THIS JOB SUCKS!

Chapter 7

"What's the deal? Why does everyone treat me like a smelly fish until Ravilla's name is mentioned? Why is he so important? They can't all like him."

"My friend is a very powerful...member of...this society. They may not all like him but all respect him and owe him a deference for one reason or another." 

"I thought he was just an investment guy," Whitney frowned. Rami laughed.

"Oh, no, Whitney Martindale, he is much more than that," he wiggled his eyebrows, "much more.

He led her to the dance floor. From that moment on she lost track of time. For every song she was passed to a new partner. Finally she escaped to the sidelines. She was trying to get her breath back after dancing energetically with some guy named Thomas.

"What's shakin', sugar?" Philtzer said in her ear. Whitney jumped and whacked him in the arm. 

"Don't do that!" She exclaimed. He only grinned wolfishly at her. 

"I didn't know you'd be here." She was glad to see a friendly face.

"Are you kidding? We are all here," he murmured as he circled her.

"What does that mean?" she frowned at him.

"You look amazing," he deftly avoided her question, "You should be dancing." He grabbed her hand and propelled her toward the dance floor.

"But I was..." she started.

"Going to say yes? Good beautiful women should always be dancing." 

Madraeus' gaze narrowed as Philtzer took Whitney onto the floor.

"Doesn't Whitney look beautiful tonight?" Mrs. Myers said from beside him. 

Madraeus grunted. He wasn't going to say that she was an absolute vision with her dark hair swept up off of her beautifully slender neck, held in place by green jewels flower pins that matched her eyes; or that the maroon color of her dress was the perfect color to bring out the bright blush of life that was bursting out of her.

"I hear you were responsible for choosing her gown." Her words sounded like polite conversation but Madraeus knew better.

"It was the first one off of the rack." He grunted.

"Really? And yet it was a perfect fit." She had managed to keep the irony out of her tone.

Madraeus had to admire her for it, but still she was up to something. Weavers always were. 

"What are you implying?" he slid a glance at her and crossed his arms.

"Nothing at all."

"I don't appreciate being manipulated, Anastasia. You should know better." Mrs. Myers arched her brows and looked innocent but whatever reply she was going to make was lost to Madraeus when he heard Whitney's laugh. His eyes snapped to her on the dance floor.

Whitney had just collapsed onto Philtzer's shoulder laughing. Madraeus clenched his fists. She was making a spectacle of herself. 

As if she felt Madraeus glaring at her, Whitney turned and searched the crowd. Their gazed locked for a moment. She frowned and turned her back on him. Madraeus sighed and turned away from the dance floor.

"Cecelia's here!" Rami suddenly appeared at Madraeus' elbow. Rubbed his forehead. He didn't want to deal with Cecelia's psychotic antics tonight. "And she's talking to Whitney." 

He spun around. His eyes snapped to the spot where Whitney had been. He could tell just by the way that she was standing with her arms crossed and chin thrust upward that this would not end well.