Chapter 33 #2
Jasper laughed. “Lady, we all made asses of ourselves last night. Aurora passed out on the table. John had to carry her home. And we’re going to do it again tonight because Gerard is ready to tie one on.
Remember at Kingsley’s when he got so drunk he flew into a building?
” He nodded with a grin. “Yeah. He’s reserved a VIP section for us.
Not for his people—us! He’s pissed he missed us having a blast last night. He’ll make up for it tonight, I bet.”
“No,” she moaned. “I am not doing that again tonight. I’ve embarrassed myself enough for a lifetime.”
“Nah. Come on.” Jasper grabbed her hands and hauled her to sitting. “You didn’t do anything crazy. You’re fine. You’ll feel better once you have Indigo lay the healing mitts on you. Or you get a Bloody Mary, whichever comes first.”
“No,” she said again, faux crying as he pulled her to standing.
“If Aurora can face everyone, being as buttoned up as she was trained to be, you certainly can. You didn’t even fall down! I don’t think. There are some very blurry sections in my memory.”
“I tried to stab someone, Jasper.” She let him lead her to her suitcase.
“You didn’t so much try as you threatened. Which was what Tristan said to do. You were following orders. Not your fault.”
“Oh, yeah, Tristan, the guy I slapped.”
“What’s going on?” Ulric popped his head through the door. “What is taking—oh man.” He came in wearing a huge smile. “Look at you! You look like I felt this morning.”
“That’s what I told her.” Jasper rifled through her suitcase, disturbing the order. “She’s embarrassed because she slapped Tristan.”
“He’s a gargoyle,” Ulric said. “He liked it. That’s a garhette’s version of courtship, right there. Which was probably why he couldn’t keep his hands off you. Wear something sexy. All will be forgiven, trust me.”
Her face heated, as did certain parts of her body. “I also cried. You don’t cry at a bar.”
Jasper pulled out a slinky dress that was much too fancy for an evening swilling suds. He laid it on the bed before grabbing some high-heeled shoes to go with it. “I’m pretty sure I cried at one point.”
“Yeah, you did.” Ulric put his hands on his hips. “You were telling John about Nathanial, remember?”
Jasper blinked at Ulric. “No.”
“Oh.” Ulric started to chuckle. “John started to awkwardly pat you on the back, since shifter pack people aren’t touchy-feely, and Niamh made a wisecrack that John was afraid because everything he touched turned to gold.
” Ulric laughed harder. “It was only funny because it really rankled John and none of us could understand why.
Like, turning things to gold is good. He should be proud.
But he seemed really taken aback and pissed off, while trying not to show it, and Niamh just did her normal unimpressed thing, which wound him up more—“
“I think you had to be there,” Jasper said, and that made Nessa laugh silently.
She didn’t remember any of that, and clearly neither did Jasper.
Jasper leaned in to smell her. “You have alcohol seeping out of your pores. Jump in the shower real quick. Ulric, go get Mr. Tom to help her get ready. He needs something to do or he’ll try and find Jessie. She’s with Austin somewhere and probably wants to be left alone.”
“That guy needs a hobby,” Ulric said, heading for the door.
“He has one. Jessie.”
“No, I can do it, honestly—“
Jasper ushered her toward the bathroom. “You are in no mood to try at your appearance, and tonight we need to show up looking like the most prestigious of the cairns. We widened a lot of eyes today. Everyone is watching. You can usually do super-hot in your sleep but hungover is a hurdle you aren’t used to, apparently.
It’s fine. Mr. Tom needs something to do. Let’s go.”
He slapped her butt to get her moving, and she laughed and did as she was instructed.
Afterwards, as promised, Mr. Tom met her in her room.
Sebastian sat in the chair on his side of the room.
He was wearing a slightly dressed-down watch, slacks, the button up he’d pulled out earlier, and dress shoes.
His hair hadn’t been done yet, since she’d been steaming up the bathroom.
“Tie?” she asked him as Mr. Tom waited at the end of the bed.
Sebastian looked up from his phone. “No. I don’t follow the same rules as everyone else, not as Elliot Graves.
They probably won’t even realize I was the idiot in the cape yesterday.
Popped collar, a couple buttons undone, and no time for anyone.
I just need to do my hair and spritz on a little cologne and I’m good. ”
“Is everyone waiting for me?”
“Ulric and Jasper are waiting for you. They want to make sure you dress the part. Also, that you tag along and face your demons. They see no reason why you should be embarrassed for last night, and showing up today will put you straight. Their words, obviously. I am waiting for you because I’m hoping you’ll provide a buffer between me and Niamh, who sees through this persona, and is liable to make me nervous enough to drop the act and do whatever harebrained scheme she is up to today. ”
“A simple no would work wonders for you,” Mr. Tom told him.
“One would think. And yet, it never does. I might as well discuss the philosophy of flowers with Edgar.”
Nessa paused as she looked down on a different dress than Jasper had picked out. Her suitcase had been set to rights with crisp folds and put in a different order that fit better.
“I took the liberty of properly packing your suitcase,” Mr. Tom said, “since it seems you lack the ability.”
“Thanks…”
“Yes. And that dress will work better if you plan to dazzle the gargoyles, though in your current state of wilt, we’ll have to work harder at your makeup to reduce the puffy state of your eyes.
Maybe if you look good, it will hide the fact that you clearly do not feel good.
You should’ve had someone heal you. Or, I don’t know, maybe not tried to drown yourself in a whiskey bottle.
” He sighed. “Into the bathroom. We’ll do your face first, and while you dress, I’ll run over and grab some jewelry. ”
“What about Jessie?” Nessa asked. “Won’t she be needing the jewelry?”
“Not that her whereabouts are any of your concern, but she is indisposed with the alpha and will relish in her freedom for the evening. She gets so few days off. She won’t be needing jewelry, and if she did, I have brought plenty for the pair of you.
Just don’t let the Irishwoman get ahold of it, or she’ll make sure the whole place erupts in chaos. ”
He shooed her into the bathroom and then tsked at her appearance. “Must I constantly need to fix up people who find enjoyment by guzzling down the contents of a bottle? Well.” He sighed. “At least I have experience. Take a seat, come on. We haven’t got all day.”