Two Can Play (Celeste and Dominic) novel Chapter 400

The old woman positively glowed.

The doorbell rang while Granny was describing the exact shade of cream roses she had in mind for the centerpieces, and she paused mid-sentence, frowning.

"I am not expecting anyone else."

"I will check."

I walked to the door, silent on the floor, and peered through the peephole.

For a moment I thought I was seeing things.

Scarlett stood on the doorstep, flanked by Jasmine and Maya, all three poured into clothes that left very little to the imagination. Scarlett's was hugging every curve like it had been painted on. Jasmine's was black and shorter than my patience. Even Maya, who usually dressed like she wanted to disappear, had been squeezed into something that showed more skin than fabric.

I opened the door, and for a long moment we simply stared at each other.

"Where is my Tasha?" Scarlett demanded, and there was steel in her voice I had not heard before.

I should have been annoyed. Instead, I was impressed. She had tracked me here, which meant she had either followed me from the boutique or worked out my location from the city's surveillance. Either way, it was more resourcefulness than most of my enemies could boast, and she was doing it in heels and a dress.

I could not leave them standing on the doorstep. The old hag would be deeply displeased by the way they were dressed, but leaving them outside would draw more attention than letting them in, and this street had neighbors with nothing better to do than gossip.

"Come in," I said, stepping aside.

"Tasha!" Scarlett exclaimed the moment she saw her niece, her face splitting into a smile, and she started across the room with her arms already open.

Tasha was getting to her feet, her face lighting up, and that was when Granny's voice cut through the room like a blade.

"Who are these prostitutes?"

Scarlett froze mid-step. Jasmine and Maya froze behind her. The three of them stood there, caught in the headlights of the old woman's disdain, and I watched the realization dawn on their faces, that this was not a casual gathering, that the woman before them was my grandmother, that the dinner they had interrupted was a carefully staged performance with Tasha as the star.

"Child, you must be wary of the kind of people you keep as friends. Some of them are jealous. They want what you have. They would do anything to seduce your man, including showing up uninvited to a dinner clearly meant for three, dressed like cheap prostitutes."

Tasha nodded, her eyes downcast. "Yes, Grandmother."

I turned to look at Scarlett. Her expression had not changed, she still wore that polite, pleasant smile, as though Granny had been discussing the weather. Not a flicker of hurt, not a hint of anger. I felt a strange sense of relief, though I could not have said why it mattered to me.

But the old hag was not finished.

"If you need friends, child, I will introduce you to high-profile girls from good society. Girls with class, from wealthy families with good reputations. That is the kind of company the wife of this house should keep."

Tasha smiled. "Thank you, Grandmother. I will follow your instructions."

Granny nodded, satisfied, and then her eyes slid to me, narrowing.

"Sparrow, why are you still letting random people stand in my house? Do you want me to lose my appetite?"