Call of Water (Madame Tan's Freakshow #1) - Marina Simcoe Page 0,63
testify as your witnesses. Marek can take your case to court, I’ll call him during my lunch break today.”
“We are very tired, Mom. Can we clean up and get some rest first?”
I had a list as long as my arm of things I needed to do. Some of them I couldn’t even define yet. Like what to do with Zeph.
“Sure,” she replied, somewhat distractedly. Her brain must be already busy working on whatever plan she had started to construct. “I need to leave for the office. There is no way I could get today off, this close to month-end.”
Shoving her feet into her pumps, she grabbed the car keys then suddenly turned to Zeph.
“Do you have a criminal record?” She pinned him with her penetrating stare.
“No,” he replied firmly, without delay. If her question surprised or offended him in any way, he didn’t let it show.
“Where is your family?”
“In Paris. France.”
She tilted her head, studying him for a second. I could see she knew she needed to be suspicious of him, but she couldn’t quite muster the mistrust or even some level of hostility when faced with Zeph’s sunny smile.
“Are they looking for you?” she asked rather kindly.
“No. I’m not supposed to be back home until Christmas. They know I work on fairgrounds in North America.”
Her chin in her hand, she stared at him a moment longer.
“We will need your full name, home address, and phone number.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He inclined his head politely.
“Is he your boyfriend?” She turned to me quickly.
“No, Mom.” That of all things was absolutely true. “Zeph just helped me to catch the ride here.”
“Pity. But not surprising. Sadly, nice men don’t seem to be your type,” she muttered on her way to the garage.
I fisted my hands tightly, concentrating on the sting of my nails as they dug into my palms to stop myself from snapping back at her. She’d known Zeph for all of two minutes, and she’d already had a much higher opinion of him than she’d ever had about me.
It was hurtful and infuriating.
Zeph’s warm hand wrapped around mine. The gesture felt supportive and calming.
The reason of Mom’s agreeable attitude toward Zeph was Zeph himself, I realized. After all, he could probably charm a fire-breathing dragon into behaving like a harmless lizard.
“You can stay here,” Mom said to me before leaving. “Find him some decent clothes, will you? Some of Marek’s stuff might fit. I’ll see you after work.”
As soon as the garage door closed behind her, the tension drained from my body. My back to the wall, I slid down to the floor.
“Sorry, she is exhausting.” I buried my face in my hands. “Thank you for lying for me. You did it very well.”
My gratitude was genuine despite some unpleasant feeling that scratched at me from the inside when I thought about how masterfully he had invented and delivered the lies.
Chapter 22
WHILE ZEPH WAS IN THE shower, I made tea and sandwiches. I had been hungry for over two months now, and I basically inhaled my food right there in the kitchen.
When I heard that the shower in the guest bathroom in the basement had been turned off, I brought Zeph’s breakfast downstairs along with the white t-shirt and a pair of jeans I had found in Marek’s closet.
Placing the plate and the mug on the magazine table in the TV room in the basement, I searched through the boxes filled with my things that were piled up in the corner of the room.
My wallet was there. I exhaled with relief, finding my driver’s license and credit cards inside. Funny, having those plastic cards back in my possession made me feel like a real person once again. As if I had just now truly escaped the cage.
Eager to get out of the clothes I’d worn for several weeks now, I had changed into a pair of leggings and a long, purple sweater by the time Zeph walked out of the bathroom. Droplets of water glistening on his wide shoulders, with just a towel wrapped around his hips, he looked breathtaking.
“Hey...um.” I grabbed his clothes from the couch. “Here, I hope these will fit.” I shoved them into his hands, not waiting for his reply, and dashed past him to the bathroom to take a shower, too.
I might have taken a little longer than necessary in the shower. My hair already fully shampooed and conditioned, I continued to stand in the tub, letting the warm water run down my back.