Chapter Three

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CHAPTER THREE

My day started early as promised. The appreciation I had for the building Gwen rented out vanished and was replaced with a bitter resentment. However, I couldn't help but feel also a touch of pride because this super cool place belonged to my best friend and she was killing it. She had her very own office which she was eager to show me, by dragging me by the hand through the front door all the way upstairs. It even had a pin code protecting its access. It was all so professional and grown up and honestly, it was a little intimidating.

Gwen playfully used her body to block the code as she pressed the numbers and ushered me inside. She waltzed her way across the floor, wearing this yellow bow on top of her head, vibrating in excitement and you had no idea how that sight made me relieved. She was still the same old quirky girl, she just knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life and grabbed it by the horns earlier than anticipated.

As if noticing my panic she dropped a huge stack of papers on the desk and primly sat in her office chair and gestured for me to take a seat.

"I'm so happy for you Gwen," I blurted out.

"Yeah?" she asked, eyes widening a touch. "You really mean that?"

"Yeah, one hundred percent," I confirmed, looking down and shaking my head. "Dude, I'm so proud. Look at this place. Just look at it. I know I didn't say yesterday, but it's so pretty and exciting. Look at this room, Gwen! These spinny chairs, rolling around, not squeaking, it's brand new! Look at this leather. And you're glowing. Your eyes rival diamonds. Help me stop this sappiness. I will continue unless stopped. Even you're hair is poofier!"

"Emma," she laughed out, touching her hair with gently. "I love you too."

"Am I your first meeting?"

"Yup," she chirped.

"We'are adulting. Can you believe it?"

"I'm adulting," she corrected. "You're agreeing to go undercover for three months."

My lips quirked. "Under your direction."

Gwen shrugged. "Emma, a wiser person would've said no."

"I'm feeling so attacked right now." We shared a grin at the concept. She slid the stack of papers across the table to my waiting hand. "This is a standard form for our face to face clients. The ones that will take part in our events."

I nodded along, taking a deep breath and flipped the form open. It was more like a questionnaire. There was at least fifteen pages, forms to sign, terms and conditions and as she said standard information. I scribbled down my name, age and wore a stupid smile at the 'interested in...' and the blank space next to it. Then it came to the harder questions like my preferences, single dates or double dates, indoor or outdoor activities, top or bottom, the big spoon or little spoon. It was endless.

Gwen's hair tickling my cheek alerted me to her presence over my shoulder.

"Would you opposed to doing all the above with a certain staff member?" I read out, forehead wrinkling. "Gwen. I'm flattered. But you're not the Black member that holds my heart and crushes it every so often. Vivian does that in a very particular way no one else can mimic, even if you do share the same DNA. Sorry, kiddo."

"Oh you have the wrong questionnaire," Gwen informed me casually, digging around in her desk for a new questionnaire.

I leaned back against the chair, staring up at the obviously yellow ceiling. "Who are you planning to fill in that one?"

"Nobody you know," she replied smugly, setting a new questionnaire down in front of me.

"I want to though," I complained.

She tapped the pen against my nose. "All in good time, Em."

She returned to her chair. I sat forward again obediently, signing the forms for the second time and returned to the list of questions. "Why do you need to know my Zodiac sign?"

Gwen shrugged. "Well, I need to assess compatibility. Put in Leo."

"I never really understood that stuff, " I admitted.

"You don't need to as long as you have me in your corner," she said.

"Is that a threat?" I asked mockingly.

She smirked at me. "Nope. It's a done deal, now Emma. You've got me forever. Even if I do have to hear your escapades with my sister. Couldn't you keep it in your pants for one night, Em? You're supposed to be broken up! Doneso!"

I stared at her in absolute horror. "No..."

Gwen shuddered. "Don't worry, I understand one last... hurrah."

"You have to be realistic, we're never going to have a last hurrah, " I said unsteadily. "It'll be continuous hurrahs. Never ending hurrahs. The stop button doesn't exist, hurrah. It's a pretty fun word to say. I understand why you said it now. Hurrah."

"Next page!"

"You're hearing me on this, right? No stopping my hurrahing?"

"Next page."

"Got you."

Gwen made a frantic dash toward her office door before any more havoc over certain topics could continue. Her walk was brisk and not flowery in any way highlighting just how disturbed she was.

"Hurrah!" I shouted after her, earning a wailed response.

I filled out all the paperwork as she waited downstairs, too horrified at the reality of my relationship with her sister to face me; or a certain aspect of it anyway. It would be a weapon to utilise carefully and strategically. I realised when placing the papers inside the drawer of the desk that I basically signed myself and Vivian up for a secret relationship all summer long and it sounded...exciting rather than daunting.

So when I got a text from asking me to meet at Camp Mapplewood so we could go for a walk and found no one? I may have pouted my way around camp looking for her. The planned walk was supposed to be my exercise for the week, not searching for my pretend ex-girlfriend.

It brought back a lot of memories, strolling around the place; some good, some bad, some incredibly mindblowing. The important thing was I got to spend time with the people who mattered this summer and could visit Mr. and Mrs. Black any time I wanted.

