Strictly Business

Strictly Business: Chapter 7

It was a week after the wedding and Elizabeth was taking a rare Saturday morning off.

She had been working hard all week to catch up on the time lost preparing the wedding. She thought it'll be a good opportunity to take a jog around the estate and shake all the aches away from sitting at a desk all week. Running through the gardens was really relaxing and she felt rejuvenated as she walked into the sitting room of their suite to her room.

Elizabeth was surprised to see Shane lounging on the couch reading the papers. She had hardly seen him at all the whole week. He always left the house before her and came back late at night. "Not out as usual?" she asked casually.

"Nope, thought I'll take a day off." he answered simply, not looking at her. Sensing her unspoken question, he added, "Unlike most people, I don't have to stay at a desk all day to be productive."

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed in annoyance, bit back the comeback that was just on the tip of her tongue and walked away in a huff.

Shane caught the murdering look on her face as she walked away and smiled to himself. This is going to be really fun.

Work? If being a full time playboy is work, she thought irritably as she headed to her bathroom. How can someone spend all of their time bumming around? I'll be bored stiff by the third day.

She was just getting a fresh towel when she heard a clatter of footsteps from the hallway. Puzzled she turned to the sitting room just in time to see two squealing little girls plow into Shane on the couch.

"Shane, Shane! We're back, we're back! Did you miss us?" the older girl asked excitedly.

"Loretta, Germaine! Oh of course I missed you. Did you have fun on the cruise?" Shane gave the two girls a big hug.

"Yeah! The ship was soo big and they had a pool, a rock climbing wall and everything. And we saw whales!" Loretta exclaimed.

Germaine the younger girl with short curly golden hair and the largest grey eyes you've ever seen quipped solemnly, "Whales."

Shane laughed and pulled them onto his lap. The two of them began regaling him with all the things they had seen on the cruise. Elizabeth watched in amusement from her doorway. The two girls were simply adorable. Loretta had longer, darker blonde hair and her eyes were as blue as Shane's. She was chattering animatedly at a mile an hour while the younger girl, Germaine watched her sister and parroted her at the end of every sentence.

Loretta finally noticed Elizabeth standing at the doorway. "Who's that?" she asked, the curiosity apparent in her eyes.

"Oh that, that is my new wife, Elizabeth. Elizabeth, these are my cousins, Loretta and Germaine Botsfield." Shane introduced. Elizabeth smiled at them.

"Wife?! Shane, you were supposed to wait for me to grow up and I was going to be your wife. You promised!" Loretta pouted.

Shane laughed. "Oh Loretta," giving her a big hug, "sweetheart, don't be upset. Elizabeth is just my wife but that you are someone even more special, someone more important than a wife."

"What's that?" she pouted.

"My secret girlfriend" Shane whispered dramatically.

Loretta giggled. Shane gave her a big kiss on the cheek and she giggled even more, trying to squirm away.

"I have a present for my secret girlfriend, only for you. Elizabeth doesn't get one," he teased.

"What is it? Oh show me!" Loretta demanded.

Shane walked over to his dresser and took out a small box. He handed it to Loretta who opened it eagerly. "Shane! It's so pretty, I love it!" She took out a a necklace of tiny moonstone beads with a sparkling blue starfish shaped crystal pendant.

"What about me?" Germaine asked.

"I'll share this with you Germy, this shall be our special present. Just for you and me," Loretta comforted her.

Shane gave Germaine an extra hug. "I'll bring back something special for you too the next time I come back from a trip ok Germy?"

Germaine pondered for a minute. "Ok."

Shane laughed again at her grave face, "Alright, let's go bother Lucy for some of her famous chocolate chip cookies." He looked at Elizabeth. "Wanna join us?"

Elizabeth started out of her reverie, she had been thoroughly absorbed in watching Shane with the girls. "Sure, let me take a quick shower and I'll come join you in the kitchen."

"Can Elizabeth come Loretta?"

Loretta looked at Elizabeth appraisingly. "Alright."

Elizabeth suppressed a smile at her precocious manner, "Thank you Loretta, I'll be down in a minute."

She watched Shane scoop Germaine up into his arms and lead Loretta by the hand out to the hallway, the three of them chanting "Cookies!" at the top of their voices. Smiling, she toyed with her towel absently as she ambled to the bathroom and stripped off her jogging attire. Stepping into the shower, she tried to marshal her thoughts. He's an arrogant, philandering playboy. The way he interacted with his two little cousins, that was so unexpected. He genuinely doted on them. It was incredibly sweet to watch but definitely not a side she would expect him to have.

So exactly which side is the real him?