Beneath the Shades

ri

imes, cursed at my reflection twice, and stood by the

ar is

urse

gh-pay job that requires discretion, naturally they s

. The kind of car that makes my w

d little geraniums and gives the car a once-over like sh

arina. What

text from the sam

Bring you

nd sling my bag over my shoulder. My heart is hammering, but my feet keep

It's just a job. A very weird job. But peop

obably get an address.

n't know

A man in a black suit - tall, broad, wearing sunglasses like w

s Ru

. But cold enough to make th

trying to smile like this is

n't smi

he open door. "Please.

ittle, falling-apart apartment that

leather seats, the faint scent

rt say

ccount sa

ack seat and pretend I'm not maki

with a thunk, s

away from the curb, I

girls disapp

most an hour, thou

nge where you know you're not in your price bracket anymore. Big gates. Bigger l

slow down, my

. The old, expensive kind. Stone walls, tall columns, windows like dark, empty eyes. It's the

n-be

circular driveway, and I just s

ing those sunglasses like we're in s

d again. "Proceed inside. I have been i

t's the simplest

I've ever seen. Like I'm not one deep brea

g my legs to move. "Kitch

gly loud on the polished marbl

d

can't afford. The air smells faintly like lemon an

'm trespassin

own a hall and stops

like some kind of robot - he turn

ming. Definitely

he door

h

,

ot a k

. a sp

uched. An oven setup so fancy I don't even know where the door is. There's

m my hand, feeling like a medieval peasant wh

a voice says,

ut a foot

idden speakers, maybe? I spin

island," the voice continues.

hard and s

y, and probably costs mor

voice says again, calm but cold. "Touch the panel on

shaking a littl

like magic. Different icons appear - burners,

ulinary school. I can cook anywhere, I tell my

voice adds, still coming from

isper to the empty room,

pause. A

urself," the voice finall

e. Ho

s like it belongs in a

olling my shoulders

't help but feel like someone - maybe mul

know this is ju