Love is Darkness

Chapter 10 London, England

At ten a.m. sharp she heard a sharp knock onthe front door. A French woman bustled in with two harried lookingassistants pushing a rack behind them. The assistants wouldn't makeeye contact which made Val think that the woman either ran a verytight ship or had a lot of vampire customers.

Closing the door, shewalked back into her living room watching as the assistantsunzipped garment bags and shook dresses free from their plasticcovers. Dresses were draped haphazardly around her living room anda large mirror with three panels was set up, so she couldreally know which dressmade her ass look fat.

The woman knew fashion but as to why Valneeded the gown, she either wouldn't say or didn't know. Themodiste called the event a ball and all the gowns seemed to supportthat statement. Huge princess dresses that required corsets werebrought out.

Honestly, if Spanx wasn't enough, she wasn'tsure she should go. She wouldn't eat anything else for the rest ofthe day. The dresses were suited for the Academy Awards or theGolden Globes, not for someone like her.

There it was again- the unreality of hersituation. She was a normal girl and he was...well, dead.

The modiste studied Val critically anddecided against several dresses instantly. The woman said the colorclashed with her hair and skin tone but Val wondered if the dressesclashed with her personality instead. They were soft dresses thatrequired a dainty woman to wear them. Val didn't do dainty. She didhysterical, angry, lusty, afraid and irritated to perfection.

Eventually, all the clothes and accessorieswere decided upon. The gowns were rezipped and packed away, themodiste bustled back out again, taking her assistants with her andValerie was alone. Waiting for Lucas and wearing a deep blue gownthe color of the ocean.

Her breasts were high and mounded, her waistnipped in thanks to the corset. She really didn't need to look thisdesirable.

An extra accessory had been given to Valeriewhich made her realize this was not going to be a normal party. Itwas a little purse that dangled from her wrist. It was black velvetand had a gold L embossed on the front with a fleur de lis patternwoven through the material. The modiste said it was so everyonewould know who she belonged to.

With almost no time to spare Val put on herlipstick and was ready to go. Her hair was pinned up into a mass ontop of her head that exposed her neck. Something she thought mightbe fantastically stupid, but that the modiste's assistant insistedwas a requirement.

Val thought taking her hair down, but shewasn't sure if she needed to be that petty. She suspected therewould be bigger compromises asked for before the night was through,so she left her hair alone and waited.

When the clock struck six she was lookingout the window and watching people walk by, hurrying through theeternal rain to go home, probably to a family and hot dinner. Asmall rush of power wafted over her like pinpricks against herskin. She turned and saw Lucas come out of her bedroom, one bighand fixing the cuff of his crisp white shirt. Good Lord, he couldbe in a magazine modeling anything from $50,000 watches toexpensive cologne.

He wore a black tuxedo minus the bow tie.Again the collar was open and she could see the hollow of histhroat, her eyes drawn there despite herself. His deep blue eyeslifted and took in her appearance, starting from her voluminousskirts, to her corseted waist, passing quickly to her face. Thegown matched his eyes, she realized, wondering if it was onpurpose. He looked at her lips and she had the urge to lick thm butfrantically tried to hold still.

A velvet cloak rested over one arm, which heopened and held for her to put on. Smiling slightly, he watched hercome towards him and Valerie blushed, looking away. He fastened thecollar around her neck, red rubies glinting on the clasp.