Page 11 of Sleeping Redemption

Kinley

Relaxing before a date later. Why?

Z

Just got a feeling I needed to check on you.

Z

A date-date or a play-date?

Kinley

Haven’t decided yet. Can’t it be both?

Z

One of these usually ends in sex and the other usually ends up with death.

Kinley

It totally can be both.

It all just depended on my mood. After promising I would give all the delectable or gory details tomorrow, Z sent me a slew of emojis including the kissy-face, eggplant, knife, and multiple blood drops. It seemed she was rooting for a particular outcome since she didn’t care for eggplants; she was more of a taco girl.

That begged the question... what if Alex couldn’t have his free will bent? Was he worth keeping locked away in the basement until I could figure out how to solve him like a Rubik’s Cube in pretty packaging?

“Christina!” I shouted for my house manager, my voice carrying throughout the large expanse of my home.

Very quickly, a small set of footsteps could be heard approaching as a woman in her mid-thirties walked at a fast clip in my direction.

When she stopped before me, she tried to even out her heavy breaths from her quick response time. Small brown tendrils had escaped her neat ponytail, falling around the frame of her round face. Her bright green eyes were wide and focused.

With a timid voice, she finally spoke. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Be a doll, and make sure the basement is in pristine condition before tonight.”

The poor thing looked nervous; I hoped the rumors of her predecessor weren’t worrying her. The old Christina was a bothersome little nitwit, always swallowing her saliva too loudly.

This new human was proving to be proficient at following directions without asking silly questions. Christina nodded obediently. “Yes, Ms. Ward. I will be sure it is done before I leave for the evening. Anything else? More wine?”

I thought it over for a moment before responding, “Actually, I will need you to cease your breathing for the next thirty minutes.”

Her face paled, and panic flooded those sweet evergreen eyes of hers.

Breaking the tension, I smiled and laughed. “I’m just kidding! Relax. You humans and your lacking sense of humor, sheesh.”

A nervous giggle escaped her as she tried to reflect a smile right back at me.

Drawing another sip of wine from my glass, my hand waved her off. I liked this one, always willing to help out. She was far more useful than the fifteen prior Christinas I had hired and subsequently disposed of.

After the shakeupto my confidence from my failed powers of persuasion with Alex earlier that day, I needed something to give me a mental boost. Tonight’s date required pulling out one of my favorite dresses, so I opted for the skin-tight black mini with an open back. Streaks of dark crimson slashed across the front of the thin-strapped outfit, giving the illusion of claw marks. The length of the dress was nearly too short for the small slit at the right thigh, but it did a magnificent job of showcasing my toned legs. If Z was there, she would have smacked my ass and told me that I looked good enough even for her to eat.

My long locks of platinum blonde with raven shades peeking through were left pin-straight past my shoulders and stopped just above my waist.

With the backs of my red heels hanging from my fingertips, I padded down the stairs barefoot.

It was almost seven, and I expected Alex would be here any minute to pick me up for our evening out. I had sent a note to his email address on file, alerting him of my chosen restaurant so he could make the appropriate reservations. If he wanted a date, he was going to have to do the work for it.