Page 29 of Dark Princess: Shadows

Rob waited for a lull in the conversation to ask, "Can I get you a cappuccino?"

"Oh, no. I have to go." Gertrude rose to her feet. "I was just passing by on my way to the clinic."

"Will I see you at the gym later?" he asked.

She gave him a bright smile. "Definitely. I'm looking forward to it."

As she walked away, Rob turned back to Margo, only to find his sister watching him with a knowing grin. "What?" he asked.

Margo laughed. "Oh, nothing. Just enjoying the show."

Rob felt his cheeks warm. "I don't know what you're talking about," he mumbled, but he couldn't quite keep the smile off his face.

Margo's expression softened. "You know, there's something I should probably tell you about Gertrude."

Rob's stomach dropped. "Is she seeing someone?"

"Not that I know of." Margo took a deep breath. "She and Negal used to have a thing."

Rob blinked. "When?"

"During the cruise before he saved me. It wasn't serious, from what I understand, but it ended when Gertrude realized that Negal was losing interest in her, and it was because of me."

"Wow. That must be awkward."

"It is, but it gets worse," Margo admitted, looking a bit sheepish. "I was kind of jealous of Gertrude when I first arrived on the ship and heard Negal promise to see her later. I wanted him for myself. I still feel bad about it. Gertrude is a really great woman, and she didn't deserve to be treated like that by Negal. But you know, when the Fates decide to match you with someone, they don't care whose toes they need to step on to get their way."

"Yeah, tell me about it. It would seem that the Fates thought Lynda would be better off with her ex."

"You've got it all wrong." Margo smiled and leaned closer to him. "The Fates thought that you would be better off with someone else and used Lynda's ex to get you to see that."

"I like your version better." He looked into his sister's eyes. "Would it bother you or Negal if I asked Gertrude out?"

Margo's face broke into a wide grin. "Are you kidding? I think it would be fantastic. Gertrude is wonderful, and you deserve someone who can make you smile like that. In fact, I think you two would be great together. And it would make me feel a lot better about the whole situation with Negal."

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We've only just met."

"True," Margo conceded. "But I saw the way you were looking at each other. There's definitely a spark."

Rob felt a flutter of excitement in his chest.

He'd enjoyed spending time with Lusha, but this was the first time since his life had imploded that he saw a potential connection.

"So," Margo said, a mischievous glint in her eye, "what are you going to wear to the gym tonight?"

Rob groaned. "Come on, Margo. It's just a workout, and everything I have with me is from Walmart. Nothing I have will impress even a down-to-earth girl like Gertrude."

Well, calling her a girl was probably wrong. "How old is she? Do you know?"

"No clue. Does it matter?"

He shrugged. "Not really. If Toven, a seven-thousand-year-old god, can be happy with Mia, a twenty-seven-year-old woman, then age is truly irrelevant."

20

KIAN

As Kian stood next to the limo, watching Okidu load Sari and David's luggage into the trunk, he felt a twinge of sadness at his sister's departure. A weekend was not enough time, and telling himself that the entire family had recently spent ten days together on the wedding cruise wasn't helping.

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