Page 31 of Maid For Each Other

I texted:Please tell me you don’t always use all caps like this. Feels threatening. Stop yelling at me, boo.

I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t for him tocallme. I lifted the phone to my ear and said, “Hey, boo.”

“Are you always so ridiculous, or am I just lucky?”

“Hmm, I’d say both,” I said, rolling onto my side. “What can I do for you, love of my life?”

“I have a problem,” he said, and he sounded…tired.

“Oh?”

“Oh, yeah. It seems my hotel is overbooked for tonight, which means someone else is sleeping in my room. I’ve looked into it, and it also seems that every hotel in thecityis full because of the shareholder weekend.”

“Oh.” I felt bad. I was in his comfy bed, and he was…well, not.

“So I’m sure it’s going to cost me, but would you consider—with very strict rules, of course—allowing me to stay in my guest room, just for the weekend?”

“What?”

I was instantly wide-awake and reaching for the lamp. Was he asking to stay in his condowithme?

“Relax,” he said calmly. “The choice is yours so no need to stress; if you say no, that seals it because we had a deal. But what I’m proposing is that you allow me to sleep in the guest room for the next two nights. I won’t get in your way, and the second the sun comes up each morning, I will exit the premises and you’ll have the place to yourself all day. I just need somewhere to sleep.”

Declan Powell was going to ruin the joy of my little retreat, but I couldn’t say no, could I? I mean, itwashis place.

“Can’t you sleep in one of your cars?” I asked. “I mean, onemustbe a glamorous RV or someth—”

“Please,” he said, and the exhaustion in his voice got to me, especially when he added, “It’s one o’clock and I literally have nowhere to crash for the night.”

“Okay,” I said with a sigh.RIP, no-pants weekend.

“Okay?” He sounded surprised. “You…are all right with this?”

“I mean, you aren’t a creep or a murderer, are you?”

“I am not.”

Lauren will be the judge of that.

“And you’re not trying to, like…make a move on me, right?” I asked.

“Definitely not,” he said, sounding horrified.

“Don’t say it like that, like it’s a disgusting idea. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. I think you’re gross, too.”

“Excellent. So then…”

He still sounded confused, like he was waiting for me to punk him or something. “Well I’m already comfy in your bed, so can you just use your key and let yourself in?”

“Of course,” he said. “But what do you want in exchange?”

“For…letting you stay here?” NowIfelt confused.

“Yes.”

“Nothing. I mean, what are you offering?” God, I had no idea how to deal with someone so transactional. “It’syourplace, so why would you have to give me something to sleep here?”

“Because it’s not what we originally agreed upon.”

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