“Uh, lodge?”
“A mansion lodge?” His voice was still dry, likely because he knew he was right. All of my parents’ properties were mansion-like.
But I didn’t like to admit it, not even to myself. I suggested instead, “A small estate.”
“A huge estate compound mansion lodge? Something like that?”
I laughed. “It’s not like that.”
It was totally like that.
“Really? How many bedrooms does it have?”
“Um . . .” I moved my eyes up and to the right, counting silently. “Twenty?”
He made a choking sound and I looked at him just as he’d placed his hand flat on his sternum, like the number upset his delicate sensibilities. “Twenty?”
His expression was priceless. I laughed again.
“You could sleep in a different room every night, and still not sleep in them all.”
My cellphone, face down on the desk, started to buzz. “Why would I do that?”
“Because you live your life like the princess in that story, where the bed is never right.”
“You mean Goldilocks? She wasn’t a princess. And I don’t like cereal, not even oatmeal.” Glancing at the phone, I saw it was Allyn.
“No. The other story, the one with the pea.” He sounded oddly stern.
I swiped my thumb across the screen, whispering just before I brought the phone to my ear. “Don’t be ludicrous.”
He quickly whispered back, “Ludicrous is awesome, everyone wants to be him.”
I gave Poe a glare that was ruined by a traitorous smile, and suffused my voice with friendliness as I answered the phone. “Allyn! Hey! Are you all packed? Is there a problem with the itinerary?”
“No, everything is great! I’m just calling to let you know I’m on my way to the airport and I’m SO EXCITED!” She yelled this last part necessitating that I hold the phone away from my ear.