Page 10 of A Break in Communications

“I’m not hungry. If you are, you know what to do. Goodnight, Masters. Sleep on the couch.”

“What do you do for breakfast?”

I stopped, looking back at her, studying her for a second, before I said, “Typically just eggs, with toast or grits or something, but I’m not picky. That was your last question.”

She smiled wider, standing up. “I know. Goodnight, Preston.”

I glowered. Why did it feel like she’d won?

Probably because she was the one who’d muscled her way into my apartment. I barely got anything done, with her sitting there drilling me for information from the documents. Annoying to say the least… guess that was her tactic. If I wasn’t giving her what she wanted, she’d get in my way until I couldn’t get anything done either.

So I wasn’t totally sure why I went to bed in a better mood than usual.

∞∞∞

Good mood flatlined in the morning, when I woke up to knocking at the door, and I rolled out of bed muttering curses. Should have realized she’d go out for breakfast and just bang on the door until I let her back in. Maybe I should have rappelled from the window instead. She’d left her laptop here, as well, so maybe I could have gone through it—

But I got to the door, and I threw it open, saying, “What do you—” but I cut off there when I saw Mom there wearing one of her ugly Christmas sweaters, looking at me wide-eyed. Didn’ttypically open the door yelling at her. I felt myself flush. “Mom? What—what’s going on?”

“Hi, honey. I just thought I’d come by and check on you. Veronica mentioned how late you got home the other night, and I was just in the neighborhood and also I was wondering if I should bring anything to your party today?”

I took a long breath, letting it out slowly. “Did Veronica not say anything about that party…?”

“Oh, she did. Told me how awful it’s going to be there. There’s no way I’m letting my sweet baby go to that alone.”

Son of a bitch. Did nothing work with this woman? I put on a smile. “I think I’ll really be okay, Mom, it’s just… you know…”

My life was a never-ending nightmare, because that was when I heard the door open behind me, and Lucy’s footsteps coming out of the bathroom, and Mom’s eyes moved past me, going wide as a look of fiendish delight spread over her features, and now I thought maybe I’d go out the window without rappelling. Lucy’s voice came from behind me. “Oh, you’re up,” she said, and I whirled back on her.

“Lucy—”

I was making it worse. I didn’t realize I’d first-named her until I saw that glint in her eyes. “Good morning, Anna,” she said, looking past me. “And you’re Anna’s mother?”

Her shirt from last night wrinkled and looking casual with just the shirt against her pinstripe pants, along with noticeably not wearing a bra this early in the morning, did not help the situation. At all. No way Lucy knew what my mom was like, and yet—

Mom was just about glowing when she responded with, “Lucy?Oh—it’s so wonderful to meet you, Lucy. Please, just call me Maria. Or just Mom.”

I was going to kill them both. I cut in front of Mom, blocking her view of Lucy, my head spinning. “Sorry—she’s mycoworker—we have a big project going on and we were working late together last night.”

Mom beamed. “She’s beautiful, sweetheart.”

I pursed my lips through the most patronizing smile anyone had ever given. Pity Guinness wasn’t here to record it. “I’ll pass the compliment along, Mom. I’m sure she’ll love it. Please don’t show up to the party, okay, Mom? I mean it, you’re not supposed to be there and it’s going to beveryvery boring.”

Lucy had it out for me—what the hell else was new—because she leaned against the doorway next to me, smiling sweetly at Mom. “I didn’t realize Anna was so shy with her family. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Masters…” If it weren’t for the witness present, I’d strangle this woman to death right now. I turned back to Mom with the best smile I could summon up, which was, to put it frankly, bad. “Listen, Mom, I’ve got to get to work soon—”

“So you two work together, Lucy?” Mom said, absolutely glowing. She looked like a fangirl meeting her favorite actor at a convention… I felt like I’d had too much to drink at that convention and was going to hurl. Lucy beamed.

“Ah… yeah. That’s how we met. You know how it is—couple of workaholics.”

“Masters. Stop talking to my mother.”

Mom giggled—straight-up giggled into her hand. “That’s so like Anna… oh, Lucy, it’s just—it’s just so nice to meet you. How long have you two known each other?”

“Two years. August 31stwas when she transferred into my department.”

Why—did she know that off the top of her head? I shot her a look, but she wasn’t giving me the time of day. Mom sighed happily.

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