Page 82 of Siren's Game

Myfatherkeepsmein a conversation about my current movie projects. As I see Kayla wander off with my mom, I grow worried for a moment—on the field she was okay walking with my mother, arms linked. But how is it going to be here? Will she be alright or should I get prepared for another argument for leaving her alone with Mom?

When I can finally convince Dad to look for the two of them, we find them at a table, with plates and plates of food. Kayla is eating some kind of puff pastry concoction, deep in a conversation with my mother that I don't want to interrupt, but I also want to eat.

And I'm sure Kayla would appreciate being rescued from my mother's curious questions, even if she doesn’t currently look uncomfortable.

I get myself a plate and heap it with food. Then another one because I don't want to get up again in ten minutes and all of this stuff is pretty small. Now I get why they have so many spread out on their table.

This whole event is way more relaxed than I thought it would be. I expected stiff ballroom dancing and either a ten-course meal or only hors d'oeuvres. I'm more than happy that while everyone is dressed in evening wear, it's a pretty chill event.

No stiff speeches or grand donation announcements, just evening gowns and vibes.

My mother bursts into laughter when she sees me balancing both plates, trying to keep all of the food from falling off, while Kayla looks like she's either forcing herself not to grin or embarrassed that she's here with me. Fine with me either way.

I shoot the two a grin when I set down my plates opposite Kayla, then run off to get all of us some drinks. They smile at me gratefully when I set them down.

"I don't know where you hid this lovely young girl for this long," my mother scolds me and now Kayla definitely looks embarrassed. I grin at her red cheeks and shoot her a wink as I sit.

"She's a bit shy.” Oh, if looks could kill I would be on the dirty floor. “She also doesn’t like when I talk about her when she sits next to me. Sorry, Sweetheart.”

She doesn’t look that appeased with my apology, but before she can further plot for my demise, Dad joins us at the table as well.

"So I heard you're in a bit of a bind with your label?" He cuts right to the chase, raising his eyebrow at Kayla, and I feel my mom kick his shin under the table. "Ouch! What?"

"This is a dinner, not a business meeting," Mom scolds but Kayla pats her arm to signal that it’s okay with her.

"No, it's fine. In fact, I am. Asher recommended reaching out to you, but I wanted the charity match commotion to calm down first."

I watch her as she explains Millie’s shitshow of the past week to my parents, who listen intently to every word leaving her mouth.

It's weird to watch her talk to my parents. I thought so when I introduced them in the stadium already, and I feel the same now.

It's two completely different worlds colliding, and while it's thankfully going more than well, unease makes my stomach churn. There's a protective instinct in me that wants to jump in and take on talking for her, even though I know she would not appreciate that at all.

"So yeah. I would love to explore the option of founding our own label, but first, we need to find a way out of our contract," she concludes and takes a sip of the fruity drink I got her. Her eyes grow wide, and she glances at me. "What is this? It's delicious!"

I hold out my hand. "No idea. Let me try." For a moment, her eyebrows scrunch in confusion, and she has a deer in headlight look before she pushes it over to my side of the table. I roll my eyes. Sharing a drink is by far not as much of a deal as we all made it out to be in our youth.

I take a sip and nod approvingly. It reallyisgood. I have no idea what it is, though.

"It's definitely worth exploring if there's a loophole in your contract," my dad starts and rolls his eyes when he catches my mother glare at him. "Calm down, Jade, she's Asher's girlfriend; we might be talking business but really what better way to get to know each other?"

"I don't know; maybe ask her about her family? Her friends? Ambitions?" From the corner of my eyes, I see Kayla stiffen, but my parents continue to bicker, unaware of how uncomfortable the topic makes her.

"Her job?" My dad raises his eyebrow, a smug grin spreading on his face. Mom crosses her arms in front of her chest and glares at him.

"If you must."

"Thank you, Darling. Always a pleasure to argue with you." He reaches for her wrist to lift it and presses his lips to the back of her hand. The mature son I am, I make retching noises, earning myself a loving elbow to the ribs from my dad.

"Now, where were we? Right. Contract loophole."

"I mean the contract is pretty long; there might be one." Kayla shrugs, acting like she's not rattled but I’ve noticed her looking tense ever since they mentioned asking her about her family. "I went through it yesterday and didn’t find anything, but I'm also not very good at legal speak."

"You should bring it over sometime. I'm sure my lawyers would love to have a look at it." His face breaks into a cheeky grin. “They love fucking over companies in the business if warranted and they don’t get to do it often.”

"Thank you, I'll get back to you about that," she says noncommittedly, but my dad doesn't really pay the insecurity in her answer any mind.

"Wonderful."

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