SOMETHING ABOUT SQUARES

TEXTILE BY ANNA WURST

mansion. It seemed to have a life of its own, bursting with laughter from the guests inside.

How many people did this guy invite? There seemed to be over a hundred just outside, shoving against each other trying to enter the mansion. I bowed my head and silently continued. If this was what having this many friends and colleagues was like, then thank God I wasn’t rich. I was glad I had left my father when I did.

After what seemed like hours, the crowd finally reached the doorway. Light spilled over me, swallowing me up in its brilliance. When my eyes finally adjusted, I looked around at the scene before me, searching for him.

Men in classy suits, women in colorful dresses, waiters carrying shiny dishes of steaming food. The chandeliers continued to beam above me, lighting my way as I walked from wall to wall. I continued to run my hand through my growingly ruffled hair. Where was he? I should’ve anticipated this wouldn’t be easy.

“Do you understand, Stillinghall?”

His voice ran through my ears. My gaze sped to the nearest window, half expecting to see His dark, angry eyes staring into me. Only the summer night looked back. My heart began to pound.

“Micheal Richardson, ladies and gentlemen!”

My eyes flashed to my left. There, amongst the growing, admiring crowd, was the man I was looking for. Dark blonde hair shining in the mansion’s light, baby blue suit illuminating his warm smile as he greeted the guests, kind old eyes.

“Yes, Sir.”

Taking a deep breath, I walked toward him. As I got closer, I noticed how old he really was. I guess I was expecting some young whiny brat who used up all of Daddy’s money to buy himself this mansion. Instead, I came upon a welcoming man, middle-aged, with a hearty laugh and outstretched arms. I watched in surprise as he shook hands with everyone around him, looking sincere the whole time.

This is the guy He’s threatened by? Come on, this all must be a façade. There’s no way he—

“Excuse me?”

I jumped. Fists balled, I snapped my face towards the voice that broke my thoughts. My heart picked up once again.

Two soft blue eyes looked into mine. Light blonde hair that rested gently on her shoulders. A forest green dress with a small necklace.

Its golden heart winked at me.

My fingers fell from their place in my palms. My heart thumped. My face heated up.

The young woman reached out her hand. As it brushed mine, I struggled to keep from shaking.

“Oh,” she gasped, noticing my expression. “I’m sorry if I scared you! I guess I shouldn’t sneak up on people like that. I thought you were someone else.”

“No…worries,” I muttered. My knee bounced. Not sure what else to say, I straightened my tie.

“Uhm, I, eh, get mistaken for a lot of people. A-all the time, actually! I mean, I look like every other brunette white guy in his 20’s! So, don’t worry about it!”

Up and down went my knee.

The woman looked down at my knee and then back at me. God, her eyes were so pretty.

“Oh, well, okay. I’m sorry, once again,” she said as she fiddled with her necklace. “Actually, I quite like brunettes. Sometimes I wish I was a brunette. You guys have such beautiful hair, and I adore the way it shines in the sun.”

My heart was throbbing now.

Damn it, Jack. Calm the hell down.

“Th-thanks! Uhm,” I said. I cleared my throat. “I, uh, like your hair, too! Blonde hair and green dresses go well… together.”

Jack, you are such a dumbass.

The woman smiled. Her cheeks were the color of roses.

“Thank you! I was actually pretty nervous about coming out in this new dress, but I quite like it, too! My name is Genevieve, by the way. And you?”

“Jackson, but I mostly go by Jack.” I swallowed. Genevieve.

Genevieve rubbed her hands together. She looked to where Micheal Richardson was standing with the rest of his guests and began to move toward him.

“I wish I could stay longer, but I need to meet up with my dad. It was nice meeting you, Jack. Maybe we can talk later?”

My heart stopped.

Jack, you absolute dumbass.

“Y-yeah,” I said, smiling. “I’d love to! See you, Genevieve.” She gave one last smile as she followed the crowd, her dress flowing behind her.

Micheal Richardson. Genevieve Richardson.

So, it was her father whom I was supposed to kill. My knee continued to bounce.

“Do you understand, Stillinghall?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Damn it.” . . .

I couldn’t keep my eyes off of them.

I sipped my champagne in silence. Micheal Richardson and Genevieve were still in the middle of a crowd, sharing warm greetings.

Gee, everybody loves this guy.

Micheal Richardson laughed and drank. I could hear him complimenting the women on their dresses and asking the men how business was going for them. His eyes were bright, darting from guest to guest, looking them directly in the eye. His smile never left his face. I could tell he was in his element.

I gazed at Genevieve. I couldn’t stop looking at her. The way her thin blonde hair rested on her shoulders. Her fair skin. Her smile. She was pretty quiet most of the time, her hands tightly clasped against her. She wasn’t having as much fun as her father was.

