Page 38 of Sweet Little Thing

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

Beulah

The easiest thing I’d done today was quit my job at the club. I barely had any time there, and I felt guilty about that. However, they didn’t seem to care that I wasn’t coming back. Said their ‘turnover’ had always been ridiculous. After that, I proceeded to the next thing. The most difficult part of my day. Moving my personal items upstairs. Jasper had given me the yellow guest bedroom straight across from his. He said I wouldn’t be sleeping in there, but he wanted me to have my own space. Though the transition was already difficult, he was trying to make it easy on me.

Every time I thought about Heidi’s tuition being paid for a decade in advance, the relief was overwhelming and brought me to tears, no more worrying if she would be transferred or worse. Evicted from a place she’d come to love. I would’ve wanted to be with Jasper even if I was still sleeping downstairs and working three jobs to pay for Heidi. Although his desire to take care ofher made my feelings for him stronger. I’d told him I loved him. It was different than anything I’d felt before. This had to be what love felt like.

I’d make sure to be the best secretary in the world. I knew I couldn’t make it up to him, not receiving benefits and a salary, but I would try, and I would try every day. If something happened between us, I would find a way to pay him back. I wasn’t going to tell him that now, but I would if the time came.

Believing in fairytales wasn’t smart. I’d never lived inside or on the edges of one. Trusting something like that was foolish. But Jasper made me want to do it. Now, standing in the yellow bedroom with my limited, pathetic wardrobe, which didn’t even fill a tenth of the closet, was a little funny. I could put a bed in that closet and still have room for my clothes. Heidi would think this was the coolest thing. She’d spin in circles in the massive closet and giggle as she did.

I could now visit her on both Saturday and Sunday. Yet another thing to love Jasper for. He’d gone to the office and told me to stay. To settle in, move some things around. Tomorrow I would start my new job. I tried to argue, but Jasper begged. I then agreed and remained at the house. Now that I was finished, I had nothing left to do. This, I’dneverexperienced. Searching about, I saw we needed groceries. I would do that, dust and make dinner. Then I heard voices, and I paused. Had Portia unexpectedly returned? I listened carefully as I walked down the stairs. It was a guy and a girl. No, two guys. Definitely, two male voices.

“I’ll call Jasper and get the code to the pool house,” one of the guys called out. I relaxed a little, now realizing it was only Jasper’s friends. I followed the voices to the sunroom. I recognized Sterling and Tate. The girl, I’d never seen. She was tall, slender, and gorgeous. Long, dark, almost black hair hung loosely down her back. Her high cheekbones and the way shecarried her head instantly made me feel insecure. She was from their world.

“There she is,” Sterling said, smiling at me. “I was about to call Jasper. The pool house is locked, and we’re starving. Could you tell me the code and fix us lunch?” Sterling’s grin was friendly.

“Yes, of course. The code is 49287,” I replied.

“I want to layout. Please bring the food outside. And I’d also like a martini,” the girl said, staring at me much the same way Stone did. Except she seemed more annoyed with my presence than even Stone could muster. Like I was taking up oxygen unnecessarily.

“Okay,” I responded. “Would either of you like a drink?”

“Bourbon,” Tate replied, then winked.

“Whatever good beer Jasper has,” Sterling told me.

“I’ll have those out shortly,” I told them and went to make their drinks. I wouldn’t be going to the grocery store today after all. From the looks of the woman, I’d be busy. She reminded me of Portia. She was going to be hard to please and, in return, keep me hopping.

I left to make the drinks, then delivered them. Just before I walked inside, I heard Tate call her name. “Maisie,” he said, then asked his question, my stomach quickly knotting as I paused. That was the girl Jasper broke up with before he came back. Why was she here now? Had he known she was coming? If he did, why hadn’t he told me?

This was the thing that frightened me. His world and mine didn’t fit. I wasn’t anything like her, and I never would be. I tried not to think about it as I slowly made a strawberry and avocado salad to serve them while the pasta cooked. No matter how much I pushed my worries aside, they continued to plague and defeat me.

With each trip I made outside, Maisie had another demand. She needed a towel that was softer and ‘plusher’ than the onesJasper had in the pool house. Maisie wanted her martini ‘dirtier’ and required a different tanning oil. The kind with less SPF . . . and while I was at it, could I ‘fetch’ a sparkling water after I made her a spinach salad because she hated avocados? Maisie also wanted pine nuts and strawberries on that.

The more she asked for, or rather, demanded, the less time I had to think about why Maisie was here at Jasper’s home—the day passed in a blur. When I headed outside with her third martini, I saw Jasper before I heard him. Taking a deep breath and remembering to smile, I left the kitchen for the pool.

“The playing hard-to-get thing isn’t attractive anymore, Jasper. You wanted space. You got your space. Don’t be ridiculous,” Maisie said, sounding amused with him.

“Hey, Beulah!” Sterling yelled with a grin. “Bring Jasper a drink. He needs one.”

Jasper turned to see me carrying a tray with Maisie’s martini on it. He looked at the drink and then at me, “Have you been doing that all day?”

I glanced around to see all their eyes on me. “Yes,” I replied. I wanted my basement back. This was something I hadn’t thought about. Facing his friends.

“Fuck,” he said, walking over to take the tray from me then looking back at Maisie. “She’s not your goddamn servant!” He tossed the tray and the drink went flying, the glass shattering twenty feet away.

“Jesus! Jasper, what’s the deal?” Tate asked, his eyes wide, emerging from the pool.

Jasper responded, “My fucking deal is, you come into my house and bring her,” stopping to point at Maisie, “and don’t think to motherfucking ask. You also boss my girlfriend around like she’s your goddamn chambermaid. And because Beulah is the sweetest person I know or will ever fucking meet, she gladly takes it and smiles.” Jasper then looked back at me. “Beulah, didyou feed them?” I nodded, too nervous to say yes. Jasper winced. “God, I’m so sorry, Beulah. . .”

“Did you just call the help your girlfriend,” Maisie asked, her tone switching from amused to angry. She was sitting ramrod straight with fire in her eyes, Maisie’s lounging position now abandoned.

“Holy shit,” Tate said, in a whisper, loud enough for us all to hear.

“Should have seen that coming,” Sterling added in a weird, flat tone.

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