Reyona’s Revenge

The first time had been a combination of the unexpected.

They had gone all week with no message from the woman.

Reyona was already thinking she had decided not to visit that soon when she received the notification.

It was the weekend and Reyona had to forfeit the gym session she had planned to rush over there.

As it was, she went there with her sporting clothes on because she was at the local gym centre when she got the notification.

She rarely goes out to exercise, but that day, she had wanted the company of adrenaline and determination around to take her mind off her bothersome thoughts.

The lady will be there in thirty minutes.

There was no way Reyona could make it back home to change and get to Maxwell’s place before the woman got there.

So, she rushed over in her tank top and tight-fitting leggings.

He was waiting for her outside and she ignored the way his eyes took in every inch of her body as he came towards her.

“Not one word,” she said to him in a tight tone as she removed the clip in her hair and let it cascade down to cover her bare shoulders.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said in a fake meek tone that did nothing to hide the amusement in his voice. “You look good though.”

Reyona turned towards him with annoyance. “What did I…?”

He gestured at his mouth with a zipping movement.

Reyona narrowed her eyes at him and asked “Where are the kids?”

“In the living room. I suppose our dear Miss Macaulay should be here soon.”

Junior rushed towards Reyona as she entered.

She was just bending down to his level when they heard the sound of the car.

“Ah, here comes the Marshall. Right on time.” Maxwell said with a flourish.

He must think he is funny. Well, he is wrong, nothing funny about him. The only reason she felt like smiling was because of what Junior was telling her at that moment.

They had been in the fitness centre when Maxwell received the notification too.

No wonder he was in a sleeveless tight-fitting shirt that made his upper body look gloriously sculpted.

His short, grey sweatpants had almost had Reyona telling him that that was not an appropriate way to dress in the presence of an impressionable young lady.

But then, she realised she might be overreacting.

He had the right to dress as he wanted, right?

And she doubted that the girl who seemed like she wanted to be anywhere else but where she was at the moment was even paying any attention anyway.

By the time Maxwell escorted Miss Macaulay in, Reyona hoped this would all be over soon.

As sports, their almost matching sportswear worked in their favour, as the lady commented on it, “Oh, I see you were working out. I am so sorry for interrupting your routine. We just have to do this, you know. I will be out of your hair soon,” she said pleasantly, as she took her seat.

Of course, she need not know that they were not having the exercise together.

All that mattered was that she was buying their facade.

Maxwell winked at Reyona as he took a seat beside her on the couch facing Miss Macaulay.

She almost smiled back, then ignored him as she gave her attention to Junior, who came to sit beside her.

Allysyn was sitting as far away as possible from them all.

They had explained the situation to the children before Reyona left the other day.

Maxwell also told her that he had reminded them that morning too, so she was not bothered about that aspect.

Though it bothered her that they were setting a bad example for the children by telling them to lie, she figured it was better compared to all the many things that the alternative could have led to.

So, as Miss Macaulay asked the questions, they all gave the rehearsed answers.

Though the questions varied, one thing they didn’t forget was the fact that their answers included Reyona’s presence in whatever it was that they had done over the week.

Thankfully, the woman didn’t ask the kids many questions.

Until Miss Macaulay asked the kids to give her a tour of their rooms.

Reyona and Maxwell wanted to follow them, but Miss Macaulay said “Why don’t you let the kids do this? I am sure they would know the way around by now, right?”

“Uhm,” Reyona looked at Maxwell and the latter inclined his head.

Junior was already halfway up the stairs.

She looked at Allysyn and asked “Would you like to take her to your room, Allysyn? Alone?”

Allysyn shrugged in nonchalance as she said “Okay”

Miss Macaulay smiled as she said “You make it sound like I am going to do something to them. I just want to see how well they are adjusting. That’s all.”

“Right,” Reyona said with a tight smile.

Of course, she had no reason to give the woman not to let the kids go off alone with her.

That would seem suspicious.

Yet Reyona knew that the woman’s reasons were not that simple.

“Okay, then. Go ahead, we will be waiting here,” she said as easily as she could.

She didn’t take her eyes off them until they were out of sight.

“You do know that you look like a mother hen who is afraid that her chicks will be carted off by a hawk, don’t you?” Maxwell said from behind her. “What do you think that sweet lady would do? Take them away through the window?” he said in an attempt at a joke.

Reyona narrowed her eyes as she said “I am afraid that sweet lady deliberately took them aside just to… I don’t know, find something out.” she said as she tossed her hand out. “She probably wants to know if we are mistreating them or making them give all those answers as a lie.”

“Oh,” he said as she sat down.

“Yes, oh,” she said, glad that he finally saw what she meant.

Then she heard him say thoughtfully “But then some of them were lies after all. You were not here when the kids were picking the theme they wanted for their room, nor were…”

“Get a megaphone, will you?” Reyona said heatedly as she finally turned towards him. “Why not shout it out, so she can hear and take them right now.”

But then she saw that he was deliberately trying to get a rise out of her because he was grinning as he slung his arms around the back of the couch.

Reyona folded her hands and said “I am glad that this is fun for you, okay? Good to see you are enjoying yourself.”

Maxwell stood up and went to her.

He ignored her shrug as he put his arm around her shoulder and guided her to the couch. “As you should too, Miss Dexter. You need to relax.”

“Fine,” She said as she sat grudgingly. “Don’t say I did not tell you. I will pay you no mind when…”Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

“Sssh” Maxwell said as he suddenly crouched in front of her and placed his finger a hair’s breadth away from her lips as he looked straight into her eyes. “Listen,” he whispered.

The suddenness of his action and the intent in his eyes baffled Reyona for a moment. “What are you…?”

“Come on, Reyona. Just listen. What do you hear?” he asked softly as he gazed at her lips for a split second before looking back into her eyes.

Reyona resisted the urge to lick her lips or inhale deeply as the scent of his distinct cologne filled her nose. She turned her gaze away from him as she tried to calm her thumping heart so that she could hear whatever it was that he wanted her to hear.

One second. Two.

She couldn’t hear anything.

The only thing she could hear was…

Junior’s happy chatter as he seemed to have a lot to say to Macaulay and any other person who was ready to listen.

An unbidden smile showed on Reyona’s face before Maxwell’s voice intruded her thoughts again as he said “You see that? That kid is having the best time of his life. He is a favourite with all the staff and I even think his sister is beginning to warm up to me.”

When Reyona looked at him in disbelief, he smiled sheepishly and said “Well, in her way, but that is not the point. Those kids are here today largely because of you. We got this far, right?”

Reyona unconsciously nodded.

“See? That means we can handle this. Let Macaulay do all the snooping she wants. It won’t change a thing. Those kids are not going anywhere. Now, while we wait, what can I offer…”

He stood up so suddenly that Reyona’s face was suddenly facing the bulge in his sweatpants.

Reyona’s blood spiked and her shock must have shown on her face because he suddenly looked down at himself and swore.

“Fuck. I am sorry. This is not…excuse me.”

The way he hightailed it out of there was the cutest thing that Reyona had ever seen him do.

Damn.