Aiden continued to gaze into those blue eyes. “What were you going to ask me?”
Brendan blinked. “What?”
“You were going to ask me something.” He stepped closer. “Ask me.”
A car drove past with searing headlights, illuminating Brendan’s blue eyes sparkling brighter than stars. A rosy red painted over his cheeks when he beamed. “There’s a redo prom happening on campus tomorrow. Did you go to prom in high school?”
Aiden shook his head.
“Well, it’s like a ball. Everyone dresses fancy, and they dance. There’ll definitely be alcohol, though we’re not legal. Anyway.” Brendan reached out with his hand. “I wanted to know if you’d come with me. As a date.”
Warmth spread through his own cheeks. Aiden reached over, grabbing two of Brendan’s fingers. “I might look weird, though. I don’t want to wear a suit.”
“It doesn’t matter what you wear. I’m sure you’ll look good.”
The confidence in which Brendan saw him. The assurance of his entire existence. It strengthened the shield his heart built around his soul. Aiden smiled. “I’d love to come.”
A noise of relief escaped Brendan’s lips. The taller boy leapt into the air, yelling. Aiden jumped, but laughter consumed his entire body as the other boy overwhelmed with pure giddiness danced on the sidewalk.
He reached out for Brendan, but the Uber car drove up beside them with flashing lights. Strangely, his stomach didn’t turn.Tomorrow night is the meeting. They won’t need me there. She can have her meeting, and I’ll go to Brendan for the redo prom.He stared at the future confronting him.Then I’ll demand answers from her.Courage coursed through his veins.
“Brendan,” he called, and the boy stopped dancing to turn around with that wide grin on his face. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow!” Brendan practically skipped away after waving good-bye.
Laughing, Aiden entered the car. Since he started working for the families, he had come to loathe the arrival of every new day, but as he watched the campus pass in the window, his smile remained glued to his face.
He needed tomorrow to come faster.
Chapter Ten
The lightbulb buzzed on. Groaning, Aiden pried one eye open. His stepmother’s watery figure hovered beside him. “You need to prepare all the food we are to have in the meeting tonight,” Yin Mei said and left just as quickly.
Still blinking the morning film away, Aiden stared at the yellow light dangling above. Numbness tingled throughout his body, and even with the glaring light above his eyes, he threatened to fall asleep. His fingers twitched against the bed.
That means it’s already the next day.
Eyes snapping open, Aiden heaved himself out of bed, stomping up the stairs to shake the sleep permanently away.
An entire dining room table of ingredients spread out and a list of dumplings and dishes to be made confronted him upstairs. “Good morning to me,” he murmured, rolling up his sleeves.
Flour covered his body. He kneaded, mixed, and carefully wrapped the dough around the meat filling of pork, ginger, and celery. Chicken, beef, fish, and pork mixed with bamboos, carrots, napa, and bok choy. The pans sizzled of oil, and Aiden tasted the various concoctions of vinegar, soy sauce, and spices he mixed together before dumping them in with the ingredients. He Bao dropped by to taste and decided to throw out all but one.
“Can’t you cook better than this? We have to look good tonight.” He tossed another dish into the trashcan.
“Then get a professional cook,” Aiden retorted under his breath.
Zhu Zhu popped in to ask for sweets and disappeared.
“You heard her. Zhu Zhu wants sweets.” He Bao pointed to the oven.
Aiden was too tired to roll his eyes and set himself to baking.
A pile of dishes filled the sink by the time he saran wrapped the approved food.
At least I can use the dishwasher this time since it won’t be wasting water for only a few bowls,Aiden thought to himself. He started when the windows showed nothing but darkness, and he finished when the sun began its descent over the horizon. Rinsing, then shoving the dirty pots and pans into the dishwasher, he watched the lifesaving machine start and walked to the living room where the family gathered.
Zhu Zhu radiated in a pink ballgown dress with Chinese symbols flecked across the skirt in gold. Lace sleeves crawled over her arms to reach her sweetheart neckline. Jade earrings hung from her ears. They swayed gently when she looked up at his arrival before returning to her iPad. He Bao pranced in the living room with his hair slicked back and an expensive suit wrapped around him. He bounced on the wooden floor, grinning whenever his black, leather shoes squeaked. Aiden's stepmother rushed out from the bathroom, pushed up her chest in her sleeveless red dress, and wrapped a fur shawl around her shoulders.
