With them was a note instructing me to meet him outside the garages in twenty minutes.
My responding text to No Never Don’t went unanswered, as did the five following it.
Me: Why did you send me clothing?
Me: You have reports to review and a call with Yeardly Hunter at 11:00.
Me: These boots cost more than my annual salary.
Me: I’m not wearing these.
Me: I’m changing but I’m leaving the tags on.
Me: Fine. I’ll be right out, but we can’t go anywhere.
And now I’d agreed to accompany Malcolm to an unknown destination that was just as likely to be Mars as it was a petrol station, based on the oddness of this day thus far.
“I don’t suppose you’ll tell me where we’re going now that I’ve agreed?”
“Nope. It’s a surprise.”
In my experience, surprises commonly ended up being things like the power being shut off because Dad spent the money on cigarettes and booze, or having to call off work for the afternoon because Zaz’s principal wanted to discuss how to keep him from telling all the first years that Saddam Hussein wasn’t really dead but was, in fact, living in a cavern under the school library.
All I could do was hope this surprise would be more pleasant.
Malcolm pulled out of the gates, a security car shadowing us, and quickly accelerated as he turned onto the street. I gripped the armrest and tensed. It had been a long time since I’d ridden in a car driven by Malcolm.
Since he refused to reveal our destination, I thought it wise to use the time productively. “Sir, have you thought any more about who you’d like to recommend to the agriculture board?”
“I’m sure the queen has an opinion. Can’t we just let her choose?” He shifted into a higher gear.
“When you become king, will your answer to every question be, ‘I don’t know. Let me ask my mum?’” The words were out before I thought better of them. I gasped at my own impertinence and utter abandonment of decorum, but Malcolm only threw his head back and laughed.
“I quite enjoy this new, unfiltered Alice.” His eyes crinkled with mirth, but I was appalled.
My pulse raced as a feeling of faintness threatened. This wasn’t the type of thing I said—in fact, it was exactly these kinds of comments I detested when others spoke them. “I apologize, sir. I’m so sorry. I’d say it’s a result of a poor night’s sleep, but there’s really no excuse for that manner of disrespect. Please forgive me.”
“Alice, don’t worry yourself, love. And, no, I don’t plan to ask Mother, I plan to ask Leo.” He laughed again at my lack of amusement. “Don’t take everything so seriously.”
If I didn’t, I wondered who would, but I managed to keep my thoughts to myself this time.
“Why didn’t you sleep well?” he asked.
My cheeks flamed at his question. It wasn’t as if I could say I’d been thinking of him, but Malcolm tilted his head as his eyes flicked back and forth between me and the road ahead, his smile growing once more.
“Ooooh. It seems we’ve fallen upon on a touchy subject,” he taunted.
This, of course, only served to elevate the heat on my cheeks to a temperature found only on the sun’s surface.
“Who’s the lucky chap?”
“No one!” I straightened in my seat and tucked an unruly strand of hair behind my ear, trying not to let it register that he appeared almost elated at the idea of me having sex with a man who wasn’t him. God, why did I do this to myself?
“It’s nothing to be embarrassed of. Was it Reggie?”
What?! “No, it wasn’t Reggie! I told you, it was no one.”
“Ah.” He nodded, his grin turning sly as he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.
What was he—? Oh no! I gasped as I understood his mistaken conclusion. “No! Not that!”
“Not what?” His expression morphed into the picture of innocence.
“You know what.”
“I’m afraid you’ve lost me.” He shrugged and followed that with, “Siri, play ‘Dancing With Myself’ by—”
But I cut him off with a smack to the arm and what felt like a growl. What was I doing?
“Feeling a bit violent today, are we?”
I didn’t bother apologizing this time—Malcolm was enjoying himself far too much.
I pursed my lips and instructed my cheeks to cool. “If you must know, I was thinking about work.” It was true, after all.
His devil’s grin dropped, replaced by a curled lip. “Then this little excursion is just in time.”
“What does that mean?” I frowned at him.
“You work