When Jess came back she and held up a dress, I knew she had nailed it on the head. It was simple but elegant. Sexy but discreet: simple cap sleeves with an A-line skirt, the black material shining softly in the dressing room lights. There was a simple black belt that added a little something extra and gave it even more personality. I ran my hands over the gown and almost squealed in delight. There were pockets.
“You’ve been saving this one.” I turned my eyes to Jess and glared at her. “You made me try on those God-awful dresses, knowing full well I would hate them. And this was in the store the whole time!”
“So you like it?” Jess smiled from ear to ear.
“You sneaky bitch! That last dress was torture!” I held my hand out for the hanger and she laughed.
“It worked, didn’t it? I could have brought a trash bag in here and you would have been excited.” Jess helped me pull the dress up and work the hidden zipper.
When I turned around to look in the mirror, I froze. The dress fit perfectly, which was lucky considering there wasn’t time for alterations. Jess did something to my hair, twisting it up off my neck in a messy bun that countered the streamlined look of the dress.
“Understated elegance.” Jess nodded her head like she had designed the dress herself.
“It’s perfect.” I turned so I could see the back of the dress.
“Let’s go show the others.” Jess swung the door open and motioned for me to go out first. I had to pick the skirt up to walk, but with heels it would be perfect. Outside, the curtains had been pulled over the large front windows and Sarah was waiting in a chair, her notebook in her lap. She looked up and a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.
“Oh, you look lovely.”
I stepped onto the little block in front of the mirror and looked at myself. It was silly, but I suddenly felt royal. I guess that was the magic of a beautiful dress. The shop owner brought over a pair of black high heels in my size. I slipped them on and looked again at the mirror. They were the perfect height. The skirt no longer hung too low, but they weren’t so high I couldn’t walk.
A phone beeped and I looked around to see who it belonged to, but no one moved to answer it. The phone beeped again and I looked at the shop owner, but she shook her head. I stepped down from the pedestal and walked over to my bag. I picked up the new phone and looked at the screen.
“Who has this number?” There were two text messages.
“The duchess and the prince, Jess, and your father.” Sarah looked back through her notebook. “And your security detail.”
651-555-1212: How is the dress shopping going?
I grabbed my other phone and checked to make sure it really was Alex’s number before replying.
ME: I hate it, but I found one.
Alex: Send me a picture.
ME: Nope.
Alex: Then send me a picture without the dress.
ME: Pervert.
Alex: You have no idea.
I laughed and turned the phone off. When I looked up, I realized everyone was staring at me. “What?”
“Who was that?” Jess asked, her eyes amused.
“Alex.” I cleared my throat and turned back to the shop owner. “I’d like to get this one. Do you have anything else made by this designer?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” The shop owner’s eyes lit up and I realized I hadn’t thought to ask the price. I tried to see the tag under my arm, but there were no numbers—never a good sign. I looked back at the mirror and decided that at this point, it didn’t matter. I was getting the dress.#p#分页标题#e#
I tried on several more: a ball gown, a pearly silver sheath with a boat neck, covered in sequins and jewels; a red tea-length dress; and another black dress Jess had insisted on. It was form-fitting with short sleeves and a slit in the collar that went well into my cleavage. It was daring and beautiful. I couldn’t imagine ever wearing it.
After the dress store, we stopped at a few more boutiques, grabbing a few business suits, jackets, and the normal necessities. It was dark by the time we headed home, but I had one last stop to make.
The car pulled up to the curb at the largest bookstore in town. I ran inside, knowing exactly what I was looking for. An idiot’s guide to Lilaria and a language program to listen to on the plane. I sent Jess to the cash register with my card and waited in the music section with Becca. A few people seemed to recognize me, but thankfully no one said anything. We were back in the car and on the way to my dad’s in no time.
Sarah had left to go over things with Rose, so it was just me and Jess with Dad. And the contingent of bodyguards waiting outside or in the living room. Dad made dinner and we talked about things to do when he came to Lilaria. Patricia was there, refusing to let me help clean up.