The dress was made of midnight blue silk, so light it seemed to float around her. A million tiny crystals glittered around the neckline and hem like a constellation of stars in the night sky. The dress was cut to emphasize the curves of her breast and hips, and something about the color made her skin look creamy and flawless.
She could hardly believe it was her in the mirror.
"Oh," she whispered.
Samuel was looking at her in the mirror, too, his eyes dark and intent. "Beautiful," he said quietly.
"Exactly my opinion. Good work, everyone," Sue said briskly, breaking through the stunned silence. "Darling, how do you feel?"
"It's amazing! Sue, thank you, I—But Samuel, this is too much. This dress must have cost a fortune."
"And it was worth every cent," Samuel said firmly. "If you like it, I want you to have it."
Theresa stroked her hands down the smooth silk over her sides. The dress was the most beautiful thing she'd ever worn. She didn't want to give it back. She wanted to wear it every day for the rest of her life.
"Seriously, please don't worry about the money. You look gorgeous," Samuel said, seeing her wavering.
Theresa hesitated for a moment longer, but the temptation was just too strong. "All right, then. Thank you so much," she said, and the pleased look on Samuel's face left no doubt that she'd made the right choice. "Sue, thank you, too. You were right, I do feel like a princess." She laughed, looking in the mirror, at her own impossibly glamorous reflection.
"That's why I do this job. Now don't you move, you've got more pins in you than a porcupine. Mikhail, Sonja, help her out of that dress!"
The screen was put back up, and Sonja and Mikhail peeled her out of the dress so quickly it left her head spinning. Back in her own clothes, Theresa had to take a slow, deep breath. She felt like Cinderella after her coach had turned back into a pumpkin. But the ball was going to happen tonight, and she'd get to show up in that dress. Was this really her life?
Outside, the sun was shining brightly, but the wind had picked up, stirring the leaves. Bright little clouds scudded across the sky. It was a gorgeous day.
"It's not even eleven. We've got a lot of time left till the gala. How do you feel about sailing?" Samuel asked.
***
Samuel took her out in the Skylark, the smallest of his sailboats, which was easy enough for one person to handle. He hadn't wanted to take anyone else out there with them. Theresa turned out to be a great assistant, eager to learn and clever enough that he only ever had to explain anything once. By the end of the first hour, she was handling the ropes like an old hand.
Samuel watched her perching casually against the railing, laughing, fearless even when the sails caught a sudden gust of wind and the boat picked up speed, tilting to the side with a groan. The wind tugged at her dark curls and whipped up the tails of her jacket.
God, she was gorgeous.
It had barely been a day, and Samuel didn't know what he was going to do when their ten days ran out and he was on his own again. He hadn't really realized just how much he'd missed this, spending time with a woman he liked, having someone to share his meals with, his time, his money. Making someone happy. Making her happy.
Don't think about that now, he told himself. He'd enjoy it while it lasted, make sure she had a good time. And after that, well. He'd been lonely for a long time. He'd dealt with it well enough before. He'd get used to it again.
They had sandwiches for lunch, sharing the narrow bench at the back of the boat, their shoulders brushing. The boat drifted peacefully along. All around them, other boats were sailing by, colorful sails billowing in the wind. Seagulls cawed. In the distance, he could just make out the skyline of Chicago.
"This is wonderful. I'm glad you brought me," Theresa said. She gave his shoulder a friendly nudge with hers. Samuel's chest clenched up with something almost like pain.
"I'm glad you're having a good time," he said.
The wind picked up when they sailed back, and the boat seemed to almost fly over the water. Theresa leaned out over the side, providing a counterweight to the boat's tilt when he told her to, whooping with delight at their speed. Samuel watched her, smiling so hard his face hurt.
***
Tosca was an old favorite, and the performance was spectacular, but Samuel found his eyes on Theresa more than the stage.
She'd never been to the opera before, she'd told him, her eyes flickering down, embarrassed.
"Then I think you're in for a treat," he'd said, offering her his arm. And he'd been right; she was obviously entranced by the show.
Sue had delivered the dress in person, ready to make a few last-minute adjustments if needed. She'd helped Theresa with her hair and make-up, too.