Heroine Worship by Sarah Kuhn

Author:Sarah Kuhn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: DAW
Published: 2017-07-04T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“OUT, OUT, OUT!” Maisy ordered. She stomped across the room and planted herself between us and the dress forms. “Aveda, I know you’re a celebrity, but even famous people need boundaries.” She gave me a not-at-all-gentle shove toward the door. “And snooping around someone’s private inspiration space is definitely violating boundaries.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, thinking fast. “But as I was telling Shruti here, I’ve been dying to find Evie a special engagement gift, and custom lingerie seems like just the thing.”

“And, I, uh, thought you might have some samples back here I could show Aveda,” Shruti improvised. “Even though you haven’t officially delved into the custom-order business just yet.”

Maisy kept shoving us toward the door, her movements so insistent, they kicked up the clouds of dust blanketing the ornate, Victorian-style chairs. I sneezed. I could have pushed back with my telekinesis, but now wasn’t the time to get into a knock-down, drag-out fight with her. Not if I wanted more information on what she was doing.

Instead, I allowed Maisy to prod us out of the room and slam the door behind her. She turned to face us, her flaky gray face screwed into a look of suspicion. “As I’ve told Evie many times, I’m happy to design something for her,” Maisy said. “But she has no interest, so I’m not sure what poking around in my private area accomplishes.”

“Poking around in your what, now?” Shruti said, giggling. I gave her a look.

Now was the time to go on the offensive—at least a little bit. I didn’t want to push Maisy physically, but I needed to flip this conversation around on her in order to take control. As in the kickboxing dance, I needed to make her follow me.

“I thought you weren’t making custom bridal lingerie yet,” I said, examining my nails and affecting as nonchalant a pose as possible. “I mean, you made a real point of saying that when it was brought up.”

Maisy’s eyes shifted back and forth. I’d thrown her off balance. Good. “Well. I, uh. . . .”

“And strange how you also claimed Carol hadn’t shopped here before—how adamant you were about that—when there’s a dress form in there with her name on it.” I arched an eyebrow at her. “Care to explain?”

I stared her down, waiting for the moment when I could sweep her legs out from under her and knock her to the ground. Metaphorically speaking, that is. Maisy met my gaze and stared back, her eyes expressionless. Which was extra creepy, what with her glowing demon eyes and all. For a moment, we just stood there, caught in a stare-off, the tension mounting with every moment of loaded silence. Shruti looked from me to Maisy and back again, unsure of what to do.

Then Maisy’s face broke into a wide smile, and she threw back her head and laughed.

“Oh, A. Jupes!” she said, her tone resetting to its usual saccharine-coated cadence. “I can never get anything by you, can I?” She leaned in close, as if about to reveal the biggest, juiciest secret of all time.

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