Page 34 of Ruby Malice

“Probably because the boss paid you special attention. She doesn’t want to step on his toes by picking on his favorite.”

Discomfort warms my cheeks. “No, he didn’t.”

Yes, he did.I’ll never admit it, but he most definitely did.

I’m not sure what Kirill wants with me, but he wants something. Something more than he wants with anyone else on the housekeeping staff. And Sonya doesn’t miss a thing.

Natalia snorts. “Yeah, okay. But if you two bone in one of the bedrooms, hang a sock on the door, por favor. I don’t need to walk in on that when I’m just trying to do my job.”

I laugh a little too loudly. “Ew! That is not going to happen. No socks necessary.”

“Yeah, we’ll see,” she says, unconvinced. Her phone buzzes and she slams her locker shut. “But I’ll see you tomorrow. My ride is here.”

“Ride? Someone drove you?”

“Well, I took the bus this morning. That’s why I was on time.” she explains. “But the guy I’m seeing is picking me up. We’re going out.”

“Oh.” The disappointment is hard to miss.

“That’s right—you don’t have a car,” she says. “I remember that from the bizarre exchange between you and the boss. How did you get here this morning?”

“I called an Uber. But maybe I’ll try the bus.” Public transportation is fine with me, but if I have another option… “Unless you think I could catch a ride with you?”

Natalie winces. “Sorry. Part of this guy’s appeal was his ride. Convertible. Two seats. My last boyfriend had a sleeper van and he was always trying to get me on his nasty ass mattress in the back. Never again. I went for the polar opposite.”

“This one sounds like an upgrade.”

“Definitely,” she agrees. “But the bus stop is four blocks south. Do you have a transit card?”

I shake my head. “Not yet. I’ve been taking my bike everywhere.”

She digs into her pocket and hands it to me. “Use this today and give it back to me tomorrow.”

“Won’t you need it in the morning?”

She gives me a wicked smile. “If things go well, I’ll roll up in a convertible tomorrow morning. And I amveryconfident things will go well.”

“Okay, thanks.” I tuck the card in my back pocket. “And good luck.”

Natalia winks over her shoulder and slips out. After contemplating whether I should ride the bus in my housekeeping uniform or my coffee-stained shirt from this morning, I opt for the tan and burgundy uniform and follow Natalia out. As I’m stepping off the front porch, I see an olive green convertible disappearing down the long driveway. Natalia’s laugh floats above it.

“Have fun,” I mumble.

My ankles ache from standing all day. I’m used to being on my feet; catering prepared me for that. But the events we catered usually didn’t require me to be there for more than four hours, and I wasn’t upright the entire time. I’d sit in the kitchen and talk to the cooks or take a break between courses. But today was eight hours of nonstop movement.

The four-block walk to the bus station wouldn’t be that big of a deal if Kirill’s driveway wasn’t half a mile long by itself. At least it’s a nice day out, if a little warm.

As soon as I’m out of view of the house, I kick off my shoes and let them dangle from my fingertips. Being barefoot feels better than spending one more second in the ugly orthopedic shoes that were provided for me.

A security guard opens the gate as I approach, and I turn right like Natalia instructed. I wander along the shoulder of the road, my head caught in that weird daze between thinking about everything and thinking about nothing at all.

I’m at the end of the block when a black car with deeply tinted windows speeds by headed in the opposite direction. I don’t pay it any mind.

Until I hear the brakes squeal.

I look back just as the car pulls a jaw-droppingly fast U-turn in the middle of the road and heads my way. When it sidles up along the curb, I instantly reach for the pepper spray in my purse. My finger is poised over the trigger when the window rolls down and I see a familiar chiseled jaw looking at me.

“You look like you need a ride,” Kirill comments.

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