Drina didn’t bother to respond; she was too busy worrying about the curving staircase ahead and making it to the ground floor without taking a header. Seriously, she really shouldn’t have bought these shoes or the dress. She should have bought something she would be comfortable in. But who knew Stephanie the great puppet master-cum-cupid, would maneuver Harper into taking her out tonight?
“Never underestimate the great Stephanie,” Mirabeau said with amusement from in front of her.
“Stop that,” Drina snapped. Good Lord, she definitely didn’t like being read.
Mirabeau just laughed, but she managed to subdue her amusement as they reached the main floor and headed into the dining room.
“Oh good, the helicopter is here and—”
Drina tore her eyes away from watching her feet and glanced to Harper in question when his words died abruptly. He was staring at her, his mouth open, her coat in one hand and the other half-lifted toward the window as if he’d been gesturing outside to where the helicopter was. He looked rather stunned. She wasn’t sure that was a good thing. He’d already seen her in the dress. It shouldn’t elicit this effect, whatever this effect was. Horror was her guess.
“It’s not horror,” Stephanie hissed with exasperation behind her. “It’s awe. While he saw the dress, he didn’t see the dress, stockings, heels, jewelry, makeup, and hair. You’ve taken his breath away.”
“Here’s your coat,” Tiny announced, taking the long faux leather coat from Harper’s unresisting hand and crossing the room to hold it open for her.
“Thank you,” Drina murmured, slipping first one arm and then the other into the sleeves.
“You’re welcome,” Tiny said cheerfully, and she swore his eyes were twinkling as he shifted his gaze from her to Harper, who was still silent but had closed his mouth and lowered his arm. “Well, you two kids have fun.”
Drina smiled wryly at the man, though she couldn’t have said whether it was at his calling them kids when they were both pretty much ancient, or at the suggestion they have fun when she was positive that was impossible.
“Right,” Harper said, snapping to life as she reached his side. “The helicopter landed just across the street in the schoolyard.” His gaze dropped to her heels and turned, concerned. “Can you manage in those shoes? It’s icy out there.”
“Maybe you should wear the thigh-high boots, instead, Drina,” Stephanie suggested suddenly. “Those are FMs too, but would have more traction. They’d also be warmer.”
“Thigh-high boots would work with that dress,” Mirabeau decided. “In fact, they’d be sexy as heck with it.”
“The shoes are fine,” Drina insisted, flushing with embarrassment at all the attention. Everyone in the room was now staring at her legs in the fishnet stockings. Fishnet, for God’s sake! The only thing she could think of that would be sluttier was the thigh-high boots.
“Well, I suppose Harper can carry you if you find it too slippery,” Stephanie said cheerfully.
“Right. The boots then,” Drina snapped, tossing a glare at the teenager as she moved out into the pantry to get them. She almost tried to don them right there, leaning against the wall, but gave up that idea when she nearly fell over just trying to remove the shoes.
Sighing with exasperation, she carried the boots back into the dining room and sat down to quickly remove her shoes. She then tugged on first one boot, and the other, trying to ignore just how much leg she was flashing while doing so. Drina then stood up and moved back to Harper’s side.
“All set,” she said with forced cheer.
Harper tore his eyes away from her boots, swallowed, nodded, and then took her arm and ushered her to the door, muttering, “Don’t wait up.”
She was crossing the deck when Drina decided she was glad to be wearing the boots after all. It was cold as the dickens, and the boots at least kept her legs from freezing. They were also easier to walk in than the shoes, which were probably an inch taller. Not that the boots didn’t have high heels too, but they were at least manageable. She’d felt like she was on stilts in the shoes.
Drina eyed the helicopter as they crossed the street. She then glanced around, noting that traffic had slowed to a stop, and people were looking out the windows of the surrounding houses. As transportation went, it definitely wasn’t your low-profile choice. By her guess, every phone in town would be ringing before they’d lifted off.
Heck, half of them were probably already ringing, she thought wryly, as they ducked to rush under the blades to the helicopter door.