Free Eros by Helen Harper

the living room, but it was as empty as everywhere else. Seeing a set of stairs which she’d not noticed the evening before, she walked down, feeling distinctly nervous. Her heels clicked on the marble flooring, somehow making the whole place feel even emptier. There was a small door at the foot of the staircase so she reached forward and opened it, blinking as the morning sun immediately sprang into view. Realising she must be entering the pool area, she spotted a small table set up with a coffee pot, a jug of orange juice and various breakfast items. But there was still no sight of anyone else.
    There was a small note folded up on one of the plates. Skye picked it up and read its contents.
     
    Ms Sawyer,
    Please enjoy your breakfast. When you are finished, there is a list of errands upstairs in the kitchen which I’d like you to run for me. The rest of the day is yours to do with as you see fit.
    Kamadeva
     
    Huh. So her mysterious employer still wasn’t deigning to show his face. Maybe he was just a bit shy. She could certainly relate to that. Skye gulped down a croissant and quick coffee, then headed back upstairs, leaving the warm golden sunshine for another time.
    There were five items scrawled in the same handwriting on a sheet of heavy cream paper, next to which sat a brand-spanking, new laptop. First on the list, she had to ensure the kitchen was fully stocked. A set of car keys had been left for her, along with instructions for how to get to the nearest town. There was nothing to suggest what Mr Kamadeva wanted the kitchen stocked with, so she’d just have to guess. Pulling out a drawer, she found a notepad and pen, then went round the kitchen methodically, opening every cupboard as well as the vast fridge freezer, and making a note of everything she saw there. She didn’t find anything that suggested her employer was Indian – all the food and left-over items seemed to suit expensive European tastes. There were some oysters which, when she sniffed them, smelled decidedly off. Skye had never eaten oysters in her life but she was pretty sure they weren’t supposed to reek of rotting flesh. The fridge also contained some squashed strawberries, over-ripe figs and dark chocolate. There was a particularly pungent cheese lurking at the back, too. Skye didn’t recognise it and there wasn’t a label, so she’d just have to do her best to source it.
    She was halfway out the door when a thought occurred to her. The note last night had said there was a snack prepared for her. Unless that had been a lump of dark chocolate and a glass of wine, there was nothing else she’d come across that was actually edible. And yet this morning she’d dined on fresh orange juice and a croissant which tasted as if it had just come out of the oven. So why was there no further evidence of real food like that in the kitchen? Puzzled, Skye scratched her head then decided she was over-thinking things. The orange juice and bread were probably all that was left in the house; if she’d had her pre-prepared snack the night before, that was probably what she’d have been eating.
    Coop watched her go, grinning merrily to himself. He’d deliberately given her a list of things to do which would take her ages to complete. The shopping was the easiest, and even then he was fairly certain she’d spend the whole day trying to locate the cheese. The local market didn’t tend to go in for such speciality items. But as long as little Skye Sawyer was busy, she wouldn’t waste too much time worrying about her invisible employer. He’d have quite enjoyed tailing her to see how she got on but unfortunately his mother had already sent orders about three jobs he had to complete that day. It was annoying because he’d hoped to check on Apollo and see how he was doing now that his little lovebird had flown. It was probably just as well though. Coop doubted he’d be able to resist telling the god that Ms Sawyer was living with him; it would be more