The Blood Heiress

Girls' Night at the Marksman

Adella

It became apparent to me on the drive to our first shop, that Verity and Valerie, while drastically different, were very much kindred spirits. Valerie seemed to be a more mature version of my friend. The only thing Verity carried on about more than the shops were the dresses in the shops and Valerie's taste in pretty much anything. We were at our second formal wear shop in the heart of downtown. Valerie indulged in her excitement; I think mostly because she was just as excited. About new clothing, shopping or hanging out, I wasn't sure, maybe all three. While Verity was exuberant and extroverted, everyone in the store knew she was excited. Valerie showed hers in a subtler way. She was relaxed, chatty and smiling widely, quieter methods of showcasing excitement. I was more anxious than excited. I let my desire to get everything perfect for Valerie's exhibition that I couldn't let myself have fun. I would have fun when it was a proven success.

The experience was not lost on me, however. The higher end stores were another level altogether. They had an entire area dedicated just to trying garments on. The attendants supplied you with snacks and champagne while you shopped and deliberated. All three of us were trying on clothing at the same time so any deliberation was taking place in the area between the two lines of dressing rooms. Mine was filled to the brim with choices, and I had hardly picked out any myself. I could only imagine what theirs looked like as I am pretty sure they had asked for one of everything.

My current choice and favorite was a cobalt blue floor length dress, the bodice was fitted with boning, very similar to a corset, but with a higher, straighter neckline. The bodice had detailing done in beads and lace that continued onto the skirt, which flared out from the gathered waist. I loved the way it highlighted my waist. Flattering without an air of desperation. Best of all, it covered everything well, I was not going to accidently be on display if I made a wrong move. I checked the back of it again before I decided to ask the girls what they think. I hadn't brought one out to them yet. I heard them giggling occasionally over their choices. They had, by this point quit asking me to share everyone I tried, so this should make them happy to get a chance to see the one I was most confident about.

***

"Where to now Val?" Verity casually looked out the window, a little depressed, maybe, over the fact that the shopping was finished. And also a lot buzzed on the champagne she took advantage of.

Val looked at me with a sly grin, I could tell easily that she also was feeling the two bottles of champagne Verity and she have shared. "I was thinking we could hit Cassian's bar before we headed home. Seems a shame to end a fun outing so quickly."

It hadn't really been all that quick of an outing. It was going on six o'clock. But it had been a nice change of pace and welcome time spent. Though our current course of action left me scratching my head. We had just grabbed some food at a drive-through and were now driving around for the fun of it. The shopping had been successful, both Valerie and I had found and purchased our exhibition dresses. Verity had declined hers, even after I told her that I would get it for her. I ended up with the cobalt blue one and Valerie a black floor-length dress. It matched her monochromatic scheme well.

"That is a great idea. I have a craving for some of your brother's fancy cocktails. I need to still get on the dance floor there and show off my moves." Verity danced in her seat to hibte at what was to come.

"What do you think, Adella dear?" Valerie watched my reaction with detached amusement. I tried to keep my expression as neutral as possible despite the butterflies that had erupted in my stomach at the thought of seeing Cass. I have been seeing an awful lot of him lately.

"Sure, I don't want to go home yet, and it will be good to have more time with you both." I smiled widely, maybe too widely.

"Wonderful, I had heard that you both like to frequent his place and I haven't been in years. I am interested to see what has changed."

The Marksman sign was lit as we pulled up to the front door. As conspicuous as ever in the black limo. Not that there were many people around to notice. We quickly exited and made our way to what was quickly becoming Verity and my booth of choice. Valerie and Verity sat across from me, both smiling and chatting. I caught Cass's eye as and jerked my head towards his sister. His confused look at my unusual action gave way to shock when he finally caught on. He held up a finger at me and continued serving. I turned my attention to the girls who were dissecting the drink menu.

"Done flirting Addie?" Verity teased, an edge creeping into her voice.

