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.Enjoy the class.Let me, he said, taking Jaiken s tray. Get along to theschool. Thanks, Jerna.If Tolomi wants me again, I d be really happy to be booked by him.Wouldn t we all.Jerna smiled determinedly until Jaiken walked gracefully out of theroom.He resisted the childish temptation to throw the tray at the wall.Damn that OrlanGomici!He went back to his little office, and made himself calm down.Just because Ria hadgone back to the man s room, didn t mean they had.and even if they had, it didn tmean.And even if it did, they could talk about it.He took several deep breaths, counted slowly to a hundred, imagined Orlan Gomiciwearing his underpants on his head, and prayed hard to the Lady for tranquillity.Finally,when he had got his temper and his heart rate under control, he plastered a smile on hisface and went out front to relieve Feseo, who d been on duty since five and was due for ameal break.They d just had their early rush clients checking out and going out to theirnormal working day and from now until lunchtime, it would be quiet.At least, hehoped.Business was almost too good most days.He had his head down, buried in maintenance reports, when he heard someone callhis name.He looked up, and scowled when he realised who was speaking. Yes, sirmay I help you? Orlan.I ve told you enough times, Jerna.I wondered if I could settle my bill for lastnight.Didn t this man have a real business to go to? Jerna called up the record. Coffee andliqueur, is that correct? For two. Yes, sir, he said flatly. Was there anything else? No.Everything else was most satisfactory.Ria thought so too. I m glad of that, sir.That will be eighteen riols, sir, including state tax.Will it becard or cash? Cash.Break this for me, will you? He handed over a crisp two-hundred-riol note. It s genuine.I made it myself.Jerna ignored the joke and carefully checked it was in fact not a fake bill beforepulling out the change.Gomici mockingly repeated the same check Jerna had made onthe currency. Such a dishonest society we live in these days.Can t trust the money,married people cheating on their spouses lovers who are unfaithful.Don t you find itmakes you a little cynical, Jerna? Sir, he said politely, not answering. Was there anything else? No, nothing.It was a rather tiring night.I think I ll go back to my apartment andcatch up on my beauty rest. Yes, sir. I do hope poor Ria doesn t doze off at work today.He seemed rather exhausted bythe time he left.He doesn t have the stamina he used to, the dear boy, though he makesup for it now with greater experience, he added with an unmistakeable leer.Goddess, could he be more obvious? Jerna stolidly ignored the pointed innuendo.Hewould learn all he needed to from Ria and not this man. If there s nothing else, sir? No, carry on.I ll see you later.Jerna gritted his teeth, gripping the desk with white knuckles to control his angeruntil the odious creature left the foyer. Jerna?He turned Feseo. Sorry.Just someone being a nuisance.Can you handle this onyour own now? Sure.You ll be in the office? Yes.I just need to.to concentrate.Jerna grabbed the reports and fled back to his sanctuary.Once there, he threw thefiles down on his desk and let out a quiet scream of anger.He couldn t believe refusedto believe that Ria had actually slept with that man, but at the very least, he d allowedpeople to assume that he might have done.What was he thinking of?His com pinged quietly, and he glanced at the screen.Incoming message from R.Kezime.He jabbed at the menu.Ria wanted to confirm their lunch and the time.Jernacouldn t face it, and shot off a quick reply.Then he sat and put his head in his hands.Why was this happening to him now?~~~~~~~~Ria s screen threw up an Incoming message notice, and seeing it was from J.Setiq , he checked it at once.Having read it, he sat back in his chair, feeling ratherpuzzled and not a little offended. Can t make it.Maybe Grace day.Will call.And that was it no explanation, no love, me , nothing that he couldn t have gotfrom any of his less well-mannered subordinates.He raised his hand to punch in Jerna s number, but before he could touch the keypad,his office door opened, and Cialo appeared, looking solemn. Sorry to interrupt, boss, butsomeone just fired a needle gun at the Finance minister.Goddess s tits.His love life had to wait.But he bloody well would get to the bottomof this, or his name was not Riashe Kezime.~~~~~~~~Jerna thumbed through the news pages on his com.Around him, passengers werereading the evening news sheets all dominated by the apparent assassination attempt onthe Finance minister.Ria would be up to his neck in it.Good, he thought rather bitchily.After the day he d had, he wasn t feeling charitable.In addition to at least three servantswho d been on duty at the show asking him if he d known Tolomi was there with anotherman, he d had Mawe enquire with deep concern if everything was all right with him andRia.Kare had also noticed, and wondered if there was a problem that might affect thehotel, though beneath her sardonic, self-interested mask, he knew she was actuallyconcerned about him more than the hotel.Discussing his possibly faltering relationship with his lover was not how Jerna hadwanted to spend his working day, and it hadn t helped at all that bloody Orlan Gomicihad drifted in and out of the hotel several times that afternoon, each time giving him thesmirk that made his teeth grate.Then just to finish things off beautifully, Tyrme hadcalled to say that Eljira was refusing to go back to school after a fresh attack by hertormentors.He closed his eyes and wondered how he could help his daughter.His life would bemuch simpler if it was more conventional, but the idea of giving up Ria just to simplifyhis existence, or for any reason, even Eljira, made him feel like he was dying.But he wasso selfish, insisting on his own happiness when his daughter was paying the price.Theonly person benefiting here was him.Ria was short-changed, his wife had less of his timethan she deserved, and his children were suffering.Jerna s own feelings wereunimportant, but he didn t know if he had the courage to put Ria aside, to bear that pain,to know how much it would hurt Ria.Either he had to find the courage, or he had to find another solution.What that mightbe, he had no idea yet.He got a taxi home from the train station, and Tyrme met him at the door with a kissand a worried look. Where is she? In her room.She wouldn t eat supper and fled in there as soon as I let her.Jerna,this can t go on.We might have to look at another school. And if some other idiot says too much in front of their child, we have this all overagain. He rubbed his forehead. Let me go speak to her.How s Neras? Upset, confused.she wants her sister back the way she was.But even without allthis, that s not possible. No, I guess it s not. He kissed her again. I ll have supper when I m finished.Sorry I m so late.She dismissed his apology. It s all right.Your parents ate with the girls, and Mothersat with Neras for a while.Neras is asleep now.Go on.He tapped at Eljira s door. Go away. Eljira, it s me.Papa
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