VIII.

92 5 0
                                    

"Hello, my darling daughter!" Mom greeted me as I walked out of the elevator with the guys

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

"Hello, my darling daughter!" Mom greeted me as I walked out of the elevator with the guys. She dismissed a few people she was talking to before striding over to me.

"Hello, my darling mother," I mocked as Mom gave me a kiss on the side of my head. "Taking control of the office already?"

Mom just waved her hand nonchalantly. "I'm just helping coordinate a business meeting. People need some guidance on some ideas before they present to Mr. Monroe and they want my input."

I had my doubts about my mother's statement. People couldn't help but gravitate toward her for help, especially in a leadership role. I wouldn't be surprised if Mom had a lot more seniority in about a year or so.

She was holding a clipboard with piles of paper, a pen behind her ear with her hair in a sophisticated bun.

I smiled indulgently at her. "I'm glad you're there to help them out."

"How was school? Cause any trouble?" Mom asked, starting to fuss with the strands of hair that were free from my bun.

"Is she a troublemaker?" Xavier piped up curiously, stopping me from any response.

I turned to glare at Xavier, who I forgot was standing there with Damon. Xavier seemed to enjoy my interaction with Mom, wearing an amused grin.

Xavier was being a pest the entire way to the office, blasting music and singing off-key. I didn't know who was going to kill him first – me or Damon. If he wasn't singing, he would constantly be asking questions about me. It wouldn't have been so bad if his tone and teasing didn't irk me.

I was about ninety percent sure my annoyance was stemming from our interaction at school, but I wasn't about to confirm it– especially since he was trying to get details of my life from my mother. I really didn't need Xavier attempting to psychoanalyze me.

"Maria is my little she-devil, always keeping me on my toes." Mom revealed dramatically.

"Mom," I couldn't help but whine. "I am not."

"Okay, okay," Mom conceded, pushing my hair behind my ear. She turned to the boys and gave them a sweet smile. "My Maria has a strong sense of justice and doesn't like people picking on the little man. It got her in some trouble, but I couldn't be prouder– although, there was some vigilante behavior I can't officially approve of as a parent."

"Oh, do tell. Maria keeps trying to claim she is an angel. I wasn't sure if I believed it." Xavier said, rubbing his hands together mischievously. Damon also seemed a bit interested, opening his backpack to look for something.

"No, no, no. This is not a 'let's talk about Maria' session. Don't you have to work, Mother? Damon and I have to work on our project that's due soon."

Now it was Mom who was indulging me with a smile and patted me on the head.

SugarWhere stories live. Discover now