JoJo about it while you’re gone. That way it will be a surprise.” “Ok. Since she’s here, I seriously doubt she would let me dress myself anyway.” Mason chuckles. “Maybe after tonight you’ll let me see you the way I’ve wanted to for a while now.” “Well you could have seen me that way last night if you had taken me up on my offer to join you in the shower.” “True. But it just wasn’t the right setting.” “And will you be arranging this setting while I’m gone?” “Yes, after I speak to JoJo.” Mason leans down and pecks me on the lips. “That’s all I get?” I question with a raised eyebrow. “Until later,” Mason promises sweetly. “I plan to keep you to that promise,” I say walking past Mason towards the living room. I suddenly feel a pinch on my butt and jump. I whirl around to face Mason. “Sorry,” he says, not looking the least bit sorry. “I couldn’t stop myself. It’s just so cute.” I narrow my eyes at him. “Have I told you you’re completely incorrigible?” “Often,” he says with a smile, not looking sorry about it one little bit.
Chapter 8 Remy phases us and we soon find ourselves standing outside what I assume to be the whorehouse. Surprisingly enough it looks rather normal considering what goes on within its walls. The house is your basic two story style farm house replete with white clapboard exterior and wrap around porch. Leah presses her hand into one of Remy’s as we walk up the wooden steps to the porch and front door. Remy rings the doorbell. A curly haired blonde woman dressed in a regular pair of cut off jeans and white tank top answers the door. “Can I help you?” She asks in what sounds like a Boston accent. “We came for the crown,” Remy tells her. I roll my eyes. Apparently subtlety wasn’t Remy’s strong suit. “Could we speak to the owner, please?” I ask. The girl shrugs and opens the door wider for us to enter. We walk down a dimly lit hallway and around the corner. She knocks on a door and another woman calls out for us to come in. The blonde sticks her head inside the room. “There’s some people here to see you, Terry.” “Show them in.” The blonde opens the door wider and looks at us. “Go on in.” When we walk into the office, my eyes are immediately drawn to the crown sitting on the Madame’s desk. The owner of the whorehouse isn’t what I expect. She’s a woman in her forties sharply dressed in a dark blue suit. She stands when we enter and has her lips stretched into a well practiced smile. Her long brown hair is straight and falls evenly on either side of her face. She isn’t wearing much make-up which gives her a clean appearance. “Hello, can I help you?” She says. “We came for the crown,” Remy replies. I feel like banging my head against the wall. Remy seemed to be a one note wonder. Getting the crown was the only thing his scrambled brain seemed to be able to concentrate on. The woman sits on the edge of her desk and crosses her arms over her chest. “You’re welcome to have it if you can pick it up.” Remy lets go of Leah’s hand. “Go ahead, Leah.” “No.” Remy and I both look at Leah. “What do you mean no?” I ask. Leah looks at the Madame. “I want you to tell me about my mother first.” The woman stares at Leah for the space of ten seconds and then nods. “I thought you looked familiar when you came in. Your mother was Grace, right?” “Yes, that was her name.” “She went through the Tear the second year it opened.” “She was pregnant with me at the time.” The woman looks surprised but then she nods. “I guess that explains things. I was wondering why she was crying all the time. She wouldn’t speak to me though.” “I was born on an alternate Earth.” “Ahh, the one we saw the other night?” “Yes.” “You got really lucky to make it back.” “Had some