Destined by Viola Grace Page B
Authors: Viola Grace
them were worth a repeat.”
“You aren’t trying hard enough. Come on, cheer up and go hunting. You don’t know what you will find.”
Rhoda looked at the gown that Jem held. If she used that as bait, the only thing she would catch was a pervert after some alien tail. The dark gown was fitted, wrapping her tightly from breast to mid-thigh. Tiny sleeves were actually drapes that would leave her shoulders bare, and the gauzy fabric promised men that if they stared hard enough, it would go transparent.
“I may as well just go naked.”
Jemyalli looked down at the fabric. “Really? Well, I suppose we could pass it off as a societal peculiarity of your species if you wanted to.”
Rhoda grabbed the dress and walked it back to her bedroom, draping it across the bed. “You have no sense of sarcasm.”
Jem laughed. “I do, but it plays better if I stay solemn. Wear the gown. It is perfect.”
Rhoda looked at it and groaned. “It makes me look like a Martian hooker.”
“I don’t know what a Martian is, but it is a court dress. A sexy court dress but a court dress nonetheless. Where did you get it?”
“Countess Nefry. She gave it to me after I did her portrait, and she was able to narrow down her destined mate.” She shrugged. “It was an easy image, though it made me a little uncomfortable to paint.”
Painting a woman being held so tightly against the huge, tattooed bulk of Lord Erkinal with both of them naked had been a little shock to wake up to. She was glad that her talent let her zone out and she woke up after the image had been generated. Some of the couples and groups she had painted left her queasy and occasionally aroused.
“So, what time does this thing start tonight?”
“You have four hours. Where is that list?” Jem grinned.
Rhoda scribbled her supply list, including drawing tablets and hand wipes. She handed it to her friend and shooed her out the door. “Go. I will be at the centre in four hours.”
“Make it three and a half. You will need time to set up.” Jemyalli cackled wildly as she got into her vehicle and her driver took off.
She sighed and leaned back on her doorframe before shaking her head and returning to box the finished commissions. It was good that she was making a name for herself here, but she wished that it wasn’t usually prefixed by a curse word.
Not all men and women enjoyed seeing the actual person or persons that destiny had in mind.
Chapter Two
The gala was heavily formal, and Rhoda had to admit that she was glad she had dressed up. There were people milling around who owned whole planets and the mining rights to asteroids.
“Is it done?” The young woman was nervous as she sat on the chair provided for the clients.
Rhoda finished the sketch and nodded, tearing it from the pad. “Here you go. It is only a rough estimate, but you can make up your own mind as to its validity.”
She turned the paper so that only the young woman could see it and violent colour came to her cheeks as she bit her lip. “Thank you.”
The image on the paper was a ménage, but two women were front and centre with a man in the background. The young debutante was the central figure with the other two worshiping her. It was not the standard Nyal image, but the figures with the young lady in the sketch were not Nyal. Their spikes and horns suggested that they were one of the hundreds of species that Rhoda hadn’t met yet.
“Thank you again, miss.” The young woman carefully rolled up the sketch and came around to hug Rhoda. It was sweet.
“You are welcome.”
Rhoda wiped her hands clean for the ninth time that evening and looked around her with relief. It seemed that the worst of the crowd was involved in other kiosks and she had a moment to herself.
A server came by with a goblet of water and a wink. “Lady Jemyalli said you were to be watered whenever you had a break.”
“Thank you, and despite her annoying habits, thank her. I am so
“You aren’t trying hard enough. Come on, cheer up and go hunting. You don’t know what you will find.”
Rhoda looked at the gown that Jem held. If she used that as bait, the only thing she would catch was a pervert after some alien tail. The dark gown was fitted, wrapping her tightly from breast to mid-thigh. Tiny sleeves were actually drapes that would leave her shoulders bare, and the gauzy fabric promised men that if they stared hard enough, it would go transparent.
“I may as well just go naked.”
Jemyalli looked down at the fabric. “Really? Well, I suppose we could pass it off as a societal peculiarity of your species if you wanted to.”
Rhoda grabbed the dress and walked it back to her bedroom, draping it across the bed. “You have no sense of sarcasm.”
Jem laughed. “I do, but it plays better if I stay solemn. Wear the gown. It is perfect.”
Rhoda looked at it and groaned. “It makes me look like a Martian hooker.”
“I don’t know what a Martian is, but it is a court dress. A sexy court dress but a court dress nonetheless. Where did you get it?”
“Countess Nefry. She gave it to me after I did her portrait, and she was able to narrow down her destined mate.” She shrugged. “It was an easy image, though it made me a little uncomfortable to paint.”
Painting a woman being held so tightly against the huge, tattooed bulk of Lord Erkinal with both of them naked had been a little shock to wake up to. She was glad that her talent let her zone out and she woke up after the image had been generated. Some of the couples and groups she had painted left her queasy and occasionally aroused.
“So, what time does this thing start tonight?”
“You have four hours. Where is that list?” Jem grinned.
Rhoda scribbled her supply list, including drawing tablets and hand wipes. She handed it to her friend and shooed her out the door. “Go. I will be at the centre in four hours.”
“Make it three and a half. You will need time to set up.” Jemyalli cackled wildly as she got into her vehicle and her driver took off.
She sighed and leaned back on her doorframe before shaking her head and returning to box the finished commissions. It was good that she was making a name for herself here, but she wished that it wasn’t usually prefixed by a curse word.
Not all men and women enjoyed seeing the actual person or persons that destiny had in mind.
Chapter Two
The gala was heavily formal, and Rhoda had to admit that she was glad she had dressed up. There were people milling around who owned whole planets and the mining rights to asteroids.
“Is it done?” The young woman was nervous as she sat on the chair provided for the clients.
Rhoda finished the sketch and nodded, tearing it from the pad. “Here you go. It is only a rough estimate, but you can make up your own mind as to its validity.”
She turned the paper so that only the young woman could see it and violent colour came to her cheeks as she bit her lip. “Thank you.”
The image on the paper was a ménage, but two women were front and centre with a man in the background. The young debutante was the central figure with the other two worshiping her. It was not the standard Nyal image, but the figures with the young lady in the sketch were not Nyal. Their spikes and horns suggested that they were one of the hundreds of species that Rhoda hadn’t met yet.
“Thank you again, miss.” The young woman carefully rolled up the sketch and came around to hug Rhoda. It was sweet.
“You are welcome.”
Rhoda wiped her hands clean for the ninth time that evening and looked around her with relief. It seemed that the worst of the crowd was involved in other kiosks and she had a moment to herself.
A server came by with a goblet of water and a wink. “Lady Jemyalli said you were to be watered whenever you had a break.”
“Thank you, and despite her annoying habits, thank her. I am so