Page 266 of Sky’s Edge

I wasn’t going to give Tatra credit for what was definitely a kickass design, since it was probably some talented party planner who came up with it. Though, whoever they were had been erased from any of the documentation so Tatra could assume the credit.

The ways she could be a bitch seemed to have no end.

“I do have some, um…suggestions for, uh…changes in the catering that we have, erm…plenty of time to implement,” Barret said haltingly.

I turned my attention to her.

She appeared terrified.

Therefore, I smiled at her. “Let’s see them.”

She tapped her tablet, I heard the bing on mine, and I pulled up the new doc.

I scanned it.

And my smile was wider when I aimed it again to her. “This is excellent.”

Barret returned my smile tentatively as pink tinged her cheeks. “It would be the same cost, but more creative.”

“I love it,” I replied. “Let’s go for it.”

Barret’s eyes brightened with excitement and her smile became a beam.

“All the designers I reached out to are keen to accept the commission to design your gown and confirmed they’d make the time to craft it,” Jorda butted in. “A couple of them already sent sketches. I’m pinging those to you.”

Again, my tablet sounded and I pulled up the designs.

One was not me.

The other very much was.

I was a little concerned it was too close to the engagement party dress I wore, considering this new gown looked like it was made of slim, silver spikes, but it was totally my aesthetic.

The designer was Simma Zetfight, a demon Edgian designer who had a budding couture house in the city of Freefall, which was known as the most artsy and cultural city in Sky’s Edge. It was where all the runway shows happened. And it had the best art museum in all the Four Realms (according to me).

I already had quite a bit of her ready-to-wear in my closet (or now, both closets).

Thus, I made a decision.

“Let’s reach out to Simma.”

“You need an aide.”

This was Mira’s declaration.

I disagreed, but I wasn’t going to disagree with her in front of Jorda and Barret, especially since both Jorda’s and Barret’s expressions said they agreed with Mira.

“Let’s discuss that after the meeting, if you have an extra couple of minutes,” I said to Mira.

“I have a couple of things to go over with you after the meeting too,” she replied.

Since she’d been watching me like a hawk during this entire appointment, like she was waiting for me to slip up, I bet she did.

“Right then, since I know we all have busy days, let’s finish up,” I decreed. “I’d like Barret to go over the guest list, because she’s done this a million times, and she knows who should be on it. Can you two finalize it by the end of the week so Tanyn can look at it too?” I asked Jorda and Mira. “We need to get the invitations out.”

They nodded their assent. We discussed the last bits and bobs on the agenda while we finished the coffee and nibbled at the fruit and pastries sitting on the table between us.

The meeting done, Jorda and Barret left.