ELEVEN

Do You Want Him?

It was the sweet scent of baking and steaming chicken that woke her up. Lolita turned over in bed and stuffed her face into the pillow, hoping to snuff out the scent. When she was finding difficulty in breathing, she turned over in her back and inhaled deeply, allowing the air mixed with spice and chocolate to fill her.

Confused, she rubbed her eyes and sat up. Nothing from the kitchen was supposed to reach her, unless the person in there had closed all the air ducts and left the door wide open for the aroma to fill everywhere. It was probably the maid. Lolita had to remind her constantly that the air ducts were exactly what they were—air ducts. She didn’t like that every corner of the house had to smell like bacon just because someone was preparing it.

She climbed down from her high queen sized bed, glanced into the full-length mirror to make sure she was still in her night dress—which was a low neck, flimsy little thing—and then walked out of the room and straight