June (Calendar Girl #6) Read Online Free Page B

took our leave.
    The night had been long and the conversations boring. A few weeks of this was going to be as dull as the historical section of a local library. It was going to be full of nothing but old men, business deals, and gold-digging skanks. I needed to figure out a way to be more helpful.
    I pondered that very question while I walked through the vast, dark halls of the mansion later that night in search of the kitchen. A soft light shined at the end of one stretch of hallway. Art and sculptures from different centuries were displayed every ten feet. The house felt more like a museum of art than a home. There were no snapshots or photographs of the family donning the walls. No memorabilia that I could attribute to Aaron’s youth. There were just stodgy antiques and pricey artifacts that didn’t seem to have any personal value. They were clearly relics of times forgotten by the house’s inhabitants or just used for opulent decoration. It made me sad because some of these pieces were true gems. They should be elevated and highlighted not placed to fill space in a vast and mostly empty mansion.
    The hall ended up leading to a lavish, grand kitchen. Stainless steel appliances, four glass doors that you could see through. One set of doors had milk, cheese, fruit, and veggies. The normal suspects you’d see in a fridge. The other set had fresh flowers of all varieties.
    “Oh, I didn’t see you there,” came a lilting voice from my side. I turned and found the house manager, Kathleen.
    I smiled and waved. “Couldn’t sleep. I haven’t really adjusted to the time change yet.”
    She entered the room, went over to the cabinets and pulled down a couple plates. “Would you like a sandwich?”
    My mouth watered. “Boy, do I ever. I’ve only eaten gourmet foods the last two days. A plain old turkey and cheese would be heavenly.”
    Kathleen smiled softly, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Every couple moments her blue eyes would glance my way. With practiced ease, she made us both a sandwich. Still, she didn’t say a word, but I could tell something was on her mind.
    “You know, you can ask me anything. I’ll answer honestly. I’m getting the feeling you don’t know why I’m here.”
    She shook her head, crossed her hands over her robe-clad chest, and dropped her gaze.
    “I’m an escort; Warren hired me.” I answered honestly.
    Kathleen’s eyes went as wide as an endless blue sky. Her hand went to her heart and she braced herself on the butcher-block counter. “I see.”
    I couldn’t help myself. She obviously had something going with the Senior Shipley. “It’s not what you think…” I started but she backed up until her bum hit the fridge.
    “Doesn’t matter what I think. I’m uh…I’m just the help.” Her eyebrows narrowed and she whispered again, “I’m just the help.”
    Leaning a hip against the counter, I waited until she looked at me. Tears pooled in her eyes, and it broke my heart. “I’m not sleeping with him. It isn’t like that.”
    Her head snapped back. “But you’re an escort. You just said—”
    I cut her off. “I said I was an escort. Hired to attend functions with him, as his personal arm candy. Not his bedmate; it seems he already has that part covered.” I smiled and she blushed.
    “I don’t know what you mean.” Kathleen grabbed the lapels of her robe and covered more of her chest, even though not even a speck of skin was visible.
    “Sure you do.” It was becoming very clear to me. On top of the table sat the two sandwiches she made. One was twice the size of the other. Uh huh. “Who’s the sandwich for?”
    Again, those sweet cheeks of hers turned a nice shade of rose. “I’m quite hungry.”
    “Yeah, I’m hungry after a round of great sex, too. Go take your man his sandwich. Your secret is safe with me.” I grabbed the plate with the smaller sandwich and turned to go back to my room. Late night TV was calling my name.
    “Mia, he doesn’t want anyone to