Page 35 of 10,000 Hours With A Rich Menace

“Starving… Beans was very nice and got me chicken one of the days, but if I never see a sandwich again, I would be perfectly fine with that.”

“I see Beans had favorites.”

She smiled. “Maybe he knew I was innocent and I’m not a thief.”

“You steal grapes while food shopping… you’re a thief.”

I watched as she stomped her foot, sending her thighs jiggling. She squinted her eyes at me, then wrinkled her nose at me in this cute smirk. “Tell me you haven’t eaten a few grapes while food shopping.”

“Don’t food shop, so I wouldn’t be able to tell you.” I turned to head toward the door and looked over at her. “It’s just us tonight, so you can wear a robe or not.”

I watched as she looked at the robe with the Caselli crest on it. She grabbed the robe and put it on as she followed behind me.

Some nights Duke stayed in the guest house in the back with Lupita, it was two units. Other than security making their rounds around the property, it was always only me in the house after Jeffie left for the day.

I coolly walked down the hall and heard her bare feet slap against the floors behind me. “Why does one need a house this big?”

“I like having space.”

“You don’t get lonely here?”

“Nah.”

She continued to trail behind me. “I would get lonely here… then again, I’m lonely in my apartment sometimes. Estella usually keeps me company, but when she’s not there I get lonely. Why are you talking about your loneliness?”

I stopped and turned around. “You talk to yourself often, Wonder?”

She goofily smiled at me. “Is that a problem? I mean, we don’t have to get married if that is a problem.”

“You didn’t have many friends growing up, huh?”

“No.” She looked down.

I lifted her chin. “Me either.”

She smiled at me and then continued to follow me down to the kitchen. “Can I make us something? I’m a really good cook.”

“My food is already prepared.”

“Meal prep? Are you on a meal plan?”

“Nah.”

She whispered something to herself as she followed me into the kitchen and then into the walk-in fridge. I went to the fridge that was designated for my prepared meals that Lupita made every day.

She would make all my meals for the day before I was up in the morning and have them sitting on the counter to cool, then put them in the fridge if I didn’t get around to eating them for the day.

Like now.

I was busy all day and hadn’t eaten anything except for breakfast. Stevie looked at the meal in the plastic container and turned her nose up. “You can have anything in the world, andthisis what you’re eating?”

Baked chicken, white rice and corn – fresh corn.

“The fuck wrong with my food… here… I didn’t eat lunch so you can have that one.” I handed her the second container and she looked at me and sighed.

We went back into the kitchen, and I pressed the button, and the microwave came out the drawer. While my food heated up, I leaned on the counter and watched as she shook the food around in the container.

“Guess I’m confused on why you’re having the same meal twice in one day? I can understand being on a strict diet… but you don’t take me as someone who is.”

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