The women slept downstairs in what looked and felt like a basement dungeon, but the upside was that, away from the men, they could talk freely. While on the boat this morning, Kimani and Ryan, Derek’s purchase, had gotten into an interesting conversation, and Kimani had not yet had the chance to write down notes.
And she still had to call Sam and give him an update and assure him that she was still safe. For that, she would need to use Ben’s cellphone again, as she had done yesterday.
He was there when she stepped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. How was it he could look so sexy just leaning against the dresser? The plastic bag with the clothes from the thrift store lay next to his hip. Damn. She should have brought the clothes with her into the bathroom to change into. Now she stood with only a towel around her. At least it was on the larger side. Still, she could use as many layers of protection as possible. He didn’t leer or ogle, but he took in all of her.
“Thought you
might want to finish dinner,” he said, indicating a bowl of pasta next to him.
She remembered dishing out all the pasta. “Isn’t that yours?”
“It’s yours now.”
She couldn’t imagine a guy his size not eating. “Don’t you want it? Or do you not like it?”
“The pasta tasted fine, but I don’t need to eat.”
She gave him a funny look.
“I often have just one meal a day,” he said.
“’Cause you’re too busy to eat?”
“Because I choose to.”
“Why?”
“It’s a health choice. Anyway, the pasta is yours if you want it.”
He held out the bowl and a fork. She was still hungry, but should she change first? She didn’t want to reach over and get too close to him. She checked to make sure her towel was secure before accepting the fork and bowl. She sat down in a chair a comfortable distance from him.
“Are you sure you don’t want to have some?” she asked. “I had salad, so there’s no way I could finish all this.”
“Just eat what you can.”
While she ate, he scrolled through his phone.
“Is this a working vacation for you?” she inquired.
“Sort of.”
He seemed to be reading something.
“Something the matter?”
He looked up from his phone in surprise. “Why do you ask that?”
“You just looked a little unhappy.”
“How could you tell?”
She wasn’t sure. The guy was not expressive, but her senses had been on high alert most of her time here. “I don’t know. Just picked up on it somehow. Is everything okay?”
She wasn’t sure why she cared.
“I was reading an update to the EIR for a property we’re interested in developing.”
“An Environmental Impact Report?”