Rare Blood

Chapter Thirty-Two: Pancakes and Death Threats

Roxy woke to a heavy knock at the bedroom door and took her time getting out of the bed to answer it. There was an older human woman wearing a black dress with a white apron, it looked like a traditional maid's uniform.  She held her arm out, draped over it was a black garment bag.   "I have instructions to have you dress and meet him in his study. Come out when you are ready, Alexander will escort you," she said, motioning to the guard that had been outside her room all night.

Roxy took the bag from the woman who immediately turned and headed down the long hall.  She looked back at the tall brown haired vampire positioned opposite her door, meeting his eyes.  He seemed to be sizing her up like he was deciding if she was going to try and run.  She wasn't and nodded curtly, then shut the door retreating into the bedroom.

She unzipped the black bag and pulled out a suit. A black satin pant suit with a two-thousand dollar price tag, she knew because she had one just like it in her closet. It wasn't until she pulled the shirt out of the bag that she realized the suit was hers.  Dmitri had brought these clothes from her apartment. He told her the night before that he had someone looking into her closet, she didn't realize he meant literally as well.  She loved her clothes and didn't want to think about the grubby paws of some stranger touching all over them.

The shirt included in the garment bag was a white cotton blended v-neck and certainly not what she would have chosen to go with the suit. It seemed criminal to pair a shirt that cost about thirty bucks with a two-thousand dollar satin suit. 

"Asshole," she muttered, angrily looking at her reflection in the mirror before marching out of that bedroom with her head held falsely high, she followed her escort to the him in the study.

When she entered Dmitri rose from his seat behind an old desk with lions carved into the corners of the wood like they were guarding it.  She snorted an angry laugh, he was wearing a bespoke black suit with fine light grey pin stripping, a white collared shirt, and a light grey tie with a matching handkerchief in the chest pocket.  His hair was slicked back, he looked immaculate.

"What, pray tell, is so funny," he asked.

"Aside from the fact that one of your servants raided my closet, and chose this disastrous ensemble, and you look flawless, nothing."

"Flawless," he questioned, pretending to brush some non-existent lint from his jacket. Roxy gave him her best scowl.

"You're unhappy with my selection?"

"You chose this?"

"I did, that shirt was the most modest in your wardrobe."

"You had no right to go through my things Dmitri."

His eyes flashed, "I have every right to do whatever.  You'll do well to remember that."

He was right, but she didn't back down, "Where are the rest of my things and why do I need to be dressed, modestly," she asked, unable to conceal her attitude.

"Have you forgotten our appointment with Mr. Richard Clearly, Attorney at Law?"

"No.  But, this..." she said gesturing to her body, "Was the best you could put together?"

He stepped closer,  "I, being the business man that I am, can not show up with an assistant dressed like she's ready to be bent over a desk."

Before Roxy could stop herself, she slapped him right in the face, hard.  He smiled, catching her wrist as she withdrew. She jerked, trying to free her arm, but he held it tighter,  slowly pulling her hand  towards his face, forcing her closer with it.

He flattened her fingers gently, then as light as a feather, he placed a cool kiss into her palm, shocking her, and furthermore when he said, "I did not mean to offend you. I only meant that you have a very sultry way about you, and though I enjoy it, we need to appear as business as possible. I am sorry."