Sold to Him

Appletini

"Claire, get your butt down here!"

Eliza looked at the ceiling, waiting to hear the storming sound of her sister running around on the second floor of her uncle's house. "Claire! You are going to be late!"

She waited a few seconds before moving to the staircase. It was at that moment that her little sister ran down the stairs. "I'm coming. I'm coming."

Claire pulled her hair into a ponytail as she glared at Eliza. "I know what time it is, Eliza. You aren't my mother."

Eliza ignored her sister's jibe and handed the lunchbox and backpack to Claire. "Have a good day at school."

Eliza spoke under her breath as she waved at Claire from porch. "I cannot wait for this hormonal teen phase to be over."

Just as her sister climbed on the bus, Eliza heard the obnoxious ring tone set by her best friend. A combination of Star Trek intro song mixed with a loud R2-D2 scream. It was a custom monstrosity created to both alert her and annoy her at the same time.

"Hey, Dork-Vader. How's the dork side of the force?"

Eliza rolled her eyes before she answered. "All well, Rose. How are you?" 

"Awe, come on! You haven't been playing lately. What's tha matter?"

"My sister is hormonal." Eliza changed the tone in her voice as she twirled the end of her long, chestnut brown, braid between her forefinger, thumb and middle-finger. "But, on a more positive note, I think I got the promotion at work." She had to stop herself from jumping up and down in excitement as she walked back into the house. She had been afraid to say anything to anyone until it became more solid.

"Really?! That is fantastic!"

She walked into the kitchen where her uncle was staring blankly at his cup of coffee. "Hey, Rose, I'll call you back."

"You better!"

She could hear the smile in her friend's voice as she hung up.

"Are you alright, Uncle Ben?" She put her hand on her uncle's shoulder.

Eliza's voice brought him out of his haze. "Not really. Everything will work out though." He turned his coffee cup in his hands as he stared down at it. He didn't have the nerve to look into his niece's eyes. "I've got some business meeting to attend later today. You two eat without me and I'll see you in the morning."

Ben got up from his chair and walked over to kiss Eliza on her forehead, silently praying that he could work his way out of his dilemma.

Eliza watched, worried, as her uncle walked out of the door.

---------------------------------------------------

Ben sat in the parking lot of the 3 Dimes Club. He was shaking from head to toe. His meeting with Knightly didn't go as planned. The man was called a beast. He was worried about Knightly's behavior during the meeting. He was so calm and collective. The so called Beast didn't act like his given nickname. He was expecting death threats, broken bones, or at the very least yelling.

But none of that happened.

Sure, Knightly has threatened to take away his house. Then again, that was in the contract that he signed. Ben pinched the bridge of his nose. 

Ben remember the effort it took to get his two nieces out of the house so Knightly's people could appraise the house.

"Oh, god..."