Just keep trying.”
Gerald was already finished with the meals and had completely cleaned up the kitchen when her first batch of cookies came out perfectly. “Look!” she yelled, jumping up and down in her excitement. “I can’t believe it. They are perfect!”
“Good girl! Now finish off that batch of cookies before the sun sets,” he teased.
Alicia put down the cookie sheet and lifted off the first few cookies, carefully placing them on the cooling wrack just as Gerald had shown her earlier in the afternoon. “Well, this has been amazing. What can you teach me next week?” she asked, biting her lip as she delicately off-loaded the cookies, careful to not let them break.
“What the hell is going on in here?” a deep voice demanded from the kitchen doorway.
Alicia screamed and her hand automatically flew up in to the air. Gerald, understanding what she had been in the process of doing since he was leaning over her shoulder watching her, ducked immediately. He avoided the flying cookie. Adam, who was looking like the wrath of the devil, didn’t even flinch as the cookie landed on the wall only inches from his ear.
“Adam!” Alicia called out, horrified that she’d almost smacked him with a cookie but excited to share her achievement with him.
He didn’t look too enthused by her excitement. In fact, he looked even angrier. “Yes, Adam. Who were you expecting? Or should I say, not expecting?”
Alicia shook her head. “What are you talking about?” she asked. “Come over and see what I’ve made!”
Gerald, who understood exactly what was going on inside his client’s mind, quickly picked up his gear and moved towards the door. “Alicia dear, I’ll see you next week. You’ve done a wonderful job and we’ll work on maybe a casserole next week,” he said. “If I’m still employed, that is,” he muttered and squeezed out of the kitchen.
Alicia gazed unsteadily after him, not sure she understood what was going on. “Why would he wonder something like that?” she asked Adam who had started to walk forward.
“Because he might be fired,” he said, a muscle twitching on the side of his face.
Her smile as well as her balance was a little wobbly due to the brandy she’d imbibed during her cookie making lesson. “Why would he be fired? He’s a wonderful cook and you love most of his meals.”
“What the hell were you doing here with him this afternoon?” he demanded, both hands on his hips.
Alicia stared at him, her mind slowly clearing of the brandy induced haze as she realized he was genuinely angry. “Adam, what exactly are you implying?” she asked, putting the cookies down onto the cooling wrack and taking off her oven mitts.
“Perhaps I’m not being clear enough. What was that man doing in here with you alone?”
Alicia finally understood. “Adam, please tell me you didn’t think that me and Gerald…” she couldn’t finish the sentence but started laughing instead. “Oh, Adam. That’s ridiculous.”
Adam didn’t like being laughed at. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her against him. “While you’re paying off this debt, you’re mine. Do you understand me?” he said harshly. “I don’t care what you do once our agreement is over with but you are my exclusive property in the meantime.”
Adam took a step away from her and turned away, then just as quickly turned back, picked her up into his arms with her feet flying in the air. She had only moments to grab his shoulders before he was walking determinedly towards the bedroom. “Adam, what are you planning?” she asked, becoming slightly nervous when he didn’t answer. He was angrier than she’d ever seen him. Angrier than she’d ever seen anyone in her life. He controlled it well, but she could feel the anger under her fingertips.
“Take off your clothes,” he demanded, setting her on her feet and kicking the door closed. His hand went to his tie and pulled it off, tossing it to the floor. His jacket
C. J. Cherryh
Learning to Kill: Stories
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