The Score (Sequel to The Exchange)

Chapter 47- A Little Sweet and Messy

The inside of the house seemed much larger than the outside, and my eyes wandered up the staircase to the balcony.

"Shit, that's fancy," I mumbled to myself.

Clearly, the architectural inspiration for the house was log cabin-y, and everything was wooden or otherwise darkly toned.

If I made myself an evil lair, I would have made it look exactly like that house: natural, warm, and inviting to people like me.

Plus, there was a moose's head mounted on the wall. I wasn't sure who killed it or who put it there, but it was intimidating. I thought it was pretty damn cool.

"Blaine, are you serious? How the hell did you manage to pull this off?" I asked.

He turned to look at me. "You like it?"

I laughed. "Uh, kinda. It's pretty fucking sweet."

He smiled. "I thought it was your style."

"You were right. I can't believe we get to spend a week here."

"There's even a hot tub and fire pit on the back patio." He smiled, clearly pleased with himself.

I couldn't blame him. There was no way I could hide my excitement, and my mouth smiled to match his.

That was another good step in the right direction. We found common ground.

To my right, there was a living area complete with an excessively large television, and to my left was the kitchen. It had a large island, and I felt myself gravitating in that direction. I ran my hand across the smooth countertop, and my attention fell on a single dead flower in a vase in the middle of the island.

I frowned.

Poor little flower.

It must have been purple while it was still alive, judging from its bruise-colored petals, and since there was nothing I could do to save it, I picked it out and threw it into the trash.

I looked up around the house, and Blaine, Arti, and Drew were all crowded around a piano in the living room.

Drew sat at the front of it as if she were ready to play, and I smiled at the sight of her and Arti getting along.

"Can you play?" Drew asked Arti and Blaine.

Blaine shook his head. "I know the basics, but that's about it."

"Hell yeah, I can play," Arti said.

Drew stood up. "Then go ahead. I'd love to hear you."

Arti looked at Blaine, then took a seat at the piano, but she didn't play a single note.

"Here's a pro tip on dealing with Arti. She's a compulsive liar, especially when she's under pressure. Most of the time, it's all fine and dandy, but sometimes, she runs her mouth just a little too much," Blaine explained.

"Wow, way to make me out to be the villain," Arti mumbled, then looked up at Drew. "Sorry."

Drew smiled, although her eyes seemed a little distressed. "That's okay. Just try not to do it again."

Arti forced a laugh. "I've been trying for eighteen years, but once you get started, it's impossible to stop."

"Then why in the world would you get started?"

"So I could be anyone but me, that's why. But that's a story for a different day. I'm trying to maintain a cool, carefree attitude this week."

"That's the spirit," Blaine said. "Do you guys want to keep looking through the house? You haven't even made it out of the first room yet."