13. What Would Money Say?

I followed Miya as she began to walk. “Are the others coming?”

“Nope, just me and you for this part,” Miya then continued, as if insinuating I was thinking something weird, “purely because I saw you at the moment of need before one of them.”

“You saw me first? Is that how your brain works?”

“You were the first one within my line of sight when I came up with this plan, anyway…” Miya hooked her arm into mine, holding it as if we were a couple. Then I realized she was wearing a beautiful dress, her hair was done. For some reason I had ignored it all because of my intense fear of dying, go figure.

“Listen closely,” Miya began, leaving me no time to admire the view, yet again, imminent threats reduce my manhood pride into nothing. “We’re entering the west wing of the building where I’m hosting a party for some very important people, CEOs, senators, etc...They don’t know that this Weskaber rep is a girl, so you’ll be playing the part as Weskaber. I’m just your date.”

“Just what the heck do you think I am? Why can’t it be a girl? What’s up with that?”

“Stay focused!” she pinched me. “They’ll call you Mr. Weskaber, respond accordingly, and act naturally.”

“This isn’t a spy movie. I’m not an actor, I don’t know anything about what your family does! What about your dad!”

“Once we get in there, I’m pretty much at your mercy, so don’t get out of hand, also, like I said, first come, first serve.”

I was utterly flabbergasted. “This is crazy.”

“More exciting than crazy.” I couldn’t see Miya’s face, my bet was, she was smiling.

Miya pointed at the door, and I wanted to cry. My anxiety shot out of nowhere, and I normally did not have any anxiety. “Ugh…”

“Just think, some of the world’s most powerful people are in there, no worries.”

“That’s not helping.”

“Yes, but you get such a pretty girl hanging on your arm.”

“What’s with you and Whitehouse? Admitting you’re hot, or cute makes you less cute! That’d be great if it wasn’t such extreme circumstances distracting from the mood, and if the girl was normal, and not possibly a serial killer!” I complained.

“I’m offended. I don’t kill people on a whim.” She opened the door for me. I heard the loud classical music pour out into the hall, there was an army of old people in suits worth more than my life. Young women accompanied older men. It was a ballroom, beautiful, elegant, I wanted to throw up.

I grimaced as I realized that people were noticing me. Miya continued to cling to my arm gently and I tried not to think about her body beneath the thin dress. Male hormones. Please. Stop. Now is not the time.

“Ah, you must be the young master of the house?” A middle-aged gentleman walked up to me with his hand out.

I shook his hand and my stomach nearly came out of my mouth. “Erm, yes, that’s me.”

The man then viewed Miya up and down positively and grinned disgustingly. “And you are also a connoisseur of the finest…company.” The man said this while taking a bite of an hors d'oeuvre he took from a waiter, he held it up, a meatball or something, then chewed glancing at Miya. “Just like your brother, I see.”

I felt Miya’s grip tighten. She was mad for sure. I nodded.

“Do tell me,” the man inquired, “do you offer rentals for your prizes as your brother does?”

I knew I had a single option. Deescalate the situation or Miya will kill this man. Why was the first person I ran into some millionaire asshole? It was cliché beyond belief. I was already lost and now I learned that Miya had a brother. Not only that, if this was the type of man I had to deal with, maybe Miya’s plan was so that she could listen in without them putting up a front or being sneaky? But how would they not know who she was?

“My brother…has more eccentric tastes than I do. I think my girl is of a finer, natural quality. This one is off limits, I plan to marry her.” I nudged my head towards her, “I’m sure you understand why.”

“Oh so early? I feel that many young ladies' hearts just broke.”

“That’s unfortunate for them…” I smiled. “But, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of people to attend to, you understand?”

“Ah, of course. Thank you for the time. I look forward to hearing from your...campaign manager.”

I nodded. I felt instinctively like puking. I had no idea what was going on. Miya made a big mistake putting me in the middle of a minefield.

Once that man had wandered off I allowed myself a miniscule breath of release.
“You sure do cause me problems.”

Miya said nothing in response.

A man and young woman approached next. I stood straight, and tried to keep as calm as

Possible. Despite my effort, my nerves were wrapping me in anxiety.

