before any further interruptions, "this is how it's going to work. Everything will remain the same for the time being. I expect whomever is trying to invade and cause issue will try again, though. They've already tried today in Jessika's office. No one's perfect and they're going to screw up. We aren't going to let them do what they want without retribution. We're going to do everything we can with what we have in order to stop them before the situation gets out of hand. There was a sweep of Jessika's office today, but I'd like someone to go through it again. Just a couple this time, and quietly. Find anything out of place. Anything. Hair, dust, whatever. Fingerprints? I don't care. If there's any way we can find it, then we'll find it, and we'll track this person down."
"And if we don't?" Alice asked.
Asher shrugged, nonchalant. "We're all screwed."
***
I rode in the passenger seat of Jeremy's car. It was actually Asher's car, but Asher never drove it, so it was difficult for me to think of it like that. Also, Asher and I always rode in the back when we were together. Supposedly that was more proper, but I didn't understand why. Jeremy might not be rich, and he might technically be Asher's driver, but he wasn't just those things.
He was Asher's friend. They'd known each other for a long time. Jeremy was my friend now, too. Sometimes I felt like I'd been through as much with Jeremy as I had with Asher. No one had posted rude and defamatory articles about me and Jeremy, though. Being with Jeremy made things a little easier and simpler sometimes. I felt like I could relate to him more.
"So... Burgers?" Jeremy asked, taking a quick peek at the carry-out bags in my lap.
"Yes," I said, nodding. We'd stopped to get hamburgers.
"I guess they're fancier, at least?"
"They're buffalo," I said. "It's healthier than beef and chicken. It's delicious, too."
"I'm just saying, it's a little weird, that's all. I pick you up from some huge corporate tower where millions of dollars of transactions happen on a daily basis, and we go stop at some small restaurant, chat it up with the hostess, order some burgers to go, wait in the car, then leave to... go to some huge mansion surrounded by a fence and a gate."
"You forgot the guest house," I said. "There's the guest house, too."
"Yeah, right. Whoops! Silly me."
"What's wrong with burgers?" I asked. Opening one of the carry-out bags and peeking inside, I looked around as if I might find the answer somewhere. "I like to take the top bun off and then just eat the rest. Not with my hands, but a fork and a knife."
"Yeah," Jeremy said, snickering. "I know. This isn't the first time we've gotten burgers."
"I don't understand what's wrong with burgers," I said. "You got a good one, too. Pepper Jack with jalapenos, cilantro, fried onions, and some special sauce."
Jeremy let loose laughing, not holding back any longer. "You're just so regular," he said. "It's weird sometimes. In a good way, I mean. I drive Asher around, and he wants to go get pizza or something. I drive you around, and we get burgers. I feel like if I somehow ended up working for any other rich people, all food runs would be endless foreign cuisine and fancy restaurants."
"Pizza's kind of foreign?" I offered. "Italian?"
Jeremy grinned ear to ear and nodded. "I guess I just mean that you're not what I expected at first," he said, his smile softening, but still friendly. "It's been awhile, you know? I'm not just saying this. I don't know why I'm saying this. I know it's been rough for you after everything that happened, but I don't know why people say the things they say about you. It's the same with Asher, and sometimes it's so weird for me on the inside looking out. I'm not a part of that, I'm just the guy who drives everyone around, so I don't have to deal with those problems. Ignorance is bliss, I guess."
"You're
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley