Volumes of the Vemreaux Complete Collection: A Dystopian Adventure Trilogy, page 57
“Look good, smell bad,” she agreed, turning her focus on the screen once again.
“I need a better entourage,” Liam complained sourly.
“Doesn’t count if you ask someone on payroll. What’s she gonna do? She won’t tell you how lucky you are to be rich and famous, since you’ve given up taking care of your looks.” Brody’s scathing comment earned him a pillow tossed across the room in his direction. “Ask this one,” he elbowed Baird, who was sitting next to him on the floor amidst the pile of books.
“Stunning,” Baird offered tonelessly. He was bothered that Blue had looked to Alec for approval, and not him.
When Liam grumbled with a frown that gave no signs of lightening up any time soon, the Wayward took pity on the man only he knew to be his cousin. “I wasn’t kidding when I told you I could help you get in shape for your change.”
Arms folded childishly, Liam jutted out his lower lip. “I guess that’d be okay.” In his fake pout, he caught a glimpse of Blue’s hands tighten their grip on her knees. Her shoulders tensed as she stared unblinking at the television. “You alright, kitten?” Liam asked, softening a little.
“Mm-hmm.” Blue’s eyes widened as they jumped rapidly back and forth in their sockets. Her hands lifted to her temples as the focus she was giving the television became painful.
“Dude,” Brody commented to Baird, not bothering to hide his disgust. “Your sister’s weird.”
Baird responded with a barely audible, “Then maybe you shouldn’t use wrestling as an excuse to put your hands on her,” and then went back to his reading.
Brody snarled at the Wayward. He returned his attention to his book, but occasionally would mutter something that sounded like “freak” under his breath.
Sam returned five minutes later, handing Blue the last few stock sections from the newspaper.
“Thank you.” She managed to tear her vision from the screen for a moment to look up at him. He sat down on the couch, but she was already kneeling on the floor with the three pages set out before her by the time he made contact with the cushion. Blue studied the three-day-old section first, scanning it from top to bottom feverishly. Using the tip of her short fingernail, she etched into the flimsy paper a line through several stock names. She did so with the following two reports, drawing Liam and Sam’s attention.
“Do you want a pen?” Sam offered her the writing utensil he’d been jotting down notes with.
“No, thank you,” she mumbled, not tearing herself from her private project.
“Tell him why, Blue,” Baird instructed without looking up.
“You only have to write stuff down if you’re stupid.”
“And are you stupid?” Baird questioned.
“No, Baird.” Her monotone clued the men in that she was regurgitating one of Baird’s life lessons that they all came to think of as preposterous. “Is there a way to see stocks even further back?”
“Sure, but you’ll have to get over your distrust of technology and look it up on my phone.” Sam pulled out his phone and tapped it a few times to get it to the webpage she needed. He instructed her on how to move from day to day on it, and then handed over the device.
The intensity of her focus was drawing everyone’s attention from whatever they were doing. She began rocking back and forth as she held her temples. Her focus was unnerving.
Sam moved forward on the couch, but Baird shook his head at the Vemreaux, indicating that he should leave her alone for the moment.
After several long minutes of silence, she dropped the papers from her dainty hands and looked back up at Baird. She handed the phone back to Sam. “Done.” The release of her focal point brought on a throbbing headache that echoed beneath her eyes. She pinched the bridge of her nose and spread out her fingers to relieve the tension.
“Faster next time. That one took you almost twenty minutes. Not good.” Baird was unaffected by her behavior, but the others found it unsettling. They were beginning to be very glad that Baird was there to translate her odd actions. “Headache?”
“Yeah,” she admitted, standing up to join Sam and Liam on the couch once again. Sam’s arm fell around her shoulders before her back even hit the cushion, drawing her head to his shoulder. Blue did not think her actions through enough to let her shyness stop her, but instead cuddled into his warmth. It was difficult to be parted from him for so long, but Baird had been right. She could not concentrate as well with him so near.
