Sleeping With The Enemy

by Parker, Ali

  “You could call her.”

  “I could, but I’m here to see her. My name is Tyson Helms. She’s expecting me.”

  She let out a long sigh. “I know who you are.” She begrudgingly opened the door.

  “Thank you,” I said with another smile that was completely ineffective against the woman’s dour attitude. “Is she in her office?”

  “No.”

  I waited for her to tell me where she was. “Then is she on the roof?”

  The woman scowled at me, clearly not a fan of my humor. She pointed in the general direction of where I hoped Mae would be. I was going to recommend Mae fire that woman in a hurry.

  I found Mae dusting a display. She was wearing a tight, short skirt with a white blouse tucked in tight. The black, spiky heels she wore made me think of sex. Her hair was in an updo with little strands hanging down over her neck. I was tempted to go to her and press my lips to the back of her neck.

  “Good morning,” I greeted.

  She jumped. “Oh my gosh. You scared me.”

  “I’m sorry. I brought you some coffee.”

  Her face lit up. “Thank you. That is very sweet.”

  “You are welcome. Are you ready for the day?”

  She blew out a breath. “I think so.”

  “You’ll do fine. I saw the sign out front. It looks good.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You are going to see an increase in customers,” I said.

  She laughed. “I am kind of good at PR and marketing. Not great at the books, but I can market the hell out of this place.”

  I nodded in agreement. She was good at that kind of thing. She could talk to people and sell anything. It was where I was sorely lacking. I hated talking to people. I didn’t know the first thing about marketing. My one foray into the public-relations sector ended with a nasty story printed in the paper. I learned my lesson and had no intention of repeating that fiasco.

  I helped her tidy up displays that really needed no tidying. She was nervous. As was I. I couldn’t explain why I was nervous, but I was.

  “Are you ready?” I asked her after we had made two sweeps around the place to make sure everything was perfect.

  She nodded. “As ready as I can be.”

  “Is Hayden excited or is she one of those kids who will pretend she doesn’t know you?”

  Mae laughed. “Like me?”

  “Different story with your parents.”

  “True. I think she will talk to me. She better or I will embarrass the hell out of her.”

  “No, you wouldn’t.”

  “No, I wouldn’t. The boy she likes is supposed to be here. She is supposed to point him out to me so I can see what the boy looks like.”

  I groaned. “Boys? Already?”

  “She’s thirteen. This is only the beginning.”

  “Should I go home and get my shotgun? I can scare the hell out of the kid.”

  Her sweet smile warmed my heart. “No. Not yet. I want to know his face though, just in case.”

  “I’ll keep my eye on him,” I offered as I reached out to touch her arm.

  She looked at me, then my hand. “It’s you who I’m going to need to keep an eye on. You are trying to be smooth.”

  “I would like to think I am smooth. Do I really have to try?”

  “Yes.”

  I grinned. “Then I will try harder.”

  Before she could come at me with a witty comment, the door was opened, and a stream of loud chatter followed by a horde of teenagers flooded into the museum.

  “Showtime,” she murmured under her breath. She stepped toward the crowd, waiting for everyone to find a spot in a semi-circle around her. “Good morning!”

  There were a few responses, but the enthusiasm was lacking. I stayed in the background. It was her show. I was only there as an observer.

  “Hello?” she asked. “Can anyone hear me? Who has their Air Pods in?” There was a ripple of small laughs through the crowd. She was warming them up. “Who is super excited to be here?”

  When no one answered, she made a big show of putting her hands on her hips. “Hey! This stuff is awesome! Who has ever played Assassin’s Creed?”

  There were a few hands that went up. “The true gamers in here will know there is a new version coming soon and guess where it will be set?”

  “Rome,” someone called out.

  “Yes! Rome! Ancient Rome to be exact. I am going to take you through some pretty cool displays that will show you how those Roman gladiators you all love to play at lived. You’ll get to see their tools, their weapons, and a bunch of other stuff. When you go into the game, you are going to know exactly what it is you are seeing. Assuming the game creators know a thing or two about the time.”

  “Do you have real gladiator stuff?” a young boy asked.

  “I do,” Mae answered.

  “Is there blood?”

  She laughed. “It’s about two thousand years old. You might see some stains which you can decide if it’s blood or dirt or something else.”

  “Cool,” a couple of the boys said.

  “Did they wear togas?”

  “Some of the men did,” she answered. “We’ll get into that as we get moving along. There are a few rules.”

  A collective groan ran through the crowd. She didn’t let it bother her and kept talking. “No touching unless it says it’s an interactive display. Some of these things are thousands of years old. I will be very sad if you break them. Everyone take your turn looking and then kindly move out of the way so the rest of your classmates can see. There are a lot of displays that contain tiny items like coins, beads, and jewels and you’ll want to be up close and personal to see them.”

  She was a natural. She was talking to them like they were her friends stopping by for a visit instead of unruly kids. I could see the change in the crowd of teens since they came through the door. They were listening to her, actually listening. I wished I could hire her as a guide for my museum. She had a natural talent.

