Free Annihilate Me (Vol. 3) (The Annihilate Me Series) by Christina Ross Page B

light and complemented her skin.   Despite all of the ugly things I’d
heard about her, I thought that she looked beautiful.  
    But is
she beautiful inside?
    “Hello,” she said to me with an extended hand.   It wasn’t exactly a handshake.   Instead, it was a proffered hand, with
fingers sloped gently downward.   I
took it and released it while she studied me.  
    “I’m Jennifer Kent,” I said.   “I’m Henri Dufort’s guest tonight.”
    “Of course,” she said.   “I’ve heard so much about you, Jennifer.   It’s a pleasure.   Peachy Van Prout.   You’re
Alex’s companion, yes?”
    “I am.”
    “How is he?   Robert
and I read about what happened to both of you in the Times .   It sounded horrible and we’ve been
worried.   You look healthy and, I
have to say, very beautiful.   How
is Alex?”
    “On the mend, thank goodness.”
    “Then I’m glad you were well enough to come.   And after what you’ve been through, the
fact that you look well is an understatement.   My dear, you look gorgeous.   And I know that dress.   I don’t want to know how you got it, but I have an idea it has something
to do with a certain Ms. Blackwell.   Everyone knows that woman can work miracles.   And the cape—so dramatic.   So pretty.   So now.   So perfect.”   She leaned toward my ear.   “This crowd is so old.   We need young women like you to keep things hip among all the titanium
hips.   I’m delighted that you’re
here.”
    She actually was funny and nice.
    She turned to Tank.   “Is this your...?”   She
wasn’t sure what to say.
    “After what happened the other night—”
    Recognition flashed in her eyes and she shook her head as if to
stop me.   “Say no more.   I understand and I’m relieved.   I’m Peachy,” she said to Tank.   “You are?”
    He took her hand, which was dwarfed by his.   “Mitchell.”
    “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mitchell.   You’ll keep this one safe?”
    “Absolutely, ma’am.”
    “You look very handsome in your tux.”
    “Thank you, ma’am.”
    “Cocktails on the second floor.   Dinner in two hours on the third floor.   Just fifty of us.”   She shot a look of concern at
Tank.   “Oh, dear.   But I haven’t planned for you.”
    “No need to, ma’am.   I’ll just remain on the second floor if that’s fine with you.”
    “Of course it is.   And you won’t go hungry.   At
the very least, dinner will be served to you there.   I’ll make certain of it.   And I feel guilty about it.   I’m so sorry there isn’t another space at the table.”
    Alex couldn’t stand her, and Bernie called her a media whore,
but my first impressions of her were that she was genuine and kind.   She didn’t need to be anything more
than pleasant with me and with Tank, but she went well beyond that.   I felt welcomed.
    “Is Henri here yet?” I asked her before we left.
    “He’s upstairs somewhere.   Arrived about twenty minutes ago.   We’re expecting two hundred for cocktails, so you’ll find it crowded
upstairs, but you’ll see him eventually.   He’s a roamer.   My best
advice is to stand in one spot, and wait for him to appear.”  
    “Thank you.”
    She unexpectedly reached for my hand and admired my dress
again.   “No one is going to know
what to do with you, Jennifer.   Be
prepared for that.   By wearing
this, you took a risk.   Thank God
you did.   I’m so tired of people of
our set not getting what’s new and on trend now.   I’m so tired of old and safe and boring.”   She lifted her chin at me.   “And you’re not boring.   We’ll be having you back soon.   Hopefully with Alex, though we’d like
it if Mitchell also would join us.   I promise there will be a seat for you,” she said to him.   “I’m embarrassed that I don’t have one
now.   Do you have a wife or are you
seeing anyone whom you might bring,” she asked.
    “Negative on the wife, ma’am.   The other is promising