The mattress on my bed in my pretty room with a view to a garden was a firm, supportive, cushiony cloud.
The sheets were downright heaven.
But sadly, both made me nap half an hour longer than I’d planned.
I’d wanted to luxuriate in the use of that vanity, but instead, after a quick shower and face cleanse, I had to hurry.
Making matters worse, my slinky, full-length, pine green satin gown had a mock turtleneck formed by a scarf tie at the back side of my neck, which made hairstyles a challenge.
Therefore, I’d had to intercom the staff to get the Wi-Fi info, which made me feel weird…again.
Obviously, these people had money. But I was still sleeping on their celestial bed, eating their scrumptious cream scones and using their very fast Wi-Fi.
In truth, it’d taken Prudence some doing to talk me into staying this long. The Downs being The Downs, I wanted to stay, but everything drilled into me by my mother and grandparents dictated I shouldn’t stay as long as I agreed.
Prudence had worn me down.
I shouldn’t have let her, but here I was, with a gracious invitation from a friend, an agreement with Battle and a job to do.
So I just had to shake it off and do it.
Two weeks would fly by (I hoped).
But the Wi-Fi gave me access on my iPad to watch the hair tutorial on YouTube the fifteen times it took me to get it down, though it took me five times of trying with my actual hair to get it right.
I did my makeup in subtle shades of smoke and drama, allowing my ruby-red lips to do the heavy lifting.
Fortunately, the simple gown, which bared not only my shoulders but also, with the low elevation of material at my back, my shoulder blades, skimmed my body like a lover, so I didn’t have to go gung-ho on accessories.
This was good, since I did not live a life that would leave me dripping in jewels at age thirty-two.
I put in the simple diamond studs Mom gave me on my thirtieth birthday and strapped on the champagne metallic, high-heeled evening sandals. I then touched my signature scent (one of my few splurges: Carolina Herrera) behind my ears and at my wrists, and I was ready for my first dinner with the Talyns.
There was a smart screen on the vanity.
I touched it to activate it and then I touched the intercom icon.
I was given a dizzying array of choices that I scrolled through until I found the one noted as Study.
I tapped it.
As I waited for a response, never having had a formal dinner in a home, I didn’t know if you were supposed to take an evening bag. But with this lipstick, reapplication was going to have to happen so I wasn’t left with a ruby ring around my lips making me look like a clown, and I didn’t have pockets.
Therefore, I was tucking my phone, compact and lippie in an evening bag when Battle’s purr came through my smart unit.
“Vivienne?”
God, even remotely, his voice wrapped around my name gave me a physical reaction.
“Are you ready for me?” I asked.
“As I have been for the last hour.”
Hmm.
We had not set an exact time to meet, and he knew that.
Don’t bite, Vivi!
