Part 5: R Flat Minor
“ Oliver? Will you just tell me?” Lacey pulled her big bathrobe around her. Oliver had spent all night making calls, leaving Lacey alone in the bedroom with the baby to worry.
“ Arthur and Katrina are gone and Alesia's freaking. I promise I’ll be back soon, stay here with Jennifer,” He yanked on some jeans and a sweater, kissed her goodbye, "Love You."
Lacey went into the bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face. She looked deep into the mirror, hoping the answer would magically appear to all her problems. But it was just her staring back. She looked too tired to be herself, her brown hair lying lank on her shoulders, big grey eyes flat and dull. She looked simply too old to be only twenty-seven, just too old. More accurately, she looked like her mother.
Four years ago, as Oliver Roth’s new personal assistant, Lacey Moore had been in the prime of her life. She was young, healthy, and free. Then came the affair with her boss, his divorce, her wedding, and, a few months later, her precious daughter Jennifer. And now look at her: lonely, cranky, and old. What was the point of it all?
Oliver barely talked to her anymore, he was so busy all day at the office. He worked from 5 in the morning until 7 at night, usually later. By the time he was home, he was too tired to talk to her. All day she spent with Jennifer, who at 5 months was going deaf in one ear, causing her more worry than anything by not gaining any weight. She was becoming a ghost of her former self.
I swallowed the red stuff, which tasted like tomato juice mixed with melted plastic. It was hard, but I did it. Smoke watched me quietly.
“ What were you doing at Idolla?” He asked me as I wiped my face on the back of my hand.
“ Where?” the red stuff was creeping down my throat like a big slimy snake. I felt sick.
“ At Idolla, the club,” Smoke looked upset, staring me straight down with identical matches of my brown eyes.
“ Well,” I started, not really sure how to finish. He looked angry that I had followed him.
“ Breakfast everyone!” A pretty blond girl, maybe 17, came in, hair down to her waist. She looked so adult.
Thomas sat down next to me at the beat up old table, “ Sam, this is...”
“ I’m Kat. Nice to meet you,” I stuck out my hand on instinct, causing her to set down a plate of toast. She shook my hand cautiously, as though not knowing what to do.
“ Hi. Do you mind toast and fruit?” She said, flipping her hair back with her hand.
“ No, that’s just fine,” I said, ducking my head down to avoid Smoke’s perfect match eyes. He was certainly upset.
For part one, see Like Brilliant,
For part two, Does not make me rush, does not make me wait,
For part three,Lenky Belief in Bars,
For part four,Careful Cunning and On.
For part Six, Double Feature Fighting.
For part Seven, When or Not, Make it Great