Firebomb (The Jewel Project #2)

01.1|| Madness

"Why are you reading that crap?" Sam mumbled. He fumbled inside the wooden box, trying to find more files starting with a B.

Christine put the paper aside and picked up a tabloid. "It's the first time my name's in the press. I want to read what they say. It's all pretty flattering so far."

Sam groaned and picked up another box from under the desk. He'd barely pulled himself together and his internship at his father's PI agency had started. He'd know this was coming, it had been the silent deal between him and Freider that had allowed him to go to Mexico in the first place, but he'd hoped his dad would take pity on him and give him time to rest. No such luck.

At least life was slowly returning to normal. Ignoring the special training sessions they were now undergoing. And the bloody press who just wouldn't shut up about it already.

"Oh my." Christine covered her mouth with one hand. "Check this one out. Handsome, young, rich adventurer Sam Grant breaks up with his girlfriend, Christine Palmer. God, I must've missed you breaking up with me." Christine's amber eyes scanned the rest of the article and she frowned. "It says here I threw your stuff out and everything. But we don't live together. You've never even come to visit. Who on earth sent them this story?"

Sam stopped arranging files, a small knot in his stomach. "I did."

Christine blinked. "You did."

"Yeah. Dad's been giving me hell ever since he found out we were going out. I was hoping this would get him off my back. Unfortunately, he might be on to me." He indicated towards the massive pile of boxes he still had to rearrange.

Instead of giving him a schedule, Freider gave him daily tasks. He was free to go if he completed them. There was insanely loads to do every day and Sam suspected it was a tactic to eat up all the time he could be spending with Christine. Fortunately, he hadn't predicted Christine coming over.

"What's his problem?" Christine put the paper aside. "Doesn't he like me?"

Sam sighed. "It's not you. It could have been any other girl. He's just weird like that. And I can't say you're doing much better," he mumbled. The professor seemed to hate him as much as his dad hated the idea of Christine. Normality was obviously not meant for him.

Christine waved her hand airily. "Dad's not a problem. He barks but doesn't bite."

Sam nodded and pulled up another box. He didn't want to discuss families yet. It wasn't like they were getting married. It was the beginning of the relationship and he wanted to see how it would go.

Christine returned to flicking through the tabloid and her perfect eyebrows moved closer towards each other with each page. "You shouldn't complain. Kyle's getting a lot worse than you. They've apparently hooked him up with some aspiring actress and..." Christine smiled bitterly. "Jessie."

Sam dropped the folder he was holding and snatched the tabloid out of her hand. "They hooked Kyle up with Jessie?" How could the world not see the perfection that was Kyle and Kay together?

Christine giggled. "See. At least they hook you up with the right person."

"Forget this." Sam threw the tabloid off the desk. "If we take them seriously, we'll go nuts." Though, he could picture Kyle and Jessie laughing their heads off at the news.

Jimmy came in, but stopped seeing Sam almost buried under the tone of files. "Aren't you done yet? We've got training in half an hour."

"See for yourself." Sam indicated the mounting pile of boxes. "I'm paying for my little adventure big time."