The lady looked down at Miya who was much shorter than her. The man was smiling at me calmly and extended his hand, “Mr. Weskaber, I am Trenton Scott.”

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance,” I shook his hand.

“Pleasure is mine, glad to be invited here. I’ve heard of your exploits and would love to be able to participate. Many companies have risen to great heights thanks to your effort. I want to join those ranks.”

What the fuck was he talking about? Miya, I hate you. If I had “exploits, and the other guy knew I wasn’t Miya’s brother, was there another brother that they didn’t know? Despite that something was being done via him in the business sector? Or did Miya just pass off her endeavors as something an unknown brother did?

“Mr. Scott, I assure you, that anyone willing to work with me, and remains cooperative can share in a mutually beneficial experience,” I spoke out of my ass, my motivation? What would a billionaire asshole say? Go with your gut, kids.

Trenton Scott offered me a drink, and I took it. “Thank you.”

As Mr. Scott wandered away I walked with Miya towards a nearby planter and dumped the drink. “This is tiresome.”

“My plant...you dick…” Miya whispered.

“What?”

“That was the last of its species. I was working with people to cure some pretty nasty diseases,” Miya elaborated.

“I don’t know if you’re joking, but it's too late now!”

“You just cost me…” Miya looked up and it caused me to glance over at an elderly woman that was approaching us. The woman hobbled steadily.

She smacked her lips gently in a grandmotherly way, then smiled at us. She leaned in, “I agree the drinks are quite distasteful.” She cackled playfully.

“It isn’t really my thing,” I agreed. “How are you enjoying the festivities?”

“I do feel like I am getting too old for these parties, but these young people would be lost without me. Ah, to be young again, be surrounded by the young beauties of the world.” The woman sighed longingly. “And it seems you have also picked yourself quite the flower. Are you a gardener?”

“Oh, she’s more than a flower. She’s worth more than I can afford, rare, the last of her kind…” I mimicked Miya complaining about the dying plant.

“Tell me, Mr. Weskaber, do you tend to a garden?”

“I don’t, actually. I’m quite too busy.”

“Well, let me give you some advice as a gardener myself, the flower you have decided to pick is quite a dangerous one.” She nodded slowly and smiled at Miya but the smile merely veiled a true emotion. “A poisonous one, quite aggressive as well. Shame your flower is already dead, but yet somehow it lives on.”

I raised my eyebrow in confusion. This lady was crazy.

“Like when you cut a rose from the bush…”

“Excuse me?”

“You have killed it,” she carried on, “but you extend its misery by placing it in a vase full

of water and you look at it everyday as it slowly dies in front of your eyes, and yet you pretend like its beauty.”

I grimaced despite my best efforts. “I have never thought about it in that way.”

“But it’s a slow death, isn’t that right, Miss Weskaber? Nothing but a dead poisonous rose with thorns larger than the petals. Young man, my final piece of advice. Either become a gardener, or stay out of the flower bed.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Now come give me a kiss.”

I leaned in and we kissed each-other on the cheek, when the ominous elderly woman stood, she nodded and began to hobble off. “Mr. Mason, Miss Weskaber, have a nice evening.”

I was quiet. Unable to process what just happened. Who the hell was that woman? Why did she know who I was when no one else seemed to? The garden thing was troubling as it was. I was surprised Miya did not hit her. It was almost insulting.

“What was she talking about, Miya?” But Miya said nothing. I should have guessed. We wandered about for another hour, talking small talk and finally Miya motioned for us to leave. I had never been happier than when we left that miserable room. I was so nervous I couldn’t even enjoy the marvelous food.

“You’re free to go,” Miya said.

“Are you alright?” I was concerned. “You seem different, since the old lady.”

“Scram, go, you wanted to leave, right?”

“I got dragged into it. But I can still be concerned, can’t I?”

Miya glared at me and began to walk away. “Go hang out with Juliet.”

She walked away, down the stairs and out a back door. I did not follow her. I decided I’d go find the others.

