Page 90 of Dancing in the Dark

“I sure did. I, uh…” Nervous, she carries Moo around the couch and backs up until they’re both sitting, Mia perched on her thighs. “I was thinking I might sleep over tonight. If that’s okay with you.”

“Yes!” Mia whoops so fuckin’ loud, she turns my ears tinny. “Oh my gosh, yes! Cato!” She twists herself inside out searching for him. “Our game worked!”

“What game?” I set Sera’s bag on the floor inside my apartment and close the door at my back. “What did you do?”

“We treated Fifi and that scoundrel mayor like puppets,” he chuckles. “Didn’t we, McStinkerson?”

“Uh huh! We watched you on the TV, but we turned the voices all the way down. Then me and Cato took turns pretending to be you and saying the words we finked you was saying.”

“Do your mayor impersonation,” Cato chuckles. “Show Daddy what it sounds like.”

Mia drops her chin to her chest and lowers her voice to a deep, dark baritone. “My name is Mr. Scoundrel. I like being a scoundrel, and I fink soon, Mia Fletcher is gonna kick me in the shins.” She throws her head back and cackles. “He’s afraid of me, Daddy! I can tell. He knows he’s in big trouble.”

“You need to stop.” Snickering, Sera tickles Mia’s belly. “He’s not actually a scoundrel, you know? He’s a very nice man.”

“Aunty Minka said you would say that. She said you’ve got Stomdrom Syndra and he tricked you into finking he’s a nice person.”

“Aunty Minka’s going to be in big trouble if she doesn’t quit the crap really soon,” Sera grumbles. “Mayor Lawrence is a good man, Moo. He’s kind and fair and a way better boss than Aunty Minka ever was.”

“And the phrase you’re looking for is Stockholm Syndrome.” I cross the room and come up behind the couch. Leaning over them, I smack a noisy kiss to the top of her hair. “What did you make Sera say during your puppet game?”

“Cato said her lines. He was so funny!”

Pre-pissed off, I cast fiery eyes across to him. “What did you say?”

“It was entirely G-rated.” Laughing, he lifts his hands in surrender. “Swear.”

“He said my name is Seraphina.” For reasons I’m not sure we’ll ever know, Mia gives Sera a deep baritone voice, too. “I’m super pretty and I’m on the news, which means Detective Fetch-Her will probably come grab me soon.”

“Fetch-her,” Cato snickers. “You get it? It’s good, clean fun. No cussing or anything.”

“And then he said my name is Sera and I’m a commi—” She frowns. “Comma— Comm…” She looks to Cato. “What did you say?”

“Commitment-phobe.”

“Yeah! My name is Sera and I’m a comittaphone, but since Fetch-her is gonna come fetch me, maybe I’ll have a sleepover at McStinkerson’s house soon.”

“Get the hell out of my apartment.” I stride back to my door and yank it wide. “Now.”

“You’ve gotta admit, Detective, I called it with scary accuracy.” He swaggers across my living room, his smirk loud and proud. Snatching up a backpack weighed down by textbooks, he swings it onto his shoulder and stops in front of me “Playing news puppets is hella entertaining and an awesome way to distract a five-year-old from the hit she’s determined to put on a six-year-old kid’s head. G’night, McStinkerson!”

Mia pops tall on Sera’s lap. “Goodnight, Cato. I love you.”

“I love you too, stinky face. Catch you tomorrow.” He looks me in the eye, staring for a long beat, then he winks and dawdles through my door. “Have fun, fam. Use protection.”

Frustrated, I slam my door and revel in the vibration traveling along the wall, then pressing my fingers against my eyelids, I count the stars bursting to life and know I’d be willing to pry my eyeballs out completely if it meant not having to see whatever face Sera is making.

She’s probably horrified.

Possibly already Pink-Panther sneaking through a window.

I was so stupid for accepting a ground floor apartment!

“Your dad told me your dance recital is coming up in five days. Are you super-duper excited?”

Wait… I drop my hands. Eyes stay closed. No horror?

“I’m way more excited that you wanna sleep over,” Mia squeaks out happily. “Oh my gosh, Fifi! Do you wanna sleep in my bed? You can! I’ll share. It’s not very big, but I’m small, so if you want most of the space, I could curl up at the end, kinda like how Chloe sleeps on Uncle Arch’s bed.”