181 Days of Madeline Jesty

Chapter 46: VIP

Mickey and I agreed to meet at the bar we first met at seven in the evening. I told her I had to go home first and take a quick shower. Better prepared than not. Besides, not only was this day our first Friday together, but she specifically told me to wear a dress similar to how we first met. That alone meant she might have readied something special for me, so I thought I should look extra.

"Whatever happened to 'I don't feel like going to an after-party,'" I said as I carefully applied the red-violet lipstick on my lips, caring more about my makeup than the hourglass over my head saying I had 126 days to go. "My death is set in stone, but at least a hundred twenty-six days before I die, I look fabulous." Then I winked at myself.

Dark humor. My breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the rest of my days.

I partnered my glittery, flowy black dress with black boots to give that mature vibe while still dressing fashionably. Neither did I want to be stopped for looking too young, nor did I wish to be called as someone's elder sister—specially not Mickey's. I'd rather be mistaken as her girlfriend, to be honest. If someone called me anything else than that—or simply put, if someone even had the guts to make a conversation with me in a time I intended to give to Mickey and her alone—I'd assume this person had their last will and testament ready.

I went downstairs and saw the housemaids cooking and preparing dinner. Suzie looked disappointed when she noticed that I was all dolled up.

"Night out? With Ms. Isles?" Suzie asked, her hand on her waist.

I nodded and then shook my head. Her confused expression made me laugh. "Yes, a night out. No, not with Steph."

"Then with whom?"

"With the cool girl." Then Troy disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

Suzie's brows met. "Tell me, are you and her together now?"

"If I said yes?"

"I have no problem with that," Suzie replied. The other housemaids pretending to not hear anything made me think if they were judging my preferences. "But you sure? Won't you get expelled?"

"Getting expelled is the least of my worries," I told her. Because that is nothing compared to seeing a concrete proof of my time left. "Mom can handle that."

"Oh, you kid! Don't you dare use your mother's authority—"

"I was just joking. Mom's always absent and doesn't care about"—Suzie suddenly gave me a wide-eyed look, as if telling me to be careful of my words—"what happens to me anyway. Anyway, got to go. Sorry if I won't be able to taste that scrumptious delicacy," I said, exaggerating my expression as I said the last two words of my short speech.

But then as soon as I turned my back to leave, Mom was already in front of me, standing and observing. She still had her businesswoman look on: a white button-up blouse, sienna-brown cargo pants, high-heeled sandals, and a hand holding a black purse. My eyes were particularly magnetized by the ring on her finger—an accessory I only noticed today.

I bit my lip, not of regret but of irritation, then took a few steps forward. My pace slowed down the moment she spoke.

"Where are you going?"

Rarely did she care about my whereabouts, so I raised my brows out of surprise and wonder. "Going out," I responded and was about to walk again.

"Won't you have dinner with us?"

I quickly turned to her direction, only to find everyone, including Suzie and the housemaids, shocked by her question. See, I wasn't the only one not expecting her question. It was that rare.