Page 18 (1/2)

"But Xiri"

"Xiri will be fine--his assistant is helping hi wasn’t waiting around for ht have left behind He was hauling me out of there as fast as he could I was shoved into a hover-taxi waiting outside Arvil’s walls and Teeg ordered the driver to leave as quickly as he could

"Reah, I’m sorry, but that was Arvil’s lover, and he doesn’t take that fro in your direction next" We were already at Teeg’s apart on thethat separated us fro’s wrist for credit after we climbed out of the vehicle, loaded doiththere

"Come on, Reah You can’t let Arvil do this to you You have to act normally the next ti--shock was setting in I hadn’t hired Neele and I knew he had a wandering eye, but I never expected him to act that stupidly Now he’d paid for that, as had Arvil’s housekeeper I realized I hadn’t even known her na onto the floor the ot us inside his apartenerous portion of bourbon in a glass and handed it towatched as I sed the bourbon in only a few gulps "Here, have ain I drank that, too He tilted up the bottle and drank as left

"Co hauledin the foyer and walked out the door

Teeg lived on the ground floor of a three-story apart and alked down cushioned ays until we came to streets filled with shops of all kinds Tourists were everywhere--Arvil owned most of the shops open for business, in addition to a

"See, there are shops that cater to s pulleddeclared as the pile of clothing grew I’d picked out o with the just outside the dressing rooms as I was fitted for underwear

"See, this ," the clerk infor that now covered my breasts Several of those went into the pile, as did panties that showed ot away froht, and it was substantial Teeg paid extra to have it packed up and delivered to his address later Then ent shopping for shoes Teeg was very fussy over dress shoes "Just the right a yourself or da paid for another six Those were the ones he liked and I didn’t have any use for Those would be delivered, too

"Now, let’s get the best food on Caged ainst him as alked down more cushioned sidewalks

The best food turned out to be a tiny restaurant that took your order at the counter and then shouted out your name when it was ready Self-service, for the ic--there wasn’t any room to put tables and no room to place wait staff--the outer area was filled with tourists waiting for their food or waiting to order

"This is good," I lifted my sandwich, wrapped in one of the best flatbreads I’d ever tasted The sandas filled with beef, onions, sour crearinned at me as we sat at a tiny table in a nearby courtyard to eat I’d gotten fruit juice to go withhad ordered aducked his head and lifted a crisp he’d gotten with his sandwich He knehat I ’s horror out of ’s apart

The delivery van arrived al’s spacious apartot e’d left on the floor out of the way and everything was placed on Teeg’s kitchen island He didn’t have a table--the island served double duty

"This is your bedroo showed it to me after the deliveryh for two or three people, the closet held everything with plenty of space left over and I had my own bath

"The apartments are all built that way--in case tourists want to rent the explained as we tucked the last of the shoeboxes insideset in the spa"

"You have a spa?"

"Out on the patio All the upgraded apartments have one"

"I didn’t know you had a patio"

"I do Put that swimsuit on, Reah, so I can see how knobby your knees are" He was laughing at me I swatted at hi’s idea and he’deven after I’d put it back Twice We carried a bottle of wine to the spa on Teeg’s patio A high fence surrounded the small patio and a few tropical plants placed in the corners kept it fro looked more than fine in the s

"Here," he poured a glass of wine forwater "Now, tell me where this came from" He touched the spot on my shoulder where Nods had shot me The swimsuit he’d picked out was strapless--he could see my shoulders just fine

"Got shot a little while back" I sipped my wine