She dressed quickly and headed out to the living space, humming to herself with more optimism than she had felt in a long time.
In her mind, she was already making a traditional Terran breakfast. She was sure Bo would love putting jam or syrup on French toast. And the eggs in the recipe would protect her from a sugar crash.
She had nearly reached the kitchen when she noticed the cardboard box on the floor by the elevator.
Her cheeks flushed as she thought about why it was there, forgotten.
She grabbed it and walked it over to the sofa.
Obviously, she couldn’t keep the gift from the apparently enamored photographer, but she was curious to take a look at it and see if it was as bad as Khall had said.
Maybe he was just jealous.
The thought of Khall being jealous over her gave her a pleasant shiver, even though she had never been the kind of person to think that having men fight over her was hot.
But as soon as she opened the box, her blood ran cold.
She pulled the skimpy thing out on auto pilot, staring at it as if she could somehow change what it was if she scrutinized it enough.
But it wasn’t a negligee, at least not in the traditional sense.
And it definitely wasn’t from Zyr Toxfylt.
She was holding a costume in her hands. A costume Vlax D’agryx intended for her to wear on stage.
And it wasn’t a spiderweb. It was designed to look like spring rain clinging to the blossom that was April herself.
He wanted her to dance in it, at his club, as April Showers.
“April,” a little voice called out.
She shoved the horrid thing between the couch cushions without thinking and stood.
“Hi Bo,” she said in the brightest voice she could muster. “Did you have a good sleep?”
“I’m hungry,” Bo announced imperiously.
“Well, I have a great idea for breakfast,” April told her, pushing thoughts of Vlax D’agryx from her mind. “What do you think of special bread and jam for everyone?”
Bo’s eyes widened.
“What time does Minerva normally get up on the weekend?” April went on.
“Not too late,” Bo said. “But she likes to read in bed.”
“Maybe she’ll get up a little early and join us,” April said. “What do you think?”
“Let’s let her sleep a little longer,” Bo said worriedly.
“You don’t want her to be grumpy,” April guessed.
Bo nodded.
“Okay, we can get started on our own,” April said. “But this is the kind of breakfast you want to eat while it’s still warm. So, we won’t start cooking until everyone is waking up. Okay?”
Bo nodded and they headed into the kitchen together.
After washing and cutting up fruit for fifteen minutes with Bo, April’s heartbeat had slowed, and she was feeling more like herself.