Page 19 of Forbidden Romeo
I hate that I need Missy right now. But Holden can’t get Megan to answer his calls. And if he can’t find her with all of his resources, then there’s only one person who knows how to get to her.
And it’s the one person who got to her in the first place.
I enter through the floor to ceiling glass doors and make my way over to the doorman. “I’m here to see Missy Howl.”
“Is she expecting you?”
I shift uneasily on my feet, for the first time realizing that this plan might be a little stupid. She may not even be home. “Not… exactly.”
“Name and identification.”
Make that a lot stupid. I can’t even get away with lying if I have to show ID. “Um… Kate Harris.” I mumble and slide my driver’s license across the marble counter to him. He types a few things into the computer, then lifts the phone and shuffles a few steps away from me, murmuring quietly off to the side.
My heart sinks as he steals a glance at me from over his shoulder. Finally he hangs up and hands me back my license. “Penthouse,” he says with a nod toward the elevators.
I stare at him, mouth gaping open. “W-what? She… she agreed to see me?”
“She did,” he says simply, then gives me an odd look. “And I suggest you take her up on it before she changes her mind.”
He doesn’t have to tell me twice.
I rush for the elevator and duck inside, hitting the button for the Penthouse.
The elevator ascends swiftly, the marble walls and gold trim glinting in the soft lighting. I fidget with the strap of my purse, unsure what awaits me at the top. The doors slide open and I step out into the wide entryway. Priceless artwork adorns the walls and lush rugs cover gleaming hardwood floors.
"Missy?" I call out tentatively.
There's no answer. I peek into the rooms off the foyer - a dining room, sitting room, and a library. All are empty. Where is she?
I start up the staircase. At the top is a long hallway lined with doors. One of them has to lead to Missy.
As I walk down the hall, I hear music drifting from behind one of the doors. I stop outside and knock gently. The music stops.
"Come in," calls a melodic voice.
I push open the door into a music room. Missy sits at an elegant grand piano, her fingers resting lightly on the keys. Her casual dress of only a white tank top and jeans is at odds with the formality of the penthouse. Her hair spills freely over her shoulders as she smiles up at me.
"Well, well, if it isn't little Kate Harris," she says with a sly smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
I perch nervously on a tufted velvet bench as she regards me with curiosity. Her violet eyes are piercing but not unkind.
I take a deep breath, trying to appear more confident than I feel. "I need your help finding Megan. I know you two have a… a history. Please, if you know where she is, tell me. I'm desperate."
Missy raises one perfectly groomed eyebrow. "And what makes you think I'd help you?"
“Well… there haven’t been any headlines. Nothing announcing Holden as a baby daddy. So, I thought… maybe?—”
“You thought maybe I had changed my mind? Maybe the wicked witch has a heart after all?”
I shrug and try to give her a smile. “Maybe this doesn’t have to be the Wizard of Oz. Maybe it can be Wicked. Where we’re friends… not enemies.”
Missy’s hand crashes down on the keys of the piano making a loud, unharmonious sound. “Except in Wicked, there’s still a fall guy. Despite being a good friend and a good person, Elphaba is still hated.” She abruptly stands up from the piano and crosses to the window, folding her slender arms. "I haven’t posted the headline yet because you haven’t been at rehearsal. There’s still time for you to hand that part over to me. Give me the part… and I’ll give you Megan.”
I suck in a sharp breath. I’d been prepared for this… and yet, I still wasn’t emotionally ready for battle. Maybe I never would be. Maybe it would never be my nature. “No,” I whisper.
At that single word, Missy whips around, her lavender eyes flashing with anger. “No?”
I hold firm, standing my ground with a simple shake of my head. “No. It’s my part. Not yours.”