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Leela sat at Kiefer’s enormous kitchen table, finishing her lunch as she watched Bailey devour his dog chow with gusto. It had been a whirlwind of events. Two days ago, she’d run into Kiefer at Sweet Delights and now here she was living in his luxurious home while he attended his business in Ontario. He had only been gone for nine hours, but he’d already called twice. He left a calendar with the schedule for his help—housekeeper, gardener, pool guy, and a general maintenance person who did everything else that needed to be done outside.
A food delivery service dropped off a ton of food and advised her that she had a twenty-five-hundred-dollar credit to use for weekly grocery orders.
“Talk about taking care of home,” Leela murmured, closing the pantry door on the fully stocked set up.
Her phone rang, displaying Kiefer’s smiling face on the screen. She answered the call, and his real image came to life.
“To say you trust me, sir, you are doing a lot on this phone,” Leela teased, raising an eyebrow. “The groceries arrived. There are enough to feed an army.”
“I expected to be home,” he replied, grinning.
She pitched an eyebrow. “Eating like a football team?”
“Well, I do eat a lot,” he replied. “Some of that is food the chef requested, which is why I’m calling. I forgot to put her on the calendar. She is coming tomorrow.”
“To cook for me?”
Kiefer laughed. “She prepares a bunch of meals. They last a month. She puts them in the freezer. All I have to do is warm them up.”
Leela crossed her arms and gave him a sassy look. “But you’re not here. You haven’t been here for months.”
“Eh,” Kiefer shrugged it off like that wasn’t even a big deal. “I used to be home often, so I keep her on my payroll. She’s one of the best in Forest Hills. I was lucky to get in her rotation. I won’t always be traveling like this. I’m in startup mode.”
Leela understood that. She was in the same place, trying to book new business for Dream Events. She walked to the refrigerator and reached in for a bottle of water. “So did you have to pay her for three months when you were gone?”
“Yes, but she donated the food to Timothy House. It’s a men’s transitional housing spot in Stockbridge.”
“That’s insanely generous.”
“I’ll write it off on my taxes,” he said, dismissing it like it wasn’t a big deal.
“You’re being modest, I’m sure those men loved getting something other than shelter food.”
“Well, we’re not going to give me more credit than I deserve.” Kiefer smiled a little. He was the master of a closed-mouth smile, so when he showed his teeth, it was nice. “Anyway, have her make whatever you like. She’s super friendly, flexible, and the food is so good.”
Leela had gotten spoiled at Logan and Harper’s house. They had a full-time chef, and he seemed to be cooking or baking all the time. The house was full of food. She thought she’d miss his food, but it appeared the Bennett money was going to keep spoiling her.
“So,” Kiefer began.
“Bailey is great.” Leela knew what Kiefer had on his mind. She flipped her phone around, so the video captured his beloved pet as he licked the last of his dog food. “We just came in from the backyard. The grass is so nice. I’m not much of an outside person, but it’s pretty.”
“I have a great landscaper. He handles all the yards on our street and a few others I think.”
Leela thought about how much time they spent keeping up the yard at her childhood home. It was a family project at least once a month. Now her father took care of it by himself. He liked working outside even when the heat was oppressive.
Bailey had gone from the chow bowl to lapping water loudly. “He enjoyed his time out there. He even ran for the ball.”
“You have no idea how much I appreciate having you there.”
“I kind of do.” Leela said, swirling her fork around in the remaining pasta she was eating. “Your Zelle payment spoke for you.”
“I tried to incentivize you not to quit on me.”
“I’m a person of my word, so no worries there.” Leela looked around the kitchen again. “And you have a nice house.”
“Compared to Harper and Logan’s place, I own a shack, but it’s enough for me.”
A shack? Was he kidding? She’d Googled the address and found comparables on Zillow for his neighborhood. Even if it was empty, the craftsman style woodwork and trim made this place beautiful. “It’s hard to top Harper. She’s a professional decorator, but you have great art and nice seating. I love every chair in the family room.”
“Harper hooked up all the rooms but the family room. I wanted to replicate the room I had in Houston. I started collecting the art in college.”
Leela found it interesting that her favorite room in the house was the one he’d personally decorated. She wasn’t surprised though. Like him, it was cool but welcoming at the same time. There were lots of grays and tans which seemed to be colors he used in his wardrobe too.
“I’m going to let you go. I’m having a late dinner with a few of my people to get completely caught up before my day starts tomorrow.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll be here tomorrow. It’s a work from home kind of to-do list, so I’ll hang out with Bailey.”
