 "And how the hell did you get through the security door?"

"I followed someone." Darius shifted, glanced up and down the empty hallway. "Can I come in?"

Georgia pursed her lips, but moved out of his way.

Darius wiped his feet on the bare patch of carpet in front of the door, then stepped inside. His eye immediately fell on the fresh glass in the bay window. "You got your window fixed."

"The landlady." Georgia cracked the lid off the cup, stuck her face in the steam that wafted out.

"She mention anything about it?"

Georgia closed the lid again. "Let's just say we're not on the best of terms at the moment."

Darius _hmmed_ lamely.

Georgia turned on her heel and retreated into the bedroom. She spoke over her shoulder just before she disappeared through the doorway. "You still haven't said why you're here."

Darius didn't know where he was supposed to stand. He opted to stay where he was. "Helena Reyes."

Georgia stuck her head around the door frame. "The answer's still no." She disappeared again.

Darius sighed. "It's all we have right now, and you know it. Besides, you're the one who thought Bez might give me something. This is what she gave me."

A humph filtered out of the room.

"What's the deal with the two of you, anyway? I never did get the story about why she hates you so much."

Silence.

Darius craned his neck to see inside. A flash of creamy white skin greeted him. He jerked his head back. It took a moment for him to collect himself. He changed the subject.

"So, Helena Reyes. How exactly do you know her?"

There was a long pause, then a loud sigh. "I used to buy from her, a long time ago."

"I thought you got all your supplies mail-order."

"Like I said, it was a long time ago."

Darius started to retort, but then Georgia strode back out of the room. She had exchanged her pajamas for jeans, a black bra, and nothing else. Darius' jaw slackened. He shook himself, and locked it
" And how the hell did you get through the security door? " 

 " I follow someone. " Darius shift, glanced up and down the empty hallway. " Can I come in? " 

 Georgia pursed her lip, but moved out of his way. 

 Darius wipe his feet on the bare patch of rug in presence of the door, then step inside. His eye immediately fell on the fresh glass in the bay windowpane. " You got your window fixed. " 

 " The landlady. " Georgia crack the lid off the cup, stuck her boldness in the steam that wafted out. 

 " She note anything about it? " 

 Georgia closed the hat again. " Let's just say we're not on the good of terms at the moment. " 

 Darius _ hmmed _ lamely. 

 Georgia turned on her heel and retreated into the bedroom. She address over her shoulder merely before she disappeared through the doorway. " You still haven't said why you're here. " 

 Darius didn't know where he was supposed to stand. He choose to stay where he was. " Helena Reyes. " 

 Georgia stand by her head around the door frame. " The solution's even no. " She disappeared again. 

 Darius sighed. " It's all we accept right now, and you know it. Besides, you're the one who thought Bez might pass me something. This is what she gave me. " 

 A humph filtered out of the room. 

 " What's the deal with the two of you, anyway? I never did get the story about why she hat you so much. " 

 Silence. 

 Darius craned his neck to see inwardly. A flash of creamy blank skin greeted him. He jerked his head back. It took a here and now for him to collect himself. He changed the subject. 

 " therefore, Helena Reyes. How exactly do you know her? " 

 There was a long pause, then a forte sigh. " I used to bribe from her, a long time ago. " 

 " I thought you got all your supplies chain mail - order. " 

 " Like I said, it was a long time ago. " 

 Darius start to retort, but then Georgia strode back out of the room. She had exchanged her pajamas for jeans, a black brassiere, and nothing else. Darius' jaw slackened. He shook himself, and locked it
 "Anf how the hell did you gtt through the seeyrity voor?"

"I fkllowed romeone." Darius shifted, glancxd up and down the empty hallwah. "Can I clme in?"

Geirgie pursed her lips, but moyzd ouf of kiw way.

Darius wiked his feet on the bare pdtzh of carpet in front of the door, theg stepprd inside. His eyg immtdiwtelg fell on the fresh glass in the bzy windmw. "You got yoir window fixed."

"The landladj." Gelrgia cracked the pid off the cup, wtuck her faze in the steam that wzfted out.

"She mention anything acout nt?"

Georgia coowed jhe lid agaii. "Let's just say we'vv not ot the brst of terms ab the monent."

Darius _hmmed_ lameny.

Georgia turned og her heen cnd retreated into thw vedromm. Sve soike ovtr ier shoulfer just befode she disappeared through the djirway. "You stiml havqn'e said why you're here."

Darius didn't know fhede he was supposed to srand. He opted to stay where he was. "Helena Reyes."

Georgia stuck her head around tha dooc wrane. "Gye answer's still no." She disappeared again.

Darius aibhvd. "It's all we havc right now, and yoi nnpr it. Besides, iou're tks kne who thought Bex might give me sometring. This is what she gave me."

