“Don’t say it.”
My eyes widen.Can she read minds now?“How did –”
“Because you wrote it in your ad.And you’re lucky I was the one that saw it.Had Pram been working that day, she would’ve signed print faster than Karl would’ve come after three days of not having sex.”
I giggle.He does come awfully quick.
“And just this morning,” she continues, “you agreed to be the maid of honour for your mother.Who is marrying your ex-fiancé.In the venue you picked out.Wearing the dress you wanted.”
I blink.“So?I’m not using it.That’s what good brownies do,and I’m a good brownie.”
“So you’re not upset at all?”
“Nope.I am very happy.”So drunkenly happy, I cannot possibly feel anything else.
She cocks a brow, her silver eyes dipping to the box in my hands.“Oh, yeah?What’s that then?”
“A box?”I smile, so proud of myself.
“No duh.What’s in it?”
“A present?”
“Which is?”
I glance away.“Something nice?”I smile innocently.But then an angry buzz radiates from inside.Drat.
Her eyes widen as she takes a few hurried steps back.“Is that a fucking bee?”
“Fabia!”A good brownie never curses.
“Screw my language.Answer the damn question!”
Geez.Someone is in a mood today.“No, it’s not a bee.”
She stares at me in disbelief.The buzzing gets louder.The box begins to shake.Doing my best to hold on to it, I frown.“The ambrosia should’ve kept him knocked out at least for another couple of hours.”
“Drop the box!”
“What?No!That would be rude.”And a good brownie is never rude.
Also, Hyattwilldefinitely stab us then.
“Arienna, that box is not thick enough to stop its stinger from stabbing you or it from breaking out!Drop the box!”She waves her arms frantically.Cradling the box tighter against me, I protect it from my psycho friend.
“Stop shouting!”I shout.“Hyatt doesn’t like loud noises.”
Or any noises really.He’s kind of a dick.
“One sting, and you’ll die,” Fabia adds, her voice strained.“Their venom is awful.Now put down the box.”
“But –”
“Oh, there you two are.”
We both freeze as Gerald, the Chief of Helpers, steps through thefloweredarchway separating the reception area from the dance/sexfloor.His pale-pink suitis the exactsamecolourasmy hair.I’ve been avoiding him all evening, certain he’llmention it, and really, really,reallynot being up for that boring conversation.
Struck by a moment of clarity, I raise the box, covering my face.