It was hard to believe that a full year went by from the time that I was sure Vivian found me to be one annoyance she couldn't escape from for three months. And when she had the chance to eradicate me from her life, she kept me around, closer than I ever thought possible.

Eventually, I made my way to the kitchen and was not all that surprised at what I found. Vivian stood in the kitchen in the middle of a shouting match with the cook, spatula and wooden spoon both pointed at one another, it made me really confused because we weren't supposed to be here on the premises at all really.

Vivian was more of a terrify her opponent with words girl, so this was a little more serious than I was equipped to handle at a moment's notice.

"I don't mean to interrupt what seems to be a passionate and obviously pleasurable conversation, but, yeah, I'm doing that," I said, snatching the spoon from Vivian's outstretched hand. I prodded her in the shoulder and scolded, "Dear, god, chill out, woman."

Vivian suddenly stopped, clenched her jaw and met my gaze only to look away instantly. "Emma. You're... here."

I walked further into the room. "As per your text desired."

She composed herself and waved a seemingly disinterested hand toward the dude. "This...idiot, can't grasp the concept of not taking what doesn't belong to him."

I fought back a grin. "From the screeches, I thought there was a racoon in here or something."

"Don't start," Vivian muttered.

"I only came to defend your honour."

"Your ex-girlfriend's honour?" she pointed out, looking pointedly at the other person in the room.

"The honour of the poor schmuck who was stuck in here. As I am..." I paused. "I am vastly experienced at defeating that particular opponent."

Pushing her hair back, Vivian turned her glare back to the guy who cowered a little. "Hand me what you stole and maybe I won't take this matter further."

He scowled, inching backwards. "It was left here for kitchen staff to use."

"And I will rid you of that title," she shot back, snapping her fingers.

"You can't do that."

"One more word out of line. I dare you."

"Oh, my God." I moved so I stood in the middle of the kitchen, blocking their view of each other. My arms were spread wide. "Vivian. He's Mike. He's totally harmless. And Mike... are you seriously going to take her on? I know you're not that stupid. I somewhat have a little faith in your critical thinking."

Mike looked to the ground. "This apron is pretty and comfy."

I blinked and stared at it and yes, fair enough, it was extremely pretty, but it wasn't worth losing his life over. "Yes, yes it is but it also looks prettier on me."

He patted his stomach, eyebrows furrowing. "I know she's their daughter but she doesn't work here anymore. She has no authority. And neither do you."

Vivian grabbed the wooden spoon from my hand easily and swerved expertly around my body and managed to press the thing on the guy's neck, radiating an energy that had me most impressed. My determined girlfriend, silently defending my honour of all things by demanding he return that very apron I wore all the time in this very kitchen.

His chin wobbled. He swallowed excessively, bobbing his adam's apple up and down. I released a tired sigh.

She was too cute to handle sometimes.

"Bullys never prosper?" he squeaked out.

"Mike, my dude," I sighed out. "You learned this lesson now?"

Mike's eyes darted to me. "No. Not right now. You wouldn't give us our meals unless we repeated that anti-bully mantra."

Vivian glanced over her shoulder, vaguely amused. "Mantra?"

Sheepishly, I scuffed my shoe against the ground. "Mantra?"

"Yeah. 'Emma Lane solemnly swears to kick my ass if I don't step the fuck up'. That was it, right?"

"Um." I craned my neck to the side. "By keeping my apron hostage, you're being my bully."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"You will kick my ass."

"Pretty sure I could and will, yeah."

"Fine." Mike wore an awkward smile. "Please let me go?"

Vivian took her time removing the spoon from his throat. Once he untied the apron, she ripped it from his hands and tossed it over her shoulder in my direction. Because Mike had a larger build than I did, the panda face was stretched and cracks ran through the print, making it look much older than it actually was.

Without a word, Vivian glided out of the room, catching the loose strand of the apron and tugged it and consequently me out of the kitchen.

The crankiness from that interaction or altercation, I didn't know how to define it as was incredibly adorable and heartwarming. She basically threw a hissy fit over an apron her mother got for me and refused to back down until she returned it to its rightful owner. Those instances, the way she knew the significance of a materialistic object, showed she cared deeply. She fought for us when I wasn't even around to keep her calm.

As soon as we entered the treeline, she grabbed my hand, her posture instantly relaxing just a touch.

"I love the way you love me," she murmured. "I love the way you love my family."

"Your families way of showing love is incredibly awkward and sweet. Love that."

"Says the girl who forced campers to repeat a vow in order to obtain their food. A vow, created to protect my sister."

"She's my best friend. Let's be real. If she's not already my sister, she will be one day."

"Your random proclamations..."

"Vivian, you literally held a wooden spoon and threatened Mike's life with it to get my apron back."

"It was a gift from my mother," she excused her rash behaviour.

"That explains your obviously logical response."

"Yes."

"I can't believe I'm going to say this but you get fifteen points."

"It seems fitting."

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