Page 45 of The Rebel

“Nothing. This is for Mom. I was going to ask you to take it to her.”

“Perfect. Oh, she’ll be so happy. She loves her perfumes.”

“Do let us know her reaction, and if she wears it more often than other fragrances,” Isabeau said.

I almost started to laugh. Was everyone this competitive in the family?

“I’ll do my best to convey the information,” Annelise said before turning to me. “So, you didn’t get anything?”

“No. Isabeau needs time to decide what works for me.”

Celine immediately looked at Isabeau, who just shook her head lightly.

I knew it. Something was off, but what was it? They were planning something; I was sure of it.

“Right, you two. Have a great rest of the weekend,” I said.

“Same to you. If you stay in the Quarter until the evening, do be careful, especially on Bourbon,” Celine said.

If I had a penny for every time a local had warned me to stay off Bourbon on a Saturday night. I’d done the exact opposite, of course. It was a bit livelier than expected, but I didn’t think people needed to be worried about going there.

As we left the shop, I distinctively heard Isabeau say, “Anthony,” to Celine.

I sucked in a deep breath.Oh God. Am I in trouble already?

Annelise and I stayed out in the Quarter for quite a while before heading home.

“So, you’re bailing on me tonight?” she asked.

“I’m not. I just have to work.”

“Can I come with you?”

I considered this, biting the inside of my cheek. “I think it might be a bit unprofessional if I show up with my best friend to the event. It’ll look as if I’m there to have fun.”

“I’m gutted.”

“You don’t hate me, do you?”

“No. God, no, but I do like to tease you.” She grinned. “Besides, I want to call Kevin and then finish that series on Netflix I mentioned.”

We headed to my closet so I could figure out what I had to choose from.

“So, what will you be wearing?” she asked.

“Something professional.” I took out a black pencil-style dress, one of my favorites. “I’ll pair it with gold flat shoes.”

Annelise blinked at me. “You’ll stick out like a sore thumb. This is a very conservative outfit.”

“That’s the whole point. I want people to know I’m there on business.”

Annelise sat on my bed, nodding. “Okay, you’re right. Can you at least pair it with heels?”

“No can do. I don’t want to have to watch my every step.”

It didn’t take me long to get ready. I just put on the dress and shoes, then pulled my hair into a very tight ponytail. I was tempted to put on my glasses, too, just to give the appearance of the consummate professional, but I only needed those when I worked long hours staring at a screen.

“Ready to come face-to-face with your boss and not jump his bones?” Annelise asked once we moved from the bedroom to the kitchen.