Page 44 of Then Came You

"It is. The only two people who call me Row are Xan and Cin. I prefer Row, and that's what I go by." I pinch my brows together. I'm developing a headache, and I have another two hours at least to fake it through this farce.

"Dad!" Zee snaps his fingers together as if the best idea has ever come to him. "You should totally contract Row to do all the hair stuff for the Foundation. She needs extra money." I could die on the spot. "Just wave your magic CEO hand and make it happen."

What?

"The CEO?" I choke, involuntarily sputtering and spitting at him.

I feel two centimetres tall. I look at Blade with a look of betrayal and hurt. I feel like the last few months have been a complete and utter lie. I knew he was wealthy, but how could we have shared so many personal things about our lives and not touch on the most obvious details?

As if on cue to make this situation worse, Avalon swans over, embracing Xander.

"Hi, baby." She kisses him. Looking at Xander between both his parents, he's a spitting image of both. So is Haven. How the heck didn't I put two and two together? "Cin, so good to see you again, sweetheart." She says it in a syrupy way that makes my teeth hurt and leans over to give her an air kiss.

What even is an air kiss?

"Rowena, maybe less talking and more working, hm?" Her clipped tone confirms she thinks I'm the scum of the earth.

"Mum, it's Row, and she's a friend," Xander laughs at my expense.

"Zee met her at a public library by chance, and adopted her. Now she hangs out with us," Cin says in a mocking tone.

This whole exchange is insufferable.

No one's face in the history of the universe has ever been as red as mine is right now.

But she's right.

Who the heck do I think I am, believing I could fit in here?

I'm surrounded by elegant, rich, stunning people who probably eat truffles and gold flake caviar for breakfast.

For most of my whole life, I haven't even been able to afford to eat breakfast.

I've never felt more insignificant.

"Well, either way, she's here to work, not to gossip. Make sure you say hi to both sets of grandparents, and lunch tomorrow at the club?" Xander nods as she sashays off.

It hasn't escaped me that Blade has been eerily quiet beside me. I didn't expect him to defend me to his ex-wife, but I didn't expect the disrespect either.

"Well, I am getting paid, so I should probably get back to seeing if the little ones need anything." If you looked up deflated in the dictionary, there'd be an image of me.

"Actually, before you do, getting back to what Zee said, you'd really be helping me out. Do you think I could hire you on a contract basis for some of the events we have coming up?" It's left field and makes me feel cheap once again.

"She's not exactly qualified," Cindy bursts, intending to ruin this opportunity for me. There's an icy gleam in her eye that's deceptively calculating.

"I disagree," he says curtly. A thrill zooms through my body at his bite. Cindy purses her lips in a sneering smile, while Xander thinks it's a great idea.

"Yes. This is perfect. You'll at least have two big jobs with the World's Greatest Shave Ball and the Light the Night event."

The offer is too good to be true, but I know it's only a pity offer after how I've been treated by his ex-wife. I also know this is his way of ending things between us, and this is just a consolation.

"Can I think about it?" I whisper, embarrassed by the attention. I dip my head down, not feeling worthy enough to be in the mere presence of this type of royalty.

"Sure." I can hear his apology in his voice.

Over the next hour, I speak to Xander and Cindy more about the STEM competition entries, which I've been keeping up with out of sheer fascination, and end up in a heated debate over funding models for cancer treatments, which is something I'm obviously passionate about, being on the opposite end of the wealth spectrum. Cindy doesn't think the Australian Government should fund as much as they do. Does she realise that without it, my sister would be dead? If we lived in almost any other country in the world, I would essentially be alone? Tensions de-escalate when Xander's uncle, Alex, and his wife, Sydney, come over to chat.

I love Sydney immediately, if for nothing else than the fact that she spray-painted her hair Smurf Blue so she could look like Marge Simpson and terrorise her husband, who is scared of The Simpsons. When she chases him around the yard and almost pushes him into the infinity pool, I giggle. Their silliness is refreshing among the snobbiness surrounding me. I end up talking to a few parents who want to hire me for their own kids' birthdays and finish off by chatting with Grant, Blade's father.

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