For years my life was in a state of Adjournment…
Fate had constructed a plan to push me away… to save me…
There was a danger I never knew existed, one I had never sensed.
My family positioned themselves around me.
Like Hanging Pawns, they shielded me from it and I lived blissfully unaware… until now.
Now, I know there are rules to this game...
Sacrifices to be made in order to get to End Game.
What would I Sacrifice for one more moment... one last look? Touch? Kiss?
The answer is simple…
Everything.
Chapter 1
Ignorance isn’t always bliss…
How did I get here? Not this specific seat
exactly… I mean here, in this part of my life, where I never would have
considered being. I know the events that led me here—my sisters moving back, my
parents’ vow renewal, and a weekend that I could have practiced better control.
Could have.
I won’t deny it to myself that I wanted it to
happen. I won’t deny it to you either…but Simon…
Well, he doesn’t need to know the truth. He’d be
smug and pompous…or should I say he’d be himself. Simon was right about one thing,
though. He said nothing about this game would be simple, and so far, it isn’t.
If it was, the game would be over by now, and I would be sitting somewhere else
having breakfast instead of waiting for him to join us.
Raising my coffee to my mouth, I sit here trying
to ignore the pleas of Mea while we wait for everyone to get here.
“Please,” she asks.
“No.” I lean back in my seat staring at her.
“Please.” I watch her cup her hands and bring them
up to her chest as she pleads.
“No.”
Here it comes…I can see the anger building, the
slight twitch in her eye starting.
“Why not?” She drops her hands and her voice
becomes louder than it was a few seconds ago.
Because bothering you is so much fun.
“Because I don’t like women…and I don’t want an
assistant,” I tell her.
“Well, you do want an assistant,” Lexi mumbles.
“See!” Mea points to Lexi. “I’ll be so good! I
follow you around anyway, and I hate women, too!” She bounces in her chair.
“I know. You’re like a lost little puppy.” My face
wrinkles when she starts the face. “Did you forget? You’re Josh’s assistant,” I
remind her for the millionth time. “How are we going to explain why you’re
suddenly mine?”
We aren’t because she has no answer to that. For
months, she’s been Josh’s assistant on set. Actually, if I’m being truthful,
she has years of being Josh’s assistant under her belt.
Am I using that as a scapegoat?
Umm, yes!
I have to put up with her all day everyday anyway.
I don’t need her as an Ass, too.
“I’m bored with Josh,” she whines, ignoring my
question.
That’s nice…I’m sure your husband would like to
know he bores you at work.
“Fine,” I
groan, taking another mouthful of coffee.
“Really?” Mea’s voice is so happy, so filled with
joy.
Stupid question.
“No,” I smirk into my mug so she can’t see me.
It’s not that I don’t like Mea…I like her a lot,
actually. She’s just so much fun to tease.
“You’re a jerk,” Mea pouts.
See? Look at that lip. So. Much. Fun.
“We’ve been coming here every Sunday for weeks and
every Sunday it starts out the same. Could you just tell her yes and be done
with it.” Lexi’s head falls over the back of her chair.
Once again, the problem isn’t her being my Ass.
It’s the fact that she is already Josh’s and further more… the girl knows
nothing about make-up.
“I don’t
know why you want to be my assistant. Like you said, it’s same thing you do
now…just follow me around and look busy. Why do you need the title?” I look out
the restaurant window, searching for the rest of our group.
“Because when I tell people I’m your assistant, it
won’t feel like a lie.” She grabs a menu to look through it.
Wait, what?
“I…you…,” I try to think of something to say.
What a freaking jerk! She just admitted to lying
to everyone about being my Ass.
Wait…this makes sense now. Every time someone
mentioned giving something to my assistant, I laughed and said yeah.
Dammit! Mea took total advantage of my ignorance!
“This doesn’t make us friends.” I glare at her,
still trying not to laugh.
Do I get a say in anything?
“Never.” Mea smiles.
I feel like that answers both my verbal and mental
question.
“It doesn’t mean we’re going to be friends,
either. We aren’t going to chitchat and gossip. I’m not about to play dress up
and do your make-up.” I put my mug down on the table to wiggle my fingers
through the air.
“So, cuddling is off the table too, then,” she
asks catching me off guard.
Beg your pardon…
“Why the hell would we need to cuddle?” I ask, and
Lexi begins to laugh.
“Well, say I’m stuck at your apartment because
there’s so much snow outside. Does a sleepover count as all of those things?”
She looks at us.
Pressing my lips together, I try to make sense of
what she just said.
“Why the frig would you be at my apartment?” I
question her.
“Well, why not?” She looks at me then Lexi, whose
body is being jolted around by laughter.
“I…I honestly have no answer that you would
accept,” I breathe out, exhausted.
“Okay. Can I ask one more question, though?” Mea
beams.
“Just one?” I wait for it, trying to mentally
prepare myself for the next bizarre thing she might spout out.
I think my eye is starting to twitch.
I need a cup.
Reaching down into my bag, I pull a few out.
“Eh, it depends on your answer…” She looks behind
me.
“Fine, go ahead.” I turn to see everyone walking
over to us, as I unwrap my medication.
“What if that did happen?” she asks.
That’s the same question with different words!
I’m going to have to make sure this girl never
gets the opportunity to come over. I’ll never get her out.
“Then you can sleep on the couch or cuddle with
Lexi.” I point to Lexi.
Sweet peanut buttery goodness…you’re the only one
who gets me.
“Sidney only cuddles when she’s drunk. Then she’ll
do all those things…play with your hair and gossip, the whole nine yards. Other
than that, she’s a stick in the mud,” Lexi laughs.
I must attract people like this.
“She’s going to make me be her friend, isn’t she?”
I ask Simon when he pulls out his seat next to me.
“I would love to tell you that you have a choice,
but I think she’s going to win this one.” He lightly pinches my cheek.
Releasing a heavy sigh, I agree.
“Thank you for not lying to me.”
“Thank you for not lying to me.”
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Emersyn Vallis is a first time author with Adjournment being the first book in the Fated Series. Currently residing on the east coast with her husband and three children she is typically mistaken for being quiet and reserved her friends often describe her as a spastic spider monkey and always the first to be there with her quick wit to pull you back up when you’re feeling down. After reading as a hobby for most of her life it wasn’t until she had discovered R. L. Mathewson’s ‘Neighbor from Hell Series’ and Tara Sivec’s ‘Playing with Fire Series’ that she came up with the idea to fuse comedy and suspense together and her passion for writing was born.
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