{"id":405,"date":"2014-12-17T16:52:32","date_gmt":"2014-12-17T21:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/circlet.com\/?page_id=405"},"modified":"2014-12-17T16:52:32","modified_gmt":"2014-12-17T21:52:32","slug":"for-want-of-a-nail-a-marketplace-short-story-by-laura-antoniou","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/circlet.com\/?page_id=405","title":{"rendered":"For Want Of A Nail (A Marketplace Short Story) by Laura Antoniou"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>ebook $1.99
\nISBN:<\/b> 9781613900161
\n9470 words<\/p>\n

[wp_eStore_add_to_cart id=27]<\/p>\n

The ebook edition is also available at: Barnes & Noble<\/a>, Smashwords<\/a>, Amazon<\/a>, & AllRomanceEbooks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The ambulance pulled away at two, just as the glazier arrived. Chris could see them both through the window as he waited on hold. Thunder crashed; it was technically too early for a Nor\u2019easter, but water spouts had been spotted off the north shore, and out of a sunny afternoon a deepening gray sky had grown and harsh winds shook the pin oaks on the front lawns. In retrospect, he thought, perhaps this wasn\u2019t the best day for a party\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n

So begins another day at the Long Island mansion where elite slaves are trained to serve the masters and mistresses of the world with impeccable grace. Grendel and Alexandra are hosting a dinner party and their latest trainees\u2013as well as the patience and resourcefulness of their majordomo Chris Parker\u2013will be put to the test.<\/p>\n

About the Author: Laura Antoniou is the author of The Marketplace series and a wildly popular speaker at alternative lifestyle conventions. You can follow her every move athttps:\/\/lantoniou.com<\/a><\/p>\n

And now, an excerpt\u2026:<\/span><\/p>\n

Excerpt from FOR WANT OF A NAIL
\nby Laura Antoniou<\/p>\n

The ambulance pulled away at two, just as the glazier arrived.
\nChris could see them both through the window as he waited on hold.
\nThunder crashed; it was technically too early for a Nor\u2019easter, but
\nwater spouts had been spotted off the north shore, and out of a sunny\u00a0 afternoon a deepening gray sky had grown and harsh winds shook the pin oaks on the front lawns. In retrospect, he thought, perhaps this wasn\u2019t the best day for a party.<\/p>\n

\u2021<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d like to give a dinner party; semi-formal, six guests,
\nfive courses, I think, with local wine pairings, for Friday next.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery good, Ma\u2019am.\u201d Chris took the sheet of paper Alexandra
\npassed him and scanned the guest list quickly. \u201cDo you have any
\nother requirements or desires for this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Grendel interjected from his stance by the
\nfireplace. \u201cI was thinking this would be a good chance to see how
\nwell Brian has improved. He needs a test before we send him to
\nauction. So, I want you to be as hands-off as possible about this;
\nlet him do as much as he can in the majordomo position of authority.
\nI want Enid and Ramesh as waiters, of course, but they should also do some kitchen tasks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chris nodded and made his own notes. \u201cFull livery, Sir?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, God, yes, let\u2019s keep everyone clothed. Oh, and speaking
\nof the kitchen, you\u2019ll have to work with Muira on this; she\u2019s got
\nthat night off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chris raised an eyebrow, pen poised. \u201cWould you prefer I hire a
\nchef for the dinner, then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I\u2019d prefer you figure out what she can do before she
\nleaves and have the trainees do some prep work. You can finish up in
\nthe kitchen yourself.\u201d Grendel looked positively gleeful at the
\nprospect, watching Chris ponder even as the shorter man was nodding in acceptance of the command. \u201cI mean, no sense in letting all that Kaleigh training go to waste. You can manage to finish the meal and do some plating, I hope? Especially since we won\u2019t need you in livery yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, Sir. It will be my pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure it will. Now let\u2019s go see the trainees and beat
\nsome sense into them.\u201d And with that, Chris slipped the invitee
\nlist into his clipboard, tucked the board under one arm, and
\nunclipped the strap from his belt. That, too, was a pleasure, albeit
\nof a different sort.<\/p>\n

\u2021<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about lamb? I could easily finish up a nice roast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be if we had a nice roast; remember that terrible
\npiece of flesh that was supposed to be a Sunday joint? That wee
\nClaudia had to give the butchers a piece of her mind over it. No, no,
\nI don\u2019t like the lamb we\u2019ve seen lately at all.\u201d Muira
\nMcLanahan was most often addressed as Cook, especially when there were clients in the house, and she was proud of that appellation. \u201cA chef\u2019s nothing but a man in a puffy hat doing the same job women have done for centuries. I cook; who the bloody hell chefs?\u201d she had demanded, years ago, when Alexandra first hired her. Completely unfazed by the presence of naked slave trainees, she enjoyed the variety of her duties and was more than capable of whipping up a splendid gourmet feast from time to time. Chris sat with her over the kitchen table, his butler book and her recipe files at hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cPork then?\u201d Chris scanned the guest list notes and sighed.
\n\u201cNo, wait, Nancy and Lawrence are coming; they were at the April
\ndinner and we did a pork roast then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cook allowed a slight sound of scorn to escape. \u201cSure and they\u2019d
\nperish if they had one again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDefinitely,\u201d Chris teased. \u201cHow about\u2026 \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDuck!\u201d She started writing across her notepad with a finality
\nChris knew from experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuck?\u201d he repeated. \u201cRemember, I have to finish it. What
\nwere you thinking of, cassoulet?<\/p>\n