  “All right, let’s get started. You guys have a busy day today. You’ll walk through ancient Rome. Then, you’ll get to go to the other museum and check out ancient Egypt. For anyone who doesn’t know, the Romans stomped all over the Egyptians. I think that means my museum is the winner.”

  I had to chuckle. “But mine is cooler.”

  “Mine has gladiators. You can’t beat gladiators.”

  The kids laughed as she taunted me. “The Egyptians are much cooler,” I argued. “They had King Tut and pyramids.”

  “And mummies,” one of the kids said.

  I pointed my finger and grinned. “And mummies.”

  “I have Pompeii.”

  I waved a hand. “You see dead people. Big deal.”

  She threw her head back and laughed. The kids were clearly enjoying the banter. I liked it as well. I wasn’t used to the lighthearted approach to something I felt was all very serious. Looking at the faces of the kids and seeing their engagement told me I had been doing it wrong for too long.

  I followed along, mingling with the group as Mae started the tour. I hung on every word she said. The way she spoke, her facial expressions, and the way she asked questions to keep the kids engaged was impressive. Maybe I was biased, but I was pretty sure she was one of the best tour guides in the world. Better than the team I had in my own museum. Maybe she could teach a class on how to do it.

  It wouldn’t matter if someone mimicked her word for word. Mae had charm and charisma and a special something that was unique to her. The tour was over too quickly for my own tastes. I would have loved to listen to her all day.

  “Well?” she asked, coming toward me while the kids were given some time to look around on their own. “Did I sound like I knew what I was talking about?”

  “You know you did. You could have read an encyclopedia to those kids and they would have hung on every word.”

  She laughed and swatted at my arm. “I don’t think so. I hope I managed to en
tertain them. It would be really nice if they went home and told their parents. Then maybe the parents would bring the whole family.”

  “Now, you’re thinking right.”

  “Hey, I do know a little something about advertising. I think I’m going to reach out to some of the other local schools.”

  “Really?”

  She shrugged. “Why not? I wouldn’t do it until next school year when I’ve had time to make the changes I want to do.”

  “You are going to burn yourself out,” I warned.

  “Not a chance in hell.”

  “When are you getting that statue out?” I asked.

  “Next week. I’m planning a big unveiling. I had a custom case made for it and have been busy working on the background information I want to include in the case.”

  “Am I invited?” I asked.

  “To?”

  “The unveiling.”

  She winked. “You’re the guest of honor. I want you to be front and center when I unveil it. I want to see you turn green with envy. I want to witness the drool.”

  I laughed. “I knew it was a revenge plot.”

  “Not at all, but I know you want it. We always want what we can’t have.”

  She had no idea how true her words were. Or did she? The way she was looking at me told me she knew exactly what she was saying.

  “I guess it’s my turn,” I said, breaking the awkward silence between us.

  “I guess so.”

  “You’re going to be there, right?”

  “Damn straight. First, I need to track down Hayden and check out this boy.”

  “Can I meet her?” I asked.

  She nibbled her bottom lip before giving a nod. “Yes, but be good. Do not make me hurt you in front of all these people.”

  “I would never do anything bad.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Famous last words.”

  She walked through the crowd of kids until we came upon a younger version of Mae with hair a little darker. The girl turned to look at Mae, squealed, and threw her arms around her. “Thank you. This is so awesome.”

  “You are welcome. Hayden, I would like you to meet Tyson Helms. He is the owner of the museum we will be going to next. He’s an old friend of Patrick’s.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Hayden,” I said, looking into her hazel eyes. She wore no makeup which was refreshing. Her classmates looked like they had taken the Kardashian sisters makeup tutorials a little too serious.

  “Hi.” Hayden grinned before looking at Mae. I watched the silent exchange between sisters and hoped that meant Mae had mentioned me.

  “Where is he?” Mae asked.

  “Don’t you dare do anything,” Hayden warned.

  Mae offered her sweetest smile. “Me? What would I possibly do?”

  Hayden groaned and put a hand to her face. “I’m going to regret this.”

  “Not as much as you will regret it if you don’t point him out.”

  I watched the two of them together. Seeing Mae take care of her sister made me care about her even more.

  Chapter 41

  Mae

  I made it to Tyson’s museum about a minute after him. The bus would take a bit longer, giving Tyson time to get ready. As if he needed time.

  I walked through the door of the museum. It was hard not to see the difference between our two museums. His was at least three times bigger. The high ceilings made it feel even bigger. There was nothing I could do about the ceilings in my place, but I wanted it to be more open.

  “Do you need help with anything?” I asked when I spotted him talking to a young man.

  His goofy smile made me want to kiss him. “Nope. I got this. I hope you are ready to be educated.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah, show off your big museum.”

  His eyes twinkled. “Is that code for something else?”

  I groaned. “Oh my god. You are such a man.”

  He stepped closer. “Should I prove that to you?”

  I was suddenly very hot. The man was dangerous. “I better go see if the kids are here.”

