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I laugh, I knew she'd want to go. When I left Oakland, Sarah and I were great friends. Now we're best friends, sisters even and now we've found one more, Lacey. We're all as thick as thieves even though Sarah lives over two thousand miles away.
"Do you think Sarah will bring us to Fashion Week?" Lacey asks as we walk up the stairs.
"Fashion Week?" Mom's voice asks from behind us, and I inwardly groan, I knew she was around somewhere, I wonder how long she was listening for.
"Yeah Mom, Sarah's working with a designer and her designs will be showcased during Fashion Week." I inform her, "Can we talk about this at breakfast? I want to have a shower."
Her lips press into a thin line as hurt flashes in her eyes, "Of course, is there anything you'd like for breakfast?"
I give her a smile, "Everything!" We all laugh, but I'm serious. "Mom, I could eat everything and anything. I'm starving. Lacey made me go for a run. I swear I must have ran at least half a marathon."
Lacey rolls her eyes, "Hardly, we ran six miles, Mia. That's nowhere near half a marathon. But I'm hungry too."
Mom laughs, "I'll get the maid to make you both a full breakfast."
I grin, "The maid?"
Mom's eyes roll, "Yes, she's a housemaid who also cooks because both Harrison and I are completely useless. She's here today as she's cleaning the house."
"Cool, what’s her name?" I ask, "Has she always worked for Harrison?"
"Her name is Willa, and she's only been working with us for a week. Harrison wanted a housemaid, so I interviewed a few ladies and Willa was the best. Anyway, you two go ahead and get showered. Breakfast will be ready when you come down." Mom says before glancing to her left. "Go," she claps her hands and both Lacey and I laugh and run up the stairs.
"We've less than an hour before Barney is here. We'd better hurry, I'd hate to keep the poor man waiting." Lacey says, and I'm shocked that she remembered his name, I forgot. "Don't wash your hair. We'll do it tonight as we get ready for the party."
"Sounds good, won't take me much more than fifteen minutes to be ready." I tell her as I walk toward the stairs, "If you're ready before me, make your way downstairs and have breakfast.” Even as I say the words I know that I'll be ready before Lacey, she takes ages in the shower.
"Like that will ever happen. But same applies to you, we all know how much you like your food."
I laugh, "Okay, because I'm the person who went to an all you can eat buffet and went back six times." I roll my eyes as she snorts. "You're the greediest person I know Lace. I have no idea where you put it all."
She doesn't answer me; instead, she does the really mature thing by sticking her tongue out at me. I laugh at her as I run up the stairs toward my bedroom, there's no ensuite bathroom in my room whereas there is in Lacey's. Thankfully Hudson isn't here, so I have free rein over the bathroom which makes things easier.
"So you did some digging?" I ask Lacey as we sit down to get some lunch, we've been shopping for hours and we've bought everything except for dresses for this evening. Barney has been dutifully following us around, he's six foot five and built like a linebacker. With the name Barney, I had thought he'd be some scrawny guy, but he's not. He's also a lot younger than I had thought. I'm guessing he's in his mid-to-late- twenties, if not his early thirties. Lacey's eyes immediately lit up when she saw him.
"Right, so after everything that Greg had said and the lavish lifestyle he leads, I guess I just wanted to know who he was." Her voice’s low as an anxiousness mars her face.
"Why are you fretting?" I reach over and grab her shaky hand. I wonder what she's found out, she seems to be frightened, but of what?
She worries her lip between her teeth as she glances around the diner we're in. "Mia." She whispers, "I didn't find anything. I mean nothing at all. There's no trace, not that I could find."
My eyes widen, holy shit! If Lace can't find anything that's huge. Lacey is a whiz with a computer, she can find out anything about anyone.
"I called Greg this morning before we left. I wanted to find out what he knew." She glances around the room again, almost as if she's expecting someone to be watching us.
My nerves are skyrocketing. "Christ Lace, what did he say?"
"He told me that Hudson is the boss, he's a drug dealer Mia, he’s a pimp and gun runner. It’s a family business. His father was in charge before Hudson and his grandfather before that. His grandfather started it up, or his great grandfather, he wasn't sure. Mia, these people are dangerous." She implores with me just as Barney walks towards us, "Mia, Greg says they've killed people." Her voice is shaky as tears shine in her eyes
I glance at Barney and then back to Lacey, "I'll talk to Mom, she's not going to lie to me about something like this. I'll find out the truth." I promise her, she's frightened, and she's going to be even worse when we get back to the house.
"Ladies," Barney says coming to stand beside our table.
Lacey blushes, well at least she's not terrified anymore.
"Barney, why don't you join us for lunch? We've not long ordered." I tell him and watch as Lacey instantly nods, oh she's got it bad.
He glances around the diner, "I shouldn't."