Genevieve finally noticed me. She grinned and began to make her way over, her necklace glowing brighter the closer she got.

“Hey, Jack. I just noticed you were over here all by yourself! You’re enjoying your evening, I hope?”

“Oh, yeah.” I smiled and set down my drink. “I’ll admit, though, it’s been a long time since I’ve been to an event like this. I forgot how crowded and loud it can be. But you have a beautiful home.”

“Aw, thank you,” Genevive said, blushing. “My father has had this house for years, since before I was even born. It was designed by one of his closest friends, who unfortunately passed away a few years ago.”

She began to fiddle with her necklace again. Its golden heart swung quietly on its chain.

“You have a beautiful necklace, too.”

“Thank you. It was my mother’s. She died a few years ago as well, but at least this necklace is a reminder that she is always with me.”

Losing a mother. I knew what that was like. My heart began to ache.

“You lost your mother, too?”

“Huh?” How does she know?

“I could tell by how you looked. When I mentioned my mother, you looked a little sad.”

My knee bounced again. I flushed in embarrassment. I had never been good at hiding my emotions, so of course she would’ve figured it out.

“Yeah,” I muttered. “Suicide. She went through a lot in her life, and, well, I guess she couldn’t take it anymore.”

And it was all because of me.

Genevieve’s eyes filled with sorrow. She rested her hand on mine, moving in closer as she did so. I swallowed my nervousness and made no move.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Jack,” she said. “That’s horrible.”

“Thank you,” I sighed. After a few seconds of silence, I clapped my hands to move on to a different subject. I didn’t want to think about my mother anymore.

“So,” I said. “What do you do? As a job, I mean?”

“Well, I only graduated from college last year, but since then I’ve been working as the librarian of a huge library down the street. It’s the oldest building in town, and I love working there. A lot of people didn’t expect me to manage it all since I’m still so young, but with my father’s support I was able to keep business going.” Her necklace continued to twinkle.

“That’s amazing,” I said excitedly. “I’ve always loved reading. My father had a huge library in his office that I would sometimes sneak into and borrow the books from. It was really my only escape from…stuff.”

I silenced myself before the horrible memories could fill my head. Genevieve seemed not to notice and brought her hands to her chest.

“Oh, I’ve always loved reading, too. In fact, the most loyal friends I’ve ever had were books! They allowed me to escape and be someone else, at least for a little bit.”

My heart swelled. Finally, someone who gets it.

“Well, when you think about it—”

“Genevieve!”

Micheal Richardson strode up to us. The closer he got, the taller he became. He was a grand man with a grand attitude, that’s for sure. I stepped back as he reached out his hand to me.

“Oh, Genevieve, it looks like you’ve made a friend! Micheal Richardson,” he beamed, “CEO of the Hideaway Hotel. And you, young man?”

“J-Jackson…Cleveland!” I exclaimed the first last name that came to mind.

“Jackson Cleveland, but you can call me Jack. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. I, uh, was just speaking to your beautiful daughter. Nice party you’ve got here, too! Very… lively!”

I should’ve practiced my lines. Damn it.

Mr. Richardson beamed wider. He took a whiff of his cigar, and smoke danced above us.

“Nice to meet you, Jack. I’m glad to see that you and Genevieve have been enjoying each other’s company. A party is always the best place to hook up with someone your age.”

“D-dad, we were just talking…!” Genevieve yelped as her face grew red. I felt mine do the same. I jumped in to change the subject.

“A-actually, sir, I’ve been meaning to speak to you! I’ve been traveling for a few years, and I’ve stayed at quite a few of your locations. Your influence has spread from New York all the way down the East Coast, that’s for sure! I’m an aspiring businessman myself, but I’m a bit rusty, I’ll admit. I was hoping that you could give me some of your wisdom? How did you do it? What made you the man you are today?”

I took in a breath. Did that sound too script-y? I swear to God…

To my relief, Mr. Richardson laughed, shaking the ground as he did so. He threw an arm around me and brought me closer. I strained at his touch, trying not to let my reflexes get the better of me.

“Genevieve, you’ve found yourself a keeper! I like this one, quite inquisitive! Of course, Jackie, I can answer all of your questions. I can do more, in fact! I can help you get started with whatever you’re working on!”

“Wait, really?”

“Of course! You seem like a respectful young man, well-dressed and cultured. And I love how you’ve helped Genevieve get out of her shell, too. She’s always been a bit shy, but the fact that you were able to extend your kindness to her and converse is one of the best aspects of a businessman. Whatever you need, I’ll provide!”

