Page 159 of House of Pain
Without another word, Val rose from her seat, beaming. “You’re an asset, Black.”
Despite herself, Alecto couldn’t stop the feeling of satisfaction at Val’s words.
51
Alecto was a smart girl. At least, she liked to think that she was.
That was why she chose a particular outfit for tonight, which she knew would suit Norse’s taste. It wasn’t her usual provocative and open ensemble, even if she knew that Norse appreciated seeing her in the least amount of clothing possible, just like all the other men.
But she had gathered in the last year and a bit that Norse had a particular taste in girls. He liked them with black-lined eyes, cozy dark sweaters over crisp white shirts, and short, pleated skirts.
So, that was the outfit Alecto wore for tonight.
She even added thick, over-the-knee socks that ended midthigh. Most of the clothing was from Jolene’s closet, and she was lucky her friend was Norse’s type.
Maybe Val should have asked Jolene to be the bait—
The door of the House opened and Norse’s tall figure appeared in the doorway. Alecto took in the ruffled hair and the crisp white shirt that usually was pristine, now half-unbuttoned and untucked from his black pants.
“You’re on time,” he said.
He moved away to let her in.
“Was I supposed to be late?”
Norse walked around her, leading the way to the library at the back of the House.
“You’re always late to the parties,” he observed, opening the double door. Alecto took in the view of the tall walls lined with books, the spiral stairs going to the next floor, and the set of leather chairs in the center of the room, right under the massive chandelier hanging heavily from the ceiling.
“So?” Alecto asked as she walked past him, settling in one of the chairs without waiting for permission.
“So,” he said, taking the seat opposite her and dropping an ankle of one leg over the knee of the other. “I just assumed you’re late to everything else. My mistake.”
Alecto didn’t know what else to say, so she didn’t say anything.
She fished out her script from her satchel. Then, she fixed Norse with a glare, which seemed to amuse him.
“So,” she said, “shall we begin?”
“Straight to business? I thought we might have a lovely evening, have a drink and get to know each other before practicing.”
Alecto tossed the script on the coffee table between them, crossing her legs. She made sure that he got a slight glimpse of her underwear as she moved one leg over the other.
“Well, nobody really offered me any drinks so far,” Alecto said, letting her arms rest on the buttery arms of the chair. “So, I only assumed you wanted me in and out as quickly as possible.”
Norse rose to his feet. “Right, that makes me a lousy host. What’s your drink of choice?”
“I’m not drinking tonight, thanks.” When Norse’s eyebrow arched, she added with a small smile, “I don’t like alcohol when I’m on my period. It makes me feel groggy and sick.”
Norse’s face hadn’t changed at the mention of her period. “Well, then is there anything else I can offer you instead?”
“If you have chocolate, bring it all here,” Alecto said, shrugging.
“I’ll be right back.”
The moment the door closed behind him, Alecto was on her feet, rushing towards the window at the back of the room. She opened the latch and swung it open to find Val crouching beneath.
“Give me your hand,” Val instructed.
