Boston's Man-Eater

XLII

"People."

Her eyes glistened with pain.

"Which people?"

"Tess, I don't have to make a list of the people who disapprove of this. The whole world would have to join."

"Kyle," she took my hand.

"What happened to my mother was one thing, this is another."

Oh God. I could feel myself falling harder for her.

"I'm just suddenly afraid. I sound so selfish, but I'm already on a lot of people's bad sides."

"Like who?"

"Marisol doesn't like me—"

"Marisol doesn't like anyone, it's nothing personal."

She hates men. Tess is right.

"She also hates Mason."

"I also despise Mason, and I'm surprised to find that you don't," she said pointedly, and I sighed at the embarrassing night.

"And Mason probably hates me as well."

This time, she didn't wish to speak.

She bit her lip, and pulled me further down the hallway.

"He's not going to reach such an extent heights," she grumbled, and I nodded despite the lack of conviction.

I hoped that it was not a vision of a prophecy.

How could it be?

As we made it into her book lounge, I waited by the doorway as she skimmed her finger over the spines of the novels, stopping by Diana's biography.

"Interesting pick."

"Very."

"Strongly opinionated I see."

"There's no other way around it," she said as I opened the door for her. "Believe me. It's interesting."

"Good to know," I smiled.

"You're not locking up?"

"System is automatic."

Of course, this is Her Majesty's castle.

As we walked towards my car with the crunching noises coming from beneath our soles, I took the basket, and placed it in the backseat before opening the door for Tess and settling down.

We eventually left the grounds of her manor, and I suddenly felt the urge to explore the lush ridges that peaked from behind.

"Whenever I see your car, I wonder how a majestic classic skipped my mind."

"You'd consider buying one for yourself?"

"I mean, why not? Look at this beauty," she swept her hands over the dashboard.

"You can drive it if you want."

"Really?" She asked, and shifted her body to give me undivided attention.

Anything for you, Tess.

"Of course."

"Let's make a deal then," she suggested, further piquing my interest.

"Go on."

"We'll swap cars for a week."

"What?" —disbelief.

"What?"

"You'd let me have one of your cars for a week?"

"Yes, and you could have dear Simon since he's come to a personal attachment—he'd suffer a stroke if I parted him from them," she looked out the window where the trees whipped past.