“Where’s your headache, baby?” Sam asked sweetly. When Blue pointed to her forehead, he pressed one palm above her eyes and the other at the back of her head and pushed inward. The compression made the tension begin to dissipate. He smiled at her grateful expression when he released the hold.
Unable to quell his curiosity, Liam threw his hands up. “Well, what was that? What had you so crazy down there, Blue?”
“I was just trying to figure out what’s gonna happen tomorrow. I don’t like surprises.”
“In the stock market?” Liam inquired. Blue made a noise of assent. “Kitten, you’re going to give yourself plenty of headaches trying to predict that. It’s a gamble, plain and simple. There’s no way to tell for sure what’ll happen.”
“Yes, I can,” she protested, indignant that he thought so little of her. “I just did!”
“Oh, yeah?” Liam challenged, grinning at her pout. “Do tell, oh wise one. What would you put your money on?”
“AMS, GEL, and STR,” she answered succinctly.
“Do you even know what companies those are?” Brody jeered.
“No. Does it matter?”
“Amsteron, Gelotricare and Striphicer Supplies,” Sam clarified for her. Shaking his head, Sam showed her his notepad that did not have those names scribbled on it. “Amsteron goes up a little every now and then, but the price is too high to buy in this late in the game, dolcezza. Gelotricare and Striphicer Supplies are the kind that might go up a few brandishes here and there, but nothing to make any real money off of. Those two go down as often as they go up.”
“No, they don’t. At least not tomorrow. Gelotricare hits a bump up every sixty-two days. Striphicer goes up every thirty-one. They’ll both hit a good bump tomorrow. Amsteron is pricey, but worth the buy if you do it today. Tomorrow it’s going to go up a lot. So long as I get rid of it in three days, the profit’s there.”
Sam’s mouth opened, but no response came.
Blue shook her head. “You’re buying Protocol? But Sam, that’s going straight down by Wednesday. Are you sure you want to do that?”
Sam pulled back to get a better look at her. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
Blue shrugged to indicate that she would not have wasted almost half an hour from his side for nothing.
“Why don’t you put your money where your big, braggy mouth is?” Brody sneered.
“You know I don’t have money,” Blue responded quietly.
“Sure, you do, kitten. You get a paycheck for being my personal wench,” Liam said playfully. Joking or not, this earned him a solid punch in the arm from Sam. Liam rubbed the spot and mouthed “Ow!” in his direction. “Every week you get money deposited directly into the bank account I set up for you. Didn’t I tell you?”
Alec shook his head at the man’s irresponsibility. “You probably forgot to give her the green bill card, too.”
Liam leaned toward Blue and dug out his wallet from his back pocket. “Oh, yeah. I guess I did. Here you go. Don’t spend it all in one place.”
“How much do I have in my account?” she asked, staring at the shiny green plastic card with wonder. Blue grimaced. “What is this?” She pointing at her name.
Liam grinned. “They don’t print nicknames on bill cards, kitten. Idahlia Jane Anders is gonna stay right there. That is, until this one makes you Idahlia Jane Boniface someday.”
Her screwed up expression conveyed her confusion, but Sam shot his best friend a look of death. “How much?” she inquired, fingering the plastic curiously.
“I don’t know. I think it’s one fifty per day or something like that.” Liam shrugged at the sum.
Blue gasped. “But Liam, I don’t really do anything to earn that money! You have to take it back. It’s not right.” She tried to shove the plastic card back into his hand. “You won’t even let me clean your room for you!”
“You do plenty. You keep me company. You do housework you’re not supposed to.” Shaking his head, Liam chucked her under the chin affectionately. “The point is that you’re ready for me at a moment’s notice. And you did get me water today. That’s something.” Blue cut her eyes to her brother, who purposefully looked down at his book. “So what’re you going to do with your fortune?” Liam teased.
“I’ll put it toward buying Griffin when he’s of age,” she responded immediately. She’d felt so guilty at not being able to earn tips to pitch in for the effort. This made everything much better, like she was still connected to her family and the girls back home, united by their common goal. “Baird, we might be able to actually do it, now! Griff won’t have to die at life expectancy!” Baird nodded at the green bill card appreciatively, but Blue could tell he did not approve of money they had not earned.
