Page 77 of Provocation
I go into the bathroom and perform my morning routine the best I can, finding several new toothbrushes still in their plastic under the sink along with some tiny travel-sized toothpastes as well as various other toiletries.
When I’m finished, I crack the door, making sure there’s no one around to see me streaking back to the bedroom. I look around for my clothes and grimace. I left them in the lab. Not particularly wanting to go across the dark cellar naked, I start looking in the drawers of the ebony black bureau.
In the second drawer, I find a note on top of some clothes.
Daisy. These are for you.’ ~ S, M & B
I pull out a pair of jeans and a black tank, finding several bra and underwear sets, and socks, too. In the drawer underneath, there are some sweaters.
Smiling a little, I get dressed.
They make sure I have everything I need before I even know I need it. When I’m hungry, there’s food. When I’m craving water, a drink appears. There’s even a little basket in the bathroom with sanitary products in it, which I’m going to need imminently.Hopefully.
This has been happening for weeks. I haven’t once said thank you, I realize with a pang. I hadn’t even noticed on a conscious level that they’ve all been making sure to take care of me.
I take out my phone, which is fully charged because one of them plugged it in for me last night. If it were up to meto remember, the battery would have been dead days ago, and I’d have forgotten all about it. I need to do something back. Something for them, to show that I care, too.
But, first, I should probably make sure this Sauvage guy isn’t going to kill them because I didn’t get his batch of Envy done in time.
I go to the lab with my fingers crossed, hoping as I read the data print outs that everything is how it should be.
I’m relieved when I see that all the levels are within acceptable parameters, and that the resulting powder is bright green as requested.
I pour it and the inactive ingredients into the mixer, letting it run for a few minutes. When it stops, I pop the cylinders into the pill press and turn it over by hand. A little, round, bright green pill falls into the tray, and I do a little happy dance as I press the button.
The machine beeps and I echo it as it starts to do its thing, and I begin the next batch of Envy immediately.
Now that I’m getting used to the process, I don’t think I’m going to need to check on it quite so much, so I put some new times into my phone for it to alert me.
When I turn around, I find a steaming mug of tea on the table and I frown, sure that wasn’t there a minute ago. At the same time, I realize my lower abdomen is cramping, signaling the start of my period. I let myself feel the relief. I’m definitely not ready for a baby.
My phone vibrates in my hand with a message from Mav.
You were in the zone. Come upstairs when you’re done x
I quickly clean up after myself and bag up the pills, labeling them and putting them in the safe with Batch One. I take my tea and leave the lab, closing it up behind me.
In the bathroom, I grab some feminine products to last me the day from the basket under the sink and put one on.
Upstairs, the club is predictably deserted, but I see Mav behind the bar, stocking drinks.
He grins when he sees me, his eyes surveying me as I put my mug on the bar and clamber up onto one of the stools.
A croissant on a napkin is placed in front of me.
‘Thanks,’ I say, suddenly even more starkly aware that I’ve been justtakingtheir generosity for weeks and giving nothing back like some kind of kindness pirate.
When was the last time I even asked how Mav’s day was? Internally, I cringe. I’m a terrible person.
‘Morning.’ Shade says from behind me.
He kisses me on the cheek and I only just stop myself from leaning into him.
‘You have class in thirty minutes. We better get going.’
I lean over the bar to kiss Mav, and he looks pleased.
‘Where’s Blake?’ I ask.
