Flight Of Fate

Chapter Ten - A Spanner In The Works

Dark blue eyes watched in silence.

Thranduil moved effortlessly around the kitchen, seeming to glide with a grace that should have been impossible given the fact that he was so tall. His long hair swished around his waist as he moved. His feet stepped this way and that as he gathered what he needed. Unaware of the perusal behind him, he concentrated on his task.

The lid was unscrewed from the heated baby bottle and the teat removed and reversed. His inner wrist served as a temperature checker for the milk.

"That should be warm enough," he announced as he pivoted and handed Kira the bottle.

"You've definitely done this before," she laughed as she accepted it. "You're a pro."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "You never forget. Although many a year has passed since Legolas was at this stage, it's second nature."

She tipped the teat into Eden's open mouth and settled back against the chair, crossing one leg over the other. "Are you working today?" she asked.

"No." A mug of coffee slid across the table towards her, and he sat adjacent to her with his own. "I'm taking some time off. My managers can run the hotels without me having to be there."

"We're disrupting your routine," she murmered.

"No, you are not. I need some time away, to be honest." He sighed as he twisted the cup around with one hand, his gaze on the object. "I spend far too much time there, I invest far too much of my life to it. Perhaps fate had everything planned for me to step back and evaluate what is important. And right now, the hotels aren't."

"Won't they run riot if you're not there to keep control of the helm?"

He shook his head as he took a drink. "They wouldn't dare. My staff know exactly what is expected of them, and what would happen if they fall short. I will not accept sub-standard work from them."

"Hmm...I kind of got the feeling a year ago that you're the kind of person who's used to getting what he wants," she said, glancing from Eden to him. "I can't really describe it; sort of like a born leader maybe, someone who knows exactly what they want and will stop at nothing to get it."

"Oropherion Realm is a brand that is synonymous with quality and professionalism," he replied. "The guests who we accommodate pay a lot of money, and I strive to ensure that they get what they've paid for."

"That makes sense," she acknowledged. "A business can't operate to full potential unless someone at the helm has a drive for success and perfection."

His eyebrows lifted slightly in agreement as he took a mouthful of his own coffee. "My team are trained to the highest standards. Yes, they make mistakes, they err from time to time – they are human. People do, it's a fact of life. But they know that at the end of it all, the paying guest is the priority of the company, and so it always will be." His eyes studied her as she fed Eden, whose eyes had drifted closed. "Why on earth did you apply for a housekeeping job?" he asked softly.

She glanced over at him. "Because I need an income," she replied. "There aren't any PA vacancies for three hundred miles, and I can't uproot Eden again in such a short space of time. She's been through enough without being bounced from pillar to post. Besides, there's no way in hell Brad would give me a decent reference after I left."

"You did not leave; you were pushed out," he corrected her.

"Either way. I still need to find employment and turn my apartment into a liveable space for us both."

"Kira..." He trailed off and shook his head as he looked away.

"What?"

His chest expanded as he took a deep breath. "I do not want either of you living there," he said as he looked back at her. "The building is a dive. It's dirty, it's unmaintained, it's a death trap. It's an accident waiting to happen. The neighbours are thugs, there is no pride in the place at all. Do you think I want you living in such conditions? Do you think I want to see my daughter grow up in a place like that? How will she get out to play? It's like running a gauntlet between drunks and discarded needles going up and down those stairs, Kira."