I wake up the next morning later than anticipated. When I look at the clock it was already nine-forty.

"Shit, Shit, Shit!" I quickly jump out of bed hurriedly grabbing my clothes from the floor. I was meant to meet my mum at ten-thirty, I don't even have time to drive back to my apartment to change clothes.

I scramble to the place I think is the bathroom behind the wall but much to my surprise it's a huge walk in closet filled with his clothes. Oh, I can smell all the cinnamon from the shirts hanging on the shelves. I wanna go smell everything but I have no time. I need to find the bathroom.

When I start walking back out through the small hallway back to his bedroom, I notice that there is another door. How did I not notice it walking in? It's a sliding kind of door and when I walk in, I finally have found what I am looking for. 

He has a huge oval shaped bathtub and a massive shower with two showerheads. Takes me a while to figure out how to turn them on, but when I do, I shower as quickly as possible drying myself and putting on yesterday's clothes.

When I'm done, I walk over to the double sinks counter with a massive mirror. Somehow the bags under my big grey eyes have disappeared. I guess sleeping in Damien's bed seemed to have done me some good.

I notice that there's a cup with two toothbrushes in it. I smile nodding my head thinking about how he was just so ahead of everything, already assuming before I made up my mind that I would stay.

I brush my teeth, bring my hair into order and walk back out into the living room. I grab my phone which is still on the table and notice that my mum has texted me, she wants to meet at Café Medina. I send her a brief text saying I'll just meet her there.

Café Medina was really close from Damien's apartment block, I'd be able to walk there, but I decide to take his car anyway, just so that I can drive back to my apartment and change out of these clothes.

When I walk into the café it is already so busy. Everything is wooden, with hanging urban lights and snippets of baby blue wallpaper. I try searching for my mum and notice she is sitting at the end near the kitchen.

When I walk up to her, she stands embracing me into a hug. Lovingly, I hug her back.

When she releases me from our hug, I take a look at her, her dyed platinum hair, cut and styled perfectly into a bob. She was wearing a beige sweater with a white blouse underneath, looking as elegant as ever.

"Hi mama."

"Hello Sweetie, how have you been? You looked like you rushed yourself this morning," she comments as she takes her seat. I take off my coat and sit opposite her.

"I slept in more than I wanted to."

"Have you been overworking? I hope you weren't doing anything too strategic last night." She raises her eyebrow at me, cocking her head.

"Mama!"

I'm always so shocked at the forwardness of my mother's comments.

"You know how I feel about babies before marriage," she says waving her hands up in the air in defence. "I just want you to be safe." She places her cold hand on mines resting on the table.

"I know, and I know."

Just then the waitress comes over to our table to take our order. She's all smiley, showing us her teeth, as she listens to my mum's order.

"I'll have some black tea and waffles."

The waitress turns her head over to me.

"Eh, I'll have the same please."

"Coming right up," she pipes out taking the menus from us and walks away.

"I assume things have sorted themselves out between you and Damien if you stayed over at his place," she says to me as she places a napkin over her lap.

"Yeah, we talked it out, kinda, mostly I just really missed him."

"He must really mean a lot to you."

"He does, he really does mama." I feel like I am about to start choking on my own tears. Thinking about the love I have for Damien is sometimes unbearable because it's so strong.

"I'm happy for you Annabelle, truly, but tell me where does he live?" she looks genuinely intrigued, so I decide to just tell her the truth. I mean where's the harm in it?

"In a penthouse, here on Richards Street," I state as normally as I could. Trying my best to sound neutral.

My mums mouth drops open. I bet she didn't expect him to be this wealthy, but then again neither have I.

"Impressive, unexpected, but impressive, what does he do again?"

Oh no! What do I say to this question? I can't possibly tell her that he's the devil and can have whatever he wants. I scatter my mind, trying to think of something to say and then I remember I mentioned he has people making deals with him, so I chose to play on those words.

"Deals, he does some kind of business I guess."

My mum looks even more impressed. I can already tell what she is thinking, that I've bucked myself one hell of a handsome rich fella.

Right on queue our food and drinks arrive. I am starving and don't hesitate to dig into my food. My mother chuckles at me and my eagerness for food but I don't think about it. I am hungry.

