Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30685 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Olly breaks the silence.
“Did you see Josh today at school?” she asks.
Josh is a boy whom Olly likes. He’s cute enough with floppy brown hair and puppy dog eyes, but he’s nothing like Elliot. I can’t even compare the two.
“No, I didn’t see him. Why?” I ask.
Olly blushes.
“Just wondering. I saw him, and he looked extra adorable today with that beanie over his long bangs.”
What he really looks like is an emo boy in the school glee club, but I don’t say that. I merely smile.
“You always think Josh looks cute.”
She jerks her head up and her eyes are sparkling.
“That’s because he is cute! I’m going to talk to him tomorrow.”
Olly makes this claim every week, but she never follows through. She’s been crushing on Josh ever since she moved to Millbrook years ago, but I don’t think they’ve even had a real conversation. I wish Olly would talk to Josh because otherwise, she’s stuck in nowhere-land. Who knows, maybe something could happen between them if she took a chance. I want her to have movement in her life, the way mine seems to be jumping forward in leaps and bounds right now. My friend looks at me suspiciously.
“What’s with that look on your face?”
I try to look innocent.
“What look?”
“You’re smiling at the floor like you know a secret, and you’re not telling me.”
“I am not,” I deny, but I know I am.
“Come on, Kaylee. What’s going on with you? Is it something having to do with Josh? Oh my god, you know something, right?” Olly gasps. “Did he say something to you about me?”
That seems unlikely, seeing that I’ve barely talked to Josh since freshman year.
“No, no, it’s nothing. At least, it has nothing to do with Josh.”
She puts her hands on her hips and glares at me from over by the bay window.
“Okay, out with it then! What’s going on? What’s the big secret?”
I think about dissembling for a moment. I could tell her about Humphrey and the threesome. That would be a big-enough secret, and get me off the hook.
“You’re doing it again,” my friend mock-threatens. “That innocent yet stealthy look. Out with it.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just thinking about school.”
Olly laughs.
“You liar! You never smile when you think about school – unless it’s about Home Ec. And even that doesn’t make you smile this much. Come on, I thought I was your best friend, Kays.”
“You are. I just don’t want you to hate me.”
Her eyes go wide.
“It does have to do with Josh, doesn’t it?” she asks in a trembling voice. Then her eyes fill with tears. “Oh my god, did he ask you out? I know I haven’t been very aggressive, but I thought …”
Now, I’ve gotten myself into a tizzy.
“No, he didn’t ask me out. You know I don’t talk to Josh, Olly. It has nothing to do with him – it has to do with Millbrook Manor.”
My friend’s forehead crinkles in confusion.
“You mean the place we cleaned last time?”
I nod.
“Exactly that place. To make a long story short, I met the owner when I was scrubbing the office. We started talking, and he invited me to go back for lunch the next day.”
Olly’s eyes widen.
“Really? Was he some disgusting old geezer with hair poking out of his nose? Did he threaten to get you canned if you didn’t go? I’m sorry this happened to you, Kays.”
I laugh.
“No, nothing like that. He’s actually really handsome and charming, and I decided to go. I just … I don’t know, it was really awesome actually. Anyways, I went, and it was amazing. We had lunch in the garden. And then … well … we kind of … had sex. I mean, after we had sex in his office.”
I say the last two sentences quickly, half-hoping Olly doesn’t hear. But of course, I’m not that lucky.
Olly gapes at me.
“Holy sheeee-it, Kaylee!”
I bury my head in my hands.
“I know, it’s insane. That’s why I was afraid to tell you.”
“Oh my god, girlfriend! The master of Millbrook Manor? Holy sheeee-it! Tell me more about what happened. Did you guys do it twice, once in his office and once in the garden? Did anyone see you? How did this come about? You’re just the maid, for crying out loud! I always know that maids are supposed to serve their masters, but this is taking it to a whole other level.”
I blush.
“Thanks for your commentary,” I say dryly. “And no, I did not call him “master” while we were having sex. The first time, we did it while I was on the job that day …”
Olly cuts me off again.
“Holy sheeee-it!” she screams again, practically jumping up and down. “You mean, while the entire team was at the house? While I was there?”
I nod, blushing but also strangely proud.
“Yeah. Elliot walked in, and he was with this woman, but then she left and we were alone. Then we started talking and then we started … well, we did it on his desk.”