  He smirked as I turned and walked away. The tight skirt I was wearing clung to my hips. I hoped he was looking. I wanted to turn back and see if he was looking, but I didn’t dare. Then he would know I wanted him to look. Such a silly game. But I played along anyway.

  The kids showed up, Hayden acting like the rest of the kids—normal. It made me happy to see her so normal. Happy. I watched as she blushed when the boy, Jared, said something to her. I walked toward her.

  “Hi there,” I said, looking from her to him. “Are you guys looking forward to another museum tour?”

  “You did a really good job, Mrs.—I mean Miss Kendell,” Jared said.

  I quirked my lips. “Thank you, Jared.”

  He smiled. I turned to look at Hayden. She was smiling as well. And blushing. I noticed they were standing awfully close to one another.

  I stepped between them. “I hate to admit it, but this is going to be an awesome tour.”

  “Mae,” Hayden hissed.

  I grinned. “I think we should get to the front of the crowd. You don’t want to miss a minute of it.”

  Tyson stepped forward. He looked at me and then to Hayden and Jared. He shook his head with a smile on his face. It took a couple more minutes for the rest of the group to settle in.

  “Good afternoon, everyone,” Tyson started. “I am excited to share my passion for Egyptian history with you. I’m sure you’ve all seen the pyramids in pictures, but there is so much more to the story. When I saw those images for the first time, I was about your age. The pyramids were great, but I wanted to know about the people. I wanted to know what they ate, where they lived, and what their daily life was like.”

  I found myself smiling practically ear to ear as I listened to him speak. He was impassioned as he spoke. He said I was a natural, but his excitement for the subject was contagious. A pin could have been dropped to the floor and I would have heard it. The kids didn’t speak. I didn’t think they were breathing.

  “When I first started my foray into the history of the ancient people, I didn’t understand a lot of it. They lived so differently than us, but also, so much the same. This is something that I think is hard for us to understand.” He paused, looking around the group. I was convinced no one took a breath. “The people that lived in those days, guess what? They were teenagers. They were your age. It’s easy to get caught up in the life and death but we rarely get to dig into the lives of the teens. Did you know they had games? They dated. They sang. They danced. They struggled with some of the same things you are dealing with right now.”

  “They didn’t have video games,” someone said.

  Tyson chuckled. “No, they didn’t, but they had other games. Let’s start over here.”

  The group shuffled across the floor and stood in front of Tyson. Hayden furiously tried to get around me, looking at me with big eyes and trying to communicate with me. She wanted me to move. I wasn’t about to. I was enjoying myself.

  Tyson started to talk again. I quickly forgot all about Hayden’s struggle to get away from me. I listened to him talk about his displays. I could tell he was completely lost in the moment. He didn’t see me or any of the kids. He was in his element. The passion he had for every single piece was incredible. I liked the things in my museum, but I certainly did not feel the passion he did.

  When the tour was over and the kids were left to look around on their own, I sought out Tyson. He was taking refuge in a corner, doing his best to be invisible.

  “You are amazing,” I said to him.

  “Is it weird I am exhausted? I feel like I have run a marathon.”

  “Because you are not used to people. You are an introverted man. For you, giving public speeches and such is the equivalent of running a marathon. But you did it and you did it well. Count yourself as placing first in the marathon.”

  He grinned. “Thank you. I appreciate that. It was emotionally ex
hausting. I cannot wait to go home and hide out.”

  “You have earned it. I appreciate you doing this. I wasn’t expecting you to actually give the tour.”

  He smiled. “You did. I felt like you set the bar pretty high. I needed to at least show up.”

  “You did. You absolutely did.”

  “Hello,” a man’s voice cut through the din of the many conversations happening around the room.

  I turned to look at a man dressed in an ill-fitting brown suit. “Hi,” I greeted, assuming he was a chaperone or teacher.

  “My name is Mr. Dell. I’m the history teacher for the eighth grade. I was quite excited when we were presented with this as an option for a field trip, as you can imagine.”

  Tyson laughed. “I hope it will help you drive home some of the things you have covered over the year.”

  “They looked like they were listening,” I said.

  He nodded. “They were. I have never had that kind of attention. You two should have been history teachers.”

  I grimaced. “No way. I admire and praise those of you that have taken on that job.”

  “It is thankless most days, but today, I was impressed. The two of you should join forces. You would be the biggest company in the city. Heck, I think the world. You both have a very positive energy that the kids feed off of. You are young enough to appeal to them.”

  Tyson and I both nervously laughed. “Thank you. You are very kind. I am hoping to talk to some of the other schools. I think the kids would be interested in the museums.”

  “I know a few of the other history teachers in the city. I think it is a great plan, and if we could somehow use the museum as part of our class, it would go much further to teach them. I really enjoyed the displays and plan on bringing my own children as soon as I get some free time.”

  I grinned, looking at Tyson with a silent I told you so look. “I would love to see you there.”

  “I should be going. Thank you again for this awesome experience. I know the kids will be talking about it for days.”

  He walked away.

  “High-five,” I said, holding up my hand to Tyson.

  He chuckled and slapped my hand. “You called it. Good job.”

  “I’m going to say goodbye to Hayden.”