Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Genevieve
“What about this one?”
“Nope.” Rose shook her head at the dress I was holding against myself. “It makes you look like a nun.”
I huffed, returning it to the rack. “What am I going to do? There’s barely enough time to shop, do my hair and makeup, and still be on time.”
Rose regarded me for a moment before her eyes lit up like a bulb. “Why don’t you drop your measurements, go get your hair and makeup sorted out, while I take care of the outfits.”
My eyes narrowed at her. If there was one thing I’ve come to realize, it was that Rose and Anna were twins from different mothers. To trust either of them was the same as trusting the seventy-year-old man who claimed to love you. “How do I know I can trust your selection?”
“You trusted me enough to bring me along. Plus, you don’t exactly have the luxury of time.”
I glanced at my watch and, true to her words, I had exactly six hours till it was time for the gala.
A long string of unladylike words floated underneath my breath.
If it were left up to me, I would be hacking a chainsaw through Kazimir’s head.
Who informed a girl they were to attend a themed party a few hours before said party? I was on the verge of losing my shit.
“You have to make up your mind so I can snag you an appointment with my stylist within the hour.”
How did she know I was contemplating walking into the nearest salon and hoping for the best?
“What would I do without you?”
“Wear boring clothes,” she deadpanned. “Now get going before her tab fills up.”
A perk of befriending the office fashionista was access to quick beauty services. Rose knew everyone who was important in the beauty industry, which was why I’d snagged her from her office the moment Kazimir dumped the bombshell on me.
“Rose.” I turned on my way out. “Please keep it simple and semi-decent.”
She flashed me a blinding smile. “You’ll love it.”
For some reason, the statement terrified me more than it comforted me.
Hair and makeup were done in four hours, giving me an hour to get ready before Kazimir’s driver arrived.
Rose had made herself comfortable with a glass of wine in the new apartment Anna and I recently got, while Anna was yapping about God-knows-what when I entered the house.
“Wow,” Rose gasped when she saw me. “You look like a dream.”
“Kazimir won’t know what hit him.” Anna whistled and I almost forced a gag into her mouth.
If Rose heard her comment, she didn’t give it away.
We were cool and had gotten remarkably closer over time, but I was yet to tell her about Kazimir and me.
There was something about the man that made me feel I should keep my mouth shut, and after the encounter a week ago, I was less likely to talk about him without confronting what happened, how I reacted, and what followed.
I wasn’t ready to face that yet.
“Can I see the dress?”
“Of course you can,” Rose beamed.
“It’s absolutely gorgeous,” Anna concurred.
I eyed the duo suspiciously. “I don’t feel too good about this.”
“You better, because I put a lot of work into it.”
Rose headed for my bedroom and I followed behind.
My jaw nearly hit the floor the moment I saw the black dress on my bed. It was the perfect cut, cinched at the waist and the curve of the hips before continuing down without flaring too much.
The neck was low-cut and the slit was high enough to be noticed without seeming scandalous.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Of course it is, I picked it. Now start dressing before you’re late.”
I was done in record time. The theme of the party was Old English, and the dress paired with my hair in loose curls was an absolute dream.
I wished I had more time to admire myself in the mirror; I couldn’t remember the last time I looked this good—if there had been any—but the driver was here and it was time to leave.
“The gala will be full of rich snobby folks, so blend in the best you can and do not give away the fact that it’s your first time at one of these.”
Rose’s advice was fading with every inch of the party hall I took in.
It was the most elaborate display of amber lights, gold decor, and cream drapings. Everything seemed to be intentionally and meticulously put together.
The guests complimented the ambiance with long dresses and suits floating around the hall. The view was beyond breathtaking.
You just knew this was a gathering for the one percent of New York.
“Drinks?” A server lowered a tray of drinks to my face.
The elegant tapered stem held a pale bubbly liquid that triggered the thirst centre of my brain, but I knew better than to drink on my first work outing.
“I’ll just have water.”
She smiled warmly at me like I was the most important person in the room. “Water coming right up.”
My eyes were drawn to the far end of the room where a gorgeous blonde was draped on the arm of a tall man with strong shoulders who had his back to me.
I couldn’t see his face, but something about the aura he exuded drew me in. I couldn’t look away, and when the blonde leaned to whisper something into his ear, something twisted in my stomach.
The fuck was wrong with me?
