"Yes Vani, I want to focus on services for the customer. We need to include a restaurant in the lobby, or at the very least a bar. Right now we are an overglorified hostel, and it is insufficient."
Vani merely nodded. She had learned not to argue anymore. The sharp rebukes of the tongue were sometimes worse than the sharp rebukes of the hand.
"I will leave you with the plans, see what works financially with what we have. And do not neglect the customers we have."She didn't remind Vani to be cruel. She reminded Vani to show that Regina was paying attention to the business. her months of study of Sabri's notes and ledgers had finally started to make sense, and she was going to see this business thrive.

"Oh, Vani, I almost forgot.""Yes Mistress?" "Your wrist please." Vani nearly dropped the books she had been holding in her haste to fulfill Regina's desire. When Regina offered such pleasure...she was not one to refuse. Regina bit down slowly, savoring the cutting action as her fangs peirced the woman's flesh easily. Blood flowed slowly into her mouth, warm and silkly as it cascaded across her tongue, dancing in tandem with the ecstatic pleasure it induced. Regina preferred the wrists, it gave her more time to savor the red sweetness as it flowed. Soon however, Regina was sated, and did not need Vani to be remiss in her duties. She licked the wound closed, and departed with Vani's idiot smile boring into her back.

Which brought her to the next problem. She arrived at the seemstress, looking to go over the designs again. She had gone almost immediately from the meeting to the seemstress, looking for one that would understand haste and quality. She had eventually found one through the "yellow pages" that Vani had recommended. An interesting concept, to aggreggate businesses in a book. She even went and saw the Dhaka's listing, just to see how it worked.

The suits were the easiest. black with white pinstripes, and silver buttons, with two silver pins for the black tie. It was the women's dresses that proved to be the trouble. Black formal with disparate silver pins was becoming a nuissance. She hoped that the seamstress had finished the prototype.

"Oh, Pia, so good to see you." Ilenya said with her thick russian accent. "Come come, I want you to see what it is I am doing. You will like I am sure." The woman was far too friendly, too touchy, but she was doing a valuable service to regina, and so she gave the woman kisses on the cheeks and sat down, playing the dilettante. "Is it done Ilenya?"

"Oh, you must see, come come. I will show you on you. Get out of that." Regina quickly slipped out of her clothes and into the dress. It fit snugly, hugging curves, accentuating lines, and making her look fabulous. Ilenya was definetly a keeper.

Regina turned around in the mirror, examining everything. The pins were close enough together that they could be interpreted as stars, yet far enough apart so as not to clutter the dress.

"It is wonderful Ilenya." "Oh it is quite alright dearie, I just hope your ball goes well." "Oh Ilenya, anything you do will be great. I want to thank you again for all your help."
"Oh it is no trouble, no trouble at all." Entirely accurate. Nami had had plenty of time after the court to get all of the measurements, and so the suits and dresses would fit like second skins.

Ilenya handed over the dresses and suits, and regina sent them on to each member through Nami.

Just trouble to my wallet. Regina though ruefully. She had already tapped her own funds, and was burning through Nami's now. If she got the measurements quickly, she might just be able to squeeze by this month. Fortunately, the Dhaka was lined up for lots of reservations in february.
one more month