Breaking Her Own Rules

12

"So, Harvey, what do you do?" The question flew at me.

Michael and Nick were sitting on one end of the table, myself and Denny on the other end and Barbara at the head.

"Harvey is in fashion." Denny replied for me.

"Really?" Michael asked. "Our sister, Hailey would love that."

"So how did you met my cousin?"

I could see Denny glaring at Nick. There was some serious tension between the two. But I also know why Nick has been throwing out the questions about me.

He knows.

I know he knows.

He is a client at the escort service. I've seen him there. But he doesn't have escorts like me, he has them as prostitutes.

Nicholas Greenwich. If Denny told me before ever coming here on what his cousins' actual name, I would have told him, but I haven't had a single moment of peace with Denny since I spotted him.

"A few weeks ago." Denny told him.

"Is that all you're going to say?" Barbara laughed softly.

"There's a reason why it's called personal, Ma." Denny said as he placed a potato in his mouth.

"Denny, don't be so harsh." I cooed at him. "It's not exactly a romance story, Mrs Mason."

"Any story is a romance story -" Barbara started and I finished.

"If you say it the right way." I smiled.

"Yes. You can call me Barbara. How did you know that?"

"It's something I haven't heard in a long time." I admitted as I looked at my plate. I can't eat all of this. Why did I let Denny put it on my plate?

"A good friend of mine, she says that. Mary copied it from her -"

And I did it again, my head shooting up to Barbara's face. "Her late son." I whitened.

"Yes." She said again, this time a bit more intrigued.

"Uh," I stood up, standing behind the chair. "Excuse me. Which way to the bathroom?"

"Just down the hall and the second left." Barbara answered as I left the dining room.

I rushed down the hall and went to the second door on the left, closing it behind me. My heart was beating do fast. Barbara is a good friend of Mary? I haven't seen Mary since Lloyd's funeral.

She blamed me for her sons death. He was only twenty two years old. I was just on twenty.

I took a few deep breathes and recomposed myself. Mary didn't know my job. Lloyd never told her. I don't know if it's still that way.

After a few more minutes, I opened the door to see Nick waiting for me.

"Hello Harvey. We haven't had a chance to be alone yet." He said in a serious manner.

I didn't answer him as I stayed planted on the ground.

"I know what you do, Miss Fox. I know you are just after the money and I know that right now is just a job to you."

"Why haven't you said anything?" I dared.

"Because, this secret is worth keeping right now. Or doesn't Denny know?" Came his smirk.

"Try as you might, Nicholas, you don't scare me." I warned him, trying to walk past.

"So you don't care if your little secret gets out?"