Page 79 of Corrupt Game

I had an entire response to it. When we pulled up at the cabin and nothing had been said, I was almost disappointed.

So Rossi was all bluff and no follow through. That would be good to know in the future.

Dinner was the same. Almost habitual in nature. It was like he wasn’t even trying to check in or pay attention to me anymore.

He had been attentive at work, but things had been reduced to a chill. Not the room itself, but the tone of his attitude was almost frozen.

When he left for the night without a fantasy session, I curled up on the couch with my thoughts. Lonely.

Was it really so bad that I was relying on him for food and shelter?

It was only demeaning if I allowed it to be. The way he presented it was different than most men, but it was the same type of protector crap that most of them espoused.

The idea of the man must take care of the woman. The provider was responsible for the physical well-being of the woman in his care.

Wouldn’t Andy have done something similar. He had for most of our younger lives. Even in the years when we were apart, he’d never let my needs go untaken care of.

Food would be delivered from one of the local places when he couldn’t come himself. If he thought I was short on cash, I’d open the mail and find a card with a check in it.

Andy had done everything for me. He would have done anything to make sure that I was taken care of. Would he have been upset that I was allowing his killer to do those same types of things for me?

Vowing to try harder to ingratiate myself to Ian, it was the least that I owed to Andy for all his care and protection over the years.

Ian needed to open up to me and let his guard down.

There I go again thinking of him as Ian instead of Mr. Holdt.

Chapter 26: Ian

The events of the day weren’t what I’d expected. Things in my meeting with Mr. Acosta hadn’t gone as well as I’d planned.

Collette had saved us from an embarrassing situation. The idea to size things differently was genius. She had managed to come up with a solution that would save us money and time.

I was stuck fixing and working on all of the issues that needed to be taken care of so that things would continue to flow smoothly.

It wasn’t until we were in the car that I realized how much of an asset she’d become. Not only did she fit perfectly for me personally, but she fit everywhere.

Three days into the week of allowing her to follow me and this is what she’d done.

Handing out praise wasn’t out of the question, but I didn’t want to give her a big head or make her feel that she could get away with anything.

Distracted with the issues that were pressing, I mechanically fed her dinner and went up to my office upstairs.

For the first time in months, I was glued to my computer in a new way. I wasn’t watching her, I was working on how to make what she said work.

The contract had been sent over for us to make the amendments that would take care of the adjustments.

Rossi appeared in the doorway.

“You going to call it a night anytime soon?”

I looked up and glanced at the clock. It was almost ten pm, and I was still in my dress shirt. Granted, I’d rolled up my sleeves and taken off the tie, but that was only because I had been working so hard.

A weary hand passed over my face.

“How did she do once we gave her the tablet?”

“That’s the funny thing, she actually appeared to think you might trust her. She started poking fun at me, and I had to tell her that if she didn’t stop sticking out her tongue then she would have to face the punishments.”