Page 3 of Demon Queen
“Oh. I mean, naturally I’m inviting you.” I couldn’t afford to hurt Gloria’s feelings, literally, because it would take cases of alcohol to get back into her good graces.
She sniffed. “Naturally. What about Lucky Mayhem?”
“Lucky? You mean Lucy? Of course she’s invited if she’s in town.” I hadn’t seen her for years, but she’d been one of my favorite foster siblings.
“And what about Parsley?” She meant Pansy. I wasn’t sure why Gloria couldn’t ever call anyone by the right name, but she’d always been like that.
I was starting to get hives at the idea of seeing so many of my foster siblings, but if we were going to a fight club, the more people in my group, the better, however weird they were. “Of course.”
“She doesn’t go out on weekends. Too bad. I’d kill to see her in a club. I don’t think anyone else is in town. Lucky might not make it. She’s gotten involved in politics. Vampire politics are the worst.”
I was just about finished with all the supernatural nonsense. I’d had enough of that when I had my sweet baby and one of the nurses dared to call him a demon just because of his adorable little wings and pointed ears. “I need to go get ready for my opening. If you could give me Honey’s number…”
“I’ll call her for you.”
“But I?—”
“Trust me, dahling. You’ve got enough on your plate, and your head. Just focus on making this night magical. You reallyare talented at setting the stage. I’ll come towards the end and you can ride with me and my incredibly talented husband.”
“Ah, sure.” I hadn’t met her husband, although she had told me about him.
“And don’t forget those chocolates.”
I smiled although she couldn’t see me. “I would never.” Also, I’d be sure to sample a good number of them so my irrational fear was slightly less consuming.
She sniffed and hung up without giving me Honey’s number. If she didn’t show up, I’d just go by myself. What’s the worst that could happen?
two
. . .
The opening was sold out,standing room only, so it was quite a press from the moment I stood on the balcony above the main display. I had climbed onto the large swing in my duchess dress and descended thanks to the guys managing the ropes. Two other aerialists were performing for the occasion. It wasn’t the first time I’d had them but it had been awhile, so I was grateful everything went well and no one fell to their death. Although death would represent that time period more authentically.
During the entire event, my heart pounded and I was distracted with thoughts of leaving my safe world and seeing for myself if there was a young winged person at this fight club. Was this the time all of my hopes and dreams came true, or would they be dashed again? Odds were the latter.
“You embody the dream of Marie Antoinette perfectly,” Maurice said towards the end of the evening, his accent particularly heavy. He’d been born somewhere around Louisiana and sometimes the French Creole really came out and made him sound exotic and sultry. He was tall, dark, and handsome, but when I looked at him, he reminded me toomuch of Dorian. Both stunning specimens of masculinity with an inherent confidence that made women follow them wherever they went.
I smiled at Maurice and nodded towards the glass cases that had been filled with the most delectable cakes imaginable but were now mostly crumbs. "Not at all. You create the cakes, therefore you are the embodiment of her true dream. Seriously, you outdid yourself. Everyone can’t stop telling me how brilliant you are.”
He looked slightly uncomfortable then brushed off my words with a shake of his head. “The only brilliance I have was in asking you to work with me. It has been a genuine pleasure, Candy. Is your name truly Candy?”
I laughed lightly but my thoughts weren’t focused on him or this conversation. I was really leaving my shop. It would be fine even though it was unlikely that my sweet little winged angel would be at the fight club. “It is now. I had it legally changed when I was eighteen. How about you? Were you always Maurice the mysterious man with an irresistible allure, or were you born to something slightly more mundane?” Was that flirty? Oops. I grabbed another truffle and stuffed it in my mouth.
His eyes gleamed as he leaned closer, the scent of his subtle cologne going to my head. “That is, I am Maurice, but that was my middle name. My first name is?—”
“Oh, there you are, Candy dahling,” Gloria said, flinging her lime green feather boa over her shoulder and into Maurice’s face. “Tom’s waiting in the getaway van. Honey said she can’t stay out too late because of some full moon business she’s involved in later. You know werewolves,” she said, batting her long lilac lashes at Maurice like they were great friends.
“Beg your pardon?” he said, frowning, but not quite sternly, because she was too ridiculous to be seriously irritated by. You couldn’t seriously anything with Gloria.
“We’re off to the fight club,” she said to him clearly, pursing her bright red lips. “We have to hurry and get back before the full moon comes up.”
“Ah,” he said, glancing at me with a raised brow.
Yes, let’s tell everyone my business. I looked around and then waved Roberta over where she was standing and smiling and nodding at a particularly long-winded man and his long-suffering wife. She strode briskly towards me.
“Roberta, would you send Freddy out with the package I have for Gloria? I’m leaving now.”
Her eyes widened. I didn’t leave my store, particularly not on the day of the opening.
