The rest of the week passed in a blur of senseless things. I spent most of my time giving Tiffany whatever bits of information I had about Nancy to help her with her new task. She had been appreciative, thanking me repeatedly, though I could tell she was trying hard not to let it show too much. Tiffany didn't look like the type to gush, servant or not but a genuine "thank you" slipped through her lips more than once. She was more welcoming to the task than I thought she was.
Suprise number one.
By Thursday, the real chaos began. The full-scale preparations for Frankie's eighteenth birthday kicked off, and my mother transformed into her usual frenzied self, barking orders at anyone in sight more than Frankie's mother did. If there was one thing my mother couldn't stand, it was imperfection—especially when it came to parties. And since neither her daughter nor her stepdaughter followed her every rule anymore, Frankie had become her next fixation. Not that she liked the girl anyway, of course. She barely tolerated the girl. But to my mother, appearances mattered more than personal feelings. Whatever. She could do whatever made her happy. I also never really liked the girl anyway.
Tomorrow was Friday, and it was all set: shopping, a spa session, and a sleepover. I had given her the idea as she had insisted on doing something before the main party on Saturday evening because, according to her, all her schoolmates always had a pre-party event, it was either spa, or shopping but she didn't want to do either as it has already been done. She had been running her mouth all week about not knowing what to plan for Friday, and after listening to her whine for too long, I'd finally suggested combining all three activities.
The Torres and the Windsors, after all, has got the money to sponsor a spa and sleepover for everyone invited, though the shopping was on the rest of us, as it wasn't ideal to ask someone to pay for the panties and bras you got.
She'd lit up like I'd given her the secret formula to cold fusion. "Oh, brilliant!" she had rushed out, practically glowing. You'd think I was Einstein's daughter from the way she looked at me.
Everything was finally settled by Thursday evening. After the school day was over. Cheer practice was also canceled, and the cheer voting postponed for another week. Honestly, I was mildly at fault as I had told them I needed time to think before committing to something so big, and I could tell the girls hated me for delaying things. Oh well.
Frankie, of course, didn't care. She was too busy plotting her Friday gathering. She'd somehow convinced me to accept the invite to her friendship group. As the people in it were the only ones invited to the sleepover/spa day. Blanche was also invited, shocking!
Note the sacarsm.
By five, I was done with the circus at home and ready to go for a more important visit . I left the house in a rush, dressed in a backless, sleeveless dress layered with ruffles. Soon the driver pulled up in front of Platinum 88, and I stepped out, watching him drive off to the parking lot behind the building, then I bagan making by way to the building.
That was when it hit me—the chill. It swept over me so suddenly I stopped dead in my tracks. Confused, I glanced around, certain the weather wouldn't dropped to this extent when I'd left home. This wasn't fucking winter for crying out loud.
I scanned the street, my eyes darting from person to person. No one else seemed bothered by the cold. Then, my gaze landed on the figure walking out of Platinum 88, holding a coffee cup. His disheveled white-blond hair, tousled like he'd just rolled out of bed—or, let's be honest, like he'd just had a foursome—caught the light. And those green eyes. For one fleeting moment, they met mine. Couldn't actually make out his face as his black nose mask stood out so much ok his pale skin.
The moment stretched, long enough for my breath to hitch, but before I could fully process it, he turned away, walking briskly toward a sleek black car parked by the curb. His driver opened the door for him, and he slid inside without so much as a backward glance. The door shut, the driver rounded the car, and they were gone in seconds.
I blinked, realizing too late that I'd been staring. Profusely, I rubbed at my arms, as if to shake off the moment, and turned toward the building.
I didn't have a pass card, Tabitha must've told him about me. Rubbing my palms together, I stepped inside, that was when I noticed I was no longer freezing. I glanced around for a moment before walking walking to where Tabitha was passing orders to her workers.
She looked a bit surprised to see me and waved the workers off when she noticed my expression.
The moment they walked off she turned to me. "You look like you just killed someone, what's wrong?"
"Who was that?" I asked as we walked to her office.
"Who?"
"The tall guy with the mask that just walked out"
"Oh, yeah, anonymous and all, we just call him Dom, he comes by sometimes to buy some jewelries and stuff. Why?" She pushed open the door to her office and we walked in.
"Nothing, something weird just happened. Is the heater on?" I asked.
"No, the temperature today is mid, so the customers complained about it being to hot Inside. I had to turn it off. Why? Do you want me to to turn it back on for you"
I stared at her for a moment, " No, I'm good. Get me a cigarette"
She nodded and walked out.
Her office was the same as the last time I visited before Mexico. Spacious, with a balcony. Still downstairs like her sister wanted it to be, never upstairs where her sister's office was.
Why hasn't she moved up?