Tormented

He narrowed his eyes. “Are you trying to be a difficult pet?”

“I’m trying to help you out. And truth be told, I don’t know that I want to sit in a boring developers’ meeting.”

“You don’t strike me as the kind to bore easily,” he said. “You strike me as the curious type.”

He was assessing her again. She decided to finish her water to show she wasn’t trying to be difficult on purpose. What else could she say to persuade him?

“We don’t have time to swing by my place to get clothes that would be appropriate for the Pacific Room,” she said, even though it wasn’t impossible if they hustled.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“How?”

“My assistant can grab some things from the store.”

“No shop is open at this hour.”

He turned to his cellphone, which lay on the counter. “Call Beth.”

“Good morning, Ben,” came a woman’s voice after the second ring. “Your reservation is confirmed for the Pacific Room.”

“Thank you. I also need reservations for Ishikawa West tonight and to do some clothes shopping for—”

“But I still owe you for the stuff we bought in Weaverville,” Kimani protested, refusing to have someone who didn’t know her tastes shop for her.

Ben looked her over. “Female in her mid-twenties. Five foot six. About a hundred twenty pounds. Thirty-eight, twenty-six, thirty-six. Size eight shoes.”

“Thirty-eight, twenty-eight, thirty-eight” she corrected under her breath, miffed that he had ignored her and had her measurements down. She gestured for his attention and whispered, “But I don’t want—”

“I need the clothes in time—”

“I don’t want or need new clothes,” she tried again a little louder.

“—for my meeting with Dawson.”

“That doesn’t leave me much time,” Beth replied, sounding much less fazed than Kimani would have expected.

“Shop fast.”

“Shop fast?” Kimani echoed after Ben had hung up. “Even if your assistant could find a shop open this early in the morning, I don’t need new clothes.”

“Beth is very resourceful. She’ll be here. With the clothes.”

Partially intrigued at how this was possible, Kimani speculated aloud, “I guess Target could be open this early.”

“Beth will probably get Monica to open her boutique early.”

She frowned. “Boutique?”

“Monica is a family friend and owns a boutique downtown.”

Kimani usually didn’t shop the type of stores that could afford the rent downtown.

As if guessing her thoughts, he said, “You don’t have to pay for the clothes.”

It probably shouldn’t matter to her if he wanted to buy her clothes, given that he had “bought” her, but she wanted to maintain a little of her dignity. “Look, I know you could probably afford to buy the whole boutique and then some, but I’m not a charity case and I’m not looking for handouts or gifts.”

“Who said I’m giving the clothes to you?”