Lockdown {COMPLETED}

Chapter 3: High Cookies

During the next few days Aria and Rae fell into a routine. Most of the time they were both holed up in their respective rooms, only coming out for either food or fun. By some unspoken agreement it fell upon Rae to make them breakfast, while Aria took care of the lunch. Dinner usually consisted of leftovers.

So when Rae walked into the kitchen one morning, he was shocked to find Aria in a frenzy, whisking batter. A fresh batch of cookies lay on the counter in front of him, and he could just about make out the scones in the oven. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Baking," she said rolling her eyes.

"I can see that. I meant why are you awake so early? And why are you baking?"

"A- I always wake up early, B- I wanted to eat scones and I had weed left so I decided to make cookies with it, and C-I've been awake almost the entire night."

"We'll circle back to the cookies in a minute," he said. "Why were you awake?"

"Well, aren't you full of questions?" she said pointing a batter soaked finger at him. But then she relented. "I had a call from London at two a.m, which stretched on till 5 a.m. After that I couldn't sleep. And before you ask, no it was not a secret lover, it was a client in London. His name is Justin Romero, he handles the London branch of the Romero enterprises. You know Alex Romero's company."

Aria laughed at Rae's deflated expression. Rae had been hoping to tease her about the call, but she had shot down his chances in a truly Aria-fashioned way. "You are too easy to read Rae."

"Now about those cookies..." he started.

*******

Aria was in the middle of eating her second scone when Rae asked her a dreaded question. "Is Jill able to afford paying half the rent?"

Aria paused mid bite. She mentally kicked herself at her stupidity. The house was far too lavish for him not to ask such a question. Many others had asked Jill about this too, and Aria had always been able to deflect the question. But she decided to answer it this time. "Of course she can, that's why she is living here isn't she?"

"The rent for these type of apartments, especially in such neighborhoods is through the roof. Are you telling me that Jill, with her meagre income, is able to afford such a house?"

Aria knew that Rae was genuinely interested in the answer, just as she knew that he was asking that so that his company might be able to provide such living quarters to people who might not even have a roof over their heads. 

Answering that question was the dumbest move I have ever made, she thought. Damn those cookies.

Aria let out a sigh. "She thinks that the total rent for this house is $1300. So she pays $650 every month."

"So what's the actual rent for this house?"

"There is no rent," she said, sighing. "I own this house. It was one of the first investments I made when I became a second year associate with Sydney Maxwell. This, and my car. Now, before you go and accuse me of stealing from her, you and I both know that Jill would never have lived here for free. She was going to get evicted out of her old apartment, and you know Jill, she's too stubborn to ask for help. So I decided to let her know that I was looking for a roommate."

She could see just how surprised Rae was at the revelation. She could also see that he was slightly disappointed. "I think she already knows about this at some level. She's not dumb. But if I find out, that you are the reason why she truly knows about the situation..." she trailed off.

Rae raised his hands in surrender, "She won't hear a word about this from me, I swear."

Aria smiled her trademark grin. "Good," she said. "Now are you going to make lunch, or do your culinary skills extend only till breakfast?"