She wrinkles her nose. “Yeah, sure. But just so you know, there’s a coffee cart right beside where I plan to go. And I know how you feel about coffee… but I can’t carry coffeeanda kebab back.”
I brighten. “Ooh. You know I’m always in search of a decent cup of coffee.”
Pippa bobs her head toward the door of the office. “I know. Come on.”
“Okay, one sec.” I stand up, putting the heavy sheaf of papers in a drawer of my desk and logging out on my staff computer. Then I grab my purse and hurry to catch up with Pippa.
As I’m about to leave, I hear Anna yell from her office. “Margot! Come in here, please.”
I freeze in my tracks, then back up and walk to her office. “Did you want something?”
Her mouth thins. “Only for you to do your job. Will that be okay, Miss Keane?”
My eyes widen. “Yes. Of course.”
She picks up a stack of papers from her desk, jogging them as she makes a sour face. “All right then. The palace press office just sent this over.”
She hands me a piece of expensive card stock that is elegantly engraved with dark blue ink.
Your presence is requested tonight for a celebration honoring the 68thbirthday of Her Royal Highness, The Queen Mother Josefine Ida Løve. The gathering will be held at Marselisborg Palace and require fancy dress.
No presents shall be accepted.
Kongevejen 100, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
I look up at Anna, my eyes so wide that I’m worried about my future ability to blink. “A party?”
Anna makes a sound of disgust. “Yes. You have been given a stipend for renting dresses during your work with the palace. I really suggest you use it.” Her eyes trail down my figure, taking in my clothes. “And when you get your first paycheck, I would seriously consider getting a whole new wardrobe.”
My cheeks flush with embarrassment. I thought I had left the old sense of shame behind when I entered the job market… but here I am, trembling a little, trying to think of what to say.
Anna narrows her eyes at me. “You know, maybe I should do a piece about you. About how you came to be here, serving a function that no one thinks you can handle.”
A look at her, puzzled. “Is that… some kind of weird threat?”
She folds her arms and surveys me. “Maybe I’m just intrigued by the flurry of excitement that followed you here from New York.”
My eyebrows rise. “I’m sorry?”
“How you met Prince Stellan. I mean, you shouldn’t be rubbing elbows with people of his class,ja?From my research, it appears that you are the kind of girl who needed several scholarships just to go to college. So how did you two meet?”
I grit my teeth. My hands ball into fists. “Are we done here? I have a thing to get ready for. You know, a royal gathering at apalace.”
Her eyes narrow, confirming my suspicions. She’s jealous. I have something that she wants, apparently.
If she only knew how tenuous my relationship with Stellan actually was…
Anna sweeps her hand out in a dismissive gesture. “Get out. And try not to horribly embarrass the paper while you’re there, okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be sure to curtsy a ton when I’m off rubbing elbows with the whole royal family.” I leave her office with a snort.
Bullies come in all shapes and sizes. They hang out on the playground, in cool kid cliques, in court rooms… basically anywhere that anyone can be vulnerable.
But one thing all bullies have in common? They might be able to dish it out but they can rarely take even the slightest criticism.
I make a beeline for the front door. Pippa appears at my side, wide eyed and ready for gossip. “What was that?”
Glancing back at Anna, who is still glaring at me from behind her glass-doored office, I shrug. “Not here, okay? Are you ready to go? I need to go shopping on my lunch hour.”
