CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Petra
My hands felt almost twitchy as they smoothed down my dress. I glanced in the mirror once more and thought that I looked as put together as if it were any other day. My hair was pulled back into a ponytail, the front and sides smoothed back tightly. My eyes were lined with black and the shadow around them blended perfectly. My lips were red. The red dress I wore gave a playful tease of the swell of my breasts. The bottom hem was tight and hit just above mid-thigh. My black heels had no platform but the heel was high.
Not that I needed the height. But I did like to look people in the eye without having to tilt my head back. It was a power move and I was very much aware of that.
I was dressed like it was any normal day but something caused me to pause.
Before I realized it, I was headed down the elevator and exiting on the fourth floor.
Rowan’s questioning eyes met mine the moment I walked through the office door.
Ever since things had settled down after the Midori situation, I had tried my hardest to leave Rowan to do the job when she was here, only coming down when she needed something. Which was rare. She not only understood what it took to run the Gilded Rose, she also knew how to do it well.
I imagined that coming down here now without a reason was unusual enough to amuse her. And by the look on her face, I was right.
“Never in a million years would I have thought the great Petra Novak would look nervous about something. Has hell frozen over?” she asked with humor laced thickly in her tone. Her head cocked to the side, those thick red curls swinging around her shoulder.
Slowly, I took in a deep breath and straightened my spine even more.
“There is athingat Iron’s clubhouse. I am going,” I told her flatly.
“A thing? Like an orgy?” Her eyes twinkled with excitement.
“Um, no,” I said and shook my head. I briefly thought how an orgy might make me feel more comfortable than what it actually was. Sex I knew. I understood. I wasn’t shy around it, clearly. But getting to know the people that were close to someone that I’d begun to care about was another story.
“Yeah,” she said shaking her head. “That wouldn’t make you like this.” She waved her hand through the air down the length of my body.
“It’s a gathering. Party? They plan to cook food and… hang out,” I said repeating the words that Iron had basically used to describe it.
“Like a cookout?”
“Yes, that.”
“And you’re going?” she asked and I could tell she was doing her best to hold her laughter back.
“I am making steps to get to know his people,” I told her honestly.
“Oh, my, God. Awwww.” Her reaction was more on the sweet side but it did have a slight ring of teasing to it. “I have to go. I cannot miss this. Nope.”
Then she was picking up the phone and tapping on the screen for far too long.
“I should go now. You have to stay here and do my job,” I told her firmly.
But I could see my words didn’t mean anything to her as she swatted the air like there was a fly in front of her face.
“We all know that Sundays could run themselves and that’s why you gave it to me. There are three clients on the books and that is still hours away. There will be no more than five people in the bar at one given time.”
I knew she was right but I didn’t want her to go.
At least, I didn’t think that I did.
Maybe having her there with me would make me feel more comfortable.
“You rang?” Aurea stepped into the office and walked over to us. “Well, texted, but you know what I mean.” She giggled as her eyes rolled.
“You are in charge tonight,” Rowan told her, effectively not giving me any say-so or power. If it had been anyone else, I would have cut them with a single glare. “I’m taking Royse and Varda, so you won’t be able to use them unless someone specifically calls for them. If that happens, let me know and I’ll send them back right away.”
