by Noree Cosper
"We all have masks," My words didn't travel far past her.
"I know, but that's like saying you'd do something like that."
I laughed nervously. "Well, no, you don't have to worry about me."
She lowered her voice. "Her roommate was pretty devastated to find her body, and I heard the police are still asking questions."
I nodded. "Yeah, Marty was covering the story, so I don't know all the details."
"I'm surprised you didn't grab it since you know." She waved her hand at the throng of people. "You're handling this."
"They didn't want Proprius to start in a negative light, so they are downplaying that she was supposed to be the organizer."
"Well, despite the circumstances, I'm glad I was chosen."
Mercer stepped out of the doors of the auditorium accompanied by three of his aides. I tilted my head as I watched those snug slacks move against his well-shaped ass. Sheridan's eyes glazed over as she watched him walk.
"Anything to be close to him," she said.
"I know what you mean." I licked my lips as my gaze followed him. "Think he'll give me an interview?"
She chuckled. "Already trying to move in for the kill?"
I snorted. "I doubt he'd be interested in any of us. But, he's so good to look at."
"You never know until you try."
I raised an eyebrow at her. "And you plan to?"
Her lips curved in a mischievous smile.
"He's like seven years older than us."
She shrugged. "With a body like that, who cares?"
I turned back to watch him leave. She had a point. I shook my head with a sigh. Back to work.
"So I didn't come over here to talk about that," I said. "I wanted to do a preliminary interview with you."
She nodded to a girl waving to her from one of the tables. "Well, I'd be happy to, but it'll have to be later. The day isn't over yet; I still have a few fires to put out."
"We can set something up for next week."
"Sounds great." She hustled off. "See you at the party tomorrow."
I hadn't gotten an interview, but at least I had one set up. The crowd had dispersed until all that remained was around thirty people. Serenity stood next to the concession stand among five others. She had her arms crossed and seemed to glaring at a black-haired boy. Great. Of course James Thorne, my ex-boyfriend, had made it as part of the development team. He was almost as good at writing code as Serenity was, though he thought he was better. I took a deep breath and headed toward them. I might as well rip this bandage off now.
"Hi guys." I put on my bright and cheery voice. "You have time for a few questions?"
James spun my direction and his expression darkened as his attention landed on me. Our love had gone up in a glorious blaze, leaving nothing but ashes. No, it was nothing that great. It ended when I caught him with another girl and poured a steaming bowl of Texas chili over his head. My hair wasn't the only thing that was kissed by fire.
"Back off, Wayne." James sneered. "Go find another group to pester."
I crossed my arms. "You're going to go far with that can-do attitude."
Serenity sniggered behind him. He flushed a bright red, and his sneer shifted to a full on grimace. James had always had an issue with witty come backs.
"Just get lost," he shouted.
"Not a problem," Serenity said. "I think I'm going with her. I've had enough of this bullshit." She grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the exit. As the door swung shut, another glimpse of Mercer sent my heart pounding. This day changed everything.
3
The next day, I parked the car in the parking lot across the street from the Hopp's Revival. Serenity sat in the passenger seat with her arms crossed and stared straight ahead. Her jaw tightened as she tapped her fingers on her arm in a rapid rhythm.
"I can't believe I let you drag me to this," she said.
"It'll be fun." I elbowed her. "Most of the crew will be there."
"Your crew," she muttered.
"Our crew if you didn't lock yourself in your room with your computer."
She shrugged. "Computers make more sense than people do."
I sighed. "How did I ever become the exception?"
A smile hovered over her lips. "Freshman orientation. You called yourself Batman's prodigal daughter."
I lifted my chin and grinned at her. "Well I am."
I slid out of the car and waited for her with my hands in my pockets. A group of students held the double doors of the bar open and blues music drifted past the road full of cars and to my ears. Soft lights shone through the writing on the windows. A crowd of smokers mingled amongst the cloud of fumes on the patio attached to the side with its deck painted green. Serenity slammed her door and stood beside me.
"Let's get this over with," she said.
We sprinted across the crosswalk and to the doors. A slim boy in a dark blue t-shirt held the door open for us.
"Hey, Cassi," he said.
I waved as I stepped inside. "Hey, Caleb. Which part of this craziness are you with?"
He shrugged. "Just clerical. I'm not talented enough for any of the other groups."
"How's Sheridan treating you?"
"Oh, you know, the wicked bitch of the West."
I chuckled. "I doubt she's that bad."
"You have no idea. She wants everything perfect for Mercer."
Serenity rolled her eyes. "And on that name, I need a beer."
She pulled me with her toward the bar and waved over the tender. I plopped down on the stool and scanned the room. Trickle by trickle, the place was filling up. Shouts echoed over the music as friends met up with each other. The bartender slid two glasses full of dark ale in front of us. I lifted mine up and tasted it. My phone buzzed in the pocket of my jeans, and I pulled it out. With a wince, I hit the ignore button and stuffed it back.
"Who was that?" Serenity asked.
"Telemarketer." I took a sip of my beer. "How do you know Mercer?"
She downed half her glass before responding. "What makes you think I do?"
"Because you have this resentment that seems to carry way beyond just seeing him in the news."
