Page 18 of My Big Fat Vampire Wedding
“What’s that?” Pandora asked.
“Will you marry me?”
7
“That’s what you’re wearing?” Lucy asked the following evening, her gaze panning down over Pandora’s work uniform over which she’d thrown a warm red cardigan that had been a gift from her mother – a woman who believed only three colours existed: black, grey, and red.
“What’s wrong with it? He’s seen me in it every day since he started coming to the shop.”
“Therein lies the problem,” Lucy said with a huff. “This is your first date. You need to look the part.”
“Luce, it’s afakefirst date,” Pandora said, reminding her friend.
Lucy frowned. “It’s still supposed tolook likea real first date.”
She had a point.
Would her parents be suspicious that she hadn’t at leastgone home to run a brush through her hair and slapped on something cute? Maybe a little make-up or perfume.
That was the kind of thing Ophelia would find suspicious. Even with her strange, nontraditional daughter.
Every woman wanted to look as nice as possible for a date, right?
“I mean, you’ve been alive, what? One hundred and twenty-four years. You’ve got to have some cute outfits in your wardrobe. But to be clear.” Lucy held up a hand, a smirk on her lips. “By ‘cute outfit’ I don’t mean one of those floor-skirting numbers from the nineteen hundreds, when ankles were the epitome of sexy scandal.”
To be fair, Pandora had chests full of clothing from her long life. Even her first pair of pants, when those had finally become acceptable for women to wear.
But, well, she’d also always been a creature of comfort. Meaning almost everything she did have was of the casual variety, not the kind of things she’d wear on a first date.
“OK, come on,” Lucy said, slinging her handbag up on her shoulder. The two of them had swapped shifts with the afternoon staff because of Pandora’s date and Lucy’s need to head out of town for the full moon. Thankfully, the awnings on the windows made it possible for Pandora to be inside without burning when the afternoon sun beat down on the street. “I’ll give you a ride home before I head out to the country.”
“OK.” Pandora grabbed her own bag before following her friend toward the front door.
Lucy was parked on the street right out front, having nabbed a coveted spot between the lunch and afternoon rush, and the sun had just about set, so Pandora didn’t need to duck and run like hell.
“What?” Pandora asked when Lucy just sat there behind the wheel.
“I’ve never been to your house,” Lucy said. “I need directions.”
“Oh, right.” Pandora shook her head at herself before telling Lucy which way to go.
She wondered if she should invite Lucy in, as they made their way down the street toward her house. Her aunt, uncle and dreaded cousin weren’t supposed to be there for another day, but they could have shown up while Pandora had been at work. And the last thing she wanted to worry about right then was her family potentially showing prejudice toward Lucy because she was a werewolf.
In Pandora’s opinion, the whole vampire–werewolf-rivalry thing was completely overblown and ridiculous. But she knew some of her family would have things to say.
She knew she would have to deal with that eventually, since Lucy was going to be her chief bridesmaid. She just didn’t want that kind of thing to sour her mood right before her first, very important, date with Victor.
“I hope you don’t mind me just dropping you off,” Lucy said. “I’m racing the clock here.” She looked down at her watch.
“That’s totally fine,” Pandora said, thankful not to have to find an excuse for why she wasn’t inviting Lucy in. “That’s it right there.” She pointed toward the Von Ashmore estate.
“That’s your house?” Lucy gaped.
“Technically, it’s my parents’ house,” Pandora said, nodding.
“It’s a castle.”
Having visited many a castle in her travels with herparents, Pandora couldn’t agree with that, but it was definitely much larger than the average London home, that was for sure.
