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‘It’ll be fine. It’s not like anyone will be looking at me.’
There was no way on God’s green earth I was going to let her go to their posh-ass party in a dress that was older than me. Mum deserved better. She deserved the best.
‘Pick me up tomorrow. We’ll go shopping. My treat.’
‘Oh honey, you can’t spend your money on me.’
‘Mum, it’s the only way you will get me to the party. Plus, it’ll be fun. We haven’t had a girly day in forever.’
Her face warred between hesitation and delight, and I saw the moment she caved with a smile. ‘Well alright, but I’ll buy lunch. And keep one of those cinnamon buns for me. They remind me so much of your Grandma.’
The tug I felt took my breath away for a moment. God, I missed my Grandma. She never let my aunt and her family make Mum and me feel like we were lower class. She’d have slapped my uncle upside the head no matter who he was. She did, once.
‘I will.’
‘You’re such a good girl, Valentina.’
I gave her a soft smile as I brushed my hair back from my face with the back of my flour covered hand.
‘Bye, Mum, love you,’ I said.
‘See you tomorrow. Love you, too.’
Then it was just me and my buns.
I wrapped and cut the dough into glorious cinnamon swirls, covering them over with a tea-towel and leaving them to rise. Flicking on some music, I danced around the kitchen, cleaning as I went. One of the most wonderful things about an empty flat was that I could caterwaul to my heart’s content without disrupting Lara’s camming, or just annoying her with my out of tune voice.
Gathering up the bin bag, I sashayed my way toward the door, grabbing my keys, and slipping on some shoes. I took the stairs as one of my main forms of exercise and tossed the rubbish in the big bin out the back of the apartment block.
I’d almost made it home without bumping into anyone when a shadow crossed my path.
‘Miss Valetti, something smells awfully good around here.’
Tim stood against the narrow corridor wall facing me, partially blocking the way back to my flat.
‘Oh, hey Tim. I’m baking. That’s probably the cinnamon you’re smelling.’
Sliding a hand up the wall near my head, he leaned awkwardly on his gangly arm and looked down at me. ‘It wasn’t the cinnamon.’
I ducked down beneath his arm and walked toward my door, throwing him an apologetic smile. ‘Sorry, got to get back to the buns. I wouldn’t want to burn them.’
‘You’d never burn them,’ he said as I unlocked my door and slipped inside. Just before I closed the door, I heard him mutter something that sounded very much like, ‘You’re perfect.’
Poor guy didn’t have a clue.
He saw a sweet girl next door, who he probably thought wanted flowers and walks in the park. I wanted to be pursued and fucked amongst the flowers while someone licked up my tears.
I was absolutely not the innocent girl next door.
If he knew, he’d run a mile like all the others did.
CHAPTER FOUR
LOGAN
Lights danced across my bedroom ceiling as someone approached the mansion, likely Ewen returning from working at his sex club, or a member of our household staff checking in for the night shift. They sent shadows flying over the walls, dancing in the beams of light.
Yet again, sleep evaded me.