\u201cNot this early, no, although I was going to put up some legs
\nfor confit\u2026 but last time I was at the farm, they had some lovely
\nducks.\u201d Muira enjoyed visiting one of the local farms for baskets
\nof fresh produce and eggs. \u201cI can make a cherry and port sauce with
\nthe last of those glorious cherries, too.\u201d She was continuing to
\nwrite and Chris attempted to read her handwriting upside down.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a lot of\u2026 red items\u2026\u201d he offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s called a theme, you heathen. Long Island, in scarlet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chris thought of the snowy-white shirts and gloves for the serving
\nstaff and sighed. But there was no denying Muira at this point. She
\nwas an artist in the midst of creation, all protests to her common
\nroots aside. He could change the shirts to black, or even red to
\nmatch her theme, and skip the gloves. And really, nothing looked too
\nhard to finish and plate, even upside down.<\/p>\n

\u2021<\/p>\n

\u201cIn\u2026 in charge? But\u2026 am I ready? I don\u2019t know if I\u2019m
\nready!\u201d Brian Cohen, senior trainee in the house and almost ready
\nfor his auction, looked likely to faint or vomit, or perhaps both.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d better be,\u201d Chris warned. \u201cNot only are you being
\nrelied upon to conduct yourself with confidence and expertise, but
\nyou must manage Ramesh and Enid as well. They will be looking to you for guidance and correction.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere will you be?\u201d Brian could hardly believe how terrified
\nhe was at the mere thought of Chris not being there, being in charge.
\nWas it really just a few weeks ago he had seen this man as an enemy?
\nOr at least an encumbrance, a barrier to getting what he thought he
\nreally wanted. Now, Chris seemed more like a lifeline, full of
\ninformation, encouragement, coaching and support, plus one hell of a hand on a well-worn leather strap. That hadn\u2019t changed. Brian\u2019s
\nattitude toward such correction had changed instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will be in the kitchen, finishing the meal. When duties
\npermit, and you will make sure they do, you will all have some time
\nhelping me with one task or another. But I will be strictly back of
\nthe house staff for all intents and purposes, and the kiddies will be
\nforbidden to come to me for help\u2014they must go to you and you must
\nbe able to supervise them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The kiddies\u2014his fellow trainees. Chris\u2019s nickname for them was
\nwildly inappropriate, as they were both older than Brian. But they
\nwere, as he had been, novices at slavery, just barely a month into
\ntheir training and struggling with things he remembered keenly. There were times when he despaired of them ever learning how to do things he took for granted, like knowing when to kneel and when to bow and when to just nod. But at the same time, when he caught them studying his form or heard what sounded like actual respect in their voices when they asked him for advice, he felt like an impostor. Didn\u2019t they realize what he had to go through to get here?<\/p>\n

\u201cHere are the parameters for the dinner,\u201d Chris said, passing
\nBrian a folder. \u201cGuest list, menu, the china and crystal Ms.
\nSelador has selected, and my own notes. I want to see entries in your
\nbutler book tonight. Tomorrow morning, you and I will select some
\nwines for approval, tomorrow afternoon you will meet with me and Cook to discuss what will need to be done to order, store, and prepare the menu items. Over the weekend, you will drill your staff in table service. Is this all understood?<\/p>\n

Brian stiffened at the instructions. \u201cYes, Chris.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen get your ass out of here and let the kiddies know you\u2019ll
\nbe their boss for a while. Speaking of which, are you still lusting
\nafter Ramesh?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian barely suppressed a grin. The trainee in question was almost
\nforty-six, and in a leather bar Brian probably wouldn\u2019t have
\nnoticed him except for the novelty of seeing an Indian man there. But here, in a sexually charged yet sexually frustrating world, the
\nquiet, older man with his toffee-colored skin and deep, brown eyes
\nand silvering hair was quite the sexpot. More to Brian\u2019s taste, at
\nleast, than their other roommate, Enid. Also, after getting a chance
\nto know him, Brian found him sensitive, thoughtful, a true
\nintellectual; his accent gave him an edge of cosmopolitan elegance
\nand he carried himself with dignity even in terribly undignified
\ncircumstances. To Brian\u2019s surprise, Ramesh seemed more and more
\nlike his type of man\u2014a daddy type, wise and patient and sexy.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe still looks good to me,\u201d he answered honestly.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood. If your dinner is passable, then you may have him for the
\nremainder of your stay, once a day, for whatever activity you prefer
\ninside of thirty minutes.\u201d Chris waved Brian off and Brian knew
\nenough not to stand there gaping and asking stupid questions.
\nInstead, he bounced on out, gleeful. The glee lasted until he opened
\nthe folder and realized the scope of the task ahead of him.
\nTypically, he responded as he usually did when faced with difficult
\ntasks and decisions; he did not tell his fellow trainees what was in
\nstore for them all until the following day, after Chris kicked his
\nass well and good for not following orders.<\/p>\n

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To read the rest, download the ebook today!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ebook $1.99 ISBN: 9781613900161 9470 words [wp_eStore_add_to_cart id=27] The ebook edition is also available at: Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Amazon, & AllRomanceEbooks. The ambulance pulled away at two, just as the glazier arrived. Chris could see them both through the window as he waited on hold. Thunder crashed; it was technically too early for a … Continue reading For Want Of A Nail (A Marketplace Short Story) by Laura Antoniou<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":1086,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-405","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/circlet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/circlet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/circlet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/circlet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/circlet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/circlet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/405\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/circlet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/circlet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}