Echo

7. Work Party

Malax keeps me so late I fall asleep at my desk. I don't even know how I make it home, but I wake up in bed the next morning.

I jump on the bed. "I don't have to work today." I put on my pink bikini as fast as possible and run to the pool. I lay in a chair and relax.

I do that all day. I only move when momma makes me take a break to eat.

Then Eriska shows up with dresses for the party.

"It's dumb you have to do work s**t on a weekend."

"Tell that to Malax. And he wouldn't let me out of it either."

"This is going to be the lamest party ever."

"Bunch of old people talking loudly about nothing."

"We could go as the suppras and do them all."

I laugh. "That would liven up the party for sure."

"Any alcohol?"

"Malax said he's putting a guard on it."

"What an asshole."

I nod. "I swear he wants me to suffer. He made me stay last night until I fell asleep."

"Maybe he doesn't like your dad, so he's taking it out on you somehow."

"No idea. But it's only for a few months. I can handle it."

I take a quick shower and get dressed.

"This is tight."

"It's a party. Maybe someone at Phade will notice you and ask you out."

"I hope not. They have dates for this thing. That would be awkward. Get asked out in front of someone's date."

She pulls some of her hair back and laughs. "That's true. We can eat. Then try to steal some alcohol. Then leave. They won't be able to say we weren't there."

"True. We can sneak out as soon as possible. Then go to a real party."

"You just want to see Scotch again."

I giggle. "Maybe a little."

We get to the building and go to level 51. The entire level is a big open area. Round tables are set up all over the place. It's done up fancy. I smell one of the centerpieces and smile. I do love flowers. There's a long table at the front. I'm sure all the important people will be there.

"I found us. We're up here."

"Ugh. I wanted to sit in the back."

"Yea, but we're here. It's good seats. I'm going to try and get alcohol."

"Good luck."

"Thank you. You want anything?"

"More alcohol."

"Me too." She roams off.

I find my name on the little card and sit in my spot. I smile. It's my name written fancy on the Phade Enterprise card. It's amazing I get to see that.

"You ok?"

"Yea." I run my finger over the card. "It's got my name on it."

Kai smiles. "So, where's your friend?"

"Nowhere."

"Uh huh. Come on. I'll introduce you to some of the other secretaries."

I follow her around. They are talking and happy until I get close. Then they stop and seem to stare at me.

Eriska hands me a fancy drink. "You're intimidating as hell. Just ignore them. All of them together can't do what you can. So, they're being rude to try to overcompensate."

Kai smiles. "Your friend isn't so bad."

The rest of them are staring with their mouths open.

Eriska nods and grabs my arm. "Our people are over there. Kai, you're our people now too."

Eriska gets to Malax, Rye, and Alder. Kai, stands beside me laughing. I shrug my shoulders and drink my drink.

"Malax, I don't think the alcohol guard is doing his job."

"Zip it asshole. You're making us be here. And your guard likes my boobs."

I laugh so damn hard.

Kai keeps laughing. "These girls are something else."

Rye rubs his eyes. "How old are you?"

"Almost 18. Another month."

"So, 17."

She rolls her eyes and looks at me. "You should start your own company. Call it Kinnik enterprise, just to piss Phade off. Then we can do whatever we want. We'll take Kai with us."

"That seems like a lot of work."

"Ugh. I'll be the CEO. I'll do the business stuff and you do the smart stuff. We'll be 100% backed by Zircon. We can't fail."

"I'm not starting a whole company because he won't say you're 18."

"Ugh." She storms off.

I shrug my shoulders and take a drink.

Kai smiles. "That's a smart decision."

I nod. "I'm only 17. I want to finish school."

"Very smart." Malax winks.

Eriska hands me another drink. Now I've got 2. "You know what we should do?"

"What?" I chug the first 1 and send the empty cup away on a tray.

"You want to go to Crucorix North. They want to put suppras there. Let's move ours there."

"No. Then she won't be here."

"Tell your dad we need more."

"That could work."

She nods. "Get 1 for Kai too."

"Ok. I'll do that tomorrow."

"Now all of our problems are solved."

I turn and stare at her. "We're still here."

"s**t. I forgot that one. We'll get out of here and make out with boys soon enough."

Kai loses it.

"I need to sit somewhere."

"You could always make out with someone here. I'll tell you it was Scotch later."

I laugh and make my way to my seat. This is a nice spot. I have a nice seat.

Everyone sits down 20 minutes later. The boys at the head table are all sitting by pretty girls. I bet they're all married. Then we get food. It's good food. I eat a bunch. Kai keeps giving me bread.

Then Rye makes a speech. Something about something. At the end, he introduces Malax Phade to the microphone. I spit my drink everywhere.

"What?" Kai pushes stuff away from me.

"I didn't know he owned the place."

Everyone at my table burst out laughing.

Rye comes over. "What's the problem?"

"She had no idea he owned the place."

Rye laughs. "How?"

"Nobody told me his last name."

"Rye, she's really drunk." Eriska grabs my arm.

"How much did she drink?" Rye kneels beside me.

"2. That's her 3rd. Same as me. She barely touched it."

I get picked up. I wrap around him and lay my head on his shoulder. "Nobody drink anything else."

"AX, GET HIM. STOP THAT ELEVATOR."

I hear some crashes. Then I wake up in the hospital.

Eriska and momma are sitting in chairs.

"What happened?"

"Someone tried to drug me. I must have given you the wrong cup."

Momma nods. "We've been over the footage. The man making the drinks put something in 1 of them and gave them to Eriska."

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry. We would just be in opposite places if the cups were switched."

"At least everything is ok."

"Did I get fired this time?"

"No. Why would you get fired?"

"Just this week, I've quit. I had to do an interview. He has to add an employee entrance. Been in the news about how I'm taking over Phade. Now I've been drugged and ruined his party. I think this is enough. I'm not sure if some work experience is worth it."

"You have a point, baby. I'll talk to your dad about it."

Next time I wake up, daddy is sitting there.

"Can I go home now?"

"They're going to keep you for 1 more day."

"Are you mad? You seem mad."

"I am mad at that i***t. You were drugged in the room he was standing in. He should have known. Teenage girls being drugged on his property during a party. That's too much."

"He didn't do it, daddy. I think he hired outside people anyway. It wouldn't have been his employee."

"I still don't like it."

"I'm sure he knows that. I bet he doesn't like it either."

"He should have been watching. Checking people. I trust him to keep you safe while you're there. He obviously can't do that."

I fall back asleep in the middle of my thoughts.

I make it home the next day. Then I sleep again.

A couple of days later, I'm home. I sit with daddy again.

"I want to go to Crucorix North."

"You will in a couple of years. The school program does that."

"I don't want to wait. Can you make me a couple of extra suppra's?"

"I can't get you there, sweetheart."

"Malax can. He can get them there. I can see it."

"It's only a couple of years, and you will see it."

"What if something goes wrong? Not everything goes to plan. You see how working went. And Eriska said something about starting our own business. I could do it. I could have a small team of suppra. We could go to planets for our own missions."

"You would have to figure out how to make a ship. I don't do that. And I don't think Malax will let you steal one of his."

I laugh. "Probably not. But he's not the only person who can get there. I could buy a ship from someone."

"That doesn't sound safe at all. I'll give you a few. Malax can take you over there. I'll tell him he is."

"Thank you, daddy. Can they look like us?"

"Sure. I'll talk to Erica some more. You rest for now."