Sacrifice (The Venus Chronicles #1)

Chapter 11

Eleven

Philip, it turned out, was a man with connections. It was a fast ride from the museum to Mayfair and the Dior staff were both fantastically accommodating and weirdly good at guessing which gown would suit Eve best. It was the fastest she’d ever shopped for an occasion, let alone one as grand as a ball at the Dorchester, and she found herself fully outfitted and back in the car in less time than she might have taken to get a sandwich.

Eve returned to the gift shop feeling a little shellshocked. She hung the new Dior dress in the stock room in a daze and wandered out onto the shop floor, not quite knowing what to do with herself. What the hell had just happened?

Sienna sidled over, pretending to reorganize one of the bookshelves.

“Where’ve you been?” she hissed, “Gilbert’s spitting feathers.”

Eve couldn’t help but smile. “Lucien Knight just seconded me onto his exhibition team.”

“The one they’re starting to set up on the fourth floor?”

“I helped him pick up an exhibit a few days ago.” An insane grin spread across her face. There was nothing Eve could do to stop it.

Sienna raised an eyebrow at her. “And? What are you not telling me? What is this crazy smile?”

Heat spread through Eve’s cheeks. “I’m going to a charity ball with him next week. He just paid for a Dior dress, so I can look the part!”

Sienna blinked at her and then said, “OMG, you're Pretty Woman . Doesn’t that make you a prostitute?”

Eve bristled. Typical Sienna. “No, it makes me very specifically qualified in the subject matter of the exhibition.”

Bitch.

“And a hot chic in a designer label.”

“Hot?” Eve glanced up to find her reflection in the shop’s window. She’d never really thought of herself that way. She was slim, sure, but had always felt like she had just a little too much curve to her hips. There was a coffee undertone to her skin, thanks to long-ago middle eastern ancestors, that meant she didn’t have to bother with make-up when there wasn’t time. That was definitely a bonus. Her hair was long, thick, and dark. On a day-to-day basis, she tied it up out of the way, but it had its moments when she put in the effort.

“I guess I scrub up okay,” she conceded, “Stop raining on my parade. I’ve got a date with a legend. Can you actually believe it?”

“No. What’s wrong with him?”

“Nothing! So far as I can tell, anyway. He’s so good-looking I can’t even tell you.”

“Married. That’s what’s wrong with him.”

“Didn’t see a ring.”

Sienna narrowed her eyes. “Doesn’t mean he isn’t. When it seems too good to be true- guess what?”

Gilbert appeared and made his way towards them. He looked pissed off.

“Eve, Rupert’s just informed me you are to be seconded to the new exhibition. I have to say I’m not happy. We’re already short-staffed as it is.” The tendons popped out of Gilbert’s skinny little neck. “I don’t know where he even got the idea.”

Eve bit her lip. It was official then, excellent.

She rolled the idea around in her head. It wasn’t exactly a promotion, but anything was better than playing second fiddle to Sienna in the shop. As a bonus Gilbert clearly hated the idea.

“Just don’t go getting any grand ideas. It’s only temporary, Eve. You’ll be back here in a snap, just as soon as the exhibition is over.”

Eve nearly laughed out loud at his attempt to assert authority but nodded demurely instead.

“No, sir. Of course, sir.” She wasn’t going to take anything for granted, but the light of possibility twinkled in her eye.

Finally, a chance to get my life on track.