Page 61 of Feel Free to Scream

She’s being nice to me.

I guess I thought people would be giving me the cold shoulder, calling me a snitch, or even a whore. What did Keller tell them about me?

As I pass them to get to my seat, the rest of the table introduces themselves one by one, remaining in their seats. I shake hands and repeat my name dumbly.

When I’m next to Keller, he stands to hold my seat. “The cook will always prepare enough food for twelve,” he says. “That’s the seven official members of the tower, these two”—he waves towards his cousin—“and a few guests. He needs notice if there are more people—around four hours, ideally. Dinner’s usually served at seven thirty. You can request it in your room, or anywhere else in the house if you’re not feeling social. If you miss it, leftovers are in the fridge. They do disappear the next day at twelve. It goes to the cafeteria; we wouldn’t want waste.”

I nod, assimilating exactly none of the information.

The doors open again, before a man rolling in a large serving cart.

“Where is she? Where is the meat girl?”

Everyone chuckles. The meat girl being me, Keller tilts his head my way. “Right here, Claudio.”

A man in a sharp white apron without a speck of dust, let alone a stain, rushes towards me, practically skipping. “Che bellezza.I knew you would be beautiful.” He takes both of my hands. “Yes. Do you like pasta?”

I feel like my life depends on the answer. Luckily, I don’t have to lie. “Yes, I love pasta.”

“I knew.” He nods to himself. “If you ask a woman what she wants to eat, and she says steak, you marry her. That’s the secret to happiness. I made you the best steak you have ever eaten,” he vows.

He is not lying.

In fact I have to wonder if I’ve ever eaten steak, because the rich cut melting in my mouth feels like something completely different from what I’ve had before. And after, there’s a course of lobster tail and cream over an array of colorful, delicious things I cannot describe. He calls it salad. I’m too busy to eat to talk, think, or even feel out of place. This is anexperience.

“He cooksevery day?” I marvel.

I’m going to be the size of a house in a week.

“Yes. Believe it or not, it’s actually healthy,” Calla says. “I despise exercise, and his food keeps me in shape anyway.”

She does not look like a girl who despise exercise, that’s for sure.

Dessert is a chocolate mousse with raspberries. Maybe I should propose to Claudio. I might, if he weren’t very clearly gay.

He joins us for dessert, and openly flirts with Young Thor.

Tia and Sebastian are the first to leave, soon followed by Calla, then Young Thor—he introduced himself as Richard, I think.

Keller stands right after. “I’d better head up, too. Thank you, Claudio.”

I’m on my feet before I think it through. “Yes, thank you. It was truly wonderful.”

I feel very awkward about leaving my plate and everything, but everyone else did the same.

“Can I help tidy up?”

“Isn’t she the sweetest? No,bella, you do not help. Not evenIhelp, here. There are two cleaners working here every day, yes? We wouldn’t want them out of a job.”

“Oh.” Blushing, I nod. “Right. It was the best meal of my life.”

“Ah, Claire, Claire. Say things like this to me, and I take it as a challenge. We’ll do better tomorrow.”

Yep. I am going to gain ten pounds this week and be happy about it.

I follow Keller out of the room, and into the elevator in silence.

25

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