Toxic:Hey, I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t get any sleep, and it turned me into a real ass. Won’t happen again.
Could he be the answer?
Who better, when he helped get me into this situation?
It’ll only be for a few days, and during that time, we can discuss what our lives will look like once the droid comes. Even I’m not too proud to admit I owe him that much.
Samantha:I need your help.
SEVENTEEN
Toxic
Samantha isas disheveled as I’ve ever seen her, her lips devoid of their typical vibrant shade, her red-rimmed eyes lacking their mischievous shine.
Something happened to my girl, and it makes me utterly furious.
“Thank you for coming out. I understand the four-hour drive must have been less than ideal.”
“Never mind the drive. How can I help?”
She licks her lips, her eyes shifting between me and the table. She should know better than to be nervous around me, and hopefully, she won’t be when I finally earn her trust.
“I’m in a situation. Many situations. All firing off at once. There have been a few scandals with my clients over the last month, which you expect when you’re a publicist, but it’s starting to affect my growth. On top of that, my brother’s fiancé left him, and my evil stepmother is keen to woo her back, dangling my own business like a carrot in front of her. Whichbrings me to my third and final situation: dear evil stepmother is gunning to get me disinherited.”
That’s a whole lot of situations that I have no way of helping with.
“The only hope I have of keeping control of both my business and inheritance is by making a grand gesture of chaos. My brother’s fiancé leaving him puts my family in a vulnerable situation. Currently, I live with my father, and I was hoping to leave for a few days, forcing him to listen to my demands.”
“Do you really think your father would take your inheritance away?”
“With my stepmom whispering in his ear, yes. She has this weird hold on him. Always has. She lured my father away from my mother, and…” she presses her eyes closed, “it’s not worth discussing.”
“Does your brother’s ex happen to be blonde?”
Her brow pinches. “Yes, but why does that matter?”
“A week ago, a woman named Bianca started living on the bus.”
She blinks back at me, her jaw dropping.
“It took me a while to place her, but I finally remembered that it was her bachelorette party you were attending.”
“Jesus Christ,” she mumbles, planting her elbows on the table and burying her face in her hands.
Feeling helpless, I reach across the table and tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
“Whatever you need, baby, I’m here for you.”
“I need a place to hide for a week, but if I rent a hotel room, my father will be able to find me.”
“So you need me to rent the hotel for you?”
“If it’s not too much.” She looks nervously down at the table. “And I’ll need access to a car because my father can track the one I’m currently driving.”
“I’ll buy you a car. Just tell me the make and model you want.”
“That…won’t be necessary, but thank you.”
