THREE – ATTEMPTED MURDER…?

LILY

“You’re late.” She sneers.

I look around the room, hoping fo find something that assures me that this office does not belong to her, but the high class blue curtains, luxurious paintings on the walls and even the Diamond studded mahogany desk all scream Halloway.

I have no doubt that those are real diamonds and only a bitch like Halloway Stephens would have real diamonds drilled into her office desk.

“Sorry.” I say with a saccharine sweet tone. “I was caught up with important things.”

She rocks on her swivel chair, her eyes almost burning a hole into my forehead.

“In this company, we do not tolerate insubordination of any kind. Coming for your first interview almost an hour late automatically reduces your qualifications. We do not hire incompetent people.” She says with contempt.

I begin to feel a stirring of annoyance but I tamp it down. Instead, I walk towards her and take the empty visitor’s seat.

“Please accept my sincere apologies.” My voice lowers with “sincere” mockery.

Halloway looks from the seat to me.

“I do not remember asking you to seat. This is my office. I dictate the pace here.”

I shake my head.

“Honestly, Halloway, I wanted this interview to be conducted in a civilized manner but since you’re so intent on bringing out my Italian temper, I’ll ask you a question.”

She merely raises a sassy brow at me.

“Do you wannna know why I was late?”

She rolls her eyes,

“Save your useless stories…”

“No, no. I promise you it’s good.” I cut in. “Someone gave me a very pleasant orgasm this morning. Kept me in bed for hours.” I’m pretty sure my eyes are twinkling right now.

Halloway’s shakes her head, disgust evident in her gaze.

“I’ve always known you were a slut. I have no idea what Mason sees in you. You’re just a two dimmed whore.”

Oh. Am I? I smile once more.

“But you haven’t even asked me who my man is.” I inquire, trying as much as possible to look innocent.

Halloway waves her hand in a dismissive gesture.

“Probably some hog you met on the street and followed home. I wouldn’t put that past you.”

Oh, this will be good. I let out a mock gasp.

“Why do you think so low of me? I didn’t actually meet him on the street. I met him at a club and he requested…no he demanded that I follow him home…”

“Same thing. That is all whores like you are capable of doing.”

I make a show of picking at my nails.

“Oh. I didn’t know your best friend slept with whores.”

In front of me, Halloway has gone completely still.

“Wh-what did you say?”

I face her squarely, dropping every bit of pretense and spearing her with a cold gaze.

“Exactly what you heard. Hayley.” I mock. “Mason and I have been living together…and sleeping together for a long, long time. In fact, he wants us to be together for an indefinite period of time, and boy can he fuck. I almost didn’t survive last night’s round of pleasure.”

Halloway’s face slowly morphs from shock to anger. Her eyes narrow and she visibly begins to tremble.

“You’re lying! It’s not true.”

I lift my chin.

“You can ask him about it. Our relationship is not hush hush or anything.”

I have no idea how it happens. One minute Halloway is seated before me and the next, she leaps across the large table and grabs my neck in a chokehold.

I flail wildly, desperately trying to dislodge her hands around my throat but she just squeezes harder.

“Mason is mine, you bitch!” She snarls. “You cannot just waltz in and take everything I’ve worked for. He’s mine! Mine!”

I can barely breathe. The maniacal gleam in her eyes looks so awfully familiar. I’ve seen those eyes somewhere before but right now, my impending death makes it difficult to think clearly.

“Die, bitch! Just die!”

A sound comes from down the hallway and within seconds, Halloway flies back across the table and settles in her seat.

I fall against my chair, wheezing as I struggle to breathe in gulps of much needed air.

She tried to kill me. The bitch tried to kill me.

“Are you guys done here?”

I look up sharply. When my eyes meet Mason’s, I run across the room and into his already open arms. His eyes widen in alarm.

“What’s wrong baby girl? What happened?”

I claw desperately at my throat as I struggle to get the words out.

“She…she..”

Mason follows the direction of my outstreched hand then looks back at me with confusion.

“What are you trying to tell me, Mira?”

“She tried to kill me!” I finally cough out. “Halloway tried to kill me.”

Mason goes completely still against me.

“Oh, Mason. Is she okay?” Halloway’s fake baby voice filters through my panicked fog.

I turn around and sure though, the bitch is seated comfortably in her chair, looking every inch the flawless diva…not a hair out of place.

“The interview was going on smoothly until she fell into some kind of panic attack and starting coughing. I had no idea what to do.”

I would give anything to slap that fake concern off her face.

“Mira, when did your panic attacks return?” Mason asks seriously.

I give him an incredulous stare.

“Are you honestly believing this bitch over me? She tried to kill me. She tried to choke me…”

Mason wraps his hands around me.

“Calm down, baby girl. Calm down.”

“No! If you did not come I would have been dead! She tried to kill me.”

Halloway rises to her feet.

“What is she talking about?” Her voice is shaky, almost as if she’s on the verge of tears.

“Mason, how can she say that about me? I’ve never killed anyone before. Why would she accuse me of such a thing?”

Her tears begin to fall and she wipes it off, perfecting her wrongfully accused victim role like a pro.

I can only stare in horror.

Mason’s arms tighten around me protectively, but he doesn’t look like he believes me one bit.

“Mason, you have to believe me. This woman…”

“You can check the CCTV cameras if you don’t believe me.”

I freeze.

I turn to find Halloway’s eyes still shimmering with fake tears…and solid confidence.

What the hell is she doing?

“Yes. Yes, Mason. I swear, I’m not lying. You can check the cameras.”

Mason’s gaze remains shuttered as he looks down at me.

“You do realize that if the CCTV footage reveals nothing, you may have just accused Hayley wrongly of attempted murder.”

“I don’t care!” I screech. “I’m not lying.”

I try to move away from him but he tightens his arms around me, keeping me firmly against him.

“You’re not going anywhere.” He growls.

Then to Darth, he says,

“Bring in the CCTV footage. Let’s settle this once and for all.”