A roaring laugh from the pool table saved Serenity from replying. James smirked at his friends and rested his pool cue across his shoulders. A brunette girl laid one hand on his shoulder and leaned forward enough that her boobs almost popped out of her shirt. James caught my gaze and pulled the girl in for a long kiss. Ugh. I turned away and gulped my beer.
"I can't believe I dated that ass," I said.
Serenity tilted her head. "He's trying for lead developer. I saw him sucking up to Sheridan yesterday."
I patted her hand. "I'm sorry."
She shrugged.
"Why don't you try? You could code circles around him."
"That doesn't mean I'm cut out for running a team. Jackass or not, he's got people skills."
I sighed. "Great. So any interviews will have to go through him."
Serenity leaned back and tossed her long hair over her shoulder. "Who said I wouldn't be up for answering questions, say over a game of DC Injustice?"
"As long as I get Batman."
Serenity snorted at me, lifting her glass to her lips. She froze and her eyes narrowed as she looked past me. I turned. Mercer Chaplin walked in our direction with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face. Sheridan kept pace beside him with quick steps and secretive glances from under her eyelashes. Mercer's gaze remained on Serenity and me as he approached.
"I heard you made it on the team," he said to Serenity. "Congratulations. I look forward to working with you."
She crossed her arms. "Won't you be too busy basking in the glory?"
Sheridan gasped. Even I had to blink. I knew she didn't like him, but she didn't need to be so harsh.
He sighed. "Come on, Serenity, this is a second chance."
She glared at him. "What makes you think I'm willing to give it to you?"
"You'r
e not as immune as you think." He glanced in my direction and his smile was back in place. "Hello again, Cassiopeia, wasn't it?"
I swallowed the sudden dryness of my throat. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Chaplin."
"Please, call me Mercer." He held his hand out to me.
His fingers wrapped around my hand and sent tingles up through my arms. The scent of his aftershave, a mix of patchouli and spice, drifted to my nose, and I resisted the urge to lean close and breathe him in. His eyes contained that same intensity I'd lost myself in on the stage. I broke our gaze with a small cough and reached for my beer.
"You have a very unique name," he said. "Not something you hear these days."
I smiled over the rim of my glass. "My mom had a thing for Greek mythology."
That was the understatement of the year.
"So, are you a developer like Serenity is?" His glance moved between the two of us.
"Roommates actually." I laughed. "I would say coding is all Greek to me, but I understand Greek."
He chuckled. "Interesting. Do you hail from Greece?"
"Ancestors," I said shortly. "My family likes to keep up with tradition, though."
"Cassi's our media source." Sheridan stepped closer to him, semi-blocking him from my view.
"So she said during the questions.” His gaze met mine over her head.
"I would love to set up a time for an interview when you have a moment," I said. "There are so many questions I have. Maybe with you and Sheridan?"
He moved around Sheridan and closer to me. Serenity's eyes bored into him with an almost burning intensity. She gave me a brief shake of her head. Whatever she wanted to tell me was lost when Mercer took my hand again and pressed his lips to it. My heart was doing somersaults in my chest. Could he hear how loud it was beating?
"How about an exclusive?" he asked.
I blinked. "You're serious? I would love that."
Serenity snorted and crossed her arms, returning her glare to Mercer. "Do you really think that's appropriate?"
"Yes," Sheridan raised her voice. "I can arrange for a conference. I know she wanted to interview me as well. That way she can get both of us at once."
He gave them a bland smile. "I'm sure the school news would love to hear more about the project from me." He returned his gaze to me. "And just the two of us would cut out any distractions."
A delicious shiver traveled across my body at the thought of the two of us alone. What was I thinking? This was supposed to be business. Except, those green eyes of his were promising so much more than business. I had to be misreading this. Why would a man like Mercer Chaplin be interested in a girl like me? I'd seen the women he had on his arm, and I was nothing like them. They were more like my Aunt Dahlia, sophisticated and perfect.
"How about we meet next Friday? That will give our little project a few days to get off the ground." He glanced at Sheridan. "Do I have anything conflicting with my schedule on that day?"
She flashed me a dirty look under her eyelashes and touched her phone. "The retrospective isn't until two weeks, so you are free on that day. However, I'm sure you have other business you need to attend. I'd be happy to give the exclusive."
"No, I'd love to share my thoughts on this with Ms. Wayne," Mercer said.
"Call me Cassi," I said. "Everyone else does."
"It was a pleasure, Cassi. Until we meet again." He gave my hand a soft squeeze and turned to Serenity. "I will see you on Monday."
Serenity continued to glare with her body stiff. He sighed, gave me a parting smile, and walked away. Sheridan flipped her hair over her shoulder and followed behind him without a backward glance. I could still feel the tickle of his lips on the top of my hand. I shakily grasped my glass and downed the rest of the beer.
"Want another?" I held the empty tumbler towards Serenity.
"Take me home."
"But the night's still young." I kept my voice light.
She stood and shoved her hands in pockets. "I'll catch the bus or something."
I let her walk away for ten seconds. The night was going so well. With a heavy sigh, I tossed a twenty on the bar and chased after her. I made her come to this place, and I would be an ass if I let her leave without a ride home. Had I really expected she would have a blast?
