Die for You

Chapter 14

"I'm ready to go, Miss Armstrong, I've been up since five so it's not an issue. Darren and I will be there before nine, traffic allowing. Do not come down to the car, I will come up to your flat to get you."

"Yes, Miss Sarocha," she sang out like a school kid and with what sounded suspiciously like a smothered laugh, "I'll see you in a bit, thanks, Freen."

---

We arrived to Miss Armstrong's flat smoothly. Well, except that she left me sat in her living room while she sorted out her e-mails. Why she couldn't do that in the office escaped me, I was a little irked, she'd get me here earlier than planned and it was now late and we hadn't moved.

With a flourish, she slammed the lid on her laptop, grabbed her phone and keys from the table and stood up.

"So Freen, are you ready for another day of madness with the Armstrong family?"

I nodded, well I couldn't exactly say, "not really" now, could I?

"Right," she replied, "As I mentioned, I'm not going into the office this morning. I need to get some stuff for this bloody party and a little bird told me that you don't have anything to wear either, so we're going shopping."

I stopped myself from scowling at the thought of shopping. It was bad enough going when I wanted to buy something. I couldn't imagine how mind-numbing it would be to trudge around shop after shop for no reason following her.

She must have seen something in my look, despite doing my best to hide it, "Oh, don't be like that, Freen" she said scolding me with a smile on her face, "it'll be fun."

"Whatever you say, Miss Armstrong," I agreed, without really agreeing. "I don't really need anything for the party though, I'll be working remember."

She stared at me, her bravado faltering for a second, before she blinked and smiled again, the look not reaching her annoyed-looking eyes.

"Well, I need to go shopping, and if you're not going to enjoy yourself, that's your business. Come on, let's go."

Just a hint of the old Miss Armstrong, somewhere inside, fake or not, the bitch is still active; and the bitch doesn't like being refused.

"Ready when you are, Miss Armstrong." I said neutrally.

She stopped in the hallway, coat in hand and looked at me with what looked like a hint of disappointment on her face. I steeled myself and stepped towards her.

"Excuse me," I said, gesturing towards the door.

She stepped back and struggled with her jacket, I couldn't help but grab the shoulders and hold her coat for her as she juggled, bag and phone and everything else.

"Thanks," she said simply as she straightened herself up and began shoving things in pockets, her bag firmly held between her knees.

"No problem, Miss Armstrong. Amanda always had trouble with coats, too."

"I think she had trouble with a lot of things," she muttered, "like fucking manners for a start."

She snapped her head up at me as she turned around, as if not realizing I was standing so close to her.

"Shit, fuck... I didn't mean."

"It's ok, Miss Armstrong. I understand and you're right, she didn't have any manners yesterday. She's not a bad person, though."

"Were you together for a long time?" she asked before looking at the floor as if embarrassed.

Strange, another side to her that I've not seen before. I decided to humor her, give her a victory after I wouldn't back down over James' stupid idea about a dress. My previous relationship was a safe subject, she wouldn't be the first person to tiptoe around asking what they really wanted to ask.