Chapter 7 7

Council woke up to the smell of burning grease.

He opened his eyes. His neck felt like it had been fused into a solid block of concrete. He groaned and sat up.

The kitchen was a flurry of activity. Addie was at the stove. Leo was in a high chair, banging a plastic spoon on the tray.

Council stood up. He stretched, his back cracking audibly.

He walked to the counter. He needed coffee. He needed the highest grade Ethiopian blend, freshly ground.

He saw a jar. Instant Coffee.

He picked it up like it was a specimen of a deadly virus.

"You call this coffee?" he asked.

Addie flipped an egg. "If you don't want it, the tap water is cold."

Council gritted his teeth. He spooned the brown dust into a mug and added hot water. He took a sip. It tasted like burnt dirt. He swallowed it anyway.

"Uncle!" Leo shouted. "You look like a panda!"

Council frowned. He touched his face. Dark circles.

Addie snorted. She tried to cover it with a cough, but he heard it.

"I am Council," he said to the child. "Not Uncle."

"Coun-sul," Leo repeated.

Addie slid a plate onto the table. Toast. Scrambled eggs.

Council sat down on a wobbly chair. He looked at Addie. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. No makeup. She looked fresh.

"Let's discuss your educational philosophy," Council said, cutting his toast with surgical precision. "I don't want the Bartlett stepson raising hell in private school."

Addie wiped her hands on a rag. She leaned against the counter.

"My philosophy is survival," she said. "I want him to know that money is hard to get and easy to lose."

Council scoffed. "Rich coming from a woman who married a stranger for leverage."

Addie's eyes flashed. "I use every legal asset available to protect my family. That's not greed, Mr. Bartlett. That's strategy. You of all people should understand ROI."

Council paused. The fork hovered halfway to his mouth.

ROI. Return on Investment.

"You view this marriage as a business strategy?"

"Isn't that why you hired me?" Addie asked. "To maximize the return on your public image?"

Council stared at her. Most women tried to pretend they loved him. Or they tried to pretend they didn't care about his money while spending it. Addie was admitting it was a cold calculation.

He felt a strange flicker of respect.

"Fair point," he said. "As long as you don't pretend we have an emotional connection, we'll get along fine."

Smack.

Leo swung his arm. The glass of milk on his tray went flying.

It arced through the air, heading straight for Council's lap.

Council didn't yell. He didn't jump back to save his pants.

His hand shot out. Instinctively. He caught the glass mid-air, just inches before it hit his leg. Milk sloshed over his hand and dripped onto his dark trousers, but the glass didn't break.

Addie gasped. She rushed forward with a towel.

"I'm so sorry!"

She looked at Council. He was holding the sticky glass. He wasn't looking at his ruined pants. He was looking at Leo.

"Careful, kid," Council said. His voice wasn't angry. It was... calm.

Addie stopped scrubbing the table. She stared at him. He had saved the glass. He hadn't scared the boy.

Council caught her staring. He realized he had broken character. He cleared his throat and stood up abruptly.

"This cashmere is dry-clean only," he said, his voice turning icy again to regain control. "I'm adding it to your debt."

Addie rolled her eyes. The moment was gone.

"Deduct it from my alimony," she shot back.

The doorbell rang.

"That's my driver," Council said. "Try not to burn the apartment down while I'm gone."

He walked out.

Addie watched the door close. She looked at the milk stain on the floor.

He caught the glass, she thought. He has reflexes.