Duncan looked at Aliyah with an odd expression for a moment after she kissed him.  He was becoming more and more comfortable with public displays of affection.  Masumi and Marcia seemed to be the presences making him uncomfortable now.  And that was probably because they now worked for him.  But as with all things Duncan seemed to adapt quickly.  And to their credit neither butler gave any indication of a reaction.

Marcia seemed to study Aliyah when she thought the younger woman wasn’t watching.  And that was likely because she could see what might very well be happening.  Duncan didn’t treat Aliyah like a date, and barely like a girlfriend.  He treated her more like a wife.  And that fact didn’t escape Marcia at all.  She realized she might be looking at a future co-employer.  And as such, needed to be treated as such.

Masumi seemed more concerned about Gary.  If Duncan was going to get an RV, then something was going to have to be done about sleeping arrangements.  That particular fact was clearly what vexed Duncan to no end.  Most RV’s have a main bedroom and a sleeper sofa.  The sleeper might be a queen sized, but it would have to be shared.  Either that or Duncan would have to get a family RV and most of those weren’t as nice.  Only a custom RV would serve his purposes.

“Mind in the gutter,” Duncan was explaining with a sheepish grin.  Then he examined his arms.  “Yeah, you wouldn’t know it, but I am actually part Cherokee.  Only 1/16th.  It showed slightly more in my mother.  But the benefit is that I don’t sunburn easily.  I do burn though.  Yes, suntan lotion … and aloe.”  He grinned broader as he examined Aliyah back and kneaded her shoulders.  “I suppose SOMEone will have to put the lotion on…” he laughed.

“Not a problem,” Gary needled.

Duncan took the bait.  “No no .. can’t shirk my duty.”

++++++++++

Duncan had a surprise for Aliyah.  He decided to take him to his high school to meet one of his teachers - specifically an English teacher.  What he failed to mention was that his Creative Writing teacher had been Kassandra Soleil, a mystery novel author who had put out over a dozen best sellers.  She looked like she might be Romani or Persian.  It was really hard to tell.  But the rumor was that she didn’t know her real name.  She had been a child born of human trafficking and never knew her parents.  Kassandra Soleil was a name she made up and eventually made her legal name.

She was also known to have worked with NYPD some years ago as a ‘psychic.’  She insisted that it was mentalism and that there was no such thing as magic.  But even Duncan found her abilities amazing.  He described the woman as ‘way smarter than him.’