Diamond Girl

5: Vegas Aspirations

Sarayu and Binder Boy let out little gasps of surprise, which was exactly what Mr. Daveney had hoped for.

Daveney Diamonds had sent someone or other to the expo for decades to look for new styles for their showroom, but for the last fifteen years DD had transitioned into having their own booth to display their ever-growing Dapper men's line. The annual Vegas event was an inevitable part of their company life, a predictable tradition and business necessity, sure, but also a pilgrimage of sorts to the largest jewelry expo in the world.

Lily, whose interest up until this point had been mediocre at best, straightened to attention at this announcement, the ever-annoying pleather creaking beneath her.

Both Gary and Rico peeked at her reaction with interest, but she didn't notice. She thought Aaron had glanced at her from the corner of his dark eyes. She narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion. It was never good when Aaron was being subtle.

The Grand Marquis of Hell eased his broad shoulders forward, setting his tanned forearms on his knees. He was showing way too much interest in Mr. Daveney, as the older man was simply beaming at his chittering employees. She noticed Aaron had rolled the sleeves of his white dress shirt up towards his elbows when she hadn't been looking, no doubt to flash his veiny forearms to their unsuspecting female coworkers. The new position made the silky, ever-so-slightly transparent fabric stretch across his toned back, and he knew it.

Why is he so interested, Lily chewed on her lip. Her anxiety was already high, and he was being sketchy.

She tried not to roll her eyes when the girls from Accounting began elbowing each other, noting his unusual interest as well. Aaron claimed he had "never slept" with someone from work, but she was pretty sure he was lying, as he sure loved to bait them. When they inevitably gathered the courage to ask him out, he'd hang his head as though he were bashful (more to hide his evil smirk), and then he'd charm them with his "I'm just focusing on work right now, but I'm so flattered," line.

He always flashed a glance at Lily right after, no doubt to make sure she was taking note. 

Lily was pretty sure the tally marks on the back of the Minotaur's office door were to document all the DD maidens he had lured into his grip. So, Lily drew a Minotaur, complete with their carnivorous teeth, and stuck it on the back of her own - well- she didn't have a door, she had an opening. But the picture was right next to it.

It gave her pleasure whenever Aaron ducked (literally ducked because the opening was not large) through to her office, uninvited, and then paused to look at it on his way out, which he nearly always did, a little frown of suspicion marring his perfect face.

The first time had been the best. He'd full body flinched when he spotted it. To be fair, she had gone a little heavy-handed on the gruesome aspects and nearly every visitor flinched at it, but still. "You're into Mythology?" He'd uttered a little quietly as he pulled himself together. He almost sounded interested or rather- bemused.

She knew her eyes were sparkling with glee when she emphatically replied, "No. I'm really not." She tacked on her fakest, most saccharine smile and fluttered her lashes at him exaggeratedly. He'd huffed a confused sound before ducking through the opening and trotting away.

She was pretty sure Aaron knew it had something to do with him, judging by how often he studiously peered at it, eyebrows pinched. Like he was Nicolas Cage and the Minotaur drawing was his map to a National Treasure.

"This year we secured a space on the right side for our booth!" Mr. Daveney announced. This was met with "oohs" and "aahs" from those who had been to the expo before, but Lily neither understood it nor cared about it. Her knee began to bounce impatiently, rattling the empty pink container on her lap.