Page 98 of House of Malice
The shopping assistant left, and they sat down on the sofas.
“Oh, I love the canapés and the drinks they serve at these places,” Jolene said, picking up a tiny little sandwich between two fingers. She popped it into her mouth, nodding her approval. “Fucking delicious.”
Alecto helped herself to a glass of bubbly wine. It tasted better than some of the others she’d tried. “Well, what color ribbon do you want? Have you thought about it yet?” Alecto asked, sipping on her wine.
Jolene nodded and popped another sandwich in her mouth. “I want the dual ribbon,” she said once she finished chewing. “One side will be seafoam green, to represent me. And then the other side will be peach to represent Leigh.”
“Oh, I love that,” Alecto said. “Such a good idea. Have you already ordered it?”
“Leigh did,” Jolene said, then popped the smallest cookie in the world into her mouth. “Oh, you should try these. So good.”
Alecto smiled and took one miniature cookie from the plate. She had a bite and nodded. “Not too bad.”
“Why is it that when the food is mini, it just tastes so much better?” Jolene hovered a finger over the plates, trying to decide which treat she’d choose next.
Alecto chuckled, finishing off the cookie. She washed it down with the rest of her bubbly wine. “I want a coffee.”
Jolene looked up from the plates. “At this hour of the day?”
Alecto shrugged. “Gods knows how long we will be here picking out our outfits. A girl needs her energy.”
“Try sugar,” Jolene said, finally choosing a chocolate cake with a cherry on top. “Highly recommend.”
Alecto only smirked.
“Will you also pick an outfit for the wedding?” Jolene asked.
“I haven’t thought about what I’ll wear.”
“Come on! We’re already here, you might as well!”
Alecto shrugged. “Why the Hel not? It’s been so long since I bought something this nice.”
“Exactly,” Jolene said. “With all the shit that’s been going on at Venefica, we need some treats. Actually, plenty of treats.”
“Shall we do a spa weekend?” Alecto asked. “Like a weekend getaway?”
“Do we have time for that?” Jolene asked. “I feel like Val is probably plotting as we speak, and in her schedule, spa weekends are not a thing.”
“Yeah, but it is for a special occasion,” Alecto said. “She might make an exception.”
“Wouldn’t hurt to ask, I suppose,” Jolene said, then smiled. “Scratch that. Forgot who we’re talking about here for a moment.”
Alecto laughed. The door opened and Leigh walked in.
“Babe!” Jolene jumped to her feet, full of excitement. “We have mini cookies and mini chocolate cake!”
Leigh laughed and kissed Jolene on the lips. She took a seat next to her and looked at the canapés on the coffee table.
“I see you are already running on a sugar high,” she said. “Hi, Alecto. I’m so glad you organized this for us.”
“My pleasure,” Alecto said. “And yes, Jolene took the liberty of sampling the goods while we waited.”
“This is so luxurious,” Leigh said, glancing around the place.
It was a small designer studio, but it was quality. The whole wall in front of them was lined with polished mirrors, the hardwood floor beneath their feet was polished to perfection, and the walls were smooth and painted a pleasant sage green.
Alecto brushed a hand through the soft satin material of the curved sofa she sat on. “It’s one of the best places in town for a reason,” she said with a smile. “Now, how do you feel about matching gowns?”
