chicken?”
Chapter Thirteen
She
took him to one of her favorite places—well, one of the sisters’ favorite
places actually. They rarely got to go very often because the prices, to them
at least, were a little steep. To Andros they would amount to very little.
Located
by Kings Cross, Benny’s Fried Chicken was tucked away in a rundown little side
alley. One blinking red light advertised its presence, and Lyra’s stomach
clenched the moment they pulled up on the main street and she spotted it. When
the car door opened the smells assaulted her, and her stomach practically ate
itself.
“Oh,
God, can you smell that?” she moaned. “I’m starving.”
Andros
frowned. “If you were hungry why did you not say so earlier?”
“I
was waiting, and it’s fine. I often don’t eat much during the day.”
“But
you had lunch?” he asked.
Lyra
shrugged as she slithered out of Andros’ car. The driver, was, as always,
perfectly silent, simply giving his employer a nod. Perhaps they communicated
through gestures and grunts, Lyra thought, because the man seemed to be
permanently on hand, materializing out of nowhere.
“Lyra?”
Andros prompted, as he held out a hand.
She
took it, steadying herself on her impossibly high heels. “The apartment doesn’t
have any food in.”
“But…there
is a shop on the bottom floor.”
“I
know.”
“Why
did you not purchase yourself something?” he demanded. “Or order something from
the personal shopper. That is their job. To get you whatever you need.”
Lyra
almost snorted at the idea of sending Melissa off to get her a sandwich. The
woman would probably spit in it. “It was fine. I had coffee and some milk.”
“You
have not eaten all day?” he asked and he sounded aghast. “Good God, Rossa , why did you not go and buy yourself something?”
She
shrugged again, and watched the driver pull over into one of the bays opposite
the alley. He was so going to get ticketed, Lyra thought. London was a
nightmare for parking. “Why don’t you have a bodyguard?”
“What?”
“I
was just thinking. You’re super rich, shouldn’t you be surrounded by security?”
Andros
frowned as he squeezed her hand to pull her into the alley. “Larsson is my
bodyguard as well as my driver. We do fine. I am not well known in the media.
But look, do not change the subject. Food. Speak.”
It
seemed she was going to have to be honest again, and Lyra sighed a little
inside. “Well…I only have so much money
on me, and well, I didn’t want to waste it on food. It’s emergency money.”
“You
are serious?”
“Yes,
Andros,” she said, hunger making her a little snappier than she would usually
be. “Obviously I am not rolling in cash, otherwise I wouldn’t have asked you to
look after me would I?”
His
eyes widened as he took in her meaning, and Lyra’s stomach gave a little flip.
He thrust a hand into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. A moment later and a
wad of cash fell into her hand. “Here.”
She
looked down at it, shocked by how much was there. Shocked that he’d given her
actual cash. She’d merely been hinting that perhaps he could have some food
delivered…not this…this was… Lyra shook her head, holding the money out. “What
are you doing? I don’t need that.”
Andros
placed the wallet back in his pocket and nodded in the direction of the chicken
shop. “Of course you do. As you say it is part of the agreement that I look
after you.”
Lyra
clenched her hands around the money, and at last—perhaps it had been inevitable
that it was going to happen—felt that nasty sting in her chest. It was the same
one she’d been used to when some rich person told her she hadn’t cleaned the
floor properly, or someone sent her back with a drink for mixing it wrong.
“Andros,”
she whispered. “This is really embarrassing. I did not mean for you to give me
money. I just thought perhaps you could arrange for some groceries to
Chapter Thirteen
She
took him to one of her favorite places—well, one of the sisters’ favorite
places actually. They rarely got to go very often because the prices, to them
at least, were a little steep. To Andros they would amount to very little.
Located
by Kings Cross, Benny’s Fried Chicken was tucked away in a rundown little side
alley. One blinking red light advertised its presence, and Lyra’s stomach
clenched the moment they pulled up on the main street and she spotted it. When
the car door opened the smells assaulted her, and her stomach practically ate
itself.
“Oh,
God, can you smell that?” she moaned. “I’m starving.”
Andros
frowned. “If you were hungry why did you not say so earlier?”
“I
was waiting, and it’s fine. I often don’t eat much during the day.”
“But
you had lunch?” he asked.
Lyra
shrugged as she slithered out of Andros’ car. The driver, was, as always,
perfectly silent, simply giving his employer a nod. Perhaps they communicated
through gestures and grunts, Lyra thought, because the man seemed to be
permanently on hand, materializing out of nowhere.
“Lyra?”
Andros prompted, as he held out a hand.
She
took it, steadying herself on her impossibly high heels. “The apartment doesn’t
have any food in.”
“But…there
is a shop on the bottom floor.”
“I
know.”
“Why
did you not purchase yourself something?” he demanded. “Or order something from
the personal shopper. That is their job. To get you whatever you need.”
Lyra
almost snorted at the idea of sending Melissa off to get her a sandwich. The
woman would probably spit in it. “It was fine. I had coffee and some milk.”
“You
have not eaten all day?” he asked and he sounded aghast. “Good God, Rossa , why did you not go and buy yourself something?”
She
shrugged again, and watched the driver pull over into one of the bays opposite
the alley. He was so going to get ticketed, Lyra thought. London was a
nightmare for parking. “Why don’t you have a bodyguard?”
“What?”
“I
was just thinking. You’re super rich, shouldn’t you be surrounded by security?”
Andros
frowned as he squeezed her hand to pull her into the alley. “Larsson is my
bodyguard as well as my driver. We do fine. I am not well known in the media.
But look, do not change the subject. Food. Speak.”
It
seemed she was going to have to be honest again, and Lyra sighed a little
inside. “Well…I only have so much money
on me, and well, I didn’t want to waste it on food. It’s emergency money.”
“You
are serious?”
“Yes,
Andros,” she said, hunger making her a little snappier than she would usually
be. “Obviously I am not rolling in cash, otherwise I wouldn’t have asked you to
look after me would I?”
His
eyes widened as he took in her meaning, and Lyra’s stomach gave a little flip.
He thrust a hand into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. A moment later and a
wad of cash fell into her hand. “Here.”
She
looked down at it, shocked by how much was there. Shocked that he’d given her
actual cash. She’d merely been hinting that perhaps he could have some food
delivered…not this…this was… Lyra shook her head, holding the money out. “What
are you doing? I don’t need that.”
Andros
placed the wallet back in his pocket and nodded in the direction of the chicken
shop. “Of course you do. As you say it is part of the agreement that I look
after you.”
Lyra
clenched her hands around the money, and at last—perhaps it had been inevitable
that it was going to happen—felt that nasty sting in her chest. It was the same
one she’d been used to when some rich person told her she hadn’t cleaned the
floor properly, or someone sent her back with a drink for mixing it wrong.
“Andros,”
she whispered. “This is really embarrassing. I did not mean for you to give me
money. I just thought perhaps you could arrange for some groceries to
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