Page 126 of Meet Me In The Dark

The morning light is flooding the room, and the view beyond is perfect.

I lift my phone, snap a photo from right here at the counter, and send it to the group chat with Emmy and Madison.

Me:Current view. Not bad for a Tuesday morning.

Emmy:You’re still not home?

Madison:Are you being held hostage? Do you need us to call Liam Neeson?

Me:No hostage situation. Just temporarily relocated.

Madison:Zoom in. I want to see if there’s a reflection of Julian in those windows, preferably topless.

Me:No reflection. No Julian. He’s at the office.

Madison:So you’re just unsupervised in his house?

Emmy:God help him.

Me:I’m making coffee. Being normal.

Madison:Normal people don’t end up in billionaire beach houses with ocean views.

Emmy:She’s going to set the house on fire, isn’t she?

Me:I’m fine. The coffee machine just has forty-seven buttons.

Madison:Press them all. Live a little.

Emmy:You know what has to happen now.

Me:No.

Madison:Yes. Snooping.

Emmy:Thorough snooping.

Me:I am not snooping.

Madison:Do it.

Emmy:Start with the kitchen drawers. That’s where the secrets live.

Me:I will open one drawer.

Emmy:Make it the mystery drawer. Every kitchen has one.

Me:It’s cutlery.

Madison:Boring. Try another.

Me:No.

Emmy:What if there’s something scandalous? Like a passport under a fake name.

Me:Ems, you’ve got to stop watching those shows, honey.

Emmy:Just open something.