Page 20 of Infinity Chronicles 2
“What did you need?” Ares sounds so casual.
“Oh… Mr. Albertson returned your call, I know you’ve been waiting to hear from him so I… I wanted to let you know.” Her head tilts to the side as her eyes narrow on me. “Hi Laura.” Her lips lift, but it looks nothing like a smile. More like she’s pretending to smile.“No work today?” Mia walks over, taking a seat on the back of the sofa, her hands laid demurely on her turned out knee.
“No,” I croak, and clearing my throat I amend, “No, not today. Are you still working?” I tilt my head in much the same manner she did, my brows raised in question.
“No,” she scoffs, elongating the word. “Did we even work today Ares?” Mia chuckles a little.
“Oh, Ares told me you’re looking for another place to stay.” Looking at her, I add, “Still having a hard time?” I fill my voice with mock sympathy, and she knows it.
Brushing imaginary lint from her perfect black sweater she answers, “Ares invited me to stay as long as I need to. Truthfully, I haven’t really been looking very hard. I’m used to Ares’s whims, who knows how long we’ll be here before he moves us back to the city.” Mia shakes her head with a happy little grin on her face.
Ares’s hand pauses for only a millisecond. “Mia, I told you. I’m staying here. You can go back to the city. Working remotely shouldn’t pose a problem.”
Her eyes dart over to Ares like she’s surprised to hear him say that. “Yes, but we’ve been working together as a team every day for four years. I think you’re seriously underestimating how vital your involvement has become.” Mia stands, making her way around to the front of the couch. Her eyes leap to the vacant spot at Ares’s side, but she settles of the sofa opposite us, straight across from Ares.
Dante squeezes my hand. Seemingly still engrossed in the TV show. Like thistype ofshit happens every day. I squeeze his back, but mine isn’t a show of support it’s a cry for help. Why is she sitting down, is she going to stay? There goes my time to relax. Maybe we should have just gone into the bedroom.
“So, Laura, you’re still in high school right.” Her eyesevaluate me quickly. “A junior?”
“No, I’m a senior like Dante.”
She nods her head, her eyes crinkling a bit. “I remember those days. Seems like forever ago.” Mia leans forward dramatically. “Everything felt so serious, like it would all last forever.” She sits back into a prim position with her legs folded off to the side.
“Yeah, it must have been a while ago. What are you, like twenty-nine, thirty?” I know damn well she isn’t even close to thirty, but I can play her insult game, no problem.
Ares makes a choking noise next to me, covering it quickly with a cough. “Gloria,” Ares calls out, “did you say dinner was ready?”
“Oh no dear, it’ll be awhile yet. Youjustenjoy that show you're watching.” Gloria’s voice is sugar sweet, but I know she’s not talking about the television program.
“Twenty-three,” Mia grates through a tight smile. “I’m twenty-three.”
“Really?” I jerk my head back acting surprised. “Huh.” I shrug looking back at the TV. Mia has been nothing but a little chillyto me.I know her more direct approach has more to do with Ares sitting next to me than it does anything else.
The conversation dies off until the next commercial. Dante finally looks over at me, his eyes wide as he shrugs his shoulders, like he’s askingwhat should I do?I tilt my head to the left in Mia’s direction. I don’t want to look at her if I don’t have to. Who knows what would happen if I decide it’s time to go all bossy and demanding again? Somehow, I know that Ares wouldn’t ever react the way Dante did. I want him to do something, hell, I’d rather just go into the room instead of sitting out here with her.
It’s like Ares knows exactly what I’m thinking because his hand wraps around my thigh again, holding me in place. I glare over at him, but he ignores the laser eyes I’m trying to burn him with.
“Really, I don’t know what wouldpossess a woman to cover her body in tattoos,” Mia says, trying toinitiate a conversation.
“I don’t know about tattooing, but I’d like to paint a woman’s body.” Dante’s eyes smolder as he stares at me. “I can just imagine the colors.” He bites his full bottom lip, still not looking away.
I swallow, thinking about how that would feel to have his hands all over me as he brushes my skin with strokes of paint. I break the stare, if I don’t, I might lean over and kiss him. I’m not sure I’m ready for that step yet, not with Mia watching us so closely.
Mia is looking at her lap, using the back of her fingers to inspect the front of her thighs. Ares lifts his hand off my leg. I think he might move, or stand, but he wraps his arm around my neck. I lean forward pulling my hair out from under his arm enough sothatit’s not pulling.
“Any plans after dinner, after you take Laura home?” Mia fishes, directing her question at Dante. I think she would ask just about anything to get offthe topic ofbody painting she’d inadvertently started.
“She’s going to stay over,” Dante answers casually.
“Your parents allow that?” Mia sounds positively scandalized at the thought. I shrug with indifference. I don’t owe her an answer even if I had one. “Ares?” Mia looks to him for an explanation.
Ares rolls his eyes. “Come on Mia, you were atCole Castle’s house more than your own in high school.”
Mia’s face goes bright red. “You had a revolving door of girls in your bedroom,” she accuses.
Ares looks at me then, his lips twisted up in a grimace. “That was years ago,” he adds, shaking his head in denial.
“Oh hardly, it’s not like that the behavior has changed over the years.” Mia huffs.
