Fashionably late was a signature move. Any celebrity of Daphne Kluger’s status worth the title was either the host of the party or fashionably late. There was something satisfying about the way heads turned when you walked into a room. Not that Daph needed to arrive late to inspire turned heads in any gathering of people. But she understood why the concept had appealed to Maleficent. The drama of it all. The downside-- probably the first downside in all of her years of leaving people wondering whether or not she was going to grace their events with her presence-- to showing up late, technically, to the heist of six pounds worth of diamonds was not getting to play with the other members of the team. They’d clearly bonded in the time they’d spent together. It had clearly been fun in some way Daphne couldn’t fully grasp because she hadn’t been there for it.
It’s better than a book club in that they’re all indebted to her for saving their asses from insurance fraud and/or theft. Grand theft? The most spectacular heist Daphne’s ever heard of? But she feels cheated in that while yes, she now has a cool 38 million dollars, she only has a handful of new acquaintances. She recognizes her expectations might have been a little high when Debbie and Lou had come to loop her in on the caper. Not exactly forged in fire. They’re certainly friendly for the most part. Still, she finds herself gravitating towards Rose, with whom she’s most familiar.
There’s something intimate about someone styling you. Even if it’s only because you’ve been manipulated to be a mule for a large, expensive diamond necklace. At least in Daph’s world. Plus Rose is a terrible actress, and Daphne, for once, finds that comforting rather than stressful.
“Something’s been bothering me.” Daph drops the thought into the other woman’s lap for consideration, with no fanfare or trivial niceties like greetings. She does do Rose a favor and not just continue with the conversation, even though the social script dictates that Rose’s response ought to be something like what’s been bothering you or hello to you too, Daphne and she already has planned responses for both.
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