Chapter 68


    Chapter Sixty-Eight


    Sephie


    I had gone with Ivan the day before the ball to pick up my dress. I needed to try it on one more time,


    just to make sure all the alterations were good. Ivan was even moreical in the dress shop than


    Viktor was. Ivan was so serious all the time, he looked like he was mad at all the dresses. I asked him if


    he wanted to see the dress before we got there. He said he did, so I swore him to secrecy.


    “You can see it, but Adrik doesn’t know what it looks like, so you’re not allowed to tell him. I want it to


    be a surprise. I’ll hurt you if you tell him,” I said, as threatening as I could.


    “I saw what you can do. I won’t say a word to him,” he said, his hands up in surrender, a small smile on


    his face.


    When I came out of the fitting room, he was speechless. He just stood and looked at me for a moment.


    “Princess…”


    “You think he’ll like it?” I asked, showing him the 360 view.


    “He will love it. You look like a princess.”


    Iughed. “Do princesses wear ck?”


    “Maybe not. But Queens of the Underworld do.”


    I raised an eyebrow at him, then smiled widely at him.


    We dropped the dress off at Ms. Jackson’s apartment. She was going to help me get ready, as I really


    had no girlfriends and I had no clue about makeup or how to put my hair up into anything other than a


    bun, a braid, or a ponytail. Ms. Jackson said she knew exactly what to do, which was 100% more than I


    knew, so I trusted her.


    When we walked into her apartment, Ivan surprised us both by asking her, “when’s your next Bingo


    night, Ms. Jackson?”


    Sheughed. “Are you offering to be my date?”


    “Yes, ma’am. Anytime you want one, you have a standing date.”


    I hung my dress up on the door frame of her spare room, my mo uth open in shock.


    She cut her eyes to me and just smiled. She walked to him and put her arm through his. “You guys get


    through the ball and we’ll talk,” she winked at him.


    As we were leaving her apartment, Mr. Turner was walking down the hall toward his door.


    “Miss Sephie, Mr. Ivan, how are you both today?”


    “Great, Mr. Turner, how are you? How was work?”


    “Oh, it was fine. Fine. They’re getting ready for tomorrow night. You’re all going to be there, right? It is a


    special night


    for your boss, after all.”


    “Yes, Mr. Turner. We’ll all be there,” Ivan said.


    “Good, good. You know there’s supposed to be a lot of people attending. I feel better knowing you’ll all


    be there,” he said as he looked from Ivan to me and back to Ivan. Ivan nodded his head and put his


    arm around my shoulders.


    “Don’t worry, Mr. Turner. She’s going to be safe. We can’t live without her anyway. We’ve got everything


    covered,” he said, a small smile on his lips.


    “That’s what I like to hear, young man,” Mr. Turner said as he tipped his hat to us, continuing to his


    apartment.


    Ivan left his arm around my shoulders and walked us to the elevator. I wrapped my arm around his


    waist when we stepped into the elevator. “Ivan the Squishy,” I said, leaning my head against his


    shoulder.


    I had more acupuncture the morning of the ball, per Adrik’s request. He said he wanted to make sure I


    would be okay and able to handle the evening’s event. Since it made me feel so much better, I wasn’t


    going to argue with him. I skipped breakfast and only ate a few bites here and there at lunch. I was


    paranoid about fitting into the dress, since it had been taken in.


    I went to Ms. Jackson’s apartment in the afternoon. Misha escorted me down. Once I was in the


    apartment, he left me with Ms. Jackson. He said one of them would be back to get me, but they needed


    to get ready to go as well. I had to admit, I was looking forward to seeing them all in tuxedos.


    Ms. Jackson went to work on my hair. She had looked at my dress and said I needed to wear my hair


    up. I did not argue with her. It took her a while to get my mass of hair contained. She was much more


    skilled than I was and once she was done, she had braided a few small strands at the front of my head


    and worked those into an intricate updo in the back. She left a few stray curls around my face, as she


    said it was somewhat my signature and I didn’t look right without them.


    Once my hair was done, she got to work on my makeup. She knew I hated wearing makeup, so she


    kept it very light. She made me look like a ssic movie star. “Makeup is meant to entuate what


    you’ve got, not make you look like apletely different person,” she said as she worked on my face


    like she was a makeup artist in a former life.


    “How did you learn how to do all this?” I asked, my eyes closed as she applied God knows what to my


    eyelids.


    “When I was a spy, my cover was as an American movie star. I had to be morous all the time, so I


    learned to do my own hair and makeup to y the part. Once you learn a few tricks, it bes quite


    easy.”


    “Ms. Jackson, you’ve lived such an interesting life. How did I never know this about you?”


    “Well, child, I don’t really broadcast that I used to be a spy to many people. There are probably still


    Russians out there that are still looking for me. I barely made it out of there alive, but that’s a story for


    another time.”


    “I would love to hear it. When you get back from Bingo,” I said smiling at her. “Have you decided which


    one you’re taking to Bingo first? Are you going big and walking in with like three of them at once, like


    you’re the boss, applesauce?”


    She put her hand over her mo uth as sheughed at the thought. Her cheeks flushed. “I hadn’t thought


    about that option, but now that you mention it, I might as well go big or go home.”


    “Be fierce, Ms. Jackson. You own that fu cking Bingo Hall.”


    She continuedughing as she finished my makeup. She took a step back, to admire her work. “Okay,


    child. Take a look and tell me what you think,” she said holding up a mirror.


    I checked myself out in the mirror. “Ms. Jackson! You’re a miracle worker! I look like a girl! Like a real


    girl!” I was grinning from ear to ear as I looked at my reflection. It still looked like me, just enhanced.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    “It’s so perfect!”


    She smiled at me, crossing her arms across her chest. “Let’s get you in your dress so I can see the


    whole picture.”


    She helped me into the dress. I was so nervous she wasn’t going to be able to zip it up, but it fit


    perfectly. I exhaled, relieved that no additional help was needed to get me into the dress. She handed


    me my shoes and stepped back to take in the full picture. As I slipped into my shoes, I turned to look at


    her. She was leaning against the chair I had been sitting in. I could see the tears welling up in her eyes


    as she looked at me, almost like a mother would look at a


    daughter.


    *Persephone, I am so proud of you. You are one he ll of a woman and you’re living up to your


    namesake.”


    I felt the tears collecting in my eyes. “Oh, Ms. Jackson. I’m going to ruin all your hard work.” I quickly


    dabbed the tears from my eyes so it wouldn’t mess anything up. I walked to her, bending down, and


    hugging her tightly. “Thank you. For everything. I love you, Ms. Jackson.”


    “Oh, child. You deserve it all. And more.”


    We heard a knock at her door. I stood up, still dabbing my eyes. “That’ll be one of the guys to take me


    upstairs.”


    She took both of my hands in hers and looked me in the eyes. “I know you’re going to be nervous


    tonight; anybody would be. But I want you to remember who you’re named for and walk in like you own


    the da mn ce. Queens don’t bow to anyone but their King. Remember that.”