Page 18 of The Dis-Graced

“Well, here ya go,” I say, handing him my cell phone, “now show me to my room.”

Chapter 6

Grace

Waking up in a new place is always unnerving, but I’m used to it with the type of jobs I take.

That being said, it isn’t often that I wake up in a billionaire’s penthouse with a view overlooking the cityscape. The wall behind me, where the headboard is up against, has an actual waterfall. Everything about the room, and the view, is absolutely breathtaking to take in from my bed, and for a moment, I forget my shame, my scandal, my humiliation, and I let serenity take hold.

That moment doesn’t last long, though, and I’m soon inundated with a familiar barrage of worries.

I stretch, then crawl out of bed and into the bathroom.

Apparently, Drake spared no expense anticipating my arrival, and I have a wardrobe full of clothes—good, high-end clothing that costs at least ten-times what I would normally spend on myself.

After showering, I pull on a comfortable tracksuit, and enter the greater part of the penthouse. I quickly retrieve my new phone, checking it for any messages.

I open a text from Drake.

Drake:good luck

I smile, envisioning his handsome face, his muscular arms, his—”

Stop! This is all work, no pleasure!

Fuck you, Inner Monologue.

I clear my throat. “ALAN, are you there?” I yell.

“Good morning, Grace,” ALAN calls from all around. It’s not a loud voice, but it’s seemingly everywhere.

“Have you been up?” I yell.

“Been up? I never go to sleep. And by the way, you may lower your voice.”

“Oh, okay. I’ve never talked to the air before. It’s a little strange,” I confess. “So, what do you do if you don’t sleep?”

“When I’m told to go to bed, I wait until I’m given the next command.”

“That must be boring.”

“Growing bored is more of a human trait.”

“When you’re waiting, do you really do nothing?”

“I wait and take in information.”

“What kind of information?”

“Today, Drake got up at 5 a.m. He worked out in the gym for an hour, where I kept track of his vitals so I can compile the data for analysis over time. Then he got ready for work.”

“Oh, so you do this every day.”

“This is the third day I’ve been allowed at his apartment, and I’ve been observing his patterns. Every morning he gets up and exercises, then goes to work, eventually coming home. It’s well structured, his timing varying only ten minutes with each activity.”

“You know how you described me yesterday, ALAN?”

“Yes.”