Trapped (Caged 2)

I narrowed my eyes at her, but she didn’t look over at me. She seemed completely entranced by the bit of dental twine wrapped around her fingers. She tied it into a loop and started to play Cat’s Cradle.

“You get off on listening?” I asked with a smirk, but I didn’t get any more words out of her. I climbed the rest of the way back through the window and found Tria sitting on the couch with a big glass of apple juice.

“I’m going with you,” she said definitively. “I’m not going to argue about it, and I have no idea what I’m going to wear, but I’m going. I’ll go in fucking sweats if that’s what I have to do, but I am going!”

I rolled my eyes and was about to start the whole “oh no you aren’t” argument over again when someone started tapping at the door.

“Who the hell is that?” I muttered as I went to open it. As soon as the door swung to the side, I wished I had just stayed on the fire escape. “What the fuck?”

“Good evening, Liam,” Michael said smoothly. He looked around me to smile at Tria. “Hello, Miss Lynn. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“Hello, Michael,” Tria replied. “Please, come in.”

“Seriously?” I asked. As I turned around to look at her, Michael stepped to the side and entered the apartment. Behind him was an older guy with white hair down to his shoulders and a big bag over his arm.

“Pardon my manners,” Michael said as I closed the door. “This is Carter. He’s going to get you measured for your tux, and then we’ll work on some designs for Tria’s dress.”

“My…my what?” Tria stuttered.

“Your dress for the wedding,” Michael said with a cool smile. “Ryan said Liam was concerned he would need a new tuxedo, and it occurred to me that we could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Carter is a fabulous procurer of wonderful items from Italy and Paris. He’ll find just the thing for you, I’m sure.”

“Michael, are you out of your mind?” I glared at him.

“You said you were going to attend the wedding, correct?”

“Yeah,” I admitted.

“And I assume you are still a man of your word, regardless of the sins of the past?” He eyed me pointedly. “I’m fairly certain that was a trait instilled in you by your father and grandfather.”

I took a long breath but gave him a single nod.

“Then you will need a tuxedo.”

“This has nothing to do with Tria,” I said to him as I took a step closer.

“Hold your arm out to the side, please,” the white-haired gentleman said. He took my wrist and

guided my hand away from my body as he pulled out a tape measure and started taking measurements.

I ignored him but let him do his job. One thing that was definitely true was my need for a tux, and since Michael would be paying for the rest of the wedding anyway, I didn’t think the price of a tux was going to amount to even a drop in that budget bucket.

“Of course it does,” Michael replied as he smiled at her again. “We’ll want her dressed appropriately, and considering your income level, you know you can’t accommodate.”

“My income level is none of your fucking business!”

“Liam,” Tria said as she stood from the couch and walked over. “We were just trying to figure out how I was going to get something to wear.”

“We were not trying to figure it out!” I snapped back. “You aren’t going!”

“Of course she is!” Michael said with a laugh.

“See?” Tria smiled along with him as she gestured to Carter. “And now we have the solution.”

“Tria, you have no idea what you’re saying.”

“Of course I do!” she said. “I’m going to a wedding with you.”

“It’s settled then!” Michael beamed.