the sleepless elite

xxxii

the sleepless elite

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chapter thirty-two

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Darling remembers how Chase had described his mother, 'a real strict woman but great, nonetheless', and smiles. She takes this chance to walk across the room and shake Madam Redford's hand. Darling doesn't want to ruin her first impression with Chase's mother.

"Hello, ma'am. I'm Darling." Darling says while Chase stands still, internally panicking.

"Oh, 'Darling', what a beautiful name." Madam Redford says politely then asks, "And what is your last name, dear?"

Darling exchanges a quick look with Chase, in which he's making a face. Madam Redford catches this but doesn't say anything.

Darling is quick but also nervous to fix the whole situation by saying, "Um, my family name is 'Charming',"

"The Charming?" Madam Redford gaps.

"Well, my family name has a lot of branches but you may know my father, he owns the local news company. He's on TV a lot. My mother helps from time to time but she's an independent businesswoman. She mostly runs the house, though."

"Ah, I can see why you were so nervous to tell me. Don't worry, dear, I won't bite." The older woman smiles.

Darling laughs in return, just to be polite, and Chase looks like he wants to apologise for every bad thing he's done.

Fortunately, Madam Redford doesn't catch this look and only gestures to her son while keeping her grey eyes on Darling. "Chase, it's almost tea time, why don't you go get some fresh cakes for us? That Mad Matter tea shop should have some, tea wouldn't be tea without proper cakes." She says, digging into her purse and pulling out some money.

"Mom, I'm a grown man." Chase finally says something.

"Be a good boy." Madam Redford replies and gestures for Chase to take the money.

Good boy? Darling thinks and now understands why Chase can't exactly break rules when it's in his mother's vocabulary. She's used the special term Chase still conditions himself to believe. It's not exactly manipulative or bad parenting ... but the wording could be discussed.

"Um," Chase hums.

Chase feels the need to both disappear and stay put all at once. He can't leave his mother alone with Darling. He's known his mother for a lifetime and Darling for seven years but he still thinks she might misbehave. His mother is old fashion while Darling is in with the times and spontaneous! Sending Darling a helpless panic look, he stands there for a brief moment, frozen and internally panicked.

"Could you get me some tarts?" Darling asks sweetly, low-key a codeword for 'I'll be fine'.

"Tarts?" Chase repeats.

"Yes," Darling answers then says, "Take as long as you need."

"So," Madam Redford says between sips of her tea. "How do you and Chase know each other?"

Darling makes sure to smile and to sit with grace. She wants Madam Redford to like her, and that involves not saying how she and Chase actually met for the first time. Because their face to face 'destiny' or whatever would be a horror show and a lot to explain. How can she casually say, 'Oh, your son told me to meet him at a bar when I was technically underage'.

So Darling bends the truth and says, "We work at the same place, ma'am."

"Ah, so you share the same passion as my son?"