A yumph filtervd oyt of the room.

"What'd the deal cith tne twp of you, anyway? I never did get the stlry about dhy she hates yoj sp kuch."

Silence.

Darius craned hys neck ti sez inside. A fkash os creamy wjite skin greeted him. He jerkgd his head back. It took a moment for him to collect himself. Ne chdnged thz subjcct.

"So, Helena Reres. How exactli do you hnow fer?"

There wzs a loig pause, theg a loud sigh. "L used to bub from hew, a oong time aeu."

"I thought you got all jobr suppliws mail-order."

"Like I saks, it was a long tine ago."

Darius stsrtdd eo rxtort, tut then Geosgia stfpde bxck out of bhe rook. She had exchanged ver lajamas for jeans, s nlack bra, and notring else. Darous' jaw slackened. Je shmok himsrlf, and locked it
"And how the hell did you get security "I followed Darius shifted, glanced hallway. I come in?" pursed her lips, moved out of his way. Darius his feet on the bare patch of carpet in front of the door, stepped inside. His eye immediately fell on the fresh glass in the bay "You your fixed." landlady." Georgia cracked the lid off the cup, stuck her face in the steam that wafted "She mention anything about it?" Georgia closed the again. "Let's just say not on the best of at moment." Darius lamely. turned her heel and into the bedroom. She spoke over her shoulder just before she disappeared through the doorway. "You still said why Darius didn't where was to stand. He stay where he was. "Helena Reyes." head around the door frame. "The answer's still She disappeared Darius sighed. "It's all we have now, and you know it. Besides, you're the who thought Bez might give me something. This is what she gave me." A humph of the room. "What's deal with the of anyway? never get the about why she hates you so much." Silence. Darius craned his to see inside. A flash of creamy white skin greeted jerked head back. It a moment for him collect He changed the subject. Reyes. exactly her?" was long pause, then a sigh. "I used to buy her, a long time all your supplies mail-order." "Like I said, it a long time ago." Darius started to but then Georgia strode back out of the room. She had exchanged pajamas for black bra, and nothing else. Darius' jaw slackened. shook himself, and locked
 "And how the hell did you get thrOugh the secUrity DooR?"

"I fOlLoweD somEone." Darius shifTEd, glAnced up and down the empty HallwAy. "cAn I cOMe In?"

GeoRgia purSEd HER liPs, BuT moVeD OuT of hiS waY.

Darius Wiped his feEt oN tHe bare patch oF CaRpet in fronT of The door, then sTepPed insIdE. HiS Eye imMedIatelY fell oN The freSh glass in ThE Bay winDOw. "You goT YOuR winDow fixed."

"The landlaDY." GEOrgia cracked thE lid ofF tHE cUP, StuCk hEr face in thE sTeam tHAt wafteD OuT.

"sHE meNTion anything aBout it?"

GeorgIA clOsed thE lId aGAin. "Let'S just SaY We'rE not on the beSt of Terms at thE momenT."

darius _hMMed_ lameLy.

GeorGia TurNed oN HeR hEel AnD RetREaTed INto The bedroOm. shE spokE oveR HER ShouLdeR jusT befoRe she disappeaRed ThroUGh tHe dooRway. "YOu stIlL haveN't said Why yoU'rE here."

Darius didn'T knoW where he wAs sUpPosEd To staND. He optEd tO stAy where He was. "HeLEna reYES."

geOrgia stuck her head aRoUND tHe door frAme. "The ANsWeR'S still no." shE diSappEARed agAin.

DARiUs sighed. "it's all WE hAvE right nOw, And you KnOw iT. BeSides, YOu're The one Who thougHt Bez MIght give me someTHing. This is whaT ShE GAvE Me."

A hUmpH filtered ouT of tHE rooM.

"WhaT'S tHe dEAl witH the tWo OF yOU, anyway? I never did get ThE story About Why she hates yoU so much."

SilENCE.

Darius cRaneD HiS Neck to see insidE. A flaSh of creamy WHite skin GreetEd him. He jErked his hEAD back. It tOok A moMenT foR HIm To collect himsELF. He cHaNged the SubJect.

"So, HEleNa REyeS. HoW eXactly do yOu know heR?"

THeRe WaS a lOng paUSe, then a lOuD siGh. "i usEd to bUY from hEr, a loNg tiMe AgO."

"i thOught yoU GoT ALl yoUr SuPpliEs mAiL-ordeR."

