afford. How much did over a hundred cost? My throat went dry at the thought.
“How much—how much does something like this run?” I had to ask.
“It’s rude to ask,” Ezekiel replied, but he looked amused. He unlatched it and held it toward me. “Put it on, and let me see you in it.”
I leaned forward and let him slip it around my neck. His fingers were warm and rougher than I expected for someone of such status. I slowly turned so he could clasp it at the nape of my neck.
“There are earrings as well,” he said, pointing to the diamond earrings resting on the velvet cushion.
“You didn’t tell me the price of the necklace.”
He shrugged. “Nothing of much consequence.”
“But—”
“Fifty-six thousand.”
All things considered, I took the news well. In fact, in my shock, I must have looked hardly impressed.
“And the earrings were twenty-four thousand. Care to slip these in?” He held them up.
“I don’t—how—you didn’t have to—”
“Yes, I did,” he responded slowly. “I told you. I don’t bother myself with mediocrity. Besides, like I said, I invest in things that gain interest. Jewels are no exception. However, I’ve never invested in them before because I see little point to them if no one is around to wear them.” With this, he smirked. “It’s different now.”
He gave me the earrings and I stared down at them in my silk-covered hand. A lump the size of a grapefruit grew in my throat. I swallowed in an attempt to rid myself of the pressure.
“Are you going to put them on?”
I hastened to do so, as I didn’t want to make test Ezekiel’s patience. My fingers trembled, and the gloves made it a little tricky to fit them into one of my many piercings, all of which were empty thanks to Rosa and her tribe.
“Also, I don’t want you putting earrings in those other holes,” Ezekiel muttered. “I find multiple piercings tacky.”
I nodded, too awed to be insulted.
“I had a bracelet for you as well, but there was a mix-up in deliveries and it didn’t come in time.” A shadow fell across his face. “So I lament the fact that you will go bare-wristed at the party. But it is a small inconvenience, no matter how irritating. It won’t happen again.”
“You didn’t need to get a bracelet, too. I think-I think the necklace alone is gorgeous. I mean, of course the earrings are beautiful—”
“You won’t be stuttering like this at the party, will you?” Ezekiel’s eyes were fierce, though it was apparent he was trying to soften his demeanor. “While I find it slightly endearing, my fellow elites may not. And you might want to try to cover up your Metro accent.”
“I have an accent?” I knew the most obvious Metro accent, and I didn’t think I was anywhere close. I’d learned long ago that you managed better if people didn’t know you were from a district the rest of the city despised.
“A slight one. You don’t have to talk. I don’t see the point of it anyway. No one will be talking about anything interesting, nor anything you know much about.”
I nodded. That was one stipulation I didn’t mind. Keeping my mouth shut in front of a bunch of billionaires sounded rather appealing.
The car dipped down Ralston Hill toward the docks. I was glad that my gloves kept people from noticing the sweat on my hands. Night had descended, but in this neighborhood, it didn’t bring the scum out with it. Instead, it only magnified what was already beautiful. People who looked like movie stars walked between bars, and red convertibles idled at traffic stops. Ezekiel snorted and rolled his eyes.
“No class,” he murmured. “A nice black convertible is acceptable. But they’re flashy enough without a coat of paint like that.”
“I’ve noticed you like black.”
“It’s the best color there is.”
“I think it’s rather gloomy.”
“I don’t think of it that way. It goes marvelously with diamonds, at least.” With this, he gave me another
“How much—how much does something like this run?” I had to ask.
“It’s rude to ask,” Ezekiel replied, but he looked amused. He unlatched it and held it toward me. “Put it on, and let me see you in it.”
I leaned forward and let him slip it around my neck. His fingers were warm and rougher than I expected for someone of such status. I slowly turned so he could clasp it at the nape of my neck.
“There are earrings as well,” he said, pointing to the diamond earrings resting on the velvet cushion.
“You didn’t tell me the price of the necklace.”
He shrugged. “Nothing of much consequence.”
“But—”
“Fifty-six thousand.”
All things considered, I took the news well. In fact, in my shock, I must have looked hardly impressed.
“And the earrings were twenty-four thousand. Care to slip these in?” He held them up.
“I don’t—how—you didn’t have to—”
“Yes, I did,” he responded slowly. “I told you. I don’t bother myself with mediocrity. Besides, like I said, I invest in things that gain interest. Jewels are no exception. However, I’ve never invested in them before because I see little point to them if no one is around to wear them.” With this, he smirked. “It’s different now.”
He gave me the earrings and I stared down at them in my silk-covered hand. A lump the size of a grapefruit grew in my throat. I swallowed in an attempt to rid myself of the pressure.
“Are you going to put them on?”
I hastened to do so, as I didn’t want to make test Ezekiel’s patience. My fingers trembled, and the gloves made it a little tricky to fit them into one of my many piercings, all of which were empty thanks to Rosa and her tribe.
“Also, I don’t want you putting earrings in those other holes,” Ezekiel muttered. “I find multiple piercings tacky.”
I nodded, too awed to be insulted.
“I had a bracelet for you as well, but there was a mix-up in deliveries and it didn’t come in time.” A shadow fell across his face. “So I lament the fact that you will go bare-wristed at the party. But it is a small inconvenience, no matter how irritating. It won’t happen again.”
“You didn’t need to get a bracelet, too. I think-I think the necklace alone is gorgeous. I mean, of course the earrings are beautiful—”
“You won’t be stuttering like this at the party, will you?” Ezekiel’s eyes were fierce, though it was apparent he was trying to soften his demeanor. “While I find it slightly endearing, my fellow elites may not. And you might want to try to cover up your Metro accent.”
“I have an accent?” I knew the most obvious Metro accent, and I didn’t think I was anywhere close. I’d learned long ago that you managed better if people didn’t know you were from a district the rest of the city despised.
“A slight one. You don’t have to talk. I don’t see the point of it anyway. No one will be talking about anything interesting, nor anything you know much about.”
I nodded. That was one stipulation I didn’t mind. Keeping my mouth shut in front of a bunch of billionaires sounded rather appealing.
The car dipped down Ralston Hill toward the docks. I was glad that my gloves kept people from noticing the sweat on my hands. Night had descended, but in this neighborhood, it didn’t bring the scum out with it. Instead, it only magnified what was already beautiful. People who looked like movie stars walked between bars, and red convertibles idled at traffic stops. Ezekiel snorted and rolled his eyes.
“No class,” he murmured. “A nice black convertible is acceptable. But they’re flashy enough without a coat of paint like that.”
“I’ve noticed you like black.”
“It’s the best color there is.”
“I think it’s rather gloomy.”
“I don’t think of it that way. It goes marvelously with diamonds, at least.” With this, he gave me another
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