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Camryn rushed forward to peer out the window. “They’re gone.” She looked at her cousin. “We should probably go and leave Lorelei to find work. The situation sounds dire.”
“On one condition,” Gun said.
I worried that he’d resume his High Priestess card trick. Instead, he said, “You let me accompany you to New York City in the morning.”
“Since when am I going to the city in the morning?”
“Since you received a mysterious invitation to Eternity.” He retrieved his scarf from the coat rack and flung it across his neck. “I’ll pick you up promptly at nine. Do yourself a favor and ditch your usual footwear. You can’t possibly try on couture in black boots.”
I smiled. “Consider the gauntlet thrown.”
CHAPTER 15
The morning was clear and bright as Gunther and I drove to the city for my mysterious meeting with Eternity Fashion House. The blue sky and reasonable temperature made the traffic slightly more bearable. Gun’s upbeat playlist helped. It was the kind of pop music I enjoyed because I had no associations to draw from.
“Maybe this is part of Magnarella’s revenge plan,” I said.
“What is?” Gun tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in time to the music.
“He’s torturing me by making me sit in traffic during morning rush hour.”
Every muscle in my body was tense by the time we found a parking spot.
“You didn’t have to accept the invitation, you know,” Gun remarked, as we walked along 57th Street toward Madison Avenue.
“Would you have let me decline?”
“No,” Gun admitted. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” He inhaled deeply. “Ah, how I love the aroma of garbage and weed in the morning. Really wakes up the lungs.” He beat his chest.
“I hope the smell doesn’t cling to me or they might change their mind about the dress.”
“Trust me. Everybody here is used to the stench. They probably don’t even notice it anymore.”
I decided to voice a thought that had been plaguing me since yesterday. “Do you think it’s strange that Magnarella’s minions showed up after the invitation arrived? If it was from the vampire, wouldn’t they have delivered it? Or wouldn’t Magnarella have given it to me in person if he expected to see me?”
Gun glanced at me. “Someone’s been marching in the thought parade this morning.” He stopped short in the middle of the sidewalk, forcing the sea of suits to part around us. “This is the address.”
I double-checked the number on the invitation. Yep. This was it.
“This building is amazing.” Gun tilted his head back to admire the tall structure. “How have I never noticed it before?”
“Because it’s a New York City skyscraper. It blends in with all the other ones.”
“Au contraire. This building is a magnificent work of art. See how it has the attributes of the neo-futuristic style, but also Art Deco and Gothic influences.” His voice grew quiet. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
I urged him forward. “Come on then. Let’s see if the inside is as impressive as the outside.”
We entered the lobby, which was, to Gun’s dismay, far more ordinary than the facade. He performed a slow spin, taking in the interior features, or lack thereof.
“I think they spent all their money on the exterior,” he lamented.
“Or maybe they splurged on their offices.”
He drew back from me. “Look at you, walking on sunshine. I always say, give a girl a dress and watch her twirl.”
“What if it’s a pencil dress?”
Gun broke into a smile. “A relevant fashion term? Someone did her homework last night.”
