Page 39 of The Heir
As she walked off, Mason looked to me with his brow raised high. “Shit. Why is she so angry with us?”
“I don’t know.”
We sat watching her for a moment until Mason shrugged. “Maybe it’s that time of month for her.”
I suspected Freya’s change in behavior was inspired by Linea’s rant in the drone, but it seemed simpler to agree with Mason.
“Yeah, hopefully she’ll be in a better mood tonight when we go dancing.”
CHAPTER 10
Dance Steps
Linea
France was everything I imagined and more. From the moment we stepped out of the drone, my senses were bombarded with the colorful buildings and pavement, and the clothing that people were wearing.
The delegation members from the Motherlands were wonderful people who were either serving on the Council or hoping to get in soon. They had been selected as children to serve the public because of their personality traits that always included fairness and selflessness.
The French were amusing with their lovely accents and interest in me. The few times I’d met French people, I’d been overwhelmed with their strong sexual energy and this time was no different. Like piranhas smelling blood in the water, four of the French delegation members circled me at the arrival dinner Friday night, making me subtle and not so subtle offers of new experiences while I was in their country.
Isaac had offered to show me his apartment for me to get a better understanding of their daily life. I was smart enough to translate his invitation to an offer of sex. When I told him that I’d love to see his place if I could bring the rest of the Northlanders, his face fell. It was clear that he was disappointed with my rejection.
Zola and Celeste had straight up offered me a threesome if I wanted to try something different. I’d told them I was flattered but brushed it off.
Now that it was Saturday night, we were all meeting in front of the Blue Tower, where we lived this week. France was a closed country the size of a large city with its one point four million citizens. What they lacked in land, they compensated for with levels. There were three subterranean levels and every building above ground was tall.
We were told that the Blue Tower was the best address in the country and that most of the people living here had high profile jobs or they were celebrities. All five members of the French Delegation lived in this building.
Freya stayed with Zola this week while I stayed with Celeste. Thor, Indiana, and Mason all stayed with one of the Motlanders in apartments that belonged to members of Parliament who had moved out for the week.
Excited to experience a French night club, I walked with the large group through the streets of France. It was summer and I felt pretty in my teal-colored dress that complimented my curves.
Thor walked up front with Mason and Isaac. Freya had her elbow linked with Harper, a sweet Motlander woman whose laugh was loud and penetrating.
“Hey, Victor, is it true that you don’t have a roommate?” Thor called back to Victor, who was right behind me.
“That’s correct.”
“Isn’t the point of these summits to mingle and make friendships? How come we all have roommates except for you?”
Victor’s tone was stoic when he answered, “None of the apartments in the Blue Tower have room for three people.”
“So?”
“I assume fifteen is an uneven number in the Northlands too. Someone had to be alone, and since I didn’t want anyone else to feel left out, I sacrificed myself.”
We all laughed at the obvious lie. I’d known Victor for no more than a day, but I appreciated his dry sense of humor and sharp wit.
Leaving the street level, our group descended into the city below ground. I was fascinated and soaked up all the details, from the roof that imitated the sky above to the small shops with objects I’d never seen before.
When we arrived at the night club and were about to enter, Zola placed a hand on my shoulder and warned me: “People in the club will be drawn to you because of your gorgeous red hair. It was the same with Aubri. Remember that it’s okay for you to hold a hand up and signal for them not to touch you. If it becomes too much, come to me, Victor, Celeste, Isaac, or Simon. We’ll tell them to leave you alone.”
“I can’t imagine it will be that bad.”
Zola looked serious. “Victor doesn’t think we should tell you, but the media is talking non-stop about the summit and because you’re a new member of the delegation, people are intrigued. I’m told that there’s been a lot of speculation about your hair. Stylists are giving their expert opinions as to whether or not it’s natural.”
I grinned. “You’re joking.”
