Matchmaker (Empire High #4) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,114
of those big cages over there with some models dancing in it?”
I looked over to where he was pointing. “Sure. It would probably fit.”
“Excellent.”
“So…” I let my voice trail off. I needed to word this as nicely as possible. “I really appreciate you letting me stay with you during all this craziness with Mr. Pruitt. But now that I have that deal with Poppy…I should be safe to go back to my house.”
“You’re sure she’s trustworthy?” he asked.
No. Not really. But Nigel was driving me crazy. I couldn’t stay with Tanner any longer unless I wanted Nigel to…get the wrong idea or something. “Yeah, Poppy will stick to her word.”
Tanner nodded. “Well, regardless, you’ll have to speak to Nigel about it. He’ll need to coordinate your move back.”
“I can’t talk to Nigel about it. He’ll never let me leave.”
“Of course he will. I’ll tell him to be accommodating. Surely he has room in his schedule. He moved you out of your house in record time if I remember correctly.”
Yeah, but that was because I was coming to live with him. Not moving out. “Did you know that he writes me letters and puts them in my lunches?” I pulled out the one Nigel gave me today and handed it to Tanner.
“You kept it? That’s cute.”
“I kept it in case I show up murdered and they’re looking for a suspect.”
“Nigel isn’t violent. He’s a caretaker if anything.”
“Maybe to you. He creeps me out. Look at what your weird little houseboy said to me.”
Tanner unfolded the letter and started reading aloud.
Mr. Caldwell,
You never told me if you liked meat, but I assume since you didn’t complain about your last lunch that you really like it. So I gave you double today.
As always, I want to make you as comfortable as possible in Master Tanner’s abode. Please let me know if there’s anything else you need me to acquire. I’m at your disposal any time. Day or night. I put my number below again because you haven’t called or texted yet. It’s best to send me special requests that way. It’s a private line, in case you’re worried about interlopers.
Have a lovely and fetching day at work. No fighting with the other boys, remember. The last thing I want to have to do is reprimand you again. Speaking of which, I forgive you for making me worry last night. But I will need details to fully recover from the agony. I’ll let you explain where you were last night to me during your bath.
Yours,
-Nigel
XOXO
P.S. I will keep giving you meat until you text me otherwise.
Tanner folded the letter and handed it back to me. “That’s so sweet of him. He never leaves me notes. Well, maybe he used to at first. I can’t remember, it’s been so long.”
“Sweet? More like murdery.”
“It seemed normal enough to me. What from that lovely note would possibly make you think he wants to lop off your head?”
“Poor choice of words. I think he probably wants to give me head.”
Tanner laughed. “Nigel isn’t gay. You’re leaning into this role here tonight a little too hard. Really, the note was kind and caring. Like I said, he’s a caretaker if anything.”
“He wants to watch me bathe.”
“Surely there will be bubbles hiding anything unseemly.”
“Tanner, Nigel is clearly into me. He makes me very uncomfortable.”
Tanner sighed. “Please don’t tell him that. His sole purpose is to make you feel comfortable. He said it in his note. He’d be devastated.”
“Well, I don’t want to devastate him.”
“Your parents were moderately wealthy,” Tanner said. “I can’t believe you didn’t grow up with a houseboy. They just take some getting used to. It took me forever to think of Nigel as more of a friend than the little nuisance he sometimes insists on being.”
Moderately wealthy? All my life I would have said exorbitantly. But that was before I’d met Tanner. “If you didn’t like him originally, why didn’t you fire him?”
“Oh it wasn’t my choice, believe me. I’m stuck with him. But we’ve set our boundaries now and my house runs seamlessly.”
And Tanner thinks I’m the weird one?
“Enough about Nigel. Tell me more about your contract with Poppy. Is it ironclad?”
It wasn’t. “Actually, I have some other non-Poppy related news that I want to discuss with you. But I want to make it clear that you shouldn’t mouth kiss me again.” I was suddenly nervous and I had no idea why. Brooklyn had been my one and only girlfriend. I’d been adamant about not dating