The Bodyguard Affair

“Oh, yes.” She gave a haughty sniff. Apparently, Vivianne Black didn’t have time for Sam, even though she’d hired her. “You must be on your way out. I won’t keep you.”

With a sideways glance at Bianca, Sam left the apartment, solidly closing the door behind her.

Bianca crossed her arms. “What are you doing here, Mom?”

“Good evening to you too, honey.” She strode to where Bianca sat, but Bianca didn’t make room for her on the couch.

“You said you’d stop barging in here without knocking.”

“No need to take that tone with me. Your mother forgets sometimes.” She fanned herself with a handkerchief she kept in her front pocket. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Yeah, right. But an apology was more than Bianca was used to getting. “So, what are you doing here? You almost gave Sam a heart attack. I thought she was going to use her taser on you.” If she had, maybe Mom would learn to stop letting herself in uninvited.

“Actually, that’s what I wanted to discuss. This bodyguard of yours.”

“What about her?”

“That’s just it, isn’t it? Her.”

As her mother collapsed into the tub chair near her daughter’s sofa, Spike reappeared, familiar with the family matriarch but skeptical of her, nonetheless. He approached hesitantly, his nose sniffing the air, before deciding that there was, in fact, such a thing as too much Chanel No. 5. With what could only be described as a scowl, he disappeared into the other room.

Her mother was oblivious to it all. “I don’t think you should have a woman covering you. I really do think you should pick someone else.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Bianca could feel a headache coming on. Was her blood sugar getting low, or was it just her mother? “You hired hercompany. She’s the owner of Rainier. Who better to make my life as boring and restricted as possible than the woman who corrals everyone around here?”

“I’d feel much more comfortable with a man. Or two, perhaps.”

“Come on, Mom. Sam is great. She never lets me have any fun and is almost as paranoid as you.”

Vivianne was good at pretending to not hear her daughters’ digs. “It’s not that I’m unhappy with the new company. They’re already much better at providing weekly reports than the old one. God knows they keep on top of new technology better, too. I’m talking about you. You’re the only one with a female bodyguard.”

“You were the one who told me I should choose my own bodyguard, so that’s what I did. And now you’re mad I chose Sam? It’s her damn company!”

“Language. And be that as it may, your father and I are the ones paying for your personal guard. I’d much rather have Trevor or Brent reassigned to you. Or both.”

“I’ve already made up my mind, Mom. Sam is my bodyguard, and that’s that.”

Vivianne sniffed. “Then perhaps I should have a talk with her myself. Make sure she’s really the right fit for you.”

“All right. I think that’s a great idea. I’m sure that if you talk to Sam, you’ll find out how boring and serious she is.” Before her mother could drag the matter out any further, Bianca changed the subject. “Now that that’s settled, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”

Vivianne looked up from the nail file she had brought down to her daughter’s apartment. “Of course. What is it?”

Bianca inhaled a deep breath for bravery. She would need it. “You know I was applying to grad schools, right? Well, you’ll be proud to hear that I was accepted into UCLA’s English program. I’m seriously thinking about going. I’ve already made a pros and cons list, and—”

Vivianne shook her head. “Out of the question. You’ll go to grad school here in Seattle as we’ve already discussed. It was good enough for your sisters, and it’s sure as hell good enough for you, too.”

“But, Mom—”

“No buts. What happens if you have a hypo while in—what is it, Los Angeles? Goodness. Why do you need to go all the way down there? Not even San Francisco or Portland, but LA? You might as well be going to Chicago or New York. Or London!”

I wish. Unfortunately, Bianca knew there was no chance of that happening. California was her best shot at freedom.

“I’ll be fine. I’m a grown adult. I’ve had diabetes my whole life. You think I don’t know how to manage it or how to take care of myself?”

“I know what young girls get up to at college, and that includes you. Remember what happened a couple of years ago? You went to some party, got drunk like an idiot, and ended up in the hospital!”

Bianca bristled. “I wasn’t even drunk!” She’d only had two drinks, but the alcohol had messed with her blood sugar. That was why she’d ended up in the hospital. It had been stupid, but she knew better now. “The only reason I went to that party in the first place was because I was tired of being treated like a kid and wanted to act like a normal teenager for once. And I learned my lesson. I’m twenty—two now. I’m going to grad school. Shouldn’t I be able to choose where I go? Shouldn’t I have some freedom?”