“Yes. Nigel has a good eye for these things. As he put it, ‘a leather couch has no business being in photos to sell a family home.’ He let Bill know you’d need a few more things for the staging.”
“So my clothes…”
“All in your room here.”
Okay.“Well, I should probably go change.”
“I’ll be waiting. We can take my car to work. I’ll just have my driver drop you off first.”
I knew Tanner was trying to keep me safe. But I couldn’t be in his sight all the time. I left Tanner in the great room and wandered down the hall to the room I’d stayed in the other night. I swear the room seemed bigger. And everything but my couch was in it. Really, how did this room not look more cramped?
I opened up the closet to see all my suits, perfectly organized by color. Just the way they had been at my house.
“Mr. Caldwell,” Nigel said.
I jumped. “Nigel, please stop sneaking up on me like that.”
“Sorry, Mr. Caldwell. I just wanted to let you know that I’ve removed everything from your home and brought it here.”
I looked around. Actually there was one noticeable thing missing. All my paintings of Brooklyn. Probably because the room was locked.
It was like Nigel could read my mind. “Well, everything but the paintings, sir. They weren’t my taste.”
I looked over at him. Not his taste? Maybe he was just jealous that I’d been painting Brooklyn’s face and not his. If anyone else had seen them, I would have been embarrassed. Or worried they would think I was crazy. But Nigel was staring at me like he always did. And it didn’t seem like he thought I was weird or crazy. There was only love in his eyes. A little too much love. But still love. Or was that just the look of a man hoping to get a dick pic?
I cleared my throat. “Nigel, I’m going to need a minute.”
“Of course.” He stepped into the corner of the room and just stared at me.
“In private, Nigel.”
“Of course, Mr. Caldwell. I’ll be right outside the door when you need me. Don’t worry about calling for me. I’ll be back in exactly in one minute.” He bowed and left me alone.
I sighed and sat down on the edge of my bed. Yes,mybed. I guess I lived with Tanner now. And Nigel. That was a lot to take in. And I should have been thinking about that and the secret mission tonight with the hitwoman. But for some reason my mind was fixated on Kennedy. And the way she’d smiled when she chucked her slipper at my face. And the way she laughed. And the way she didn’t judge me when I cried.
I put my face in my hands. I shouldn’t have been thinking about her at all. So why couldn’t I get her out of my head?
I heard the door open and knew Nigel was staring at me. But I didn’t even care. It was better than him staring at me while I was naked again.
Matchmaker - Chapter 29
Wednesday
Jefferson fell over as he kicked the ball, somehow sending the ball behind him. He was closer to getting it through the other goal post than his own. How the hell was he getting worse? I’d tried everything. I’d studied videos and read tips and tried to figure out if it was some kind of mental block. But I was seriously out of ideas.
Jefferson was a terrible kicker.
I ran my hand down my face with a sigh. Jefferson might go down as the worst kicker in the history of Empire High. And no one wanted that title. But how could I fix it if nothing worked?
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out. There was a text from Tanner: “Ready and in place.”
I texted him back. “Where are you exactly?”
“At 7 o’clock.”
I looked down at my watch and another text came through.
“Not the time. The direction. At 7 o’clock means behind you.”
