“I know just the thing.” Elsy dashed off to the back of the shop.
She returned soon with a satisfied smile and what looked like a wisp of dark blue silk in her hands. Alex’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“That’s not a dress! That’s a handkerchief.” Elsy held up the confection of gauzy fabric, the blues shifting and changing with the light.
“It most certainly is a dress. One which you are going to try on right this very minute, then love, then buy. Go!” She pushed Alex into the dressing room.
A few minutes later, Elsy called out, “Did you pass out in there, darling, or is the dress just that good?”
A muffled whimper came out of the dressing room. “You can’t be serious.”
“Get out here, and let’s see!” Elsy whipped the curtain of the dressing room back and her mouth dropped open. “I knew it. It’s absolutely perfect.”
Alex cringed, covering her cleavage with her hands.
“Honey, pull your head up and look in the mirror,” Elsy said. “You have nothing to hide. In fact, you have everything to show off. See for yourself.”
Alex raised her head to look in the full length mirror nestled between bolts of silks and sucked in a breath. The blue fabric clung to every curve, cut enticingly low; the sides revealing the curve of her breasts, the back open to the waist. The silk changed hues as she moved this way and that, slinking down her hips and fluttering out just above the knee. Alex had never seen the woman standing before her. Instead of a uniform, she saw lean muscle, toned from hours of training, curves that screamed to be touched, and, to her surprise, a confident smile on the face before her.
She felt beautiful.
***
“Don’t panic, Lieutenant. You can do this.” Alex smoothed her hair, which for once fell over her shoulders in soft waves. “Just reach out your hand, and knock on the damn door, already.”
The walk to David’s quarters had gone by in a flash, and now her stomach was in knots. She took a deep breath and rapped on the door. It slid silently open before she could pull her hand away.
“Alex.” David stood before her, dressed in black slacks and a charcoal grey button up shirt, open at the collar. “You look stunning.” His eyes ran down her body. “Please, come in.”
She walked inside, wishing she’d brought a jacket, feeling again like her old self instead of that confident woman from the mirror.
“Your place is amazing, David. When did you do all of this?” The last time she’d seen his quarters was before he’d woken up: a plain apartment with nothing but a bed, dresser, and empty living room. Tonight, it was transformed. The walls were painted in earth tones; clay and soft greens. A piece of art hung on the wall of the dining room, and there was white linen on the table alongside… “Peonies! Pink peonies are my favorite. I can’t believe you have them.”
David moved toward her, taking her hand in his. His touch sent a shiver up her arm and through her body. “They’re for you. I had them synthesized especially for our dinner tonight.” He rubbed his thumb over her hand, drawing her toward the table. “I wanted to know everything about you, Alex, so I researched you in our computer files.”
He pulled out her chair and she sat, suddenly chilled. “You went through my personal logs?”
David sat across from her and leaned back. The grey of his shirt made the green in his eyes positively glow. She hated herself for noticing.
“Of course. You told me to seduce you, so I needed to get to know your likes, your tastes. Your wants…”
She swallowed hard, thinking of the things she’d written in her private logs, her computer journals.
“You fascinate me. I initially only planned to read your official files, but I had to know more.”
“David, you can’t just do that. You shouldn’t snoop into people’s personal lives.” She stopped short, realizing her own hypocrisy. This is exactly what he’s trained for. To find out everything about the person he needs to seduce. To find as much intel as possible before a mission. She ran her hands over her face.
David leaned forward, his brow furrowed. “I’ve upset you. I’m so sorry. I never meant to make you uncomfortable.”
“No, you did exactly what you needed to do. I was just surprised, is all.” And, if truth be told, a little creeped out. He knows about every dream I’ve written down, every longing. She was so embarrassed. Don’t think about it, Alex.
David handed her a glass of red wine, shaking her out of her thoughts. “Please, relax. Dinner should be ready by now. Wait here, and I’ll bring it out.”