Just before seven, Andie and I were finishing getting ready for Malachi Bane's cocktail Party. I was not looking forward to it any more than I'd be eager to spend the night in a haunted house.
Admittedly, I hadn't yet met the man nor set foot in his house, but based on seeing The Watchers near the property, Bane's estate gave me the chills.
"I swear, Sugar, you look like James Bond in that tuxedo."
I turned to see Andie on the stairs and the sight of her took my breath away. She was the bright one, glittering in a sequinned evening gown and certainly outshone any Bond girl I ever saw on the silver screen.
"You look absolutely beautiful, Andie," I managed to say.
"Well, bless your pea picking heart, Hon, that's the nicest compliment I've heard in a long time."
I doubted that very much—it seems everywhere we go she turns men's heads—but then that's Andie, unaware of her loveliness.
"Land's sake!" she exclaimed as the grandfather clock in the hall chimed seven, "we need to get a move on so we won't be late. It would be a shame to be late when meeting your boss for the first time."
"I'm not sure I really care. Frankly, I'm wondering why I ever came down here to Middleton in the first place."
"Why you came here to meet me, of course—our fates are written in the stars, you know."
"Don't say that," I chuckled, "it seems to be the case of every tragic love story."
"But not ours, Lover—we are the exception. Remember, we have heavenly assistance."
Right now though, I wasn't sure of anything, but I was going to Bane's command performance and I'd soon find out.
The drive to Bane's mansion on the hill was uneventful, although the closer we came to his property, anxiety built inside me.
We parked on the circular drive, leaving the keys for the valets to park. Who the hell has parking valets anyway? I groused inwardly.
We were greeted by a staff member at the door who took our invitation and immediately directed me to the room at the top of the stairs where he informed me that Bane had asked to see me.
"I'll stay down here and mingle, Sugar—you should be alone meeting your boss for the first time."
I nodded but inwardly cringed. In truth, I had already made up my mind that Middleton would not be my home.
As I climbed the grand staircase I felt vulnerable and alone. I didn't know what to expect on the other side of that door.
I reached it and knocked and a pleasant voice invited me in.
I opened the door to an elegant looking man in his fifties who had been staring out the window observing his guests arriving in the driveway below.
He turned to me and smiled.
"So, I finally get to meet Paul Rowan, the young man I've heard so much about. And I see you brought an entourage with you, and the lovely MS. Simpson as your date as well"
"I'm honoured to meet you, Mr. Bane, but there's no entourage—just Andie and myself."
Bane's expression darkened, "but I saw several tall men accompanying you."
"I have no idea who they were—they weren't associated with us."
"Really?" he frowned, and reached over and opened a door on the bookcase behind his desk that housed a security monitor and a DVR recorder. "Can't be too cautious when opening your home to the public," he said by way of explanation.
He rewound the video and saw only Andie and I exiting the vehicle and walking alone up the driveway.
"I could have sworn I saw several tall men accompanying you," he muttered, looking annoyed.
I shrugged and smiled and he reluctantly moved on to ask about my house search.
"I trust Ms. Simpson has found you the ideal accommodation," he said more as a statement than question.
"Actually, I haven't found anything I liked—I’m very picky, I'm afraid."
"That's dreadful—where are you staying?"
"Andie has been very gracious to allow me to stay with her while we go house hunting."
His eyes narrowed.
"I see, well, take your time and scope things out. In that regard, you might want to attend an empowerment session we'll be having mid-week, but I should warn you it's intense and not to everyone's taste."
"How is that?" I asked.
"Oh, some people are stuck in their traditions and not open to new experiences. I find the most staid people are the ones who are most religious. Are you a religious man, Paul?"
"I don't attend a particular church," I hedged, "but I'd say I was a believer."
Again, his eyes narrowed.
"I see. Well, we'll have to see how you fare here. Middleton isn't for everyone—it takes a rare breed of man to venture into often uncharted realms. Empowerment is not caviar for the general. People with traditional upbringing might be scandalized. I was told you weren't button-downed and I assumed you'd fit in to our enterprise."
I chucked at his remark.
"Im not conventional, but in some ways I am very traditional. I suppose we'll have to play things as they lie," I said casually, but with added emphasis on the last word.
"Well, it was good meeting with you, Paul," he said brusquely, indicating the meeting was at an end. "Mingle and enjoy your night."
"I will," I smiled back, but inwardly felt sickened. I did not like the man—not even one bit.
