Under His Influence

“I think I’m beginning to.”

Mimi swallowed hard, contemplating her perception of John, and how it was changing.

He glanced at her swiftly before returning to his engineering, and she thought she saw a speck of weary gratitude.

“You see that it was hard to understand why you were doing what you were doing, though,” she ventured. “And I still don’t get your urge to procreate. Couldn’t you leave it until the Rixxar were out of the equation, and find a girl who wanted you?”

“Time is of the essence,” muttered John. “If they take me, they won’t necessarily know about or take Anna. There is still a chance that Draxxar blood will survive.”

“It still sucks, what you did to her.”

John sighed.

“Do you want me to send her a bunch of flowers? What can I do about this now, Miranda? I’ve had to second-guess your human values since I arrived here. I got a few things wrong. It’s hard to learn a new language.”

“A new language?” Mimi was intrigued by John’s explanation, giving, as it did, the impression that perhaps he might be able to learn human mores after all. “Do you think you’re getting better at the new language?”

“Let’s say I’m still learning. But it’ll all be for nothing if the Rixxar make it through the ozone hole, which they will do in approximately forty minutes, so if you don’t mind, sit down and shut up.” He flashed her a tight smile, and she slumped back on Luana’s makeshift bed, trying to work up some appetite for the pancakes.

A frantic banging from the door upstairs filtered down into the basement. Mimi stiffened, half expecting it to be the Rixxar, or perhaps the police, investigating the goings-on at the Park Lane Hotel, even though John had reassured her about using a false name. All the same, they were bound to have CCTV, and it wouldn’t take long before he was identified.

“Oh God,” she said with an audible wobble. “Who’s that?”

“It’s Anna,” John answered without looking up.

“Anna?”

“Send her away. The last place she should be is with me. She needs to be as far away as possible. Tell her to use our joint account to take a flight abroad, somewhere sunny.”

“John, I can’t—”

“Just get rid of her.”

His tone of exasperated menace brought her to her feet and she stomped upstairs with bad grace.

Skirting round the side of the house, she found Anna and Liam squabbling on the porch.

“Hello,” she said guardedly, horribly aware that they probably hated her.

“You the new mistress o

f the house then?” asked Liam. “Nice gig, Mimi. Nice way to treat your best friend.”

She exhaled and squared her shoulders.

“I wish I could explain, I really do. There is so much you don’t know about Stone. I’m involved in this up to my neck, but there’s a lot I regret, and mostly it’s the way you’ve been treated, Anna.”

“I’m just collateral damage then,” Liam sniffed.

“Oh, stop whining,” she snapped. “Bloody obvious to anyone with half a brain that it’s Anna you want anyway.”

Anna and Liam shared a wild exchange of glances before glaring at Mimi once again.

“I need to see John,” Anna stated.

“I’m afraid he’s busy.”

“What are you, his secretary? You decide when he can and can’t see his wife? Back off, Mimi. I’m carrying his child. I have a right to see him.”