Page 25 of The Housemaid
“A peach!” he cries. “Who could fit a peach in their mouth? You’d have to unhinge your jaw!”
I giggle. “Better than a watermelon.”
“That’s probably the answer! I bet anything.”
The final answer on the board turns out to be a plum. Andrew shakes his head. “I don’t know about that. I’d like to see a picture of the contestants who said they could fit a plum in their mouth whole.”
“That should be part of the show,” I say. “You get to hear from the hundred people surveyed and get the rationale behind their answers.”
“You should write toFamily Feudand suggest that,” he says soberly. “You could revolutionize the whole show.”
I giggle again. When I first met Andrew, I assumed he was a stuffy rich guy. But he’s not like that at all. Nina is certifiable, but Andrew isnice. He’s completely down-to-earth, and he’s funny. And it seems like he’s a really good dad to Cecelia.
The truth is, I feel a bit sorry for him sometimes.
I shouldn’t think that. Nina is my boss. She gives me paychecks and a place to live. My loyalty is to her. But at the same time, she’sawful. She’s a slob, she’s constantly telling me conflicting information, and she can be incredibly cruel. Even Enzo, who’s got to be two hundred pounds of solid muscle, seems afraid of her.
Of course, I might not feel that way if Andrew wasn’t so incredibly attractive. Even though I have sat as far away from him as I possibly can without falling off the side of the couch, I can’t help but think about the fact that he is wearing his underwear right now. He’s in his freaking boxers. And his undershirt material is thin enough that I can see the outline of some very sexy muscles. He could do a lot better than Nina.
I wonder if he knows it.
Just as I’m starting to relax and feel glad that Andrew joined me down here, a screechy voice breaks into my thoughts: “Gosh, what’s the big joke you’re laughing about down here?”
I whip my head around. Nina is standing at the foot of the stairs, staring at us. When she’s in her heels, I can hear her coming a mile away, but she’s surprisingly light-footed in her bare feet. She’s wearing a white nightgown that falls to her ankles, and her arms are folded across her chest.
“Hey, Nina.” Andrew yawns and climbs off the sofa. “What are you doing up?”
Nina is glaring at us. I don’t know how he isn’t panicking right now. I’m one second away from peeing in my pants. But he seems totally cavalier about the fact that his wife just caught the two of us alone in the living room at one in the morning, both of usin our underwear. Not that we weredoinganything, but still.
“I could ask you the same thing,” Nina retorts. “You two seem to be having a lot of fun. What’s the joke?”
Andrew lifts a shoulder. “I came down to get some water and Millie was here watching television. I got distracted byFamily Feud.”
“Millie.” Nina turns her attention to me. “Why don’t you get a television for your own room? This is the family room.”
“I’m sorry,” I say quickly. “I’m going to buy a television next chance I get.”
“Hey.” Andrew raises his eyebrows. “What’s so wrong with Millie watching a little television down here if nobody’s around?”
“Well, you’re around.”
“And she wasn’t bothering me.”
“Don’t you have a meeting first thing in the morning?” Nina’s eyes bore into him. “Should you really be awake watching television at one in the morning?”
He sucks in a breath. I hold my own breath, hoping for a minute that he’s going to stand up to her. But then his shoulders sag. “You’re right, Nina. I better turn in.”
Nina stands there, her arms folded across her ample chest, watching Andrew trudge up the stairs, like he’s a child she’s sending up without supper. It’s unsettling to see the extent of her jealousy.
I get up from the couch as well and shut off the television. Nina is still lingering at the base of the stairs. Her eyes rake over my gym shorts and tank top. My lack of a bra. Again, it strikes me how bad this looks. But I thought I would be all alone down here.
“Millie,” Nina says, “in the future, I expect you to wear appropriate attire around the house.”
“I’m so sorry,” I say for the second time. “I didn’t think anyone would be awake.”
“Really?” She snorts. “Would you just wander around any stranger’s house in the middle of the night because you assume they won’t be around?”
I don’t know what to say to that. This is not a stranger’s house. Ilivehere, albeit up in the attic. “No…”
