I don't think I would have complained if I spent the rest of my life living that same day over and over. Hours of nonstop work can be forgiven when the reward is the most generous fuck session of your life in what might be the world's most luxurious bed. As the weeks passed I relished the routine. By day I was fully immersed in my professional passion, building a team of dedicated and talented housekeeping and learning the intricacies of the Khatri brand. By night, at least once a week but frequently more often, I was ravished by a handsome man who found pleasure in my moans and fulfillment in my climax. And every night no matter what I could melt into a cloud of luxury bedding. What more could a girl ask for?
As autumn came and went, the mountain resort blossomed. The gorgeous landscape melted from summer lushness to the bright, bombastic colors of autumn. The mountain was dominated by evergreens, but pops of burgundy, scarlet, and gold could not be missed. Even as those leaves fell and left the pine trees standing proud, the early sunsets kept those colors glancing off every timber and stone of this magnificent castle. I only wished I could capture that light and color and bring it to Andrew's eyes.
No matter how generous a lover he was, there was no denying that Andrew was holding back. I had yet to see him without his penis and harness on, and while that was of course his decision to make, I had hoped he would become comfortable enough to take it off on the nights I slept with him. He didn't always ask for my company to sleep, but on the nights he did there was a heaviness to his breathing and an unsettling quiet that made my heart ache for him. I would hold him against my chest, stroking his hair, until we drifted into restless sleep. I had to get used to him suddenly jerking awake throughout the night, sometimes so many times that he gave up and decided to go to work as early as three AM. I would sneak back to my own bed, bless the genetic lottery that helped me function on a few hours of sleep a night, and fervently wish I could help him find what it was that was blocking his path to peace. From everything he had shared with me, it sounded that he had done his best to grieve healthily. Perhaps he had spent too long avoiding it, turning too much to his work, but he was now making an effort to spend every weekend with his children at the family estate.
Maybe that was why I seized the opportunity that came my way in mid-November. I was glancing over the wine inventory before dinnertime when Francine approached me. "Mr. Khatri just called over the servant line," she said. "He's requesting your assistance."
I glanced in surprise at my cellphone and found I had missed a text from him.
"Whoops. Tell him I'm on my way. Isn't he having a video call with his children?"
"He is. Aren't they just the cutest? I think it's so interesting that the daughter looks just like her mother."
"I didn't think you met Mrs. Khatri," I said as I started putting the inventory sheets away.
"Oh I didn't! But one hears things, you know. And I was trained at the Khatri estate."
"Does one hear a lot of things?" I asked humorously as we left the room.
She winked at me. "If you know who to listen to."
I chuckled, but also noted that I should review the policy about gossiping with Francine in the near future just to be safe.
I found Andrew in an office not far from his bedroom wing. He was standing in front of a large, tiered mahogany desk at the center of a surprisingly sparsely decorated room. Like everywhere else in the mansion there was a gorgeous view, but Andrew's attention was dedicated to a giant television mounted on one wall. His children's delightful faces filled the screen and he was laughing with them, making silly faces toward a webcam mounted just above. When I knocked and entered, he gestured to me warmly. "Here she is, guys, like I told you."
Marisol's face beamed. "Miss Claire! Hi!"
"Hi there!" I said, walking over and waving. "Miss Marisol, Mr. Tarak, I miss you!"
"I miss you too!" Marisol cried out. Tarak waved demurely, but he was smiling.
"They wondered if you were still working for me," Andrew explained, leaning against the front of his desk.
"Of course I am," I said proudly. "I'm working hard to make sure your daddy doesn't have to worry about things here, so he can come spend more time with you!"
The children both cheered. At that point I saw Lawrence's face behind them enter into view. "It's nice to hear you're doing well, Miss Edwards."
"Hello, Mr. Kumiega."
"Lawrence says you're coming here for Thanksgiving," Tarak said to Andrew.
"Of course I am. I'm coming for a whole week," Andrew promised.
"Is Miss Claire coming too?"
"That's sweet of you to ask," I said, glancing at Andrew.
"Unless Henri wanted to switch managing Thanksgiving over to you, I think you get that holiday off," he answered. "Is there anywhere you'll be going?"
"No, I don't have plans," I said simply.
"Then you're absolutely welcome to spend Thanksgiving with us, of course," he said decisively.
"Yay! We're going to have another lady!" Marisol cheered.
Andrew and I laughed. "What are you talking about, Mar-Mar?" he asked her.
Marisol fake-pouted and crossed her arms. "I spend all day with Tarak and Lawrence and teachers," she said. "Except for Henri, my music teacher, and my art teacher, I'm the only girl here!"
"Now that isn't true," Lawrence spoke up. "There are many nice young ladies who work in the house."
"We almost never see them," Tarak complained. "We spend all day with Mr. Gregory."
"Their tutor," Andrew explained to me.
"It sounds like you guys desperately need some new company," I suggested.
"Don't be fooled," Lawrence interjected. "They have regular outings with their tutor and receive plenty of socialization."
Andrew was still smiling, but his brows were starting to furrow. "As true as that is, it has been a long time since they were around anyone their own age, or meeting people for fun." He stroked his chin. "Perhaps this coming semester we should consider re-enrolling them in school."
