She does. By the time Lisa’s back, we’re still working on hers, and it frankly looks pretty damn good.

“Mom, Mom, look at my unicorn! I drew it myself,” she adds proudly. “It took five sketches but I know how to do it properly now! And we’re going to color it.”

“That’s amazing, darling. But Claire’s supposed to go home once I’m back; how about you color it next time?”

The biggest golden pair of puppy dog eyes known to man set on me, accompanied by a truly pathetic pout.

Damn, she knows what she's doing. 

"Sure, let's color. That's the most fun bit." To Lisa, I say, "I'm off the clock after you're here, all right?"

She rolls her eyes. "You're still working with my kid."

"Hardly. This is fun."

Lisa smiles. “Well, if you’re off the clock, would you like some wine? I have red, white, and rosé.”

I don’t ask if she knows I’m eighteen. She does. “I haven’t had much wine before. Just a glass of champagne last week, with Keller.”

“Ah, no worries. If you want to try, I prefer rosé early, because it’s light and refreshing. A good red is worth its weight in gold, especially with the right food, but they’re dangerous. Hangover for twenty-four hours guaranteed if you have a sip more than you should. White’s good, especially when you’re dealing with cheap wine. It can be great, but most places will just serve you a basic chardonnay.” She grimaces, so I take it that’s not a good thing.

“So, what white do I want to order?”

“A Pouilly-Fumé, darling,” she says, practically moaning. “Arlo keeps them well stocked. You wanna try?”

“I feel like you’re going to ruin my palate for average chardonnay.”

“You’re hanging out with Kellers, kiddo.” She winks. “You don’t need to settle for anything average.”

That makes me laugh a little, though the thought is a little bit scary. Sure, I’m hanging out with Keller today, but it’s in no way guaranteed I’ll have his attention forever. And he has made me so very fussy about a lot of things, I don’t believe I’ll ever settle for less again.

Excellent sex. The best baths. Awesome food. All of my desires considered as needs, and instantly granted. That’ll turn any girl’s head.

Lisa doesn’t have that worry; she’s Keller’s sister, they’re part of her family. She’ll never have to leave this place if she doesn’t want to.

She hands me a half-full beautiful glass, and delicately tilts it to mine. “Cheers, darling. It’s really good to have another girl around here.”

“Good evening, ladies.” Arlo walks in, dressed in a dark suit with a black shirt and tie, his hands on the knot.