Taika was thrillingly juggling dinner rolls while Juliet watched with a kind smile. I stared at her for a moment, my mind suddenly conflicted with alternating emotions, my brain off course by a few miles. What was I even doing? What was happening around me. For some reason I was struck in the heart with a deeply saturated sense of dread. Since Seattle my life had been running off in a direction that I had no control over. My father took me away, I had to attend a new school, had to make new friends, Taika was a cool guy, but he was off his rocker, Miya was borderline sociopathic, and now I saw an angel, Juliet, and it was impossible to even say a word to her. I had been passively living through the days, performing the basic functions, now my mind was clouded with thoughts of Miya, the strange, ominous, terrifying rose, “with thorns larger than her petals,” why? Why when Juliet was right here? Juliet noticed me and smiled.

“Oh, wow he returns…” Taika caught the dinner rolls and took a bite out of one. “We were just talking about how we hadn’t seen you and Miya in a while, Miya and Elias sitting in a tree eh? K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”

“Stop it Taika, Miya wouldn’t even be interested in something like that,” Juliet sounded almost defensive.

“It was nothing like that…” I denied.

“So were you making out? You weren’t? I don’t believe it, you have soft lips, let me try!” Taika attempted to lean in and kiss me, I pushed him away. He laughed.

Whatever.

“So where’s Miya?” Juliet wondered.

“Dunno…”

“You weren’t with her?" Taika raised his eyebrow. He turned to a servant. “Hey, you! Where’s Miya?”

The servant spoke to him for a few moments and then Taika pocketed a few dinner rolls. “Aight then! Let’s go everyone, we got a girl to find.”

“Hmm?” Juliet questioned. Taika grabbed her by the arm gently and started pulling her towards that back yard. I followed disheartedly. After the little dinner party, I did not want to see Miya.

We made our way to the back and I trailed behind by a good margin. I was less than enthusiastic. When Taika found Miya she was staring up at the sky, like some kind of melodramatic soap opera star. She was startled and turned to meet Juliet who walked up to her. Miya leaned against the tree and acted shifty. As if she was doing something embarrassing, I kept my hands in my pockets and stayed quiet.

Miya was the first to speak, “What’s up?”

“What are you doing?” Juliet asked.

“Oh, nothing. Taking a walk, you know? Fresh air.”

Juliet pouted. “Miya doesn’t take fresh air breaks.”

“Want a bread roll,” Taika held one out, his mouth still full.

Miya frowned. “Three versus one, isn’t very fair.”

“Playing fair with you isn’t fair, you’re too smart for that,” Juliet responded.

“I never said that.”

“But we all know it. Is something wrong?”

“I’m just trying to give you bread balls, they’re amazing!” Taika cheered

“Nothing’s wrong. Why would something be wrong?”

“Miya?”

“What?”

Juliet held a sad smile. “Stop.”

“I’m not the one with balled bread, you need to stop him.”

“Focus.”

“I don’t want to.”

Taika continued to munch. “This one has cheese inside...what the…”

Miya made a disgusted look. “How horrifying.”

“Speak for yourself mate, this is like Christmas!” Taika said happily.

“We should all go inside,” Miya changed the subject.

Taika swallowed. “Sounds like a waste. We’re already here. Let’s stay, sit under the moonlight or something.”

“I’d rather not, with my pale skin, I look like a ghost under the stars.”

“Well, air is like food, better when you share it with friends, right Miya?” Julie astutely declared.

“If I could charge people for air, I would.”

“And I’d buy it,” Juliet said back. It made me take note of her change. As if she was fighting something. Miya? No, her own fear? Regret? I don’t know. She continued, “because I support my friends, no matter how selfish.”

“I think it’s better if we head inside. The others are there as well,” I chimed in.

Miya nodded. “Finally someone with common sense.”

“You guys don’t know what you’re missing out with these…” Taika ate his last bread ball.

I leaned my head back gazing up at the sky. It was a nice night. Calming, and yet my head was filled with crap. I heard the three of them talking ahead of me. It was mumbled, and I was not paying much attention. Taika cheered, “Best job ever.” Whatever that meant. My guess was Miya was going to make him do something. I just wanted to sleep.

We got inside and the party lasted later than it should, everyone fell asleep in the early morning.