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“Can I help you with something?” He asks with a bite to his tone and I can only imagine how my face must look right now.
“Not at all, just trying to work something out,” I reply, stepping back from the doorway and Millie soon takes my place.
“Good morning sir, how can I be of service to you?” She asks as she bows her fucking head to him. Seriously, yep I’m not going to make it. I may be meeker than my inner alter ego, but no way will I ever bow to any of them!
“Millie Taylor, I am permitted to offer a free pass to three girls of my choosing. I am offering one to you, we will pay you for the month and you can leave with no repercussions. I’m the only one who can offer this deal and I will not give you the opportunity again should you refuse,” I swear his eyes cut to me as he explains this strange deal he is offering to a Zero.
“I don’t understand, why would you offer me this?” She asks, genuine fear sounding in her voice as she grips onto the door and white knuckles it.
“I need you to come with me, I’d suggest you ask one of your other Zeros to accompany you.”
She looks back at us before saying, “Luna, will you come with me please?”
“Hey of course,” I nearly fall over myself as I quickly pull on a pair of authorized leggings and a random top - luckily it’s still authorized - before rushing to her side. Tom rolls his eyes, the arrogant bastard before he walks down the corridor and we rush to follow him.
We’re led to the foyer and into the connecting door behind the reception desk, there’s a woman that I don’t recognize and the woman, Miss Martins who led us to our room - with the crystal watch - our first day here.
“Mom, what are you doing here?” Millie asks but she doesn’t go to her when she opens her arms, instead she stands beside me and grips hold of my hand.
I take in the red rimming her mom’s eyes, the bags circling underneath and her blotchy skin. I can feel Millie’s hand shaking in mine and I’m starting to think I’m the wrong person to be here for this, Caitlyn is better equipped when it comes to supporting someone.
“It’s Melissa sweetie, she…” her voice cracks as she cries a tsunami worth of tears and Miss Martins rolls her eyes before stepping forward. Narrowly missing the crying woman as she reached for her, looking for comfort from the wrong person.
“Miss Taylor, your mother is here to escort you home should you decide to take Mr. Harkwright up on his generous offer,” she slaps her mother’s hand away and steps even further away, looking at her with utter scorn.
“For goodness’ sake, she’s upset. Would it hurt you to show her a little compassion,” I demand, forgetting my place and her glare is supposed to put me in its place, but it’s failing in its task.
“You are a pitiful human being,” this is the last thing I will say to this disgrace of a person and instead turn to face Tom. His eyes are wider now and he’s looking at me as though he’s never seen me before. “Can you please just tell Millie why you would offer her this, her mom clearly isn’t in a good place,” I have no idea where this confidence is coming from, although I guess it’s born from the fact that someone else needs me to be strong.
“Millie, in the late hours of last night the police were called to your Aunt’s apartment, I won’t try to soften the blow, it’s pointless. I’m sorry to inform you that she was already dead when they arrived, they believe it to be suicide,” Tom says as Millie falls to her knees and clings to my legs and all I can do is stand here and pat her head. I’m out of my element and I don’t have a clue what I should do.
Looking up at Tom with wide eyes, he looks as uncomfortable as I feel, “what do I do?” I mouth to him and his response. “How the fuck should I know?”
It’s the last day to gain a number or we’re out of here, I guess the odds are in our favor now that Millie has left but I don’t like the idea of competing against Caitlyn.
I was sorry to see her leave but I don’t blame her for taking Tom up on his offer, I just can’t believe that her Aunt was the same reporter who had interviewed Sir Harkwright and then was blacklisted for her efforts.
“I still can’t believe she’s gone, it’s insane,” Caitlyn says as she pulls my hair up into a French twist and curls a few loose tendrils to frame my face.
She’s on a mission to make us both look amazing today, in order to get us noticed but it’s pointless. If they haven’t picked us from the way we look by now, this isn’t going to make a world of difference.
“I just can’t get over the fact that she never told us, the way she spoke about the whole thing without once seeming affected. How do you do that?” I ask and I see her shake her head through the reflection in the mirror.
“I don’t know but at least she doesn’t have to go through it here, they let her leave and she can be with her family now,” she turns my chair around and starts applying the makeup. Right now, I feel like an overgrown doll, but I don’t have the heart to stop her.
“Yeah, I know you’re right, I just wish I could have done more for her. I suck at offering comfort,” I groan and she taps me on the cheek to hold still. I guess that’s my cue to shut up, I’m more than happy to do that.
Five minutes later and she spins me back around to see the finishing touches, I have pale pink lips, with a touch of blush and a gold shimmer across my lids. It goes perfectly with the dress Caitlyn picked out with a black ruffled skirt and a silver satin top. I feel overdressed, but it’s on the approved list, what more can I say? That with the usual kitten heels and I’m good to go yet, Caitlyn isn’t ready.
“Come on girl, we need to go if we want to get anything to eat,” I say with a laugh and she nibbles on the corner of her lip, before dropping onto the edge of her bed.
“I don’t need to go down Luna, I’m not vying for a number anymore.”
“What are you talking about?” Her words confuse me and I have no idea what the fuck she could be talking about.
“I can’t win against you, I’m just going to resound myself to my fate,” her head drops forward and I don’t know how to take this version of Caitlyn.
“Either you get ready or neither of us will go down, I don’t view it as a competition but if you’re setting yourself up to fail, then I’m ri
