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Ria:Date tonight?
We’d agreed not to mention Apollo in our messages. To anyone reading them, we’d seem like a genuine couple. It was pleasant to imagine.
Forest:5pm. I’ll pick you up.
Ria:That’s early. Not working?
Forest:Day off.
Ria:Wow. You really meant it about relaxing
Forest:I usually mean what I say.
I was excited for my ‘date’ with Ria. I shouldn’t have been, really. She had betrayed my trust once, and, apart from as far as I needed her for my scheme, I’d vowed to not trust her again. It was too risky to give second chances when your very powerful half-brother was out to get you all the time.
But the excitement happened unbidden, a swirling feeling in my stomach and chest that was both sickening and intoxicating.
Forest:I’m going to send you something to wear. I’ll make sure it’s with you by 4 pm.
Ria:You don’t like what I normally wear?
Forest:It’s a gift. For my girlfriend.
Ria:If it’s ugly, I’m not wearing it
Forest:That’s your prerogative
I finished my coffee and joined Mrs Jamroz at the kitchen table. “Reckon you can get that shortlist together for me in the next few hours? I’ll go over it with you at noon.”
“Aye aye.” She closed the magazine decisively.
Mrs Jamroz liked being given little projects to do around the home. She was a ‘classic’ kind of housekeeper who liked to feel involved in the domestic life of her employee.
She was very under-utilized with me. If I’d had a wife or kids she’d have been in her element. Or if I was the kind of person to host parties or gatherings of any kind. I’d had Mandy over for drinks once, and Mrs Jamroz had made preparations as if the President of the United States was visiting.
A few of the projects I’d made up to keep Mrs Jamroz occupied were dotted around the apartment. Most notably there were the creepy dolls she’d made of me and my brothers, which they called the ‘voodoo dolls’ and joked that if Apollo were to get hold of them we’d be finished. They were stored on a display shelf in the rarely-used living room.
She’d framed select magazine photoshoots and interviews with me and dotted those around the flat, too, making me appear surely quite vain to any guests. Luckily, I never had any.
Admittedly, it was only Mrs Jamroz’s touches that made the place seem lived in at all, rather than a guest house. I’d meant to decorate a bit after moving in, but my work had quickly taken up all of my free time. It was all grays and silvers, much like the tech industry aesthetic, and quite frankly depressing.
I changed to go to Tai Chi, packing my bag so I could attend fencing straight after. I usually went on weeknights for a break from work – before sometimes returning to the office.
My Tai Chi master couldn’t believe his eyes. “Forest! On a weekend! Thought I’d never see the day.”
The fencing teacher was even less subtle. “Get out of here right now, foul creature! You are no Forest, but a mere imposter... you should have known that Forest Brock wouldneverbe seen out of the office before 7pm!”
I’d normally have found this a smidge irritating, but I took it in the good spirits of a well-rested man. After the classes were over, I even considered going for the after-class brunch that was apparently a common occurrence. I decided against it only so I could have more time to rest and prepare for my ‘date’ that evening.
Arriving back at the flat, I showered and dressed and found Mrs Jamroz in an intense flow state, gathering the shortlist together.
“Nearly done, Mrs J?”
“You’re very sprightly today.” She glanced smugly up at me. “Bring me a glass of water. I’ll be done in ten minutes.”
I smirked at her request, but complied, then waited until she was done. She announced the completion of the shortlist by downing the glass of water, almost choking, and then gesturing at the laptop screen as she stood up to stretch her legs, still spluttering.
Keeping one eye on her in case she was to pass out, I clicked through the ten tabs she had open in the browser. After some time, I had the list cut down to three.
