Page 25 of Drama Queen

“No apologies necessary, Evangeline. She couldn’t have known the man was not part of our crew.”

Wait, what?

“Thank you, Robert. I appreciate you not taking her outburst personally.”

What the fuck is going on here?

Mum takes my hand, bringing my attention back to her. “Robert was just as shocked by what happened when I told him, and immediately gathered his team, Aria. They are all here,” she says gently. “The man who came into your room was not an employee.”

“But he was wearing a company shirt,” I say, confused by how easily they are brushing this off. “He even pointed it out as a justification for his presence in my room.”

“I’m not sure where he got a shirt from, but I have already called in the breach to my boss, who’s on her way over. We haven’t called the police yet,” Robert explains.

“We didn’t want you to come downstairs to a house full of police,” Mum says.

“I highly doubt they would send a squad in the three minutes it took me to throw on some clothes, Mum.”

“The rest of the team are out the front. I asked them to leave the house until you can check them over and confirm the man is not amongst them,” Robert offers.

I turn towards him again, seeing his face properly for the first time. He is a bit cute, actually. Tall and fit looking, with darker blond hair that looks in need of a cut, and soft light-brown eyes. Too old for me, but for Mum... “I apologise... Robert, is it?” At his nod, I continue. Time to eat that humble pie. “I was quite out of line coming at you like that without knowing the full facts.”

Robert’s reaction surprises me. He smiles broadly, eyes wrinkling at the sides. “You came at me like a lawyer. If you arethis formidable before you even start law school, remind me to stay on your good side once you have graduated.”

I frown again, looking at my mum in confusion.

“Robert is the Technical Supervisor for the security company, which happens to be owned by Venture. The system and works were all commissioned by my new boss as part of the employment package when I agreed to relocate here.”

I shake my head, relaxing. “Of course they would know about university, seeing as how your boss was the one who got me a place there after offers had already gone out.”

She nods encouragingly.

The doorbell rings, and we all turn. Robert and I both start towards the front of the house. “How about I get the door, and you finish your coffee?” he offers, but doesn’t wait for a response before continuing.

I sit back down and grab my cup, gulping the contents down.

“They are through here, ma’am.” I hear Robert’s voice, along with two sets of footsteps, coming towards the kitchen a moment later.

I nearly spit my mouthful of coffee back out again, however, when the person I can only presume is his “boss” walks through the doorway.

Three

“Evelicious,I came as soon as Robstar called!” Her voice is high, but not annoying. I can’t place the accent, but the formal tone accompanying the bizarre nicknames is completely at odds with the tiny woman who stops in front of my mum, gathering up her hands in both her own. What I expected to see was an older lady in a twin set, blue rinse, clutching her pearls. I blink, and try to school my face, but seriously I could not have been more shocked when the woman—no girl, really—rushed in. She can’t be that much older than me, sporting platform knee-high goth boots, black fishnet stockings, and a black skater dress, with half-blue, half-green hair up in pigtails. Is she wearing a bondage harness and suspenders?

“Oh, Abigail, it’s just dreadful!” Mum breaks down, clearly relieved by this strange person’s presence.

Abigail wraps my mother up in her arms, though she has to get up on her tippy toes, and her arms barely make it to Mum’s back to start soothing strokes. “Everything will be okay,” she croons.

I glance at Robert, who is still standing in the doorway, watching on. He can see this, too, right? Did he spike my coffee?

“Forgive me, Ari darling, I just breezed on in and took over without even so much as a ‘How do you do?’”

Turning back, I’m met with Abigail’s huge blue eyes looking up at me. I’m sitting on a stool and still a good head taller than her. Seriously, she has to be a hallucination.

I look back in my coffee cup, picking it up and sniffing at the empty mug. Not that I would know what drugs would smell like. There wouldn’t be a smell anyway, right? That’s why drug cartels transport their gear in crates with coffee beans—to mask the smell.

I am about to accuseRobstarof roofieing me, when my mum interrupts my spiral. “Aria, this is my boss, Abigail. She is responsible for organising our move, the house...”

“Sure... hi,” I say slowly, still not sure this is entirely real or if I am hallucinating.

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