Free London Falling by Emma Carr

There was no way William would ever want to eat someplace like Crave.
    “Crave, eh?” His mouth curled into a grin, but she couldn’t tell if she or her choice of restaurant amused him. She supposed it didn’t matter. “How about Friday. Nine o’clock?”
    She was usually in bed with a good book by nine o’clock, but she’d be damned if she’d tell him. He was far too nonplussed about her choice of venue. Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to dine in London with him, but now she had no choice. “Fine.”
    “Shall I pick you up at the town home?”
    “No. I sold it last month.” For once, she had the satisfaction of seeing surprise light up his face. She was lightening her load, in more ways than one.
    “I’ll be at my nephew’s house in Kensington.” Simon wouldn’t mind, she was sure of it, and maybe he’d take her out to some hip Hollywood party that he was always attending with his clients. She’d maneuvered William and the situation perfectly.
    “Great. I’ll ring you tomorrow to get directions.” His attitude as he waved goodbye was entirely too cheerful for someone who’d just been snookered into going somewhere he wouldn’t be caught dead at.
    And Dottie suddenly wondered who’d been trapped. William?
    Or her?
     
    Aimee pushed her hair back from her face and surveyed the array of workout equipment in the converted attic space. The chrome gleamed from her efforts, the weights were neatly stacked in their stand, and the used towels were piled near the door, ready to be washed, dried, and returned to the shelves near the door. Judging from the darkness outside, it had to be around seven or eight at night, but she wasn’t sure.
    “What do you think?” The puppy raised his head at the sound of her voice, but lowered it when nothing important seemed to be happening, curling into a tighter circle. “Well I think I’m done.” Lord Snobby certainly couldn’t find fault with it, although she had switched all the pins in the weight machines, just to mess with him.
    She picked up the load of towels, and the puppy trotted over, prepared to keep her company on the trip downstairs.
    “I know he said I shouldn’t clean, but what else did he expect me to do?
    Doesn’t he understand that I need money?” The puppy tilted its head as if he wondered the same thing. “I mean, you understand, don’t you puppy? And you’re just a dog.” The dog’s head straightened. “Oh, I’m sorry. Avery smart dog.”
    She shook herself. “I can’t believe I’m talking to a dog.”
    After flipping off the lights, she headed downstairs, being careful on the narrow, curving steps. She heard a whimper behind her. The puppy was frozen at the top of the stairs, afraid to go down. “Oh no. You got yourself up there, you better get yourself down.”
    The puppy whimpered again.
    She almost hiked back up to coax him down, but at the last second, the puppy made up his mind and started down the steps. Half-way down, his back paw slipped and pushed his front paws off the step, and she watched in horrified slow motion as he tumbled down the remaining steps, landing at her feet and not moving a hair on his body.
    She tossed the towels away and crouched down. “Oh my God, are you okay?” The puppy lay still. “Please, please, please be okay.” She reached her hand toward him.
    His ears twitched and a half-second later he was standing and shaking, first his head and then it traveled all the way down to his tail, which twittered in excitement.
    She let out a deep breath. This puppy was going to be the death of her.
    She bent down to re-pick up the towels. The puppy thought it was a great game and tried to bite each towel as she picked it up.
    “Darn dog. Don’t you know you’d be better off following His Highness around all day? I’m going to be gone and then where will you be?” He paused and looked up at her. “Out on the street. Serves you right for choosing me.”
    She headed down the hall to the second