“He’ll love that, but he knows how to get in and out of the dog door to do his business,” Kiefer said. He delayed ending the call and then after a wave, he was gone.
Leela picked up her cup of tea and her novel and went into the family room. Bailey followed, settling into his dog bed near the fireplace. Leela took in the room again. The plush leather furniture was arranged around a central coffee table adorned with a collection of miniature cowboy sculptures. The dark wood floors and amber-hued lighting cast soft shadows that added solitude to the room, but the thing that stood out the most to her was his paintings. The pieces primarily depicted men immersed in Gullah culture—farming, fishing, walking on the road, and then there were a few that were historical depictions of Gullah on rice plantations. Most Gullah art was vibrant and bright, but these were done in muted tones of seagrass tan with pale blues and greens and sketches of the men in black and white. She could see why Kiefer liked them. The Gullah were ignored in Southern history for over a century. These were images of untold stories.
Leela’s gaze drifted to a tall stack of coiled documents on the coffee table, curiosity piqued her interest. She reached for one, noting the bold title emblazoned across the cover page: The Pastor’s Wife. Intrigued, she flipped through the pages, realizing they were scripts for film and television projects. A small thrill ran through her as she continued to explore the stack. She’d stumbled upon a treasure trove of stories, each script providing a glimpse into another world. She dove into the pilot episode of The Pastor’s Wife. Her laughter filled the room as she read about the female senior pastor navigating the tricky waters of an old-fashioned church board. It was witty, providing a fresh take on the challenges women faced in leadership positions.
“Goodness, this is what I needed,” she murmured, shaking her head at the antics of the characters. For a moment, her thoughts strayed to Kiefer, wondering if he had found the script as entertaining as she did.
The following morning, Leela decided to set up her temporary office in the same room. She spread out her work stuff across the coffee table, her laptop open and ready for action. With the view of Kiefer’s beautiful backyard as her backdrop, she was inspired and energized as she dialed the number for her first client call.
“Hi, Susan. This is Leela from Dream Events. I’m calling to discuss your upcoming back-to-school charity event,” she said, her voice upbeat and professional. As she listened to Susan’s enthusiastic response, Leela’s excitement built. Leela enjoyed small intimate events like the one Susan was having, but she needed to land a larger, more high-profile event to establish herself. Not only would it boost her reputation, but it would also provide her with the money she needed. Sienna had left her with a nice cushion, but it was still Sienna’s money. Leela didn’t want to start using it because she couldn’t bring in more business. She hadn’t personally booked a single event. Everyone on her schedule were Sienna’s clients. She wished Sienna had stayed on a little while longer. Leela needed the transition time, but Sienna was busy with the few A-list clients she was still managing and her new television show.
Leela went into the kitchen, gave Bailey a dog snack and found herself standing in the refrigerator door again with too many choices. Kiefer had ordered all kinds of cheeses and yogurt, chopped up rotisserie chicken, salad fixings, hummus, and a variety of fruit and vegetables. She didn’t understand why he would order all this food when it was impossible for one person to eat it all before it went bad.
“I might as well try to put a dent in this produce,” Leela muttered as she removed salad fixings for lunch. Just as she finished washing her dishes, a knock sounded at the door. She peeked out and saw a woman on the stoop. After verifying it was Chef Dee, she let her in. Even though she was an elderly woman, Chef Dee was a human tornado. Brimming with high energy, she proved age was nothing but a number, and watching her move around Kiefer’s kitchen made Leela dizzy. So once their introductory conversation was over, Leela took her laptop and Bailey out in the backyard.
Before moving into Kiefer’s home, Leela had never been to this part of Forest Hills. She didn’t even know these houses were nestled back off this street. It was quiet and, as with all the housing in Forest Hills, upscale. She logged into her bank account and looked at the balance. Kiefer’s deposit of $7500 was a welcome addition. It was odd taking that much money for nothing. He was doing her a favor. Maybe rich people paid a lot of money for dog sitters, but she wasn’t sure Kiefer was that wealthy. He was flying commercial to Canada. He had a gorgeous home, but it wasn’t like the other Bennetts. She’d been to Ethan’s house, Stone’s, and Zeke and Rachel’s new palace in Charlotte. She’d heard some of the Charleston Bennetts weren’t as rich, but that certainly didn’t include Jackson. Not that it was any of her business, but she was curious about how the wealth was distributed.
Bailey was sitting on the grass next to her. She reached down and pet him on the head. “Why does it matter, boy? Why am I counting his money?”