Mid meal my mum decides to bring up a topic I did not expect her to talk about, especially not here.

"I got a call from my lawyer yesterday."

We both pause eating, holding our utensils still as we stare at each-other.

"About?" I ask chewing and swallowing the food in my mouth.

"They said your dad has a year left, but he is applying for parole, do you know anything about this?" She sounds and looks serious now.

"No, I mean I went to visit him a few days ago but he hasn't mentioned anything about applying for parole."

Why didn't he? My dad always tells me everything with all that we have been through. Maybe it wasn't his idea, maybe it was just a sudden change that his lawyer suggested.

"You should call and ask," mentions my mum.

"Yeah, I will soon when I have the time."

With that the topic comes to an end and we eat mainly in silence, occasionally talking about the weather and my mums job. She was an architect and travelled quite often to the US to help some clients. She actually has a trip coming up next weekend to San Francisco.

When we are done, we pay for our bills and put on our coats. Standing up my mum clasps her arms around mines and giggling about the new waiter we walk outside into the somewhat sunny Vancouver.

"Are you going to go back to Damien place?" asks my mum as we are standing, outside the entrance to the café.

"Yeah but first I have to go back to my apartment and change."

"Hmm, I don't see your car around."

My mum is looking around across the street to a line of parked cars.

Hesitantly, "Yeah, eh...that's cuz I'm taking Damien car." I point to Damien's space grey Bentley. I was pretty sure he got it custom made arriving weeks later straight from London.

My mum makes a few comments on the car before turning around to hug me once again.

"Drive safely okay?"

"Will do mama."

When she release me from her hug, she runs her fingers through my hair with what looks like a smile, but sad, almost sympathetic, but for what?

I wait until my mum is gone from my eyesight before I cross the street and get into Damien Bentley. It sure damn was a joy to drive.

At home I quickly strip out of my clothes slipping into a pair of jeans, a sheer blue sweater and my leather jacket. Just in case the possibility of staying over at Damien's again is going to happen, I take an extra pair of panties into my bag.

I make sure to refill Salem's bowl with food and as I do, he purrs loudly at me.

"You know I'm still kinda mad at you for being a secret spy camera," I scold him feeling like I am talking to an errant child that doesn't understand.

"Next time I ask you give me some kind of cat signal before you go tattle tale on me to my boyfriend," I continue as I stand up and put away his food bag in the cupboard.

I look down at him with my hands on my hips. Salem is sitting back and purrs sweetly.

I sigh, "Okay purring harmoniously it is."

I give up on the cat, grabbing my bag and keys, I lock the door and head back out.

Outside my small apartment block, I walk fast paced back to the car. Making big long strides as I walk through the apartment blocks of the neighbourhood. I being to feel a little self-conscious, thinking about how some of my neighbours might just be peeking out of their windows to take a look at the one and only most glamorous car in out parking lot. I try shaking the thought out of my head.

Once I get to the car, I unlock it and put my bag at the back. Once I am about to get into the driver's seat, I hear my name being called out. Loud and clear and the voice is familiar. Overly high-pitched in a somewhat annoying way. I turn around and who do I see walking towards me? Nina Nipus herself.

"Oh my gosh, hi, I didn't know you lived around here too." she embraces me into an unwanted hug leaving my hands hanging in the air. "New car? Flashy."

"Nina!" I'm stunned I don't want to believe my eyes. What are the odds of her living in one of the apartment blocks.

"I had no idea you lived here too."

"I know, what are the odds!"

She sounds overly excited. A little too excited, I think. Showing me her perfect teeth and revealing her strong feminine features with her hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"Are you okay?" I sound timid for some reason. "After your pets death?"

Her whole demeanour changes. She suddenly looks cold and annoyed that I've even bothered to ask.

"I'm...O-kay," she struggles out her words.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but...what kind of pet was it?"

"A guinea pig."

"Oh."

I don't know why my mind tries to go there but I for a second try to make the correlation between her rat pig dying and the lost mouse in my apartment. Surely that's just a coincidence.

"I see that you are going somewhere, I'll see you on Monday."

She walks away from me waving her hand in the air to gesture a goodbye. I wave back, get in the car and drive back to Damien's sky castle. 

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