Page 40 of Night's Fall
Cat did not share my silence. “You’rethirty years old, already lead costume designer for some big gigs, and have also already been nominated for two,I’llrepeat,twoawards.Andthey aren’t some rinky-dink awards from some obscure digi-pane.Onewas theGoldenScreen, and the other was the damnedEdgy.Everyonewatches those ceremonies on display.Everyone.Thereare parties across allFourRealmswhen those awards shows are on.”
“Well—”Itried.
“How many jobs did you turn down to pick this one you’re currently on?”Catdemanded.
“Okay, soI’mgood at my job too,”Isnapped. “ButIalready know that as well.”
“So what gives?”Gayleasked.
“What gives is that you all”—Icircled my finger at them—“get totally weird when stuff like this comes up.”
“Stuff like, something good happens to you, and we’re not as surprised about it as you are?”Moniquequeried.
“Mon,I’mgoing out on a date with the future king ofNight’sFall.Tellme that’s not something to be surprised about,”Iretorted.
“She has me there,” she mumbled toGayle.
I looked to the ceiling and requested, “Deliverme,Beelzebub.”
“He’s not up there,”Catjoked.
I set my glower on her.
“You deserve good things happening to you,Laura,”Catpressed.
“Yes, if beings are nice beings, everyone does,”Ireturned.
Cat spoke on likeIdidn’t. “Andyou deserve it without fighting, scratching and breaking your back working for it.Likea hot guy, prince or not, giving you an expensive glass of champagne and taking you to touch troll skin.”
“I didn’t sayIdidn’t,”Iretorted.
“No, you didn’t, but you don’t believe it,”Catshot back.
“Mm-hmm,”Moniquehummed.
“Can we not do this now?”Irequested. “Ineed to change.Ineed to accessorize.Ineed to program a bag switch.”Ishook my head. “Thisisn’t that big of a deal.It’snot like he’s going to marry me.It’sjust a date.”
“And there it is,”Gaylemumbled.
“What?”Isnapped.
“Who says he’s not going to marry you?”
I loved them all.
I really, really did.
But they were crazy.
I threw up my hands. “Bythe gods!It’sjust a date.”
“But you’ve already decided that’s all it’s going to be,”Catreturned.
“He’s courting me.Idon’t think it’s all it’s going to be.He’sgot me going to thisGarwahfemale, so obviously, for whatever reasons he has, he wants to get to know me.”
“And then what?”Moniqueasked.
“I don’t know.I’mnot thinking about that.ButI’malso not dreaming up some impossible dream thatI’llbe wearing an extravagantCelestinagown and floating up the steps of theStarCathedraltoward a midnight mass to marry theTrueHeir.”