Her phone rang in a FaceTime call from Kiefer. The man was psychic. He always seemed to call when she was thinking about him. “You’re late today.”
Kiefer smiled. Again, it was a real one with teeth. He was wearing a suit with a caramel dress shirt and a well-matched tie. “I had a very looong breakfast meeting and have been in back-to-back meetings since.”
“Say you trust me already,” Leela teased.
“That I do.” His eyes dropped, and Leela could see and hear him tapping on a laptop keyboard. When he looked up again, he asked, “So how is my guy?”
“Great. Look.” Leela turned her phone around. Kiefer called Bailey’s name and he responded by trying to find the voice. After a minute of dog babble, Leela turned the phone back around.
“I’m surprised you’re outside with Chef Dee cooking.”
“How did you know she was here?”
“I have an app on my phone for the cameras.”
Leela was silly for asking that. Of course he did.
“I like to hang around and lick spoons,” Kiefer said. “She also throws me scraps. I’m as bad as Bailey when she’s in the kitchen.”
“Well, you’re paying her, so she’s not technically throwing you anything that’s not yours.”
“True that.” Kiefer conceded. “Did you sleep well?”
“When I finally fell off, but I stayed up late reading,” Leela said. “I hope I don’t get evicted for this, but I read a few of the scripts on the table.”
Kiefer pulled his head back. “A few of them?”
“Two.” Leela shared the titles. “Are you going to produce them?”
“I have no idea. I haven’t read them yet. That’s why they’re sitting there, waiting for me.”
“The pastor one was very entertaining. I could see the entire thing in my head.”
“Was it?” Kiefer was silent again.
Leela nodded. “If it’s okay, I want to keep reading them. It’s kind of an interesting format and I need to go to the library for a few more books.”
Kiefer frowned like he was thinking deeply. “Interesting.”
“What?” Leela asked.
“My assistant has been telling me that I should hire someone to read scripts for me.”
The patio door opened behind Leela and Chef Dee stuck her head out. “I’m done. I want to show you how I store everything.”
“You heard that.” Leela stood. “I have to go.”
“Tell her thank you. I’ll talk to you later.”
Leela went inside and Chef Dee showed her the labeling system. She even gave Leela a printout of all the meals with instructions on how to warm them and then she was gone.
Later that evening, Leela sat down with Chef Dee’s jerk chicken pasta, which she decided was like the best thing she’d ever eaten. She was halfway through another one of the scripts when a FaceTime call came in from Kiefer.
“I thought you were going to be busy up there, sir.”
“I am, but I had a conversation with one of my directors about that pastor script. He’s been asking me to take a look at it. I was wondering if you would tell me about it.”
“What specifically?”
“Anything. Everything.” He hunched his shoulders.
She told Kiefer all about the story, the characters, and the ending. He asked a bunch of questions, taking notes as she spoke and when they were done, he was thoughtful for a minute before saying, “I have another proposition for you.”
He paused, his face had the same expression on it as when he asked her to dog sit Bailey, but this time he looked less sure about his idea. Leela thought he had good ideas. She was in his house because of it, so she waited until he spoke. “I’d like you to read scripts for me. Get me through my backlog. And then if you like the job, you can continue to read the new projects that come in.”
“Okay.” Leela’s pulse quickened at the prospect, the extra income.
“It would be part time, so whatever you get done is good. It’ll save my life.”
“Okay.”
“And if something is obviously horrible from the onset, don’t finish it.”
All Leela had was “okays” for this situation. It sounded like...fun, not work.
Kiefer explained that most readers wrote written reports, but he preferred video summaries. Within ten minutes of getting off the phone with him, his assistant, Rose was on Leela’s phone getting her email contact so she could have someone in human resources send her paperwork. Within a few hours she was working for Bennett Television as a consultant. Leela liked the sound of that. She liked the pay even more, especially since she read every day anyway.
“Kiefer has a backlog here of fifty or more. I can have someone deliver them if you like,” Rose said. Leela used Harper’s address on the paperwork because she didn’t want the woman to know she was living with Kiefer, but she didn’t want them sending a box to Harper’s house. She thought about having them delivered to her office, but she’d only have to go pick them up at the post office if they arrived when she wasn’t there.
“I’ll pick them up.”
“Are you sure? They’ll be heavy.”
“Maybe you can have someone from the mailroom put them in my car.”
“We can do that if you like. Text me when you’re coming, and I’ll get everything ready.”
Leela thanked her. When she got off the phone she shouted, “Thank you, Jesus!”
