Page 2
Story: Petty AF
Though proud of what I had built, the fact remained that it was still a small pool with limited resources.
Technically, I was a stylist. At least, that’s what it said on my business cards. In reality, since its inception, The Silver Thread had been all about possibilities. And for me, entry to the Legacy Gala—a gathering of the supernatural elite—could open the door to countless ones.
New clients. New connections. New opportunities.
While shadelings from every all walk of life and every corner of the state would be there, humans almost never received an invite. Those who did had a hell of a lot more money and influence than me.
Without an escort, however, it didn’t mean much beyond an artfully designed piece of stationery. Shiny but useless.
Otto pursed his lips and leaned back on the heel of his hand. “What about that werewolf you styled last month? The onewho insisted on wearing a minidress to her brother’s formal wedding?”
I arched an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, okay, bad idea.” He shrugged. “Oh, what about the vamp who wanted a tailcoat with a bustle?”
“That’s Nadia,” I answered, slumping back in my chair with a sigh. “She’s the one who gave me the invite.”
Otto perked up. “That’s perfect, right?”
Nadia leaned on the eccentric side, but she had influence, status, and a great sense of humor. Since she had also been the one to sweet talk me onto the guest list, she should have been an obvious choice for a sponsor. There was just one little problem.
“She’s not going.” Some family emergency in Romania, if I understood correctly. “Technically, she transferred her invitation to me.”
Otto straightened, squirming on the edge of the desk as he stared back at me, a gleam in his eyes I recognized all too well. He had an idea, and I was probably going to hate it.
“Well, there is this app—”
“Be fucking for real right now,” I interjected before he’d even finished speaking. I stopped short of rolling my eyes, but I couldn’t hold back my snort. “I’m not taking a Grindr hookup to the Legacy Gala.”
Technically, I could. No rule existed that prevented it. While I needed a chaperone to even enter the doors, the only requirement for my plus-one was that they had to be a shadeling. Wealth, status, influence—none of that mattered.
Just because I could, though, didn’t make it a good idea. It also didn’t mean there wouldn’t be judgment. Even the smallest slip-up could spell disaster, and bringing a stranger I’d met on the internet had the potential to nuke my reputation.
“Actually, I meant MNSTR.” Otto stared back, his expression flat, clearly unimpressed with my hastily drawn conclusions.
“Oh.” I pursed my lips and tilted my head as I twirled my index finger around the lock of hair that fell over my shoulder. Another nervous habit. “I don’t know.”
I knew about it, of course, but I had never used it myself. Otto had employed a task agent through the app a couple of times for emergency deliveries. A client had hired a witch to hex her ex-girlfriend with hiccups for three days. Hell, even my own mother had downloaded the app to pay a faery for an enchanted garden.
The flowers were beautiful, and despite her black thumb, they had been thriving for almost two years now.
The Magical Network of Specialized Task Resources offered a dizzying array of services, from the mundane to the arcane. Still, while there seemed to be a vetted agent available for just about everything, this felt…different.
“What other choice do you have?” Otto reasoned as he hopped down from the desk. “I mean, it’s that or Grindr.”
My fingers twitched as I fought the urge to reach for my phone. He made a good point, but I didn’t wanthimto know that.
“Where are you going?” I asked when he started shuffling toward the office door.
More importantly, why was he abandoning me in my hour of need?
“To get ready for my two o’clock.”
I glanced at the clock on the back wall over the bookshelf and frowned. Damn, I’d completely lost track of time.
Thankfully, I didn’t have anyone on the books for the day, allowing me to spiral without interruption. In fact, there hadn’t been a need for me to come into the studio at all, but hanging out with my best friend beat the hell out of sitting home alone.
Besides, there was always a chance I could pick up some extra business.
Technically, I was a stylist. At least, that’s what it said on my business cards. In reality, since its inception, The Silver Thread had been all about possibilities. And for me, entry to the Legacy Gala—a gathering of the supernatural elite—could open the door to countless ones.
New clients. New connections. New opportunities.
While shadelings from every all walk of life and every corner of the state would be there, humans almost never received an invite. Those who did had a hell of a lot more money and influence than me.
Without an escort, however, it didn’t mean much beyond an artfully designed piece of stationery. Shiny but useless.
Otto pursed his lips and leaned back on the heel of his hand. “What about that werewolf you styled last month? The onewho insisted on wearing a minidress to her brother’s formal wedding?”
I arched an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, okay, bad idea.” He shrugged. “Oh, what about the vamp who wanted a tailcoat with a bustle?”
“That’s Nadia,” I answered, slumping back in my chair with a sigh. “She’s the one who gave me the invite.”
Otto perked up. “That’s perfect, right?”
Nadia leaned on the eccentric side, but she had influence, status, and a great sense of humor. Since she had also been the one to sweet talk me onto the guest list, she should have been an obvious choice for a sponsor. There was just one little problem.
“She’s not going.” Some family emergency in Romania, if I understood correctly. “Technically, she transferred her invitation to me.”
Otto straightened, squirming on the edge of the desk as he stared back at me, a gleam in his eyes I recognized all too well. He had an idea, and I was probably going to hate it.
“Well, there is this app—”
“Be fucking for real right now,” I interjected before he’d even finished speaking. I stopped short of rolling my eyes, but I couldn’t hold back my snort. “I’m not taking a Grindr hookup to the Legacy Gala.”
Technically, I could. No rule existed that prevented it. While I needed a chaperone to even enter the doors, the only requirement for my plus-one was that they had to be a shadeling. Wealth, status, influence—none of that mattered.
Just because I could, though, didn’t make it a good idea. It also didn’t mean there wouldn’t be judgment. Even the smallest slip-up could spell disaster, and bringing a stranger I’d met on the internet had the potential to nuke my reputation.
“Actually, I meant MNSTR.” Otto stared back, his expression flat, clearly unimpressed with my hastily drawn conclusions.
“Oh.” I pursed my lips and tilted my head as I twirled my index finger around the lock of hair that fell over my shoulder. Another nervous habit. “I don’t know.”
I knew about it, of course, but I had never used it myself. Otto had employed a task agent through the app a couple of times for emergency deliveries. A client had hired a witch to hex her ex-girlfriend with hiccups for three days. Hell, even my own mother had downloaded the app to pay a faery for an enchanted garden.
The flowers were beautiful, and despite her black thumb, they had been thriving for almost two years now.
The Magical Network of Specialized Task Resources offered a dizzying array of services, from the mundane to the arcane. Still, while there seemed to be a vetted agent available for just about everything, this felt…different.
“What other choice do you have?” Otto reasoned as he hopped down from the desk. “I mean, it’s that or Grindr.”
My fingers twitched as I fought the urge to reach for my phone. He made a good point, but I didn’t wanthimto know that.
“Where are you going?” I asked when he started shuffling toward the office door.
More importantly, why was he abandoning me in my hour of need?
“To get ready for my two o’clock.”
I glanced at the clock on the back wall over the bookshelf and frowned. Damn, I’d completely lost track of time.
Thankfully, I didn’t have anyone on the books for the day, allowing me to spiral without interruption. In fact, there hadn’t been a need for me to come into the studio at all, but hanging out with my best friend beat the hell out of sitting home alone.
Besides, there was always a chance I could pick up some extra business.