The Detective and the Rockstar

Chapter 4

           As she slowly opened her eyes, she was met with a blinding light seeping in through the horizontal blinds. A low, involuntary groan escaped her throat as she realized that it was already morning. Every bone in her body seemed to ache, and her eyelids felt heavy, as if they were weighed down by a thousand pounds. It was the first night in ages that she had not drowned her sorrows in alcohol and had actually slept soundly.

            She moved the blankets off her body using her feet, fighting the urge to stay in bed. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms, hoping to shake off the sleepiness that threatened to pull her back into bed. She knew that she had to push herself to get up and face the day, despite how difficult it seemed. The temptation to give in and go back to sleep was right there, but she knew that she had to fight it.
         
The house was quiet. The charcoal grey walls and faded floorboards of her apartment were a far cry from the gleaming white walls and ceilings of this modern residence. It felt surreal waking up in a place like this. Maybe she should be grateful to Matt for throwing her into this case, but she was too depressed to enjoy this change of scenery to the full extent it deserved.

            She sat on the edge of the bed and began to pull her hair into a bun, but she stopped midway. A smile manifested from within the morning gloom. She felt foolish for remembering what Rio said about her hair being pretty.

She let go and allowed the wavy locks to roll down her back. She stretched her limbs and twisted her spine to help herself wake up.

            It was quiet and peaceful as she walked down the open staircase. The sunlight poured through the tall windows, highlighting every detail of this picturesque home. Everything was clean thanks to the housekeeper. There were no piles of dirty clothes lying around and no empty food boxes from the night before left behind to be cleaned up in the morning. There was a calmness in the house that made it tough for her to believe Rio was attacked there.

            She pushed the blinds aside and looked out at the front lawn. A police car sat on the curb. The two officers were having a quick breakfast. Behind them, a peaceful neighborhood sat beneath the rising morning sun.

"There are you, detective!" Oliver said from behind her.

She turned with a half-hearted smile to greet him. "Good morning."

"Just so that you know, Rio's mornings begin early." His tone made her understand that the man was not there for a pleasant morning chat.

"And what? Are you eager to get him started? A lot to get done today? Lots of deals and money to make?"

"I sense a little hostility here, little lady!"  He eyed her like she was a priced sirloin, his dirty gaze settling on her breasts. She could feel her anger beginning to stir like a dormant volcano waking from its sleep. The last time she felt objectified was a year ago, and it didn't end well for that person.

"Yeah? You're the one who came up to me with the hostility. And after I used all that energy to smile at you." She shrugged. "And let's get one thing straight while we're having such a pleasant conversation, I don't work for you. I'm not Rio, and you can't boss me around. I will drop your ass right where you stand if you use that tone on me again."

He stared at her with slanted eyes and a scowl on his face. She folded her arms across her chest, willing to participate in this show of dominance.

"Hey!" Alice's voice pierced the tension in the room. "Is everything alright?"

She turned to look at her sister, the anger draining from her at the sight of her face. Standing in the doorway, dressed in a blue floral patterned dress, she looked like an angel who was there to save Annika from committing a grave mistake.