"Yep, all done." I kept my tone neutral, but her words rubbed me the wrong way.

"I haven't been here in quite a while and yet nothing much has changed." Valerie thoughtfully looks around the place. "Ladies, how many times have you visited here now?" Valerie snaps her fingers at a passing server. I caught Cassian's head turning slightly at the sound and then quickened his pace at the bar.

"This is the fourth time for me," Verity offered before the server promptly returned, having dropped off the previous order. With his return, I was relieved from having to give my answer. "I just can't help returning."

"What will you ladies be enjoying tonight?" Verity immediately perked up to him and turned up her charm.

"You, handsome, if you are lucky." The poor server turned a deep crimson but held together well.

"My apologies. I was referring to something on the menu." He must be used to tipsy, horny women working here.

Verity can't help herself though and continued "Shame you aren't on it."

Valerie sighed with impatience and rambled her order cutting off Verity's fun. "House special number 6 from the top shelf for me, one for you too Adella?"

"No, thank you," I turned toward the server "I will just be having Sprite tonight thank you." Valerie's eyebrows arch hearing my order, but she says nothing. The server hesitates to make eye contact with Verity, the last one of us to order.

"Whatever Cassian made for me last time." She mercifully quit toying with him, and the server retreated with all the speed he could manage without drawing attention to himself. I followed the server all the way back to the bar. I was curious to see how he tried to relay Verity's ambiguous order. He got around any explanation by pointing to Verity who wiggled her fingers in affirmation at Cassian and blows him a kiss. Cass nodded in understanding and got right to work unphased by Ver's attempt to get his attention. I however, was not unphased. Her actions bothered me.

"No fair," Verity started and then huffed a little. "I mean I knew I didn't have that big a chance with him..."

"Who?" I asked, though I had an idea where this is headed.

"What have you done to him, Addie?" She crossed her arms and huffed some more. It appeared Verity tipsiness had gone a different direction today.

"Done to who?" I threw in a bid for the strategy of stalling until the drinks get here. Maybe more alcohol will help. Hopefully it will help.

"Cassian. He used to be so fun and charming. Now he is all business."

Valerie shifted back into her seat and surveyed the patrons around the bar. Appearing to have chosen to ignore the conversation occurring.

"I haven't done anything to him, Ver. Maybe that is just the way he treats people who accuse him of things he didn't do." Verity's pout intensified.

Valerie suddenly snapped her attention back to the table. Looking interestedly between us at the latest piece of information shared.

"Look at him, he is just as flirty as ever at the bar." I pointed towards him at the bar engaged in a charming exchange. What exactly does she think I could do to him anyway?

"Oh, I see him just fine over there. He smiles and chats but gone is that unspeakable element that titillated a gal." Now Valerie looked amused with the continuing conversation. I kept quiet about my response, as I couldn't think of a single productive or nice thing to say to her nonsense.

"I don't believe that poor Adella has done anything to my dear brother, Verity." Valerie thankfully chimed in. "At least not anything on purpose." She winked in my direction. "Cassian is a big boy, he makes his own decisions and if he has decided to narrow his charismatic nature onto a specific target that was his decision to make. Besides, Cassian Moretti doesn't let anyone make him do anything."

"Booo! Now, who is going to be my eye candy?"

"Pshht," Valerie admonished her. "Why not be the eye candy dear? You don't need to wait on a muscle-bound man w***e to make your evening. Go make it yourself."

"And to think, I had to wait this long to hear what you really thought of me sis." Cassian appeared at the end of the table, drink tray in hand.

"Cassian!" Valerie was delighted at the appearance of her brother and moved to take the drinks from him. She quickly passed them out. The blue sparkly drink went to Ver, the Sprite to me and an uncannily familiar-looking drink to Valerie. Its translucent scarlet color was reminiscent of the 'on the house' cocktail I received the first time I visited. I absently found myself wondering if it was the same. If I tried it again, would it cause my experience from before to repeat itself? I was just exhausted. I tried to reason with myself. However, I was interrupted, as Cass now relieved of his burden, slid into the booth next to me. I shivered involuntarily at our sudden proximity; this doesn't go unnoticed by either of the girls.

