Natural Selection by Amanda Lance Read Free Book Online

where you work?”
    She nodded. “It might not be a step up from cleaning houses, but I like it.”
    “Em?”
    They both looked up to the sound of the meek voice on the stairs.
    “Hey , Claudette.”
    “Is , uh, everything okay?”
    “Great .” Emilia smirked and raised one of her eyebrows, moving to the end of the stairs to meet her. “Go and grab Paula. You can tell her that Mr. Carl von Weber has graced us with his presence.”
    “What? No way.”
    Kasper cringed while Emilia gestured towards him lavishly.
    He stared at the ground and listened to the eager little steps of Emilia’s colleague as she ran away. If he had any doubt that she was intentionally trying to hurt him, he was cured of the speculation now. Yet he could not look her in the eye, could not question her with his stare.
    “Oh my goodness, hello , Mr.—”
    Like everyone, Paula was startled by the mask, and it made her stop right where she stood. Kasper narrowed his eyes, noticing instantly how she flinched when he looked up at her, and she swallowed hard. The younger woman Emilia had addressed as Claudette tried to hide behind her and look at anything but him.
    Emilia , however, pretended not to see how uncomfortable everyone was. She continued to smile as though she was the queen of the room; regal and dignified, she interlaced her fingers and held them in front of herself.
    “ Carl von Weber?” The woman Emilia had identified as Paula finished descending the stairs and did something between a smile and a grimace.
    “Yes .” Emilia beamed. “He was driving through from Massachusetts and decided to stop by. Isn’t that nice?”
    Paula cleared her throat. “Yes, very nice. Mr. Weber, on behalf of everyone here, let me just say thank you so much for your generosity. Your donation will make sure a difference—”
    “Please .” He held out his hand to stop the women from the painful interaction and did not fail to see how Claudette still hid behind her, staring at the ground. When he glanced back at Emilia, she was no longer smiling, and despite his nervousness, the change in her expression that him curious. “None of that is necessary.”
    “We are just so grateful …” She looked away nervously and tried to shove Claudette away from her. When she did, though, the girl tripped and stumbled over own feet, falling directly in front of him. Emilia rushed to help her, but Claudette had already inadvertently looked up at him and turned white, her eyes staring at him in disbelief. Wide and never-ending, she ogled as if she were in a contest and would only lose when she blinked.
    Emilia whispered something in her ear, something sharp and lost to everyone else, and the girl snapped out of it, standing with Emilia’s help and practically running away as she turned scarlet.
    Paula smiled as much as she could and tried to save the remainder of the conversation. “Would you like to go on a tour or—”
    “Perhaps another time. I have another appointment that I must attend to. Goodbye, ladies. It was lovely to meet you.”
    And before any of them could say another word , he was out the door.
     
    ***
     
    She tried to follow him, of course, but even with her guilt energizing her, Emilia could not catch up to his long strides, and before she could rouse up the courage to call out to him, he was already in his car, backing away and out of her life—again.
    Emilia left , too, not bothering to answer any of Paula’s nosy questions, but just grabbing her things and trying to make it to her car before she began crying. As predicted, the tears came as a heavy rainfall during the spring: unwanted and messy. No longer caring, Emilia let the tears come as she drove to her apartment and stopped only long enough so that she could get up the stairs without anyone noticing. Tut greeted her in his usual manner, and Emilia was forced to stop crying for his sake, since she had to take him outside.
    She splashed some water on her face and put him on his leash,