“Are you hiding something from me, Paisley?” I asked her when we entered my room.
Her brows arched to the top of her head in perplexity. “No! Why would you think that?”
I bobbed my shoulder. “I don’t know… Maybe because you are acting strange. I thought you said we are friends and won’t hide anything from ourselves anymore?”
She exhaled and flopped down on the bed with her hands covering her face. My heart was almost going to jump in joy that she was going to share with me when my phone started ringing, drawing both our attention to it. I hissed and checked the caller, to see Roland.
“umm, can we go down to the living room?” I looked from the phone to her to ask. I think they are here. I will have to postpone this topic until next time.
“Why?” Her eyes danced in novelty.
“I-I… My friends! I mean a friend of mine is coming and I think maybe you would want to meet her. I told her about you and she insisted she wants to meet you too.” I rushed out quickly, amazed at how smooth my lie came out.
“Oh, okay. That’s cool,” she let out mildly, then her grey eyes flipped to her state of dressing, and knowing Paisley, she would rather die than to allow anyone see her in anything less sophisticated. “Well, I will have to rush and change, you know, to something presentable.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, planning to sneak after her and check out the person that is hiding in her room. There is no way the person would remain there, by the way. He must come out.
She made for the door and I gave her a good ten-foot, before standing to sneak after her. I opened my door slightly and snuck my head out to make sure she was out of sight and then I ran after her on my toes, making sure to conceal my steps.
I reached the intersection that connects the hall to her room to mine and stooped down on the floor to count to ten before shooting my head forward to peek. Nothing.
I waited, then I heard footfalls running up the stairs and snapped up to my feet. Shit! Who is that?! I pretended to be looking at my phone, darting with the hood of my eyes at the incoming person. It was Nadia. She was also stunned to see me there and ran to my side.
“You will not believe what I saw-” I heard a door snap close and then heels clicking our way and knew it was Paisley.
“Shit! Let’s walk back to my room, fast!” We hurried into my room and shut the door. “We will talk later,” I told her. “Are they here?”
She nodded and leaned closer. “I saw Alfred leaving when I was coming up.”
Alfred? He is still around? I thought he said he would leave by 11? Well, he might have changed his mind or something came up. I shook it off.
“Go on, I will see you later,” I told her, and with a smile, she walked to the door at the same time that a knock sounded on it. She opened it, bowed a little, and with her head down scurried out. Paisley strutted in, now changed into a velvet blue shimmering gown that reached her mid-thighs and accentuated her waistline. I must admit, she is a very lovely lady.
“How do I look?” she asked me out of breath, excitement bobbing in her facade.
“Perfect!” I blurted and meant it even though it irked me. What if my mate sees her this way and falls in love with her?
Now isn’t the time, Danika. We have a plan to execute. Alonso has been seeing her this way and still, he chose me. I’m not bothered anymore.
“Let’s go then!” she quipped, sampling her white dentition.
“Yeah!” I came forth to take her outstretched hands and we walked out.
We made it down the stairs on time as Mrs. Dolly came in with Roland into the lobby.
“um, are those your friends you talked about? I mean the friend?” Paisley asked.
“Yeah.” My face was stretched in glee that this is happening.
“Okay… I think the guy is handsome, is that his mother?”
“No. Both of them are my friends.” We reached them on time and she smiled extensively at them.
“It’s nice to meet you, Cleopatra,” greeted Mrs. Dolly to my bewilderment. I never told her Paisley’s name used to be Cleopatra.
Paisley sniggered further, seemingly not perturbed by the use of her dumped name. “She knows my other name too?” she asked me passively and faced Mrs. Dolly. “Well, it’s no longer in use. It’s now Paisley.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Sometimes my mind goes on a joy ride,” Mrs. Dolly quipped and we all laughed it off, even though I shared a knowing look with Roland.
“Why don’t we retreat to the tea room, please?” I led the way, followed by Paisley and Mrs. Dolly who had already fallen into chitchat. By the time we entered the dainty room, Paisley’s voice seemed to be ringing in laughter from whatever the old lady must have told her. This is going smoothly, after all.
I linked with Nadia to serve us tea, which in no time, she brought in and poured for us, with a tray of cookies which she dropped on the center table, shared a look with me, and left.
Mrs. Dolly engaged us in a long chit chat, most of which had to do with the history of the pack and palace, all in a faux bid to get Paisley to relax with her, and it worked, as she opened up to Mrs. Dolly that she was enthralled by her narrations, and begged for more. Also in that way, Mrs. Dolly was able to penetrate her mind without her being guided.
After some time, I stood to make my exit. “Please, excuse me, I will have to attend to something personal.”
“Oh, try not to be long, I will soon be leaving,” Mrs. Dolly implored.
“C’mon you don’t have to leave so fast. You can go, Danika, I will keep her entertained,” Paisley offered, dismissing me with a swish of her fingers. “After all, the doctor is still here.”
I giggled falsely and made my way to the door where I looked at Roland pointedly before closing the door. I waited in the hallway and the next time the door unlocked, it was Roland who came out, smiled at me, and I smiled back.
“How come everything seemed so easy?” he asked in a hushed tone as we made our way out.
…