"Hey Dells, Verity." He smiled widely and focused on his sister. "Val, I'm hurt that you have reduced my character to a few colorful descriptors. I thought we were closer than that. Don't you think I should at least be around to defend my honor before you go smearing me?"

Valerie laughed elegantly, like everything she does. "If only I could hurt you so easily. It sure would make getting back at you for all those frogs you put in my dresser so much easier."

Cass shifted under the weight of the memory, and I noticed that he had moved closer to me in the process. Our legs were almost now touching. He probably didn't mean to.

"Still sore about that? It was decades ago at this point. You have changed over your wardrobe enough times to be sure no slimy frog residue remains. Hell, I even bought you a new dresser."

"Cassian, tell me, what are your intentions with our Adella?" Valerie looked mischievously between us. "She is a sweet, lovely girl, and you are.... you. Best to be upfront, don't you think?"

Both of us looked at each other. My cheeks were on fire. He was also a curious shade of pink but his easy smile was still on his face. He didn't move away though and so I remained still, afraid of drawing even more attention to us.

"How much have you already had to drink already, Val? What kind of a question is that? Do I go around asking your friends about their intentions are for you? Or yours for them?"

She her delightful laugh filled the air once more. "As a matter of fact, you have."

"I have not, name one time." Cass's arm around me curled around my waist and I started to feel like I was overheating.

"Jonathan for one, Earl for two and Simon for three. There are more but those are the most recent." She gave him a haughty look, eyebrows raised in victory and her lips pressed in a smug expression.

"Can you blame me, after what that son of a b***h did?" She waved him off, apparently done with the conversation.

"I can't. But one bad apple does not mean the pears are also foul. Eventually, you are going to have to trust that I know better than to go down that road again." She reached across the table and patted his cheek with a sad smile.

"I will get there, Val. But you can't blame me for watching out for you, so quite holding my brotherly duty over me like a trap."

Verity was quietly sipping her drink against the wall, dully watching the exchange. Concern began to coil a pit in my gut. This wasn't like her normal self at all. I couldn't help but feel that something is definitely wrong with her tonight. Valerie and Cassian continued their banter and I was almost convinced that Cassian was purposefully moving closer to me now. In no time at all, our legs are smashed against each other on the seat and his arm is around me. I purposefully placed my attention on Valerie. She purposefully stared at Cass's arm around me while she held her drink.. Deciding something, she drained her glass and placed it on the table, arms crossed, surveying the bar outside of our booth. The natural lull in conversation drags past a comfortable length. I wracked my brain trying to find a way to jumpstart it.

"Well, I am done, let's dance," Verity piped up and started shooing Valerie out of the seat. Valerie took the eviction in stride and removed herself from the booth to let Verity pass. "Any of you joining me?" She was unsteady on her feet, wobbling a bit and catching herself on the table's edge.

"Careful Verity, you look like perhaps dancing should wait." Valerie placed a comforting, steading hand on her back. Then moved to take Verity back to her seat.

"Nopity nope nope nope, I am all good." Verity slapped away Valerie's attempts and grabbed her arm. "Come dance with me Valerie." With a helpless shrug, Valerie let herself be led onto the dance floor and away from Cass and me. His arm around me disappeared then and the ability to breathe normally again returned.

"You want to dance too?" Cassian was facing me now, his emerald eyes drawing me in.

"I don't dance, I mean, I haven't before. Like that anyway." I pointed to where Valerie was courageously keeping Verity from bumping into others.

"Dells," he laughed, and warmth spread inside me at the sound. "I don't think anyone has, at least not on purpose. Come on, I have Sloane watching the bar for me. I have time. I am game if you are." He leaned in closer to my ear and whispered "I happen to be rusty myself." His soft breath on my neck caused a shiver to run down my back.