“You could always lose it all in the stock market with your arrogant little assumptions,” Brody spoke up, earning him a scowl from Baird. “Unless you’re all talk. Typical virgin.”
“Enough, Brody!” Sam warned. The truce the room had been operating under was reaching its expiration. “Don’t listen to him, caro. Keep your money in your account. Trust me. The stock market’s too addictive and risky.”
“Risky?” she questioned. “But I know what’s going to happen. Where’s the risk?”
Baird spoke up. “Are you sure, Blue?” He put his book down. She nodded with no sign of doubt. Baird stood and pulled out a fifty bill, then walked over to the couch and dropped it in her lap. The girl inhaled sharply at how easily he handed over the money. “How much will that be in two days?”
She blinked twice. “Tomorrow it’ll be seventy, and the next day it’ll be ninety-six, give or take a brandish or two. It’ll go back down after that. I’ll pull it out just before it does, though.”
“Do it, then,” Baird instructed, eyeing Sam and Liam. “Do the same with your money, if you want.”
“I will. I just don’t know how to go about buying the stocks. Sam, could you help me?”
Sam nodded hesitantly, not sure if he wanted to be the one to teach her about the unpredictable nature of the stock market and the displeasure at losing money on a “sure thing”. “Blue, are you sure? I mean, I went to university for stuff like this. This is my degree and my job now, and I won’t even say there’s a one hundred percent way to predict what’ll happen.” He looked down at his pad. “And I’ve got to say, I don’t think Amsteron’s a good choice. I’m pretty sure it’ll start declining any day now. It usually ebbs this time of year.”
“She’s full of it,” Brody insisted snidely.
“Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is?” Baird repeated Brody’s words back to him. “If you’re so sure she’s wrong, then put your money on that Protocol company. We’ll just see who loses.”
“Fine!” Brody stood and took out his wallet. “Fifty, you said?” He pulled out a crisp bill and slapped it into Sam’s outstretched hand. Alec did the same, handing his bill to Sam. “You said it’ll go down by Wednesday. That’s in two days. Wednesday night we’ll see whose pot is bigger.” He looked over to the prince. “Come on, Liam. Don’t be stingy. Whip out that wallet again and sweeten our pot.”
“Oh, you love it when I whip it out,” Liam joked as he pulled out a fifty bill and handed it to Blue. “Three on three this way. Sam? Blue? You each putting in fifty?”
Sam nodded, folding the two bills and shoving them in his back pocket. Blue looked uncertain. “I will, I just need you to show me how to put this money in my account and buy the stocks with it.” Sam’s phone was already dialing the stock exchange, which he had on speed dial, due to the nature of his job. He put money on Protocol, and then reached for Blue’s green bill card to set up an account for her with his favorite broker, giving the man his own phone number and address to take down as Blue’s. It was one step closer to sharing his life with her, and he did it without hesitation. Reluctantly, he put one hundred fifty of her bills spread out evenly over the three stocks of her choosing.
The rest of the afternoon passed with no altercations, which surprised them all. With so many determined and bull-headed people in one room, there was bound to be some turbulence. Liam was quiet, which was uncharacteristic for him. Occasionally, he’d make some comment about hoping his brother was alright, and Blue’s heart would tug her closer to his side. She could not imagine if one of her brothers was missing. It had been torture enough to know their locations, but not be able to get to them.
Baird put up a believable fight when Liam insisted that he was to eat dinner in the fancy dining room instead of in the kitchen with the help. In the end, the prince won, as was his custom.
Suzette and Bonnie joined them for dinner, back from their afternoon out with friends, but the emperor was out of the city on important business and would be for some time. Baird sat across from Blue, so each could watch behind the other’s back. This put Baird right next to Suzette, leaving him wide open to the flirtatious looks that she was trying to bait him with. Baird was a very good-looking Wayward. He had no need for the beautification that most Vemreaux put themselves through to look as stunning as he did naturally. While his brooding personality was enough to draw in the dysfunctional women, it was his ice blue eyes contrasting with his darker auburn hair that did them in, hefty therapist bills or not. It was one of the reasons his tips were so high at the end of each night.
