It’d also become exceedingly clear in the last few minutes that Mrs. Swanson had lied. Emily had not been thrilled to hire me. Not even close. She’d most likely been guilted into it. The realization was humiliating. But I supposed it was a fair trade. If I was disappointed in what she’d become, there was a good chance she was disappointed in me too. I wouldn’t exactly blame her, but that didn’t mean it didn’t sting.

“I’m glad the timing worked out for both of us,” she said, gesturing to the couch and then sitting in the chair across from it. I hesitated, then sat down gingerly, beginning to lean, but realizing the back was tilted at a strange angle that would force me to practically recline, and so I remained upright. “I’m sure things have been…challenging for you,” she said, her eyes sliding away as though she was uncomfortable talking about my hardships.

“You’ve really done great,” I said, turning the conversation away from me. My challenges were the last thing I wanted to talk about with her. I glanced around the room. Whether it was my personal taste or not, I was pretty damn certain that the decor had come with a substantial price tag. She seemed to fit her surroundings. All perfection and gloss and superficial beauty. “You’ve become everything you ever wanted to be.” Had she though? Was this how she imagined her life would look once she’d found fame? Still, she was hugely gifted, and it was nice to know that sincere talent was rewarded. “You deserve it, Emily. You were always a beautiful singer.”

She held my gaze for a moment as though searching for something, but then blinked and looked away. “Thank you, Tuck.”

“You’re welcome… Should I call you Emily or Nova?” I asked, tipping my head.

“Emily. Unless we’re working.” She waved her hand in the air. “It can be kind of hard to switch back and forth, but I’m sure you can manage it.”

“I’m sure I can.” Plus, I didn’t imagine there was a lot of talking that went along with the job.

There was another awkward silence. I waited for a minute, wondering if she might bring up her parents, or the area where we had once lived, or something personal regarding the years we’d been apart, but when she remained silent, I sat forward. “So, ah, tell me about the job,” I said. “I understand of course that I’ll be part of your security team, but what do I need to know specifically?”