"All right." I caught up with her. "Let's go."
The first few minutes stretched on in silence, with only the rumble of the engine and the howl of wind outside. I kept from gritting my teeth and switched on the radio. Some new singer crooned through the speakers to a slow melody.
"Don't get too attached to Mercer," Serenity said.
"I'm not," I said. "It's just an interview."
"I saw the way you were looking at him." She turned from her contemplation of the passing building and looked at me. "You've seen him on the news. He goes through women like water."
I chuckled nervously. "I doubt he's even interested in me."
"He was flirting."
"And he probably does that with all the women."
She shook her head and turned back to the window. "Just save yourself the heartache. Trust me, he's an asshole. A million times worse than James."
I bit the inside of my cheek. "You two seem to know each other. Did you date him or something?"
She gave a disgusted snort and muttered something in Portuguese before answering me. "No. Never."
"So how?"
She refused to meet my gaze. "He's a part of my past that I wish would stay forgotten."
"Cryptic much?"
She didn't answer. I pulled into the covered parking space outside our apartment and killed the engine. I poked at the tiny fox keychain and it swung against the rest of my keys with a light clack. Serenity unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door.
"You don't need to worry," I said. "Nothing is going to happen."
She turned back to me with sad smile. "I hope not."
She slid out of the car, leaving me alone. I sighed and rested my forehead on the steering wheel. Hope had been a tricky spirit ever since Pandora released it. Some argued that it was the only good that Zeus had placed in the jar while others argued it was the worst evil of all. After all, humans endured almost anything when they had hope. Zeus was the kind of ass to do something like that.
I climbed out of the car and sprinted to catch up with Serenity. She walked with her shoulders slumped and her head drooping. She didn't seem to believe I was capable of resisting Mercer, or that he wasn't interested in me. What kind of relationship did the two of them have, and what had happened in the past that she was so antagonistic to him?
Serenity stopped at the metal and concrete stairwell that led to our apartment. A seated figured wheeled itself from the shadows of the stairs. The yellowish light reflected off the highlights of the woman's red-gold ponytail. She gazed at Serenity with narrowed blue eyes like mine and her pale lips pressed in a thin line. Goose bumps broke out over my skin as if I had been doused with ice cold water. Oh no, not now.
"Well," the woman drawled. "You gonna stand there gappin' like a fish all night or give your auntie a hug?"
4
“I’ll catch up with you later," I told Serenity.
She gave me one last silent stare as if the two of us could communicate telepathically. I shook my head at her and mouthed "later". With a shrug of her shoulders, she tromped up to the stairs. I returned my gaze to the woman in the wheelchair and gritted my teeth. Now, came the difficult part.
“Hi, Aunt Jo," I said softly.
She crossed her toned arms and gave me a half smirk half glare. "After months of silence, that's all I get?"
I took a few steps forward and leaned down, wrapping my arms around her. She gave me a slight squeeze with one of hers. I stood and scanned the parking lot with a sigh. The yellow street lamps reflected off the paint of the parked cars. Besides us and a few sophomores headed to their apartments, it was empty.
"It's just me," Aunt Jo said. "None of yer cousins are waitin' to grab
you from the shadows."
"So, you want to take a walk, erm, roll?" I asked.
She raised a brow and chuckled. "School hasn't done nothin' bout yer mouth."
"You expected it to?"
"Not really."
She waved to the handles on the back of her wheelchairs. I sighed and took up my position. We strolled along the sidewalk that split the two apartment buildings with each side decorated with prickly holly bushes. To the average passerby, we probably looked like two sisters out for a walk. Despite her condition, Aunt Jo didn't look much older than I. Our bloodline was gifted with slow aging. One of the many to compensate for the problems we faced.
Anyone passing by couldn't see the tension between us. It had built up a knot in my lower back in the short amount of time I'd been with Aunt Jo. I wanted to leave her here and run the other way. But Aunt Jo was the best family I had left, and I couldn't do that to her.
"Why are you here?" I asked.
"You've been ignorin' our calls," she said.
I swallowed the hard lump in my throat. "I've been busy."
Aunt Jo snorted. "Flirtin' with boys?"
"Classes. You know, what I came here for."
"Yeah, well, that's over. Yer comin' home with me."
I stopped, my hand gripping the handles until they became white. "I have another year. The Pyrrha agreed I could complete my Bachelor's degree."
"That was before one of Them started killin' us off,"
The splash of water echoed through the warm night as we passed by the pool surrounded by its black metal fence, but neither the laugher nor the humidity could prevent the chill that crawled along my skin. Her words hung in the air like a poised knife at my chest. The only them Aunt Jo used that voice for were the daimons--the evil spirits that fled from the jar Pandora opened. Pandora had existed when men were still dumb and thought the gods would do anything for them. She'd felt honored to be chosen by the gods. They rained gifts upon her and had even raised her up to be the wife of a titan. Of course, Zeus had known what he was doing when he'd given her the jar. Like I said, he was an ass. She'd given into to her curiosity. Ever since, mankind had to deal with all those evils she'd unleashed