Page 25 of Maid for My Billionaire Boss
Even though I wasn’t put at total ease, something about seeing other living humans was reassuring. As far as my opinion went, Trey couldn’t paddle this little boat fast enough as I studied the huts before us. I didn’t know why I was stunned at this point. I had imagined something cute and round, like one of those huts you see on Hawaiian websites. Surprise—not surprise—these were not. A few huts were hanging over the crocodile’s mouth—I mean, the water’s edge—suspended on what looked like giant tree trunks. However, most of the huts were farther back. A day ago, I would have cried and refused to go into this village, but so much had happened in the last twenty-four hours that these little huts looked welcoming. Okay, not welcoming, but not as deadly as floating on rotted tree bark.
A man who looked like he could be Jack Black’s twin, wearing tan shorts and a plain T-shirt, waited on the shore for us, waving us in. I never wanted to hug a stranger so much in my life, and I couldn’t stop smiling at him when Trey helped me out of the boat and introduced us, “Robert, this is . . . Atalie. The woman I told you about.” Trey’s smile held a tinge of unease as he watched me step forward, but I easily greeted Robert with a grin.
Robert took a step forward and shook my hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, and I’m impressed you made it here.”
His words were garbled together, just as Trey had warned me. It was a little like trying to decipher what a toddler was saying, I didn’t have too much of a problem following him. “It’s nice to meet you, and I’m super impressed with myself too.”
Trey’s smile spread wide across his face, but he didn’t add anything as I clung right to his side, pretending to bewithhim. Robert took his spot as a host, giving us a tour. I was expecting to be calm since I was on solid ground, but a new boulder of anxiety smashed that expectation.
I worried how I would survive spending all this timewithTrey.
Thirteen
Trey
Roberthadpointedusin the direction of the huts with an invitation to get settled. Atalie took one look at the little stilted log hut covered with wild moss growing up its walls and fastened her gaze back on me. “Please don’t tell me this is where you take all your lady friends?”
“Considering I’ve had one girlfriend since I was fifteen—and she would have passed out dead the second we got off my plane—no. You’re the first lucky lady who gets to stay here.” I started to walk forward, but Atalie lagged, more hesitant than me. The hut was surrounded by deep puddles of water, and they could have easily been filled with snakes, critters, or crocs. I knew she was scared but threw out an incentive to get her to move. “Come on, or I’m going to leave you here by yourself.”
That did it.
She was back on my arm again.
I was starting to get used to her there too. Like a pirate who carried a parrot around.A hundred-pound parrot with sharp claws she periodically pierced through my skin, trying to draw all my blood out.
It’s cool, though. I’m tough.
In an Elon Musk sort of way.
With her claws intact, I gritted my teeth and pulled her forward. “Robert said there’s a cultural thing where the men sleep separately from the women. I’ll stay with the men in their yew, but this is where the women sleep. He said there’s an empty bunk in the back you can grab.”
“You’re leaving me?” Her voice was tiny, and I swore I could hear teeth chattering.
I didn’t think I’d ever had a woman look at me more longingly, but it didn’t feel special because I knew she was mainly wanting to have a spare body around in case she needed something warm to toss out for croc food. “I’m only going three hundred feet in that direction,” I assured her as I motioned to the larger hut farther back into the brush.
“I can’t even communicate with anyone but you or Robert. There should be some sort of rule that says we can stay together.”
“Okay, I can see you’re still nervous.” I put my hand over hers, trying to act reassuring, but in truth, it was because I was trying to nonchalantly loosen her death grip on my arm. “I’ll go claim a spot to sleep, throw my things down, and I’ll meet you back down by the river in a bit. It’s almost time for the women to go fishing.”
She let out a sarcastic laugh. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope.” I smiled because now that we were safe on land, I enjoyed teasing her. I wasn’t doing it to be mean, but her animation was adorable.
“I’ll eat my protein bars.”
“It might be offensive not to join them.”
She shrugged her shoulders, like she was willing to take a chance. “What’s the offense?”
I tucked my hands into my pockets and rocked back on my heels. “I mean, they used to be cannibals, but I’m almost sure they forgot how good humans taste by now.”
“Why do I feel like I’m in an Agatha Christie novel?”
“Oh, we’re past that.” I pulled my lips into my best mischievous grin. “We’re on Stephan King level stuff now.”
“Why do I get the sense you’re enjoying this?”
“I don’t hate it.”
