Page 48 of The Mermaid's Bubble Lounge
“And how did you enjoy Budapest?” Adaeze asked. Her expression read politely interested but it was a mask. I felt her intensity like a punch.
“Oh, well. The town itself was gorgeous. I went for lots of walks and had some amazing meals. The Guild house had been remodeled. It was scary and decrepit on the outside but beautifully opulent on the inside. My issue was that there were no windows—understandably so. It felt claustrophobic to me. And the only way out during the day was down a long, creepy tunnel.” I gave a shudder. “Then we had that crazy fae guy messing with everyone.” I shook my head. “The town? Ten out of ten. The rest? I do not recommend.”
“Thankfully, Sam missed most of what went on. Her sleep schedule and jet lag meant she slept through the worst of it,” Clive murmured.
“What did happen?” Ahmed asked, his brow furrowed and dimple gone.
Clive glanced around the crowded entry and said, “Let’s discuss it in our meeting.”
Ahmed nodded, though he didn’t look happy.
TWENTY-TWO
It Would Be So Much Easier If We All Just Spoke the Same Language
Clive checked his watch. “Let me introduce Sam to the others and then she can chat with her friends while we meet. Oh, darling,” Clive said just to me, “take the keys. You and Fergus don’t need to stay all night. We can get home easily enough on our own.”
I opened the top of my small bag, feeling the interest of those around me. A phone and lip gloss were obviously disappointing for some. Clive dropped the keys in and gave me a kiss. Personally, I thought we were killing this whole I’m-harmless-and-we-have-nothing-up-our-sleeves thing.
“Please excuse us,” Clive said to Ahmed and Adaeze before walking me over to a group of three. “Good evening. Allow me to introduce my wife, Samantha. Sam, this is Joao and Pablo. They are the Counselors for South America. And this is Thi. She is the Counselor for Asia.” Clive turned back to the three. “It’s good to see you all, though I wish it was under better circumstances.”
Joao was quick to smile, his dark eyes dancing as he reached out to shake my hand. I took it and only felt curiosity from him. The man was a heartbreaker. Pablo, less so. He wasn’t ugly exactly, just severe to the point of discomfort. His gaze ran up and down my body once with a look of mild distaste before his focus was back on Clive.
I felt Clive’s arm stiffen around me. He hadn’t missed the slight.
Let it go, I told him.
I turned to Thi and felt her hate like a blast of hot air. She showed no outward emotion, but it was roiling under the surface. “Hello. Lovely to meet you,” I said.
Her lips tipped up in the approximation of a smile, but her eyes were cold and empty. “And you,” she responded.
“Darling.” Clive squeezed me around the middle and let go. “I’m afraid we need to start our meeting now.”
“Of course.” I kissed him on the cheek and then glanced at the other three. “Have a nice meeting.”
Joao grinned at this, but neither Pablo nor Thi bothered to look in my direction. Both turned to the underlings hovering behind them to speak in hushed tones too quiet for me to make out.
Russell walked back into the center of the entry. “We have a conference room downstairs, as well as gathering rooms for your people. If you’d prefer, though, we’ve set up a table in the library, which I thought you might find more pleasant. It’s up to you, of course, where you’d like to meet.”
Godfrey stepped up beside Russell. “While the Counselors decide, I’ll show everyone else our facilities.” Grinning, he gestured to the twenty or so underlings to follow him. “Come along. You’ll be comfortable and entertained while we wait.”
Godfrey had a way with people. He looked like the cover model of a historical romance, but it was the twinkle in his eye, the ready smile, that made him so effective. This is why he was third. No one would believe a second didn’t have ulterior motives when he went to watch a football game with the other vamps. Godfrey had mastered an I’m-hiding-from-work-no-one-tell-the-Master façade. He was funny and irreverent, disarming people and discovering information people didn’t even realize they’d uncovered.
He played up his reputation, but I would trust Godfrey with my life. When it came right down to it, he’d do anything for the people he cared about. Right now, though, what all the assistants saw was an activities director, not the warrior he was. And that was fine with him. “Come along, you lot. I have some crap TV to watch.”
The assistants checked with their Counselors, who nodded, and then followed along in Godfrey’s wake.
“The library is right down this hall, if you’d like to see it before you decide,” Russell said.
“Bummer,” I whispered to Audrey. “I wanted to hang out in there tonight.”
Thi’s eyes flicked to us before she inclined her head to Russell, an indication he should show them the way. The eight Counselors followed in Russell’s wake, with Vlad taking up the rear. He glanced at me and rolled his eyes. I suppressed a grin in case anyone turned around.
“S’allright, ma’am,” Audrey said. “You used to fancy the blue salon. We can go there.”
Once the library door closed, I let out a breath. Audrey waved me into Russell’s office, where she closed the doors and hit the button on the sound system, filling the room with low bluesy music.
She pointed to one of the visitor chairs and mouthed the word sit. When I did, she whispered in my ear, “You go ahead and do your thing. I’ll work on your hair.”
