Page 50 of Good Girls Beg

Hel glanced up from his phone and nodded. "Morning." He looked back at his screen.

Wasn’t it nice to have a cheerful greeting first thing on a Monday?

I smirked to myself and blew on my coffee before taking a sip. Careful, in case Fade decided to say something inappropriate at exactly the wrong time. I didn't want to start the day by choking, or spitting out my drink in front of everyone.

Fade didn't say anything. He seemed content to sit and watch me, like a spider observing a fly.

I decided continuing to ignore him would be the best way to go. With any luck, he wouldn't speak to me for the rest of the year.

"You have college this morning?" Hel asked, putting his phone on the table beside him, the screen down.

"Not till after lunch," I said. "I have a study period first."

"Would you like to take a tour of Egger Security instead?" he offered.

Everyone in the room looked at him in surprise, but I doubted anyone was more surprised than I was.

"You want to show me around your office?"

"Why not? I thought you might be curious." He pushed up his suit sleeve and adjusted his watch. It looked expensive. The suit and the watch. A hint of ink peered out from under the face.

"I am," I admitted.

I'd thought about popping in for a look at some point, but suspected he wouldn't want me there. After all, it was his place of work, that might be a line he didn't appreciate me stepping over.

Shannon's comments about how they weren't as bad as they seemed, had stuck in my mind. This might be my chance to find out for myself.

"I'd like that," I said finally.

"Good." Hel nodded his thanks to Shannon as she placed a pile of pancakes in the center of the table. Beside those, she added a bowl of fresh fruit.

I half-expected Fade to leap forward and grab as much as he could so I couldn't get anything.

Like an almost civilized human being, he dug his fork into the top couple and pulled them over to his plate, leaving plenty for me and Hel.

Oak went on eating his breakfast, oats with a sprinkling of fruit. He was washing it down with a cup of water.

I remembered yesterday's rule; eating healthy food. If Oak wanted to screw with me the way Fade had, he would have asked Shannon to make pancakes and bacon for breakfast yesterday. Either he was marginally nicer, or he hadn't thought of it.

Maybe he wasn't as cunning as Fade. It was also possible he wasn't as much of an asshole, but the jury was still out on that one.

"I heard you and Fade watched a couple of movies last night," Hel said, carefully placing strawberries and raspberries onto the top of his pancake.

I glanced at Fade. His eyes were on me as he forked food into his mouth, expression somewhere between expectant and amused.

"That's right," I said, returning my gaze to Hel. "You should have joined us. I'm sure Fade wouldn't have minded."

"Hel doesn't like the kind of movies we do," Fade said meaningfully.

"Shame," I said with a shrug. "I always find a good romcom entertaining. What kind of movies do you like?"

"Hel doesn't like movies," Fade said. "He likes true crime and nature documentaries."

Hel glanced at him, then back at me. "I prefer non-fiction to fiction. Reality is fascinating."

"I suppose it is," I said. "I don't mind a bit of true crime myself. Watching it, not doing it."

Which brought me back to the mystery of the basement. I was tempted to ask about it, but I didn't think they'd be forthcoming. I mean, who hides the door to a basement only to tell a houseguest exactly where to find it? No, that was something I was going to have to figure out on my own.