He winced.“I lose focus around the hostesses.I don’t like getting too close.They get clingy.”
Myrtle snorted.“Let me at them.”
“See?That is why I don’t mention it.”He smiled and kissed her.
Emhara said, “There is a fire in the kitchen, so you had better get moving.”
Denith whipped around.
“Made you look.”She smiled, and Meritha laughed.
Emhara walked around the table and headed for the entrance, smiling as Nimue handled insistent influencers who were frantically looking around for Amber.
Emhara watched another woman walk in and give her name.Nimue grinned and nodded.“This way.Table for one.”
The others huffed and looked around the restaurant.
Emhara paused and asked the blonde woman, “Why do you want to eat here so badly?”
“I want to see one of those dark elves.They are hot, and they don’t always have a female with them.”
Nimue smiled as she returned.“Oh, good luck with that.Nice to meet you, Emhara.”
“And you as well, Nimue.Now, I am going to raid an art store.”
Nimue laughed, and it was genuine and beautiful.
Duran slid an arm around her and must have gone tall and dark because the ladies at the door gasped.Emhara chuckled.“Oh, look, you saw one.”She looked behind her.“Three.”They started to head to the sidewalk.“Lucky you.”Echel slid his arm around her, and Samsor chuckled.“So very rare.”
Duran was grinning, and Meritha was chuckling.“I am heading to my car.”
Samsor said, “I will walk you there.”
“Not necessary.I have two guards here across the street.They are on their way.You can just stay until the handoff.”
Samsor nodded, and two dark figures came toward them.They weren’t elves or anything unusual; they were alphas with serious expressions who nodded.“Miss?Heading to the car?”
“Yes, thanks, Henri, Dexter.That will be good.”
They flanked her, and a dark car moved silently from the curb down the street.Once the driver was confirmed, Meritha and her bodyguards tucked into the car.
Emhara waved cheerfully and knew that Meritha was smiling at her from inside the heavy tint.
She looked at Duran.“Right.Nearest art supply?”
Echel laughed, and they got to their vehicles and drove to the nearest art supply store.By the time she had filled the first cart, she looked at Samsor.“How big is your house, and how long can I stay?”
“You can have a room on the main floor until we have a studio built for you.You can pick one with good light.”
She grinned, leaned toward him, and in a husky whisper, she said, “Get me another cart.”
He laughed, and Duran went to get a second cart.
Sketchbooks, pencils, canvases, pencil sharpeners by the handful, acrylic paints, brushes, more canvases, and stuff to do magical effects.She watched as the clerk scanned every item, and then she brought out the black card again, and the clerk’s eyes bugged out.
She had never spent a thousand dollars at one time, but this was a special occasion.All the birthday presents she had never gotten were in these carts and the bags.
Once it was paid for with her thumbprint and a grin, the guys grabbed the bags, juggled the larger canvases, and headed out to the parking lot to distribute the fruits of her raid.
