The Lioness

Chapter Five

"Amaya, I told you a thousand times now. Peter an I are just friends." 

We were having a movie night over at my place and to her defense, I was checking my phone every five minutes to see if he had called. For the two months I got to really know him, I got to like him as well. But I yet had to find out how much. I tried to contact Peter for two days now. Left him one too many messages, on his phone and to his office. Needless to say that I had yet to receive a reply from him.

"Uh-huh, so who is sexier? Bryan or Peter?" I looked over to the screen where Bryan Marshall was having a dramatic scene with his father in the movie. It looked like a sad movie, not that I had paid much attention to it. Peter was handsome. Blonde hair, chocolate coloured eyes and a nice combination of everything really. 

"Just look at Bryan," I said with an exasperated sigh. This guy was not getting all the fame for his acting skills. 

"He's okay, I guess. More your type than mine."

"And what is my type exactly? Please help me out," I said sarcastically. I unwillingly thought of the only guy that I ever considered my type. "I don't have a type. Guys just don't seem to have an interest in me."

"When would they get a chance to, Emma? We haven't gone out since you took that new job of yours. Speaking of, care to share any details?  Do you have some celebrities under your scope? You would have to tell me, right?"

I was glad the topic was changed. "Even if I'm just working as a private investigator, you know I can't share anything with you." My cover job wasn't really creative but it served its purpose. "I tell you what, if I ever get to know something about Bryan's dirty secrets, you'll be the first to know." It was an honest promise. Not many of those around lately, I thought guiltily.

Then my phone rang and I picked it up, "Hello?" 

"Hey Emmy! Your mom said you forgot about dinner last night."

"Oh.. yeah, sorry about that, dad. I already told mom I would come on Sunday," I said absent-minded. Damn Peter and his stupid face.

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Dad? You still there?" 

"Yea...," he said. Hesitation from my dad meant no good news. 

"Did something happen? Is everything alright?"

"Calm down, Emma," he said with a light laugh. Amaya was looking over to me questioningly. I shook my head, reassuring her and myself that it was nothing. "Mom invited some neighbours over that day as well. I just wanted to let you know." 

"Uhm, fine. Sure, I don't mind." It wasn't uncommon for my mom to have guests over. After all, my mom was in the book, tennis and tea club. What you do in a tea club was still a mystery to me. "Who's coming? The Chandlers?"

"You know how your mom is. I told her it was an awful idea..."

"Out with it dad. Don't say the Winter family is coming," I said a bit wearily. I didn't leave on good terms with Emilia. 

"The Salt family is coming over...," he said, waiting for a response I guessed. "Your mom ran into them in the mall and... you know how she is. She told them to come on Sunday as well so you could talk things over with... him." Poor dad was sounding so apologetic. 

"It's fine, dad," I lied oh-so-believably. Thank you, training. "I'll be there at six."

"Emma, you don't have to come. I swear, that woman can be so thick sometimes."

"Haha, don't let her hear you said that. We'll talk again on Sunday, okay? Bye daddy!"

"So who are the Winters?," Amaya asked.