Kill Me, Kiss Me

ONE

      "BROTHER."

      Theo glanced at his sister's wavering brown eyes in the rear view mirror, brows furrowing. She only called him brother when there was trouble.

"What is it?"

"Well," She fidgeted in her seat, the rustle of clothes against seat loudening over the murmur of engines outside, "Theo, well," She took a deep breath, "I signed up for a virtual reality otome game experience a few weeks back."

His hands tightened around the steering wheel and he stared at the red car in front of them, lips mincing into a straight line, "Even though I said no."
A damp silence diffused across the small space.

"...sorry."

He glanced into the rear-view mirror again. Lily was chewing on her lips, eyes shaky and fraught with worry. A slow breath of air fell from his mouth. It seemed that the trouble was big this time.

"So?"

"I don't want to take part anymore." She said quietly.

Theo lifted an eyebrow and tapped the soft leather of his steering wheel, "If you don't want to do it, then don't. I didn't approve of it in the first place."

"The thing is..." Her eyes met his shakily in the rear-view mirror, "There's a contact."

His finger stopped their tapping, "What did you just say?"

The sound of her swallowing echoed in the stuffy air, "I have to do it, the contract says so."

His finger nails sparked white against the wheel, and he fought the rising heat burning his neck. He swerved out of the lane and parked on the side of the road, car wheels crunching to a jolting halt.

He turned in his seat, "Where is it?"

Lily blinked, "What?"

"Your contract," He said through his teeth, "Where is it?"

She looked down at her lap and slowly drew out a crumpled document from her tote bag, "Here."

He took it from her, trying to stop his fingers from shaking. The paper was crumpled but good quality and the ink hadn't smudged in the slightest. He scanned over the lines, and his nails created another series of dents in the paper. This goddamn thing! He slapped the sheets onto the passenger seat.

"Fuck."

Theo looked up at the glass building that seemed to kiss the sky. So this was the place that scammed Lily... the DGB Corporation. He could still faintly remember the outroar they caused some few weeks ago when they started this whole virtual reality dating sim experience, and he knew it wasn't going to work. But Lily, she never listened to him, and now, this bullshit contract was giving him a headache.

He glanced at his watch, straightened his suit and stepped through the revolving glass doors without hesitation. Although there were some professionals in work attire milling around, holding their coffees and briefcases, the large lobby was mostly empty. The silence seemed to grip him by the head, and each resounding step he made across the hall added to the rising unease in his stomach. He didn't get uneasy very often and never without good reason, but this whole situation, it was all very strange, almost like a set-up if he didn't know any better.

"Good afternoon," He stared down at the receptionist, the throbbing at his temples growing even worse, "I'm Theodore Harrow, and I made an appointment to meet Mathew Setton at three o'clock."