Page 1 of Monsters in the Museum

Chapter one

Nora grimaced in pain as she endeavored to endure a night in the most uncomfortable place she could imagine: a nightclub. The blisters on her feet throbbed in time with the amplified base pounding out of the speakers above the crowded bar. Colored lights cut through the hazy air, and the song blasting through the room was by some pop star whose name Nora should probably know but couldn’t call to mind.

She took a sip of the drink her sister had ordered for her and wrinkled her nose at the cloying sweetness that coated her tongue, the taste overly fruity and artificial. It appeared that the bar’s only saving grace was their hot wings. A half-eaten plate littered with picked-over bones sat on the bar before her, courtesy of her sister, Odelle.

Now Odelle raised her glass to her sister in a toast. “Cheers to the youngest department head in Chicago Field Museum history.”

Nora raised the chicken wing in her hand and bumped it against the rim of Odelle’s martini glass. “I’m not officially department head yet.”

“Just take the damn compliment. You know it’s inevitable at this point,” Odelle retorted, shaking her head so that the neon lights reflected off her sleek platinum bob. “Thanks to your presentation and the funding you brought in to restore those weapons from ancient Greece, the board is sure to approve your promotion. Although, maybe I should get some of the credit too. I bet those dull old fogeys at the museum would have loved your presentation no matter what you said, as long as you stood up there wearing the outfit I picked out.”

“I’m sure you’re right, zaika,” Nora commented drily, intentionally not bringing up the mangled state of her toes caused by the heels her sister had selected. “The museum board decides what departments get funding solely based on how much they want to sleep with the person presenting the pitch. Now I understand why the paleontology department always gets all the money. I mean, have you seen Bert?”

Odelle snorted in an unladylike manner. “Of course, big gray tufts of ear hair have always been my greatest turn on.”

Nora smiled and polished off the wing in her hand. “I do have to thank you for your help with the presentation. Getting to restore these artifacts all but guarantees I’ll get that department head promotion I’ve been gunning for.” Nora wrinkled her nose as she licked buffalo sauce from between her fingers. “I just wish Leo would stop trash-talking me to the board, saying I’m too young for the position. He hasn’t done anything to write home about since he ran that mummy through an MRI machine almost five years ago!”

“Okay, okay,” Odelle cut in. “Now is not the time to start in on all the drama. If I let you vent about department politics now, I’ll be here until I have grey ear tufts of my own.”

Nora bit back her retort, knowing that her sister had listened to her go on about the dramas of academia enough in the past. She had promised Odelle that tonight would be a celebration, and she wouldn’t spend the entire time talking about work, as much as she would prefer to be thinking about her job these days. Instead, she asked, “Did you have to wear the tall prosthetics plus the shoes? Isn’t that a touch redundant?”

Tonight, Odelle had chosen to wear the pair of sculpted prosthetic legs that made her six feet tall, and then proceeded to add a pair of killer heels to the ensemble. The finished product had the effect of making Odelle look like a veritable Amazon.

“What’s the point of having feet made of carbon fiber if I don’t take advantage of it by wearing fantastic shoes? Besides, I like feeling as if I could eat men alive.”

Nora nodded over her drink, “Speaking of which, that one over there looks as if he wouldn’t mind being eaten alive.”

Odelle glanced over her shoulder at the overly tanned Ken doll of a man who eyed her from a few feet away. Seeing her looking, he approached and slid himself onto the empty bar stool next to them.

Nora smiled and took another sip of her drink, suppressing a grimace again at the overpowering sweetness as Odelle struck up a conversation. Nora caught the bartender’s eye and waved him over to order herself a dirty martini as her sister continued to flirt. She deserved at least four olives in her drink for listening to her sister laugh at the man’s horrendous pick-up line.

Just as the bartender arrived with her glass, Nora’s phone vibrated in her back pocket. She fished the phone out of her jeans and frowned at the illuminated screen.

Even as she read the message from the emergency notification system at work, her phone buzzed in her hand again, several new texts popping up on the screen from coworkers. A handful of messages written in all capital letters indicated that a fight over who should go check on the artifacts had broken out. Nora didn’t hesitate before typing a message of her own.

As soon as the text was sent, she turned back to Odelle, but her sister was still otherwise occupied. Odelle had leaned in toward her admirer, and he was reaching out to put a hand on her leg, the long lengths left exposed by the scandalous hem of her cocktail dress. He clearly hadn’t noticed that her flesh transitioned to prosthetics just below her knee in the dim light of the bar, too distracted by Odelle’s coy smile. Nora smirked despite herself when the man jumped as his hand encountered cool carbon fiber instead of warm skin. He raised his eyebrows a fraction, but Odelle gave him a wicked grin and continued their conversation.

Nora tapped Odelle on the shoulder to get her attention.

“Hey zaika, I have to go. There is a security breach at work, and I need to deal with it,” Nora explained, already slipping on her jacket. The scent of coffee enveloped her, drifting off the worn leather and forming a cozy bubble around her in the chaos of the club.

“Girl, you do not know how to take a break. It’s supposed to be your night off!”

“Comes with the territory of getting promoted,” Nora countered as she grabbed a few crumpled bills out of her purse and set them on the bar. “You stay and enjoy yourself. It looks like you aren’t quite done breaking that poor man’s heart.”

Indeed, Odelle’s admirer was obviously appreciating the fit of her dress as the women spoke.

“Oh, I’m not,” Odelle admitted, “But he can wait. I’m coming to the museum with you. Somebody has to make sure you don’t stay too late.”

Odelle fished a pen out of her purse and grabbed the man’s hand. His brows drew together in puzzlement before he smirked at the realization that she was scribbling her phone number on his palm. Nora sighed. If she knew Odelle, she would lead this man on for the next two weeks before realizing he didn’t have the brains to keep up with her, and then she’d leave him hanging.

“All right, let’s get out of here,” Odelle said as she grabbed Nora’s elbow to start weaving toward the exit. Just before they slipped into the crowd, Odelle looked over her shoulder and shot a wink at the enamored man whose gaze still followed them.

Nora chuckled as they pushed toward the door.

“That poor man. He’s not going to know what hit him.”

As the cab pulled up outside the museum, Nora’s stomach clenched with unease. Red and blue flashing lights filtered in through the car windows. She threw open the door and pushed her way into the chilly air as Odelle handled paying the driver.