AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“My friends think you’re kind of paranoid,” Betsy went on. Then she looked at Nigel and added, “They think you both are.”
“I noted the T-shirt you were wearing yesterday.”
“I don’t remember what I was wearing yesterday. What about it?”
“Oh, come on: the red one with the sheep?”
She stretched out her legs. “Okay, I’ll bite. What is the significance of a T-shirt with sheep on it?”
“You really don’t know?” Nigel asked.
“No, I don’t. Tony gave it to me. Is it a Las Vegas thing?”
“It’s a Diana thing. The design is parroting a classic Diana sweater,” I told her.
“I didn’t know that. Is that what set you off?”
“It didn’t help.”
“I think—like everything you’re doing right now—you’re overreacting.”
Again, the bluster. She was hiding behind it.
“Why did Tony give it to you?” I asked.
“I guess he thought it was cute. Maybe when he saw my resemblance to Diana, he thought it was funny.”
“Betsy,” said Nigel, leaning forward, “what’s really going on? Your sister is a brand. Why are you trying to infringe on that?”
“Diana was beautiful.”
“So are you,” Nigel said.
“I’m not infringing on anything.”
“And what in the world are you doing at Futurium?” he went on, his voice so melodious and kind, he sounded more like a therapist than an interrogator. “I mean, surely in this of all cities, there’s a need for more social workers who help teens.”
“Probably,” she agreed. “But I was burned out. I just…”
“Just what?” I asked.
“I was just always so sad at the end. The pandemic broke me. It just…it just broke me. I still text with some of the kids. Some are doing great. Some aren’t. Anyway, it was time for a change. And, eventually, I will be helping people again. Introducing them to crypto, which is the future.”
“Helping people get hooked on the weirdness of cryptocurrency isn’t the same as helping teens and their families who are losing their shit,” I pointed out to her.
“Losing their shit? You of all people should be more careful with your verbiage,” she reprimanded me. “Why are you always judging me?”
“Because I’m your big sister.”
“Barely.”
“And maybe it’s because you have a history of making choices that could be called dubious.”
“You know how I could respond to that. But I won’t.”
“Futurium’s a pretty secretive company.”
“So? Why does that matter?”
