Chapter Twenty-Six Adrianna
Chapter Twenty-Six
ADRIANNA
My cell rings just as I arrive at the Plaza. It’s Georgia, speaking in hushed tones like she doesn’t want to be overheard. I drop back, gesturing for Petra and Ophelia to walk ahead.
‘Dri?’ Georgia says. ‘Oh good God, the new lawyer Mark hired. There are just no words.’
I frown. ‘Mark didn’t tell me he’d hired a lawyer.’
‘Her name is Holly. I just met her in the elevator.’
‘Does she fit the brand?’ I ask.
‘Maybe with some help. But something’s definitely off. She can barely string a sentence together, and she dresses like a guest at Hello Kitty’s funeral.’
I laugh. ‘What?’
‘I’m serious. Like, punk or something. But not chic, like Petra. This girl has zero class, zero taste, and says the first thing that pops into her head without thinking about it.’
‘I kind of want to meet her.’ I’m still laughing. But underneath I’m nervous. Mark wants some low-rent replacement as bridesmaid? Is he making some kind of pre-marital power bid?
‘Mark must have his reasons,’ I decide. ‘Maybe she’s super smart.’
‘Dri, she can’t work an elevator.’
‘I guess … Mark wants to make some choices at his own wedding,’ I decide.
‘I just sent you a picture of her. Check your messages.’
I glance down. ‘Jesus.’ I hiss. ‘What was Mark thinking?’
The girl has hair the color of a Viagra pill and wears a bizarre shocked grimace.
She has no blush to contour her chubby cheeks, which makes her round little face even more childlike, exacerbated by big round eyes.
She’s fitted out in a weird combination of spider-web jewelry, cyber-goth chunky boots with silver buckles, busted fishnets, a skull motif dress with long lacy bell-sleeves and more black lace at the hem.
As if she didn’t have enough on already.
‘That skirt is way too short for a girl with no thigh gap,’ I mutter, tilting my head and wrinkling my nose. ‘She accessorizes like she raided a kid’s Halloween bucket.’
‘I know. We could style her though. She has good ass to hip. And we need curvy.’
‘Yeah, but … She’s not going to fit the dress samples.’ I draw the phone away and back.
The make-up. Like a dime-store goth.
‘She’s not so big,’ says Georgia. ‘She’s just a little chubby. It’s kind of cute up close.’
‘I think it’s a no,’ I decide. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll break it to her.’
‘OK. I think … She just got back in the elevator.’
‘Then I’ll see her in about a minute. I’m in the lobby now.’