Genevieve grew redder, not making a peep. I stared at Mr. Richardson in shock.

Well, that was easy.

I gently broke away from his grip and straightened my tie. I smiled, trying not to show how surprised I was that this millionaire would offer a complete stranger all the ins-and-outs of his business.

If this guy is so easygoing, why wouldn’t He kill him Himself?

“I’m looking forward to working with you,” Mr. Richardson exclaimed, taking my hand once again. “But before we start this new relationship, tell me a bit about yourself. Pine Ridge is such a small town, and I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before!”

Oh, Lord. Right now?

“Well,” I began. “I-I grew up in a small town called Little Creek, not far from here. I graduated from Little Creek University about a year ago, and I’ve been traveling all over the East Coast, searching for business. I had never been to Pine Ridge before, but once I heard you lived here, I came up right away to get the chance to speak with you.”

“Oh, Little Creek! A nice place,” Mr. Richardson said. “And what got you into business? Was your father a businessman?”

Yeah, a real selfish one.

“Y-yes, but he wasn’t quite as successful as he wanted to be. So, I’ve been trying to continue his legacy.”

As if. I’d be the happiest man alive if I never saw that bastard ever again.

“Well, I cannot wait to get started with you, Jackie,” Mr. Richardson said. He looked behind me. “Unfortunately, I’ll need to speak with you later. I’ve got other guests waiting for me. But, I hope you enjoy the rest of your night. You too, Genevieve.”

With a last warm look at us, he made his way toward another group of guests.

I stared after him, mouth slightly open. It was quiet for a bit before Genevieve spoke up.

“Uhm, thank you. For calling me beautiful earlier, I mean. That was really sweet of you.”

My heart stopped as I turned back to her. Her eyes gazed into mine, two pools of sincerity that I just couldn’t look away from. My knee began to bounce.

“O-oh, d-did I say that? I mean, uh,” I stuttered, hands beginning to shake as well. “I, uh, it’s true! I know we just met but you’re really, really pretty. You’re… yeah.”

Genevieve gave a shy smile, arms wrapped around each other. My hands grew clammy as I tried to think of what else to say. God, who knew it was this hard to talk to a girl? We stood like that for what seemed like forever. As it grew more awkward, I cleared my throat.

“Well, I’m glad that we got to talk tonight! It was really nice to just not sit by myself the whole time.”

“Me too,” Genevieve said. “If I’m being honest, I wasn’t planning on really talking to anyone tonight either. I’m not like my father, I can’t just…open up to strangers like that. I was worried that everyone would think I’m just some shy girl trailing behind her father’s legacy. But around you I…I feel like my own person, if that makes sense.”

I looked at her. That’s really how she felt? We were more alike than I thought.

“I-I love my dad, don’t get me wrong! He’s done so much for me, but it’s nice to have a friend for a change. I can only talk to books for so long.”

I grinned as my heart skipped a beat.

“Oh, I know how you feel. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a real friend, so I’m glad I found you.”

Genevieve moved in closer. I tried not to show the panic on my face.

Keep it together.

“Besides, if you start working with my dad, we can talk more! I mean, if you want to. I know you’re probably very busy, so I don’t want to intrude. But maybe I can show you my library sometime?”

“Yes, of course!” I grinned. “I’d love to spend more time with you!”

Genevieve was beaming. She reached out and brought her hand into mine, squeezing it. Before I knew what was happening, she led me away into the crowd, pointing me towards a door across the way.

“My father’s library. Would you like to see?”

I squeezed back.

“Yeah, let’s go!” . . .

3:00 AM.

I stared into the pitch black void of my trailer. The smell of champagne and cologne stuck to my body like tattoos. I inhaled.

He had showed up once I had returned home. It was actually a pretty short conversation.

“Did you get close to him?”

“Yes, Sir. He didn’t suspect a thing. He’ll be an easy target for sure.”

“Don’t pat yourself on the back too soon. You’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

“Apologies, Sir.”

“Quit that. Take this seriously. You want to join, don’t you?”

“Yes, Sir. More than anything.”

“Then get your head out of your ass and focus on your assignment, dammit. If it weren’t for me you’d still be wandering the streets, wasting away as the amateur thief you’ve been your whole life. Don’t mess this up.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“And don’t you dare forget your place, Stillinghall.”

I ran my fingers through my hair, sighing. I knew I had to sleep, but every time I closed my eyes, I could only see hers.

Two soft, serene pools that I couldn’t swim out of.

Don’t you dare forget your place, Stillinghall. Her golden heart twinkled in my vision.

Genevieve

I groaned, burying my face in my pillow. My head began to pound, and I sank into the darkness.

“But what is my place?”