"They were dirty." I explained, smiling.
"I can't believe you." Xander hissed, shaking his head slowly, looking out the window. "How could you?"
I chuckled. "They were really dirty."
"So!" Xander yelled, facing me again. "That's how I like them, have you forgotten already?"
I laughed at his sullen expression.
"It's not funny!"
"You're right, it's not." I grinned.
"It's an outrage!" Xander roared.
Was he being serious?
"I'm too nice." Xander exclaimed, scowling at me.
I snorted. "You and I have two different definitions of what 'nice' means then."
He leaned in. "Oh I know what nice means, and you're not it."
My jaw dropped. "Fuck you, I'm not mean. I'm the nicest person you're ever going to meet."
"You're right actually, you're not mean." Xander nodded. "You're cruel."
"I can work with that." I smirked.
"We will be discussing this later." Xander promised.
"Sure," I shook my head at his over exaggeration. It wasn't funny anymore. "Anyways, I've been meaning to speak to you about all this."
He cocked an eyebrow. "What about all this?"
"I can't just go out with you any time you want, I need to find a job." I told him.
He waved me off. "You have a job. It's me."
I shook my head. "I need to make money."
He jerked his chin back. "Why, I've taken care of your accommodation and I'm also paying for your phone bill and your food."
"I need to have money saved after the year is over."
"Well, I was going to give you an allowance." Xander said.
My jaw dropped. "An allowance, fuck you, I'm not your child."
He smirked. "Aren't you?"
"Fuck no." I growled.
He sighed. "Whatever you'd like to call it, allowance or pay, I'm okay with that. As long you're available whenever I need you."
I snorted. "That's just great. I'm another version of a whore."
"That's a lie." Xander snorted.
"Excuse me?" I scowled.
"At the end of the day, a whore is still someone who spreads her legs at the end of the date or the beginning. You don't spread your legs, unfortunately. You're my companion, my most trusted ally and my trusted little sidekick." Xander explained.
"I'm too trusting." I sighed.
"I know, me too." Xander added in a similar tone.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "What's my pay?"
Xander smirked. "Well that depends, how much of a good girl you are."
I let out an exasperated breath. "This is bullshit."
"No it's reality." He grinned. "You do Uncle Xander favours, proving his trust for you, a suitable reward will follow."
"It better." I muttered.
He leaned his head forward and whispered. "Who got you out of jail again?"
"Fine!" I snapped.
He leaned back, grinning. "Just reminding you, if it had not been for moi, you wouldn't be here in this very comfortable environment."
"Comfortable environment?" I cringed at him.
"That's right! Your delectable bottom would have been in those nasty prison sweats, sitting by yourself on one of those flat cots, wondering how fast three months could go by." Xander reminded, smugly.
Well shit, I was speechless again.
He leaned forward again and whispered. "You owe me."
I gulped. "For a year."
"For a year." he repeated, leaning back, eying my dress again. "By the way, I really, really love that dress. Your legs look fucking amazing."
I shrugged, stifling a smile, remembering Liam all of a sudden. "I see, but maybe you're not the only who thinks my legs are amazing."
"Who?" he demanded. "Liam?"
"Maybe." I smirked, crossing my arms.
Boom!
He snorted. "Don't tell me, you like him?"
"He's nice." I grinned, smugly.
"He's not nice, I'm nice!" Xander hissed, pointing to himself.
"Okay, whatever you say." I sung.
"Don't 'okay' me. You don't know Liam. He's not nice, far from it." Xander hissed again.
"Why?"
"Why? You saw it with your own eyes, he was in my condo last night without my permission, snooping about."
"Why would he be snooping around your condo?" I asked.
"He's always looking for ammo to nail my coffin shut, once and for all." he explained bitterly.
"Why does he hate you?"
"He doesn't hate me, he loves me." Xander grinned and then burst out laughing. "Okay, that was a big fat lie! He can't stand that I have better ideas than he does. Growing up in our father's eyes, it was always him who was the serious one about the family business."
"And what were you in your father's eyes?"
Xander looked away, not answering.
"The party guy?" I guessed for him.
He turned back, facing me. "You could say that. Anyways, I became serious about the business six years ago and older brother didn't like that."
"Because that was supposed to be his thing?" I suggested.
"He didn't like that all of a sudden, I was putting my nose in our families business, even if my ideas were better."
"Ahhh, I get it, it's a spotlight issue. Who's going to get daddy's attention by doing the better job." I concluded.
"Bingo. That weekend, he thought he finally got me when he barged into my room with the three of you." Xander said.
"Didn't he? That night was really messy." I reminded, shivering at the memory.
"It was also in the privacy of my own room where he had no business being in. If there's one thing our father believes in, it's respecting the privacy of one another." Xander explained.
I cocked any eyebrow. "Oh really, is that a motto you follow too?"
Xander smiled guiltily. "With my father and Liam, yes."
"And with others?"
"Then it's open season all year long." He grinned, wagging his eyebrows.
"Great," I rolled my eyes, sinking into my seat.
"Enough, this conversation depresses me." Xander groaned.
"Fine, what's on the agenda for tonight?" I asked.
"A special dinner at the hotel, my father is hosting it with his PA/Mistress, Cheryl. It's really a birthday party for her." Xander explained, crossing his legs.
My jaw dropped. "But he's married."
"So he is." Xander shrugged.
"Does your mom know?" I gulped.
"She does." Xander nodded.
My eyes widened. "Doesn't she care?" I asked, astounded.
"I don't know!" Xander moaned, shaking his head. He took a deep breath and continued. "Anyways, let's discuss tonight's mission, Agent M. You have to hang around Eugene."
"Why do I have to hang around him?" I jerked my chin back, confused.
"Because it'll make him nervous." Xander smirked, his shoulders shaking next to me. "Did you notice he was off and on last night?"
"Yeah." I answered warily.
"Well there's a reason why. Before arriving to the restaurant last night, he took a special pill." Xander chuckled.
"Why'd he take them?" I grimaced.
Xander grinned. "Because I told him to."
I shook my head and slid down to the door. Daniels pulled the SUV to a stop in front of the Ogall Hotel. Surprisingly, my door was opened first again.
"You told him to?" I asked Xander as he rounded car, joining me on the sidewalk.
"Yes, he expressed a desire to let loose and relax for an evening." Xander explained, buttoning his suit jacket.
"And you told him to take drugs?" My jaw dropped.
"Yeah." He shrugged as if there were no other answer.
"Why?" I screeched.
"Because, it had the desired effect he wanted. And now that I've scratched his back, he's going to scratch mine." Xander said.