Page 29 of Waste
Shelley’s life had been upended, and she’d been hurt twice in a relatively short amount of time. Instead of whining, sulking, and making everyone else miserable, Shelley got on with things. She’d only had one blowout, and he could understand why; they had been rude and not included her in the planning. It was justified.
Drew also noted that Gail seemed eager for Shelley to settle down and have kids, but Shelley was opposed to this. Although Shelley hadn’t discussed what she wanted, it was clear her life plan differed from Gail’s own ideas.
“Will we be safe?” Shelley asked quietly, and Drew nodded.
“Yes. This is one of my boltholes when I need a timeout. Even though I shun publicity, paparazzi tend to be insidious. Many wealthy and famous individuals frequent the resort, and therefore, security is paramount. They employ a high standard of personal protection there, and guests feel safe and able to relax,” Drew said.
“It sounds expensive,” Shelley murmured and bit her lip.
Drew frowned. What did that matter? Then he realised, Shelley was worried about meals and other things she might want. He knew that Shelley’s family wasn’t struggling financially and that their business generated a good income. They were more than comfortable, but Shelley didn’t act like a rich kid. She had struck out on her own and earned her own money. Drew had respect for that.
“Order anything you wish; it goes onto my tab. They don’t take cards or cash here. You provide the room number, and it’s charged accordingly. If you want drinks or snacks, just get what you’d like and charge it,” Drew explained.
“Holy crap, it’s that type of exclusive?” Charlie exclaimed, and Drew chuckled.
“Yes, money and cards are deemed crass!” Drew agreed.
“Damn, dude, nice to be that level of rich,” Charlie teased.
“Like your family is hurting,” Drew retorted, and Shelley sighed.
Both he and Charlie turned grins on her, and Shelley blinked. “No ski bunnies coming back to the chalet. You two together are devastating!”
A light blush hit Shelley’s cheeks as her words landed, and Charlie preened. Drew smiled shyly at her. The truth was, this human shifted form wasn’t his. What Shelley was seeing wasn’t really him. Ghoul was an ugly monster, and Drew could barely remember his God form. He’d some recollection of how he’d once appeared, but he looked completely different now.
Even his name bore no resemblance to his God-given name. Stavin Mon’clesseur. He’d not been called that for thousands of years. He wondered what Stavin Mon’clesseur would sound like on Shelley’s lips and then wondered why it mattered. Drew searched deep within himself. Was there an inkling of a bond? Marie and Pandora had both seemed to think Shelley was his mate. Oh, he didn’t want one, but he was curious.
Nope, there was no connection between them. Then again, having never experienced it, how would it feel?
Drew sat back, considering what was happening. Meanwhile, Shelley and Charlie bickered among themselves quietly. Drew idly noted that their bond was much like his with his siblings. And it reassured him greatly, although he didn’t understand why!
Shelley
Okay, this was the lap of luxury. There was no doubt this was way out of their price range, and even though the family business was successful, they’d never reach this level of rich! She examined what was her bedroom for the next few weeks with wide eyes. It was like an advert you saw on TV. How could Drew remain grounded with such extravagance surrounding him?
It certainly made her a little uncomfortable. Charlie, however, had taken to this like a duck to a pond. His calm acceptance had Shelley rolling her eyes. Right now, he and Drew were examining the slopes. Charlie and Shelley owned their own skiing gear as they skied twice a year, so there was no need to hire any. Charlie had packed his own.
As Shelley couldn’t ski, she’d packed warm clothes but not her salopettes or other skiing items. She was slightly envious of Drew and Charlie, but hoped they’d have a good time. As Drew had stated, two guards covered the front and rear of the chalet.
Shelley was sitting at the window, people-watching with a model on the table. She hadn’t yet started it as she was too busy being awed at the celebrities passing by. This was certainly a playground for the mega-rich and famous. Shelley had seen four movie stars, one author, three politicians, and a pop star.
Right now, Shelley was watching a reality TV star throw an epic tantrum. Mirry Moors, short for Miranda Moors, was literally standing on a snow-covered path shrieking. Shelley had her head cocked as Mirry berated a young woman with her. She guessed it was Mirry’s PA, although Shelley had no idea how she put up with behaviour like that.
As Shelley watched, Mirry threw something on the ground and stamped her foot. A smile crossed Shelley’s face at the spoiled attitude. How could a grown woman act so childish? She looked stupid. Shelley noticed that Mirry suddenly shut up andher entire demeanour changed. She became coy and charming, and Shelley frowned and followed Mirry’s line of sight. Uh oh. Mirry’s gaze was focused firmly on Drew and Charlie as they walked towards their chalet.
Neither man was paying Mirry any attention, but Mirry had taken note of them both. She fluffed her hair, preened a little, and let out a tittering laugh. Shelley bit back amusement as Charlie and Drew both glanced over and then continued their conversation. Mirry looked nonplussed that her efforts hadn’t been rewarded.
Then Drew and Charlie stamped snow off their feet and entered the cabin.
“Hey, were you people spying?” Charlie asked as he hung up his coat.
“Just observing the disaster over there,” Shelley replied.
“She’s a witch. I wonder if she knows how much her voice carries. That poor assistant,” Drew stated as he pulled his outer clothes off.
“Mirry certainly isn’t merry,” Charlie agreed as he headed towards the kettle and put it on.
“As long as she stays on her side, we won’t have a problem,” Drew replied.
