Page 31 of Semblance

Did I hear him correctly? “What?”

“You now live in the Penthouse suite at the Luxe down on Fifth Street,” Abraham repeated.

This had to be a joke. “Abraham, I can’t afford a condo there, let alone a parking spot.”

“It’s all been taken care of Ms. Aria.”

I shook my head. “Abraham, thank you for the gifts and all, but I really can’t accept any of it.”

Abraham tilted his head towards the piles of shopping bags in my hands. “It looks like you already have,” he pointed out.

“Uh yeah…” I began. “I kind of lost control.”

“What are you afraid of Aria?” Abraham asked.

“I don’t want to be owned by anyone,” I replied. “Not by Shadow or the Midnight Society. I haven’t earned any of this stuff and I don’t want to be in debt to anyone.”

“We’ll never ask for you to pay this stuff back,” Abraham said. “Accept it as a gift.”

“You know the saying ‘if it’s too good to be true?’”

“I am aware of Shadow’s arrangement with you. After two dates, the fictional relationship between Shadow and yourself will end. I also understand that these two dates will take up a lot of your time and efforts. Consider all these gifts as payment for your time.”

“In exchange for two dates, you’re giving me a condo,” I stated. “That’s way too much.”

“The Midnight Society offers exceptionally competitive rates,” Abraham said.

I stood on the sidewalk dumbfounded—shopping bags in hand—and stared pensively at the ground. I was still unsure about any of this. I just didn’t trust the Midnight Society and whatever games they had me involved in.

“I feel like an over-priced escort,” I finally sighed.

“Nonsense,” Abraham said. “You won’t be required to have sex with anyone.”

I had the mental image of Shadow pressing his massive, rock-hard body against my naked flesh and it sent shivers all over my body. I guess that wouldn’t have beensobad.

“Right,” I said.

“So Ms. Aria, I guess the question for you now is, do you intend to spend the rest of the evening standing on this shady street with your expensive clothes, enticing savage criminals to rob you of all your gifts? Or will you get into the car and allow me to drive you to your new four thousand square-foot condo?”

He made a good sales pitch.

I opened the passenger door to the limo, tossed all of my bags into the backseat and got in.

“Home Jeeves,” I said.

“Please don’t call me that,” Abraham said, pleasantly. “I’m not a butler.”

“Sorry.”

“All is forgiven,” he said cheerfully. “Your new home awaits my princess. Welcome to the world of the social elite.”

#

Chapter Nine

I had to be in a dream. The condo—my new home—was simply stunning. It was a four thousand square-foot urbanized wonderland filled with expensive and stylish furniture, marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and a view to the city that took my breath away. The best part was the brilliant D-274 Steinway piano sitting at the centre of the living room.

I felt like a queen sitting high on her throne above the clouds.

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