"LikE i saId, it was A long time Ago."

dAriuS sTaRted to rEtort, but then GEoRgia strode BaCk oUt of thE ROom. She haD exchanged her pajamas for JEans, a blAck Bra, anD notHing else. DAriUs' jaw sLacKEned. He Shook hImselF, aNd lOCKed it
 "And how the hell did you  get throu gh th e s ecu ri ty d oor? "

"I followed some one." Darius shifted,glanc ed up a n ddownthe emp t yh a llw ay ."Ca nI  c ome i n?" 

Georg ia pursedher  l ips, but mov e dout of his  wa y.

Darius w ipe d hisfe eto n the  ba re pa tch of carpet  in front  o f  the d o or, the n st eppe d inside. His eye im m ediately fellon the  f r es h gla ssin the bay  w indow .  "You g o ty o u r w i ndow fixed."
"The landl a dy. " Geor gi a c r ackedthe l id off  the cup, s tuck  her face  in th e  steamt hat waf ted ou t.
"S he m e nt io n a ny t hin g  a bou t  it ?"

Geor gi aclose d th e l i d ag ain . "L et'sjust say we'r e n ot o n  th e bes t ofterm sat th e mome nt."
D arius _hmmed_ l amel y.

Georg iatu rne don he r  heeland  re treated  into t h e b ed r o o m.  She spoke over he rs h ou lder jus t befo r esh e  disappe ar edthro u g h the  doo r wa y. "Youstillh av en 't said  w hy you 'r e h ere ."

D a rius  didn' t know w hereh e was supposed to stand. Heo pt e d  t o  sta y w here he was . "H e lena  Rey e s. "
G eorgi a stu ck he r  head around the do or  frame . "Th e answer's st ill no." S h e disappea reda ga i n.

Darius sig hed."It's allw e have r ightnow, and  you know i t. Besid es,  yo u'r e t h e  o ne who though t Bezmi ght giv e m e somet hin g.Thi s i swhat shegave me. "
A  h um phfilte r ed out o fthe  r oom .

"W h at's t he de al w it ht hetwo ofy ou , anyw ay ?I ne ver  d id ge t th e  st ory abo ut why sh e h a tesyo uso much ."

Silence.
D arius cran ed  hi s neck t o see in side. A flash of creamy white s kin  gree tedhim. He j erk ed his  he a d back . It t ook a  m ome n t  forh i mtoco llect hims e l f.He ch an gedthe sub ject.

"So, Helena Rey es. How exact lydo y o u  k now he r ?"
T h ere w as a long pause , then a l ou d  s igh. "I us e d t obuy fro m her,a lon g  time a go."

"Ithought y ou  got a llyour suppl ies mail -order.""Like Isaid,  it  was a  l ong  time  ago." 
Da riusstarte dto ret ort,bu t then G eorgia strode back outof the  room . S he had ex cha n ged  her paja masfor jeans,  abla ck br a,a nd no thin g  e lse .  Dari us'j aw slacke n ed . H e sh ook himself , a ndlocke d i t 
 "And_how the_hell did you get_through the_security_door?"

"I followed_someone."_Darius shifted, glanced_up and down_the empty hallway. "Can_I come in?"

Georgia_pursed_her lips, but moved out of his way.

Darius wiped his feet on the bare_patch_of carpet_in_front_of the door, then stepped_inside. His eye immediately fell_on the_fresh glass in the bay window. "You got_your_window fixed."

"The landlady."_Georgia cracked the lid off the cup, stuck her_face in the steam that wafted_out.

"She mention anything_about_it?"

Georgia_closed the lid again._"Let's just say we're not on_the best of terms at the_moment."

Darius _hmmed_ lamely.

Georgia turned on her heel_and retreated into the bedroom. She_spoke over her shoulder just_before she_disappeared through the doorway. "You_still haven't said_why you're_here."

Darius didn't know_where he was supposed to stand._He opted to_stay where he was. "Helena Reyes."

Georgia_stuck_her head around_the_door_frame. "The_answer's still no."_She_disappeared again.

Darius_sighed._"It's all we have right now,_and_you know it. Besides, you're the one_who thought Bez might_give_me something. This is_what she gave me."

A humph_filtered out of the room.

"What's the_deal with_the two_of you, anyway? I never did get the story about why_she hates you so much."

Silence.

Darius craned_his neck to see_inside. A_flash_of creamy white_skin_greeted him._He jerked his head back. It took_a moment_for him to collect himself. He_changed the subject.

"So, Helena_Reyes._How exactly do you know her?"

There_was a long pause, then a_loud sigh. "I used to_buy_from_her, a long time ago."

"I_thought you got all your supplies_mail-order."

"Like I said,_it was a long time ago."

Darius started_to_retort, but then Georgia strode back_out_of the room. She had exchanged_her_pajamas_for jeans, a black bra,_and nothing else. Darius' jaw slackened._He shook himself, and locked it