Veneer by Daniel Verastiqui

Author:Daniel Verastiqui [Verastiqui, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781461166221
Google: 5Y-5ZwEACAAJ
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 11685019
Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing
Published: 2011-05-18T16:00:00+00:00

There was a cruiser parked on the street in front of Deron’s house, complete with a fresh-from-the-academy uniform leaning against it, every fiber of his being trying not to succumb to the boredom of his assignment. He didn’t seem all too interested in the world around him until Rosalia started coming down the street, at which point his head turned at the welcome distraction. His eyes looked her up and down and even though she stared back, he wouldn’t turn away.

So brash, she thought, so unapologetic in his lewdness. He probably wasn’t always like that. He might have even been polite and respectful at some point. It was the badge that changed all that. All veneers were masks, but for most people it meant they could hide who they really were. For a majority of the Easton police force, it meant they could finally be themselves.

If Ilya had been there—and for a moment she wished she were—she might not have been so forgiving of the man’s lustful stare. Ilya would have stripped off her shirt and bra and shoved her chest in his face and screamed, “There! Is that better?!”

The thought made Rosalia smile, but she did so inwardly, under her veneer. She hid her feelings automatically now, felt it was the best way to avoid questions. The only time she let them shine through was around Ilya, not so much because she liked and trusted her, but because there had to be someone in the world that she could open up to besides Deron.

It was different with Ilya, though Rosalia wasn’t sure why.

She seemed to take everything in stride; the Vinestead building was a perfect example. Rosalia had dragged her away from school and into downtown only to sit across the street from an abandoned building and discuss nothing but the nightmarish visions of other Canvas players. A strange feeling had come over her when they crossed the street and approached the doors, that perhaps it was all a lost cause. And as they stood there reading the poorly reconciled notice on the nameplate, she couldn’t help but apologize to Ilya for wasting her time. As expected, Ilya tried to reassure her that it was okay, that she would rather spend the day away from school with her than be stuck listening to Mr. Quan recite the laws of physics.

The uniform didn’t say anything until Rosalia turned up the path towards Deron’s front door. And even then he had to clear his throat first, as if he had been salivating over her.

“Can I help you, young lady?”

Rosalia barely paused to mutter, “No.”

“Are you an acquaintance of Mrs. Bishop?”

Stopping halfway up the sidewalk, she turned in place. “Ms. Bishop. And I’m sure that’s none of your damn business.” There it was, thought Rosalia. The quickest way to turn off that sexual fire was to question their domain.

“Everything is my business,” he proclaimed, subconsciously touching his belt, as if having a dick were some kind of sanction. “Ms. Bishop is not receiving any visitors at the moment.

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