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He doesn’t answer, so I glance over at him

He’s frozen still

"Gabe?"

His eyes flicker back to life "My parents are gone" He picks his wine up and drains the glass

"Gone?"

"Dead"

He picks the bottle up and refills his glass to the top

"God I’m sorry, Gabe I didn’t know"

"It’s fine" He starts drinking again His glass is half-eone

I pick my oine up and drink it I feel terrible I’veup his parents And ere having such a nice tilass, but the bottle e it

He starts to et another bottle"

"I’ll go" Ifor the kitchen

I get another bottle of the sah with lass and then refillback down

The tension in the air is awful It’s like a rain cloud on a perfectly nice evening

"Gabe, I’et it You didn’t know"

I tuck my hair behind my ear Then, I take a bite of round noise, but the quiet between us is killing --"

"Did it hurt?"

And he’s back

I alh with relief "Jackass"

"Wench"

I look over at him, and the corners of his lips are curled up

"Anyway," I continue on, "I feel like I’care of you All I do is feed you and help you out of the bath"

"And having you do that is worth every penny"

"Perv And, now that I’m your employee, you do realize, with comments like that, I can sue you for sexual harasser I don’t miss the way his eyes follow the movement or the way they flare

And I can’t deny that I like having that effect on hi ood to knohere your mind is" He smirks

My cheeks fla drink to cover it

"So, I was just wondering if there’s anything else I can do around here to help"

"Like what?"

"I don’t know I could clean"

"I have cleaners who come in twice a week"

"What about laundry?"

"They do that as well"

"Oh"

"You could help me run lines if you want? Donna, my PA, usually does it with me, but she’s on vacation at the ht "I don’t kno good I’ll be I h school and was in so since then--"

"Speedy" He holds up a hand, cutting ood"

"I can read," I tell him "So, e start?"

"How’s tomorrow sound?"

"Perfect What’s the e thriller"

"Wow Sounds really good"

"You got that froe thriller? Fuck, I ht"

"You’re such a dick" I laugh, shaking e dick? Why, thank you, Speedy I didn’t know you knew Have you been sneaking peeks when getting me out of the bath?"