Page 10 of She is the Darke

“What? No! We aren’t—”click.The line went dead. Demi glared at the screen of her phone and screamed.

She should’ve listened to her instincts and thrown the damn thing out the window to begin with.I have to work. Send.

It’s eight p.m. and your truck is in front of your townhome. Nice try.

Why are you driving by my townhome, stalker?Send.

To see where you live. Curiosity perhaps. Nice neighborhood, moneybags.

Moneybags? Please. If I was rich I wouldn’t be asking you to do business with me.

Ah, so it IS desperation then? Good to know. Maybe I’ll have some negotiations for my contract.

I truly dislike you.Send.

Don’t wear high heels tonight. It’ll make you only a few inches shorter than me, and I have a complex about tall girls. They intimidate me.

Oh yeah? She marched into her room and looked at the line of heels in her closet.

A call came through, and she answered it. “What do you want?” she barked out.

“Ummm, to see if you can come in an hour early tomorrow,” her mom ground out.

“Oh my gosh, Mom, I’m sorry. I thought someone else was calling.” She could wear the faux-leather leggings she’d just gotten, and her three-inch glossy black peep-toes with the hot-pink bottoms. Maybe a black blazer over a lacy top, like the boss-woman she was. Yep. She would tease her hair up to add even more height.

“Who has you answering the phone like a menace?” her mom asked.

Not about to mention that she was actually considering working with Tyler, whom her mother had always despised, she shrugged it off. “A new potential business partner. He’s already asking too many questions.”

“Okay. Elaborate on that. Why would you need a business partner?”

“I can’t come in early for my shift, Mom. I’m sorry. I’m honestly not sure if I can work a shift tomorrow night at all. I’ll be decorating a house until late. It’s for a new client. I don’t know their interior layout that well. Can you get Ben to come in early?”

“I’ll figure it out. Are you okay?”

“Oh yeah. Absolutely. I’m awesome. Doing fantastic.”

“Hmm. Well, if you need anything, you know you can come to me, right? Or the Murder?”

She tossed her leggings and heels on the bed, sighed, and sank down onto the edge of it. “I’m really okay. Just stressed with work stuff.”

A knock sounded at the front door. With a frown, she made her way to the front window and peered out.

Tyler stood on her doorstep, hands shoved in his pockets, staring at the tree in her yard.

“Oh my freaking goodness,” she gritted out. “Mom, I have to go.”

“Okay, well, call me later. You’re sure you’re all right?”

“Yep, I’m sure. I’ll call you before I go to bed.” She hung up and yanked the door open. “What on earth are you doing here?”

Tyler turned toward her, a baiting grin already stretching across his lips. “I thought about waiting in the truck, but the game is on.”

“So you’re…” She frowned in disbelief on what he was asking. “So you’re wanting to come, what? Watch a football game in my home? Uninvited?”

He pushed past her and made his way to her couch, grabbed the remote off the coffee table, and started clicking through channels.

“Are you serious right now?”

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