No matter how hard she tried, Suzette could not draw Baird in, as she did so easily with other men. This did not stop her from making eyes at him and giving her most seductive faces when wrapping her painted lips around her fork at dinner.
If Baird thought Elle was a flirt, it was nothing to Suzette. Her ridiculous antics to get him to look at her scantily clad body lumped her in with all the other Femreaux he’d encountered at the bar. Baird could not help himself from noticing her beauty, but her blatant low self-esteem was grating. He worried that with Suzette dressing his sister, Blue might start to act like her. Elle at least covered herself up, leaving a little mystery as to what lie beneath. Suzette’s clothing screamed sex. He remained stoic to her throaty laughter as he ate in silence, speaking when a nod of the head would not suffice.
Bonnie told a few stories about their day, and Suzette did not miss the opportunity to place her hand on Baird’s arm to share a secretive anecdote about their shopping trip.
Blue thought Baird might snap, but he repressed any reaction to the princess’ touch and continued eating, though with a quicker pace.
After Suzette finished her meal, she and Bonnie flitted from the table, though not before Suzette flashed Baird a glimpse of her too-short skirt.
Liam ran his hands over this face, exhausted. “I’m glad that’s over. You know, if you’d throw her a bone, Baird, she wouldn’t try so hard.” Liam poked at his last turnip. “Be glad that you’ve only got Blue to worry about. You could have my problems. Trying to keep clothes on that girl’s a losing battle. I think Killian and Dad gave up when she turned seventeen.” His face soured with the mention of his lost brother.
Baird caught the prince’s eye and gave him a private, reassuring nod to communicate that Killian might still be alive out there, and they would do whatever they could to find him.
Josephine came out with a tray containing little fruit tartlets with strawberries and blackberries. There were two different sauces to pour on top, one for the changed Vemreaux and the other for the Waywards and Liam. After Josephine left the room, Baird spoke up. “Blue, take Liam’s dessert from him.” He was satisfied at the lack of hesitation with which she obeyed as she slid the dessert away from Liam.
The prince eyed Baird. “I don’t think you know what you just did, boy. Don’t ever come between a man and his pie.” He reached for the tartlet, but Blue slammed her hand flat on the table, separating him from his conquest, and making the men next to her jump.
“You said you wanted my help getting ready for your change. This is my help. You can’t eat dessert anymore until you bathe in the Fountain of Youth, Liam.” Baird’s command was firm. “Trust me, you’ll be running so hard tonight, you’ll just throw it up if you eat it now.”
Liam grumbled and threw his fork down, crossing his arms over his chest to display his sour attitude at his treat being taken away from him.
“You’re not hungry. You’re eating out of habit. Why don’t you go get changed while we finish up? Put on something you can run in.”
Brody made theatrical yummy noises as he ate his dessert to rub it in Liam’s face. On his way out, Liam cuffed his friend over the head for being such a jerk. Baird made Blue eat Liam’s dessert, as well as her own, which she picked at for a while before her esophagus allowed it passage to her already full stomach. “It’s too much, Baird,” she huffed, eyeing her last few bites.
“Well, I guess you’ll have to learn to speak up when you’re hungry. Then your stomach won’t shrink like that. You’ve lost too much weight, so you have to get it back somehow.” He sat back and watched her to make sure she ate everything in front of her. “You’re not in The Way anymore. You can ask them for things and nothing bad’ll happen.”
Blue groaned.
“Baird, it’s our fault for not making sure she had food,” Brody offered. His unexpected kindness raised several eyebrows. “If she’s not hungry, don’t force her to eat like that. It’s literally disgusting.”
“Yeah? Well, next time take better care of my sister while I’m away, and this won’t happen.” Though Blue sometimes wished otherwise, Baird was unbending. The dining room grew silent as they watched her finally pull the last bite of the too-sweet pastry into her mouth. “I want you reading for the next couple nights until your weight is back up. No more midnight runs until I come back next week.”
