“You can do this,” Bastien offered awkwardly. He had never had to cheer anyone up before, he wasn’t sure Celine would appreciate it, or if she’d consider it patronising. To his immediate relief, her face brightened visibly. It was only after someone cleared their throat that he realised she was only being nice because Mademoiselle Jones had approached their station.
“Salut,” she said, bouncing in cheerfully. She looked about their age, very British, and aside from Celine, the only other girl with a bob and dressed like a flapper.
Bastien tossed a look at Celine, wanting to see what she thought of the other girl, but she was only admiring Mademoiselle Jones’s style with glittering eyes.
“I was wondering if you had an extra pencil I could borrow. Mine broke,” she said. Celine handed her one. “I’m Cosette Jones by the way. But you can call me Coco.”
“Celine LeBeau.”
“Ah, the cover girl.”
Celine looked away, the hint of embarrassment lining her cheeks like a fine layer of cosmetics. Bastien resumed in her stead, stretching his hand out. “Bastien Reneau.Enchanté.”
Coco reached out to shake it, but he quickly brought her fingers to his lips, and was about to press a soft kiss on the back of her hand when Celine shoved him out of the way.
“Do not pay him any heed, Mademoiselle Jones.” Taking out a thick pocketbook from her bag, she handed it to him. “Here. Change, then make yourself useful and find me the fabrics from pages twelve and twenty.”
“These fabrics are green. I told you it doesn’t suit me.”
“This shade will. Now go.”
“Bossy,” Bastien muttered under his breath. He winked at Coco, then walked behind the folding screen.
“You don’t think Monsieur Baudelaire really meant what he said about there being no rules, do you?” he heard Coco ask.
Bastien strained to note anything suspicious in her voice, but to his disappointment, it didn’t differ much from Celine’s anxious one.
“Fair and square, no?” A third contestant joined them. “At least that’s how my sister and I play. We do not need pathetic schemes to keep ourselves in the game.”
Elise Sartre had sauntered up to them, regarding both Celine and Coco with distaste. Her sister, Elana, however, appeared a little less bloodthirsty. Bastien noticed her gaze jumparound the room, from one sparkling roll of fabric to the next, uninterested.
“Say,” Elise went on, “aren’t you thatVampireeveryone was talking about a while ago?”
An amused smirk entered Bastien’s lips at the nickname, but he resisted the impulse to jump out and shoutI told you so. So he quietly peered at Celine’s reflection in the mirror.
“Vampire?” Coco quirked a brow.
“I think she is,” Elana agreed in a voice nearly identical to her sister’s. Though hers was far more enthusiastic. “Oh, that was the best editionLa Vie Parisiennepublished that month.”
They were both matching in their plaid dress suits; Elise in green, while Elana had opted for pink, though both colours stood equally vivid against their dark brown skin. Bastien let his eyes linger over Elana for a good second before he looked over at Celine again. She was fidgeting with a spool of thread, rotating it on her finger.
“They were merely embellishing with that vampire thing,” she said awkwardly. “That picture is far from my customary lifestyle.”
“Don’t be shy about falling into the trend,” Elise said with a little bite to her words. “New York was filled with vamps, it is only natural they made an appearance in Paris too.”
“We were there just last month,” Elana filled in. “That’s when Elise decided to enter the comp—”
“That’s beside the point,” her sister snapped, looking at Elana askance. “I only wanted to confirm where I had seen you before, Mademoiselle LeBeau.” She considered Celine from head to toe, a vague sneer on her lips. “I look forward to seeing what you have in store,Vamp.”
“Again, that’s not…” Celine trailed off, for Elise had already retreated to her station.
Elana smiled at them brightly and whispered, “Good luck,” before she joined her sister.
Celine and Coco were left alone once more.
“That was…odd,” Coco supplied.
“It’s good to know I wasn’t imagining things earlier.” Celine sighed. “Everyone was acting so hostile today. Except for you, which I greatly appreciate.”
