It Will Always Be A Game

08: Begin

Well, aren't you a little ray of pitch black?

"You're really stabbing someone if something happens?" Azrah gives me a deadpan look, glancing at Moestie.

I brought her to work today because my home doesn't feel like a safe place at the moment. For all I know, someone could be rifling through my drawers right now. I locked all the doors and windows before leaving, but I still can't bring myself to dispel the lingering sense of unease.

It's hard to when you receive letters written in blood.

"Woo, please don't kill me, I'm just an innocent biker," Josh says in a high pitch, poking Moestie again and again to irritate me.

"I don't even need a reason to kill you," I slap his hand away.

"Come on, she scratched my hand two minutes ago!" He points at his arm.

"You had it coming," I smile sheepishly.

"Rude." He rolls his eyes.

We're in the kitchen right now, preparing for a huge contract deal lunch with Natalia Winston, CEO of one of New York's most prestigious fashion companies.

She's a bitch.

Cheating on your husband but turning him in just as he's about to expose your affair to the entire world, leading to a chain of events that unravels decades of secrets and lives.

She definitely wouldn't like that.

Yes, the woman's stunning—tall, with blue eyes and everything—but also a cheater and a liar who would do anything to keep her scandalous life from being exposed to the public.

Oh, and she's allergic to strawberries.

"Do you think we should add strawberries to Natalia's tart?" I ask Azrah.

She stopped whatever she was doing and slowly turned around, gawking at me as if I had just revealed a horrifying secret about victims in my basement.

"What?" I state with a blunt expression.

"You know what, nothing," she proceeds to do her work. "I don't wanna know what goes on in that creepy head of yours."

I let out a chuckle.

After a few hours of assisting in the kitchen, we organize and set up the tables. "Teal or pink?" Azrah questions, confused.

"Not pink." "Pink."
Josh and I speak in unison.

"Why not pink?" I fold my arms.

"It's so girly!"

"So girly?!" My brows arch.

He stares at both of us for a second.

"It's... too pink!" He groans, pointing at the tablecloth.

"Exactly," I take the mats from Azrah's hands and place them on the table.
Moestie finds an opportunity and jumps onto it.

"No Moestie, not here!" I lift her carefully, being aware not to injure my plastered hand, and gently set her down.

"And she brings a cat into the restaurant when it's clearly 'No pets allowed'!" I groan and roll my eyes when I hear Scott's voice.

I turn around and give him a sweet smile."I'm not a customer so," my head tilts.

"She's going to be the death of me," he sighs deeply, shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose.
"You throw that out right now before I throw you out."

Moestie meows softly before walking over and snuggling against his leg.

"No! No! Not my shoes, get away!" He yells in fear and struggles to get his leg free from her hold.
I laugh and quickly pick her up, drawing her closer to me.