Page 17

I started putting together my outfit while the dinner rolls were baking. Carter never really told me what clothes he likes on me, but after last night, he likes them short and tight all the time.
I took a shower and used my honey coconut body butter all over my body. It made my skin soft, smooth, and shiny. And it smelt great too.
I remembered the dinner rolls in the oven as I put on my pants and ran outside half-naked. If Carter only knew how often I’m naked at his house.
I went back to our bedroom and changed into the outfit I had picked out after letting them cool. There was a fitted, long-sleeved, baby blue top and a short, white pinafore dress.
At first, I wasn’t going to wear a bra, but I changed my mind at the last minute because I thought it would be appropriate for work. Over the years, I’ve come to terms with the fact that bras were horrible things, but they did help keep my breasts up and made Carter feel better around me.
He usually has trouble looking me in the eye when I don’t wear one.
I wore a simple pair of baby blue vans with the outfit and left my hair down. I put some hair clips on each side to keep my hair from getting in my face, and that was it.
I put his soup in the biggest Tupperware container we had and stacked about seven dinner rolls in a container that was a little smaller.
I put everything in one of my tote bags, grabbed one of my little backpacks to hold my phone and other important things, and took my coat because winter was coming and Cartie would kill me if I left without it. Finally… I was gone.
I was a little nervous as I rode down in the lift because I hadn’t travelled alone very often before. There was a car waiting for me right outside, but this still counted as travelling.
What if the guy hit me in the back of the head with a bat and took me to an empty building where he and a stylish but heartless woman would sell me to the highest bidder?
“Breathe Amaya.” I heard Carter’s calming voice in my head, and I took a deep breath as the lift doors opened on the ground floor. Before I went outside, I waved to the doorman and the receptionist in the lobby.
I saw my ride and got in. I said hello to the man in a friendly way so he would feel bad if he decided to knock me out and sell me. Before we left, he made sure I had the right address. During the whole ride, all I could think about was Carter.
How shocked would he be to see me?
Will he be happy?
Will he be angry that I left home without telling him?
Oh, who am I trying to fool? Carter could never stay mad at me for long.
The car stopped before I knew it, which meant we had reached our destination. I thanked him a lot and promised to write a good review. I was glad that I made it through without losing a hair.
I walked across the street and stood in front of the building where Carter worked. The washed-out brick walls showed that the building was old, and the firehouse red paint on the doors and windows could use a little more fire.
I put on a brave face and pushed the doors open. I was ready to fight anyone who got in my way. I was only 5’6″ and had the face of a baby (Carter’s words), and he taught me that if I wanted to be taken seriously, I needed to stand up for myself and be brave always.
“Hello, I’m here to see Carter Reid,” I told the woman at the front desk. It sounded a lot more confident in my head, but whatever. I’m still a mean, green killing machine.
“Oh, you must be Amaya,” she said, and then she got up from her seat. I noticed that a few other men had come over to us, and I got nervous because of all the attention.
“How did you find out my name?””I asked, really wanting to know. Did Carter talk about me with his coworkers?
“Well, you’re almost famous around here.” Her words only made me more confused, but I didn’t want to stand around and talk. I wanted to see Carter.
She was smart enough to know this and told me where Carter was, supposedly having a meeting. I quickly followed her directions and soon saw Carter standing in an office with the door wide open.
I ran into the office without thinking and jumped on him, wrapping my arms around his neck tightly. He held me tightly, and I finally felt at peace. I was in his arms again.
“Baby, what are you doing here?””I was still in his arms, but I leaned back so I could see those ocean eyes that I couldn’t get enough of. They were cerulean blue and so bright that they made my heart stop every time.”
“I missed you,” I said with a pout and hugged him again. Then I remembered why I was there and pulled back, holding up the tote. “And I made you lunch!” You like it too.
His eyes lit up, and I felt a wave of happiness wash over me. I had done my job: I had made him happy.
He sat me down on the desk with his arms on either side of my body. I was ready to pick up where we left off last night, but the loud, annoying throat clearing stopped me.
I looked at the source and saw a woman sitting at the front of the desk. She looked older than me and was actually quite pretty. She had a really big bust, bigger than mine, and her professional-looking pantsuit made her look like a very important woman.
Carter would look great with her.
She was better than I was.
The idea made me very angry.
I didn’t forget my manners and introduced myself. I loved how tall I looked sitting on the desk. Then she stood up, and I was back to being a dwarf.
“Hey there, I’m Olivia. You must be the daughter of Carter?”
I hated her.
Yes, I looked like a teenager half the time, and yes, people often thought I was one, but this woman said that on purpose.
“I’m not his daughter.” Who are you?”My tone was harsh, and all signs of my previous kindness were gone.
“Well, I’ll have you know, little girl, that I am a detective and I was interviewing Carter here about an accident that happened yesterday.”
I tried to get on the desk so I could kick her in the throat and be taller, but Carter stopped me and took me down.
“You little brat, I’m not a little girl.” “I’m twenty years old.”
She raised one perfectly arched eyebrow, and I hated her even more. I’ve always wanted to be able to do that.
“Shouldn’t you be in school?”
“Shouldn’t you be in bed waiting for someone to fix that ugly nose of yours?”
I could take it, but I could also dish it out just as quickly. Tessa taught me that I should never let people like her make me feel bad about myself, and I’ve never had a chance to test my skills until now.
“Keep your dog on a leash,” she said, turning to Carter. I may have growled, which made her point.
“You’re the only dog in here, bitch, and you need to learn how to fix your attitude.”
She laughed at what I said and turned to Carter again. He still hadn’t said anything to defend me. I fought my way out of his arms and turned to face him, but his face was unreadable.
He just stood there and let this woman insult me. Sure, I insulted her too and can take care of myself, but still… doesn’t he care?
I dropped the tote and ran out of Station 12 as fast as I could. I ran across the street, breaking every rule I’ve ever learnt about how to be safe on the road, and jumped into the safety of my waiting cab.
This clearly didn’t go as planned, but three things were clear.
I was in a bad mood, and something inside me felt green. When Carter got home, I was ready to kill.