Chapter 96

• The sizzling heat waves that sauntered over the finely arranged cuisine were gone in their ascent and what remained was an aromatic, delicious, but cold display of what Kate had spent hours preparing. She was now fast asleep on her chair with her head hanging out of her neck. Before now, she would wake from her slumber periodically and check her phone for any calls, but now nature had taken its full effect on her, and although her posture was uncomfortable, she slept soundly.
• Denzel had driven at 80 mph when he stood up from Karen’s bed and saw the missed calls from Kate. Now, he drove quietly into the compound and hoped Rico wouldn’t bark at his arrival. It was almost midnight and he hadn’t come up with a perfect excuse for why he was late. He had thought of a thousand things to say but they weren’t good enough. If he was lucky enough, he thought. Kate would be asleep already and he’d have all night to think of a suitable lie. Maybe he would wake her with vigorous rounds of sex while the clouds emptied themselves. When he stepped into the parlor, he caught the sight of Kate in the dining area in her dangling slumber, and he remembered the dinner.
• It was too late to decide what to do because Kate’s head was aimed at the wooden table and the force of the push woke her up. She jerked up from slumber and caught Denzel in his deliberating stance.