Between the dog sitting money and this reading job, she was going to be able to afford an apartment and furniture. The reading didn’t pay anywhere close to what the dog sitting did. She supposed there were industry standards for certain jobs, but it was good money for something she was going to do every night anyway.
Leela finished her workday and couldn’t wait to start her first official script reading job. She did recordings for the two scripts she’d already done, including the pastor story she’d shared with Kiefer. She hadn’t included some of the information he wanted, like the number of settings and details about all the characters. She also decided to give him a short, written summary because it was easier to make the videos from a script. Once she was done, she uploaded everything to a shared drive on the Bennett server.
Kiefer didn’t call again until almost nine p.m.
“You must have gotten my work product,” Leela said, proudly.
“Actually, I’ve been in meetings. I just got back to the room with my dinner,” he said holding up a takeout container.
“Oh,” Leela said. “Well, Bailey’s good.”
“I’m sure he is.” Kiefer opened his bag and set the phone in a holder in front of him. “So what did you eat from Chef Dee’s menu?”
She told him about the jerk chicken pasta, and he agreed it was one of his favorites too. They talked about their day, mostly, Leela spent hers on the phone booking locations and placing orders for flowers and balloons and other decorations. As she spoke, Kiefer listened intently, his gaze never leaving hers. She didn’t feel weird rambling about the monotonous but important details of her work because he appeared genuinely interested. She wondered if that was a filmmaker thing, to want to know the nitty gritty of things like that. She’d read many author interviews where they shared how they studied things others didn’t and it added to their writing.
“I’ve had a few meetings with my writers today – they’re discussing pay and benefits. It’s important stuff, but it can be draining. I inherited a lot of what’s wrong. Now I understand why Ethan created my job.” He rubbed the back of his neck, the tension evident in his posture.
“Sounds tough,” she sympathized.
“I won’t complain. I wanted this.” He smiled a little, but his eyes were tired. “Now I know you sent me videos but give me the five-minute highlights.”
“Not while I watch you eat.” Leela popped up and walked into the kitchen. “I’m getting dessert.”
Kiefer laughed. “I can wait.”
Leela got a small cup of yogurt and sat down again. She pulled her knees to her chest to get comfortable and began to tell Kiefer about the projects. They talked for another hour before he said, “I’m a night owl. I won’t hold you.”
“I’m a night owl too. I don’t feel held.”
A long moment of quiet passed, with Leela putting the spoon from her long-abandoned yogurt in her mouth.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Kiefer said, sounding like he didn’t want to let her go.
“Okay.” Leela couldn’t help but feel some kind of way that they were done. They ended the call, and she sat there missing him. “Oh no,” she whispered, thinking about how she felt about him merely days ago. He was in her memory as Kiefer Bennett, the man who rejected her. She remembered the conversation vividly.
Over cake and coffee, Leela and Kiefer had escaped into their own private corner of Ethan and Lauren’s living room. The other couples were gathered around the coffee table, looking at pictures from some trip Stone and Addison had taken. He and she had chosen to wander off, alone, yet together.
“So, you’re going out of town?” Leela said, confirming what she’d overheard at dinner.
“For a while. We have a studio in L.A. I’m thinking about closing it, so I have to see what we’re working with in terms of space, personnel, and equipment.”
“Don’t you have managers and reports for that?”
“I’m a visual person.”
Leela nodded.
“Then from there I’ll be in Ontario learning the nitty gritty of how we get projects done, especially our holiday movie business. It’s growing and profitable. I want to keep it that way. We also have a few episodic dramas we film up there too. I’m mostly looking to learn but figure out how we can be fiscally efficient at the same time.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“It should be,” he replied.
“I’ve never been to Canada.”
“I’ve only been via a cruise ship.” He smiled. Teeth, beautiful ones that lit a fire in her heart.
“Maybe we could stay in touch.”
Kiefer hesitated. It was the delay of death from a man and Leela’s heart stopped. “I’ll be busy and not around.”
Not around enough for a text, FaceTime, or phone call with someone he had this much chemistry with? She didn’t ask him to have a baby. She wanted to stay in touch, but Leela knew what she meant. Kiefer knew what she meant too, and he chose to squash it.
Now she was sitting in his house. Feeling some kind of way about ending yet another conversation with him. Bailey nudged her foot. Was Bailey feeling for Leela too?
“You know how he is. Charming and attentive, until he’s not,” she said to the dog.
Leela got up and let Bailey out one more time for the night. This is why she was here...to take care of his pet. She’d keep that the focus, make this money, and not get all hung up on Kiefer fine-behind Bennett...again.