Total pages in book: 184
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
“It’s Saturday,” Salem told him. “When is the last time you came out of your room?”
“Or showered?” Alexei asked, wrinkling his nose.
“Saturday? What date?” Roman peered at the calendar. “Oh dear. Where is Evette? Normally she tells me when it’s coming up to the weekend and she leaves me a snack basket. But there’s no snack basket.”
“I’m starting to see that Evette isn’t getting paid enough,” Salem said with a sigh.
“Evette has gone on vacation,” Alexei said.
“But that’s not until March.”
“It is March,” Salem and Alexei said together.
“It is?” Roman blinked heavily. “Are you sure?”
“Very sure,” Salem told him.
“Drat. I thought I would have this database finished by now.”
Roman was also an MI6 agent. But he worked for the tech department. Or maybe it was more accurate to say that the tech department worked for him. He seemed to get whatever he desired. Including the ability to work from home most of the time. He was also part of the taskforce trying to take down Pinky.
“When is the last time you went outside?” Salem asked Roman.
“Outside? I don’t know. I have things to do. I’ve been trying to figure out Pinky’s next move.”
“Haven’t we all,” Alexei muttered.
“Yes, but I’ve been doing it with this program I coded. That’s why I’m behind in creating the other database. It’s rather boring, if I’m honest. I’d let someone else do it, but they’d likely mess it up.”
Roman was brilliant.
A bit odd. But brilliant.
Roman moved to the fridge and drew out a bottle of water and some grapes. Then he sat at the island.
“So? What are we going to do for dinner?” Roman asked.
“Is that really the first thing you want to ask?” Salem asked.
“Um. Right. I suppose we should think about lunch first.”
“Do you not care about the fact that Alexei is naked?” Salem waved his hand over at Alexei.
“Oh. Uh, right. I just figured it was a new thing I’d forgotten about.”
“You think that you forgot Alexei mentioning that he’s going to walk around naked?” Salem asked him.
“Hmm. Well. Perhaps. I don’t always pay close attention when people talk to me. You know that. I thought perhaps he’d decided to become a nudist.”
“And that would be all right with you?” Salem asked.
Chill.
There’s no point in getting upset.
“Well, I mean, who am I to tell him he can’t be a nudist? I don’t want to sound like I don’t support nudism or am an anti-nudist.”
“Good to know that I have your support,” Alexei said solemnly.
“Whew. I thought I might have said that wrong and offended you. Sometimes I do that.” Roman ate a grape.
“He’s not a nudist,” Salem told him, sitting beside him but being careful not to touch him.
Roman didn’t like touching others or being touched.
“He’s not?” Roman asked, looking confused. “Are you sure? Because he’s naked.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. He’s just an asshole.”
“Are the two mutually exclusive?” Roman ate another grape. “Can he not be a nudist and an asshole?”
“I could be,” Alexei said.
Salem’s headache was deepening.
“So if he’s not a nudist, then why is he naked?” Roman asked.
“Because he didn’t do any washing. And he has no clean clothes.”
“Oh, would you like me to buy you some, Alexei?” Roman asked.
Salem’s phone rang and he drew it out of his pocket, grateful for the distraction.
Except it was his mother calling. He grimaced and set the phone down on the counter.
“Are you not going to answer it?” Roman asked, peering at the screen. “That’s your mother.”
“I know it’s my mother. I’m just . . . working up to answering it.”
Alexei snorted.
Great.
Stop being a coward.
He hit ‘answer’ and brought it to his ear. “Mum? Everything okay?”
“Of course! Why wouldn’t it be?” his mother replied. “I was just calling to remind you about dinner tomorrow night.”
“I haven’t forgotten, Mum. I come for dinner every Sunday night that I can.”
“Well, I just don’t want you to get distracted by work.”
“Hey, Mama Adel,” Alexei said loudly.
“Oh, is that Alexei?” his mother asked.
He glared at the other man. What did he think he was doing? And did he have to call his mother that?
“Yes,” Salem said.
“And Roman? Is he there?”
“Yes, Roman is here,” Salem said with a sigh.
“Hello, Mrs. Adel,” Roman said.
“Goodness. Roman’s always so polite and that Alexei, so charming.”
Charming? Alexei?
What Alexei was his mother talking about?
Then she let out this high-pitched giggle.
Salem closed his eyes. Yep, his headache was definitely getting worse. If his mother had a crush on Alexei he was going to . . . well, he wasn’t sure what he would do.
Vomit?
That seemed a reasonable response, right?
“. . . and bring your little friends.”
“I’m sorry, what was that?” he asked.
He could have sworn that she’d said to—
“Make sure that you come to dinner tomorrow at five sharp and bring your little friends.”
“My little friends? Mum, I’m not five any longer.”
“I just think it’s so sweet that Roman lets you live with him in that gorgeous mansion. So much better than the place you used to live in. I never liked it.”