Fashion Victim by Pascal Francine

Author:Pascal, Francine
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-01-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

"Did you enjoy working in Paris?" Todd's mother asked Simone during dinner.

Simone wrinkled her nose at the food on her plate. "Not really," she answered without looking up. "What's in this orange slop?"

Todd breathed an exasperated sigh. "I already told you," he reminded her. "Macaroni and cheese."

"Its very creamy," Mrs. Wilkins commented. "What brand did you use?"

Simone rolled her eyes and mumbled something under her breath.

Todd cringed, then turned to his mother. "I'm not sure what kind I bought," he answered. He'd already thrown away the box. And besides, he knew his mother had only asked to be polite.

"I think I'll have more of this toast," Mr. Wilkins announced as he added a few more slices to his plate. "Its delicious. Just the right amount of butter." When he tried to pass the serving platter to Simone, she waved it aside.

"Oh, please!" she whined, fingering the stiff collar of her bright blue dress. "The day I resort to eating buttered toast . . ." She didn't finish the sentence, but her sentiments were clear—she'd have to be desperate to eat the meal Todd had prepared.

Todd admitted to himself that the dinner was an unqualified disaster. His parents were trying too hard to be gracious, and Simone had been wearing a look of utter disgust since the moment she'd first walked into the apartment. Todd's one lucky break was that his shouting neighbors weren't home.

"I must admit buttered toast is one of my weaknesses," Mrs. Wilkins said, helping herself to another piece. "What are your favorite foods, Simone?"

Simone braced her elbows on the table, her hands under her chin. "Carrots, celery . . . I stick to fresh vegetables most of the time," she replied in a haughty tone. "Even if I weren't a top model, I'd still watch my weight. There's no excuse for a woman letting herself go."

Todd hadn't considered that she might be referring to his mother—until Simone turned to Emily Wilkins with a snide look and added, "No offense."

A bright red flush rose in his mother's face, her deep green eyes simmering. For a long, tense moment no one said a word. Todd shifted uneasily in his seat. The only person who didn't seemed to be in a state of shock was Simone. She studied her fingernails, which were painted the same blue shade as her dress. Finally Bert Wilkins broke the silence. "So Todd, are getting yourself settled in?" he asked.

Todd shrugged. "I want to fix up the place a little."

"That would be nice," Emily Wilkins commented, pushing her short auburn hair behind her ear. "Some fresh paint . . . maybe a few colorful throw rugs . . ."

Simone snorted loudly. "A bulldozer would be your best bet."

"I know this isn't the best apartment in the world, Simone," Todd responded defensively. "I'm planning to move to a nicer place as soon as I can afford to."

"I'll visit you when that happens, Todd," Simone replied coldly as she got up from the table. "But in the meantime this place is giving me the creeps.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.