Looking around, I realized there was no dressing room. Apparently, vampires thought nothing of being naked in front of strangers. I shimmied out of my clothes. Jacqueline’s eyes pinched a little, and she said something softly to Sophie.
“I’m going to have her pull some lingerie as well.”
“Oh, I don’t–”
“Nonsense,” she cut me off, already knowing that I was going to object. “You will need appropriate pieces to wear under these clothes. It’s a need.” She smiled. “But we will find some scandalous pieces to tease Julian with, too.”
“I’m not sure how he’ll feel about that.” But Jacqueline only laughed harder.
Sophie reappeared with a small treasure chest’s worth of filmy chiffon and lacy nothings. They patiently showed me how to use a garter with stockings, and I couldn’t help but admit that I’d never felt so sexy.
I lost track of the hours they spent zipping and tying me into gowns and dresses. Eventually, they segued into everyday clothing after what seemed like an impossibly high number of Jacqueline’s must-haves. I could have cried when Sophie presented me with a pair of jeans. Then I caught sight of the price tag.
“I have jeans,” I told Jacqueline.
“And you have a purse,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. “If you won’t spend Julian’s money, I will. And before you argue with me, I’m under strict orders to get you everything you might need for the rest of the year.”
I doubted I could ever need this many clothes, but arguing with Jacquline was proving as pointless as arguing with Julian. Maybe it was a vampire thing. I nodded, grateful that I’d have something normal–if I could just forget the price tag–to wear. But the movement made my head spin, and I stumbled on my feet. Thankfully, I wasn’t wearing any of the stilettos that had been added to my ever-growing pile of purchases. I pressed a hand to my forehead as a wave of dizziness hit me.
“Merde,” Jacqueline swore under her breath, keeping her voice low although we were alone. “You’re hungry. I forget that humans eat so much.”
“Or anything,” I said faintly. I’d been too preoccupied with sorting through last night to eat a proper breakfast this morning. Checking my phone, I realized it was already nearly two.
“Let’s get you something to eat,” Jacqueline suggested, “and then we will choose what you’re going to wear tonight.”
“The Salon,” I said, feeling my appetite vanish. “Are you going?”
“It’s not meant for me,” she said. Her gaze swept over me. “You look nervous. Has Julian told you what to expect?”
“No,” I said with a grimace, “and the last party he took me to was an orgy.” Unfortunately, Sophie returned just as the last part of the sentence left my lips. Her mouth fell open, but she quickly rearranged herself back into a composed professional.
Jacqueline’s eyes danced with laughter at my faux pas as she hooked her arm through mine. “Come. There is a little tea room. Let’s have a bite and talk.”
She said something in French to Sophie, who nodded.
“I feel bad,” I admitted as we left. “She’s been waiting for me to choose things all day, and now she has to wait longer.”
“The bill will make it worth it,” Jacqueline said with a wry smile. “And she isn’t waiting for us. I already saw to the purchases. We just need to pick tonight’s ensemble.”
“But I have Julian’s card.” Or my card, I realized.
“I’ve waited for nearly eight hundred years for Julian to find someone for me to shop with. This is my treat,” she said, waving off my objection. “Now, let’s get lunch.”
The tea shop was tucked into a private nook away from the mass of shoppers. Jacqueline ordered for me, and before I could blink, a tray of mouthwatering pastries was in front of me, along with a steaming pot of tea. I poured myself a cup and took a grateful sip.
“Let me guess,” she said, watching me. “He forgets to feed you.”
“Only sometimes. Sometimes I forget to feed myself.”
“Well, that will change,” she said mysteriously. “He’s learning. I doubt he expected to find himself attached to a human.”
“I didn’t really expect to be attached to a vampire,” I admitted. I picked up a beautiful chocolate tart and took a bite. I groaned with pleasure. “Sorry. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
“Don’t apologize for your nature.” Jacquline poured herself a cup of tea and took a few sips. “May we speak of this evening?”
I nodded, unable to say yes without showing her a mouthful of food.
“About tonight,” she began, lowering her teacup to the marble tabletop. “You must have questions.”
I swallowed my food and reached for a napkin as my heart began to race. This was my chance. “I have a lot of questions…not just about tonight.”
“About vampires?” she asked. “Or Julian?”
“About everything,” I confessed.
“And Julian isn’t answering them?”
“Some.” I took a deep breath and plunged forward. “But there are questions that I’m not sure if I can ask. I can’t decide if he’s protecting me from his world or keeping his world from me.”
“I see,” she said thoughtfully. She traced the rim of her teacup, and I wondered if I’d crossed a line.
“I’m sorry,” I blurted out. “I shouldn’t ask you to talk behind his back.”
But Jacqueline only giggled. “I was only deciding where to begin,” she told me. “But I’ll leave that to you. Thea, what do you want to know?”
What did I want to know? What didn’t I want to know?
But it turned out that I did know what to ask because the first question burst out of me. “Why does he have to get married?”
