The Three-Month Rule

Chapter 16 - The Luring

Allegra ran down the steep concrete steps to hers and Lucy's headquarters on Monday morning, every cell in her body bursting with excitement.

"Lucy?" she called continuously with each step. She came through the door into the basement and Lucy slammed her laptop shut, a sneaky grin planting itself on her lips.

"Oh, hi Allegra!" she beamed.

"Hi... Is everything ok?" Allegra asked suspiciously, placing her handbag on her desk.

"Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't it be?" Lucy replied quickly, leaning heavily on top of her laptop.

"You tell me."

"Nothing's wrong."

"Ok..." Allegra said slowly. She leaned on her desk, facing Lucy, and crossed her arms across her chest. "I need to talk to you."

"About what? What do you need to talk about? What's up?" Lucy asked so fast it merged all of her words into one.

"You're acting really weird," Allegra noted, her eyebrow raising.

"No, I'm not," Lucy scoffed.

"Yes, you are," Allegra told her. "What's on your laptop?" Allegra leant forward, hand extended to grab her best friend's laptop, but Lucy slapped her hand away.

"Nothing."

"Then why are you hiding it?"

"I'm not."

"Let me see then."

Lucy looked down at the laptop beneath her hands, considering her friend's demand.

"No," she said.

"Lucy," Allegra demanded, her foot tapping impatiently on the floor.

"Fine..." Lucy sighed eventually, releasing her laptop. "I was trying to set up another surprise interview," she admitted with a blush.

"What? With who?"

"You'll probably find out tomorrow" Lucy winked, shaking her shoulders excitedly.

Excitement once again filled every space in her body, making her skin feel tight as a wide grin laid itself on her face. But as quickly as it had formed, the grin faded, and a frown formed in her blonde brow.

"Oh wait," she said. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Is something wrong?" Lucy asked with her own frown as she placed her laptop in her bag.

"Um... Not wrong," Allegra began to explain. "Tom's asked me to go to America with him to film part of 'Endgame'"

"And that's bad?" Lucy laughed, beginning to gain her own excitement.

"No, but... We leave tomorrow."

"Oh," Lucy said. "Oh..."

"I know. I can say no," Allegra said sadly, her head dipping towards the floor.

"Allie, no," suddenly Lucy's hands grasped Allegra's shoulder and she shook her. "This is a life-changing opportunity. There's absolutely no way I'm holding you back."

Allegra's eyes observed her best friend's excited face, her mind wondering what she would ever do without her but banishing the possibilities before they could form.

"But the interview –"

"Email me the questions tonight," Lucy shrugged. "It's Jessica Chastain, by the way."

"Wow, you're going full-on Crimson Peak here," Allegra laughed, her face flushed.

"Your book gives me those vibes," Lucy winked, accompanied with another shrug.

"That's what Naomi says," Allegra laughed, biting her lip. "Are you sure?"

"Do fish swim in the ocean?" Lucy asked sarcastically, leaning forwards.

"Not all of them," Allegra replied, sarcasm etched in her own voice.

Lucy rolled her eyes and laughed at her friend.

"Yes, I'm sure," she told her. "Don't forget me when you're famous though," Lucy said, walking back round her desk and sitting down.

"That's a ride we ride together," Allegra reassured.

"I'm so happy for you, Allie. And so proud of myself- I'm the one that technically introduced you two."

Allegra walked beside Lucy and gave her a squeeze, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you, Luce," she said.

"I love you, Allie."

***

Allegra paced the carpet of her living room, the television on mute as she spoke on the phone. The evening's sun was setting, casting a golden glow through the large window in the living room and turning everything inside a light shade of yellow. Taca, the happy Siamese cat, entwined herself between Allegra's legs at every chance she got, seeking attention from her servant.

"Yes, mum, I will. I know. I will. I will, I promise. Thank you. Love you, bye." Allegra ended the call and crouched down to respond to her cat's demands. She stroked Taca from head to tail, and Taca purred happily under her slave's hands. "Oh, Taca. I'm going to miss you. But Auntie Lucy will be coming to get you this evening for your holiday," she told her cat as she purred.

Suddenly, the letterbox made a noise, alerting Allegra to a new delivery.

She crossed her living room and entered the hall, picking up the note that had fallen face down on the welcome mat in front of the door. Allegra turned the paper over in her hands. Written, once again, in red shiny writing, were the words:

'America? He's luring you there to end this. He's starved of media attention.'