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“Right, you were her previous roommate.”
“I was.” Mia pushed aside a pile of books and sat on Lily’s bed. “But then I had an aneurysm.”
She looked perfectly healthy. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
Mia pursed her lips. “Technically it wasn’t really a physical manifestation of an aneurysm, but more like a mental one.” She showed me a tattoo on her wrist that saidBradyin a cursive script. “My soon to be ex-husband of three months.”
Ah. “Everyone makes mistakes.”
“There’s no need to downplay my stupidity,” Mia grumbled. “I’m an idiot for marrying the first guy who told me he loved me. I can’t think of anything more stupid.”
“Oh yeah? Well how about spying on your new roomie for a guy who has the hots for her? I’d say that’s more stupid.”
Mia’s perfectly trimmed brows furrowed. “Oh, thatisworse.”
My shoulders slumped. I figured it would be. But I was going to make it up to Lily. Balance the scales or whatever. But first I needed to make some phone calls. All I needed were the resources and a partner in crime.
I sized up Mia, noticing she did the same to me. She cocked a brow.
“So…how good of a friend are you, exactly?” I asked.
Her grin told me all I needed to know. My potential crew just got another team member.
After my phone call I took a quick shower and dyed my hair a darker shade of blonde. The next task was to dress up. I made a mental note to send Tommie a thank you gift later for his quick delivery. I checked out my new outfit in the bathroom mirror. Nope, black wasn’t a color I liked on myself at all. It reminded me too much of death, but as a chambermaid, I couldn’t exactly walk around in bright colors, let alone with pink highlights.
I heard Mia squeal and figured Lily had returned. I took a deep breath and joined them.
Lily’s mouth dropped open when she saw my clothes. “Why are you dressed like a…”
“Maid?” Mia said and stepped back.
It was only then that Lily also noticed Mia’s leather dress and thigh-high boots.
“Why are you dressed like a…”
“Femme fatale?” I provided.
Mia had the killer body of a goddess—curvy ass, slim waist, and a natural sex appeal that was off the charts. She was the wet dream of any man. As we watched her strut her stuff, it hit me that she looked like Priyanka Chopra but even sultrier, if that were possible.
Mia blew Lily a kiss. “I was going more for sexy seductress, but thefatalething works as well.”
Lily’s eyes darted between us. “What’s going on here?”
“I want to explain,” I pleaded.
Lily grabbed a donut and waved a hand. “Explain away.”
Feeling elated that she was at least prepared to hear me out, I started explaining. “I was seventeen when my mother dropped me on Kristoff’s doorstep. He’s the son of her best friend, but that’s a whole different story. I was very sick back then, spent a lot of time in the hospital, and she couldn’t take care of me.” This was a better explanation than telling them about my mom’s stalker. I wasn’t ready to share that yet. “You have no idea how suffocating that sometimes can be. College was a way for me to be free, to stand on my own two feet. So when Baran suggested I should become your roommate and Kristoff agreed, I couldn’t say no. I didn’t even mind that he sent Yuri with me for my protection. Kristoff has a lot of enemies.”
Lily cocked a brow. “Where was Yuri yesterday when we got abducted?”
I flushed. “I had sent him a text saying I was having breakfast, so he wouldn’t follow me. I just wanted to have a normal morning with a friend. He doesn’t know about what happened with Charles. Lily, again, I’m very sorry that I hid this from you. I just wanted you to get to know me first before I told you about my connection to Baran.”
“This explains a lot,” Lily said begrudgingly. “It’s just going to take a while before my feelings have caught up with the rational part of my brain.”
Baran didn’t deserve her. But she was exactly what he needed—kind, strong, and forgiving.
“I totally understand.” I grabbed my iPad from my desk and tapped the screen.
