He was surveying the room like he owned it. I guessed he was about six feet tall, and his black tuxedo clung to his fit, lean frame. He wore a bronze mask on his face. Oh, it was the expensive one from the gift shop. I’d admired it earlier.
The crowd shifted and I lost sight of him.
“There you are.”
I spun and saw Sierra, Jazz, and Allie. They’d all attended this evening, not as staff but as guests. Sierra wore a short, green dress that made her look like Tinkerbell, and a gold mask. Jazz was wearing blush pink, and a matching mask with lots of sequins. Allie wore a silky, bronze dress, and a feathered, black mask. The dress showed off the long lines of her body. It occurred to me that she’d lost weight lately. I needed to have a little talk with her; find out what was going on. Still, her legs looked like a million bucks. Long legs I’d always dreamed about possessing.
“Are you all having fun?” I asked.
“Yes,” Sierra said. “And now you will, too.”
“I need to check on?—”
“No,” Jazz announced. “Ethan took over. It’s after midnight and you’re off the clock.”
Ethan was our night manager. His wife was an ER nurse who worked the night shift at the local hospital. He liked working nights, so they were on the same schedule.
My three friends bustled around me.
Jazz pulled a bundle of tulle from behind her back. She held it up and I realized it was a detachable, black skirt. She fitted it around my waist.
“What—?”
“Shush.” Allie whipped my staff mask off.
Sierra held up an ornate, silver one. It was intricate and pretty. She pressed it to my face and pulled the elastic around. Then she yanked my hair out of its sensible twist. Black strands fell everywhere. I barely ever wore it down because it always got in my way.
“Hey.”
Jazz wielded a tube of lipstick. It was blood red.
I held up a hand. “Guys?—”
“You’re going to have fun.” Jazz’s voice was threaded with steel.
Sierra nodded. “You worked hard for this night. You’ve been so busy lately, and worried about Langston Hotels, so tonight, don’t worry about any of that.”
“I don’t wear red.” It was too bright against my pale skin.
“You do tonight.” My assistant expertly applied it to my lips. Then she whipped out her perfume and spritzed me. It was her favorite jasmine scent.
“Wow,” Sierra breathed. “You look like a dark fairy queen.”
I swished the skirt a little. I couldn’t help it. A little fizz of excitement ran through me. Every girl secretly loved to swish a skirt.
Allie crouched in front of me. “One last thing.”
She pushed the tulle back to uncover my black and silver dress. She grabbed the slit in my skirt, gripped it, then ripped it upward.
I gasped. “Allie.”
When she was done, the slit was now up to my upper thigh, showing off a lot of leg.
She rose and nodded. “Now you’re a sexy, dark fairy queen.”
“Go.” Jazz waved her hand. “Enjoy what’s left of the night.”
“Dance,” Sierra said. “Have some champagne. Kiss a guy.”