I pushed him away. "No laughing Cass, not a word about my dancing." I glared at him to make my point clear. He took that as my agreement and grabbed my hand, pulling me out onto the floor near the girls.

Valerie was having a much easier time containing Verity's dance moves with us lending her a hand. We staked out a corner of the dance floor and surrounded her like a wall protecting the other patrons. She continued to dance, oblivious to our efforts.

Valerie and Cassian had engaged in some sort of dance off in the meantime. They both wore looks of determined delight as they traded move for move. I tried to remain inconspicuous with my version of dancing while admiring their skills. The extemporaneous competition began to heat up as they added more and more complicated moves. The steaks shifted when Valerie grabed a fellow dancer and incorporated them into her latest effort. I soon find myself joining them as part of Cassian's response, one upping his sister. His hands on my waist sent the double-edged sword of anxiety and excitement running through me. Cass added an edge to it all as he brought me in closer and whispered "Follow my lead"

I had little time to contemplate what that meant before I was sent spinning out and then pulled back in again. I travelled right across him and was spun out the other side. When I was inevitably brought spinning back in, I was thankful that he stopped me against his body, holding me close. The room had time to quit spinning, before he moved us into a waltz, I think. Or some such partner dance with extra flair thrown in because this was Cassian after all. As we turned, clumsily on my part, I caught Verity kneeling on the floor and vomiting on the floor. I broke from Cass's arms and rushed to her side. Holding her hair out of the way, I used the napkins Cassian had rapidly acquired to start cleaning the worst off of her. She fought me enough that I gave up unfinished. Cass then came and pulled her arm over his shoulders. Slowly, they made their way to the booth, Valerie and I following close behind. Sloane had taken time from the thinning number of customers at the bar and moved to go clean the mess. Verity is slumped against the wall in her seat, and I was about to take my place next to her, when Valerie intervened.

"I can sit with her for a while, Adella. Go have some fun. I have had mine. Though I see a rematch in our future Cassian." She gave us a smile and waved down the server from earlier. With another drink order in, seeing Cass and I still standing there, she waved us off. "She will be fine. I have this, this isn't the first friend I have had to babysit."

Her pointed look at Cassian left nothing to the imagination concerning who she was referencing. I sent him a knowing look and in response he grabbed my hand to pull me out onto the floor. I hardly recognized the person in me who willingly let him lead her out there again.

The song that was now playing has a strong electronic beat. The moves that Cassian had picked to match it sent me into giggles.

"Hey now, I believe you said no laughing at the moves."

"At my moves, you said nothing about yours." Feeling far more comfortable with the ability level of Cass's showcased moves, I joined in. We soon began matching silly move for silly move. Our bodies moved closer and closer over time until the music switched. We are left at the tail end of our laughter while a slower melody washed over us. The dance floor had thinned considerably, and I felt like I had been woken up from a nice dream. It must be quite late or rather early. Cassian's attention shifted towards Sloane at the bar. Sloane motioned for him to give him a break.

"Thanks for the fun Dells," I returned his smile easily "I have to get back to the bar, closing time." I nodded and headed back to the girls.

Both of them were sleeping soundly where they sat. I made the snap decision to take Verity home with me, and put in a request for Ben to come pick us up. I was not certain what to do with Valerie. She wouldn't wake from my light attempts at waking her, and I didn't want to get too forceful. The decision was made for me then to wait for Cassian to finish with his clean up.

"What are you doing here still?" Cass stopped and popped to the table where I was trying to stay awake, ten or so minutes later. He was on his way to turning off the open sign. I swept my hand in a grand gesture over the sleeping beauties on the seat across from me.

"I can take Verity home, but I don't know what to do with Val."

"I see what you mean. Do you mind waiting for a sec and I can help with that?" He gave me his lop sided smirk.

"No problem." I tiredly returned the smile and gestured at the open sign.