Phil hadn't moved, because, well he couldn't. Starting with his head, he used learned relaxation techniques to loosen muscles and release tension, down his neck, his spine, and out his limbs. He estimated that Miranda had left him a good twenty minutes ago. He tried to ignore the stickiness in his boxers and that fact that his pants were still open and loose around his hips. He managed to doze off.
He came too to his new boss, and husband to the woman who had just given him a happy ending massage, loosening the binders from above his knees.
"Time to get up," Ken instructed. Phil stretched his legs out, gratefully. Ken moved up to his wrists. "Keep your hands flat on the desk until I say you can move them." He unhooked the two clasps from either side of his neck last and stepped back. "Ok."
Phil sat up slowly. He let out a deep breath, and reached to unbuckle the collar still around his neck.
"Did Miranda tell you where to find everything in the bathroom?"
"Yes, Sir."
Ken pointed to a small cupboard near the desk. "Cleaning supplies are in there. I expect you to polish my desk before you leave this room."
"Yes, Sir."
"Then take the farthest curved staircase off from the main hall upstairs. There's someone waiting for you."
"Is she alright, Sir?"
"She will be," his boss responded.
"Sir, may I ask? What am I supposed to do?"
Ken smiled. "Talk to her. Get to know her. Keep her relaxed. I'm sure you can figure it out."
"Ok." Phil slid off the desk, not bothering to fully refasten his pants but at least pulling them up to button around his waist. He started for the half bath.
"Oh, and Daniels?"
"Yes, Sir?"
"I hope you enjoyed your little taste of my wife, 'cause that's all you're getting."
"Yes, Sir. You're a lucky man."
"Damn straight I am."
Ken wasn't sure why he felt the need to state his territory. It probably had something to do with his pent-up aggression. Normally at this point he have been balls deep in his very needy and turned-on wife. Zia had thrown a monkey wrench into what usually made for a couple days' worth of insatiable Miranda. It also likely had something to do with the fact that usually she just watched the men. This had been more active participation. He knew that Miranda would argue that he often got more involved with getting the girls opened up for their respective men, but he didn't care.
He was still trying to figure out why Zia had shown up in the first place. He figured it had to do something with Barry being away. Since it was late Sunday afternoon, the staffers had all been sent home. She obviously had been out at the raptor pen. Barry had a weekly scheduled meeting to give him updates. Zia certainly wasn't banned from coming to the house, she just basically never did, and on the rare occasion, it had been during business hours and midweek. The rest of the paddock staff knew that any house invitation did not extend to them. Ken had already called the paddock staff supervisor, who was under Barry and Zia, and asked him to make sure nothing was wrong. The man lived close by and had already reported back to him that nothing seemed amiss. He had asked about Zia, knowing that she had volunteered to doing the evening check. Ken had told him that Zia had developed a sudden case of food poisoning. He figured that depending how long things went on he'd have to embellish that lie to include her getting seriously dehydrated and needing hospitalized fluids and several days of rest.
Ken had figured out long ago that he couldn't control every variable in the somewhat crazy world he and Miranda had created. However, he had gotten very good at anticipating things. Zia walking in the library door this afternoon was not one of them. Fortunately, he had also gotten just as good at improvising. The timetable on getting Zia into the inner circle just went into overdrive.