He laughed at whatever she said and turned to his side to whisper into her ear, when I caught sight of his profile.
Kazimir.
I don’t know what I was expecting; we never discussed expectations. Hell, there was actually nothing going on between us. We hadn’t had sex since the first, but the sight of him cozying up with another woman had the same effect on me as I imagined swallowing acid would feel.
“Hello, Gen.” I nearly jumped at the feel of warm air on my ear.
Nikolai stood behind me, a glass in hand and a smile on his face. Did the man ever frown? I was growing tired of his knowing smile.
“Hello, Nikolai. Fancy seeing you here.”
His lips curved deeper. “I can say the same for you.” He eyed my glass. “Work?”
“Yup. Need to stay alert.”
He chuckled, his gaze traveling to where Kazimir stood with the blonde and some others. “Then it’s best to start early, wouldn't want to meet him when it’s all done.”
I sent him a quizzical look. “Huh?”
“The meetings, darling. Don’t tell me you expected the traditional meeting setting.”
I didn’t know how to reply. Kazimir had said it was an important event and he needed his assistant to take note of what was important, but now that Nikolai had informed me of the nature of the gathering, I conducted another sweep of the environment.
Everyone was in pairs and in the middle of different conversations. This was hardly a gala, it was a networking event for the rich with charity being the side attraction.
Nikolai’s brow was raised when I looked at him again. His lips curved. “Ready to do your job?”
“Do I get a say?”
He held out his arm and I slipped mine into the triangle his arm formed with his body.
The closer we got, the more the tightness in my stomach increased. She was gently stroking his arm while he spoke to a bald man with multiple piercings in his face.
“Kai.” Nikolai acknowledged Kazimir’s male companion whilst completely ignoring the woman.
Kazimir turned, his eyes instantly locking on my arm around Nikolai’s before they settled on me.
“Kai, this is Nico, my partner, and Genevieve Sinclair, my assistant.”
His method of introduction and choice of words were not lost on me. The man offered me a gruff nod, but the blonde looked exceptionally pleased to see me.
“Hello, Genevieve. Nice to finally have a girl to chat with.” She was even more gorgeous from a closer range.
“Hi…” I looked to Kazimir for an introduction, but he didn’t bother.
“I’m Svetlana, but you can call me Svet.” She spoke through the awkward pause with her hand held out.
I took her perfectly manicured hand in mine. “Genevieve Sinclair.”
She chuckled. “I believe I already got that part.”
“I’ll drop by the office on Monday and we can conclude,” Kai said.
Nikolai cocked a brow at me, indicating it was my cue to take notes.
I pulled out my phone and pinged a reminder for the day.
The rest of the gala followed in the same manner. Men walked up to Kazimir, they spoke for a time and an agreement or timeline was set, then I set a reminder.
And if two people picked the same appointment, I pointed that out.
Occasionally, Svet would try to make small talk with me.
She was not very active in the conversations, but I didn’t miss how most of the men already knew her and regarded her with respect. That only deepened my curiosity about who she was.
Kazimir, on the other hand, had failed to look at me since I walked in with Nikolai. He kept conversations with people brief and concise, but he never spared me a glance.
It took great restraint and self-control to not call him out for his bullshit. One moment, he had a gun between my thighs, and now he couldn’t bother enough to acknowledge my existence even though I was right next to him.
Yet he showered Svetlana with all the attention in the world and she soaked it all up like a sponge in water.
Did she know he had his hands on me not less than two weeks ago and if Nikolai hadn’t walked in, things would’ve progressed rapidly, or did he feed her lies and rainbows? Just how many faces did the man have?
Svetlana seemed like the kind of woman who was incredibly soft, kind, and did not possess a single mean streak. I had no doubt she knew nothing of his other personalities.
The time came for the fundraising and Kazimir walked away without a word.
Nikolai, however, stayed back, indulging me in a game of who is who.
He’d pick out a random face in the crowd and I’d have to guess who they were using three aspects of them he pointed out.
At first, it was tough. I didn’t understand how I was supposed to know that much about a person by the watch they wore, the woman on their arm, and if he approached others or was approached by others.
“Alright.” I let out a frustrated breath. “I hate to admit defeat, but I gotta say, I suck at this one.”
Nikolai smiled, taking a sip of whatever was in his gold-carved alcohol flask. “Look closely and pay attention to the mannerisms.”