by Clara Bayard
“Good morning,” he said pleasantly.
“Hi.” He was cute, in a hipster nerd kind of way. Definitely the sort of guy I’d flirt with under different circumstances. But Kat was my priority now. “Um, do you have a second?”
“Sure.” He left his door hanging open a little and turned to look at me.
“Thanks. I don’t know if you’ve met the girl who lives there or not.” I pointed at Kat’s door. “But she’s my sister.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? You don’t resemble her at all.”
“Yeah, I know. We each favor one of our parents. Anyway, have you seen her lately?”
He tapped his chin with one finger that had a bandage around the middle of it. “Not sure, really. Maybe a couple of days ago? We don’t run into each other much, but I think I saw her in the parking garage earlier this week. Everything okay?”
“Oh, sure. Just…uh…checking.”
He looked at me like I was insane. But what other choice did I have? Tell everyone in the city Kat was missing? It’s not like they were friends, so he couldn’t help anyway. And if she was in real trouble, the fewer people I dragged into it, the better.
“Well, thanks. Have a nice day.”
He flashed a half smile. “Yeah, you too.”
I went back into the apartment to grab my purse and then went down to meet Trey. By the time I got outside he was there, leaning against his car – the same one he’d driven me back in last night. In the daylight it was even more gorgeous. Well, to be honest, they both were. The car and the guy.
“Good morning. Hear anything?” he asked as he opened the passenger door for me.
“Nope. Nothing. You?”
Trey shook his head. His hair was still wet and it spiked up a little which I thought was adorable. In tight dark jeans and a t-shirt, he was more casual than at the club, and seemed more relaxed, too.
I got in the car and he drove away, gesturing at the cup holders between us. “I got some coffee, wasn’t sure how you took it.”
“Oh, um, however is fine.”
“Good. They’re both full of milk and sugar.”
I snorted.
“What?”
“Nothing. I just figured you’d be a fancy espresso kind of guy.”
“Hell, no. Can’t stand that bitter shit. I like things hot and sweet.” He waggled his eyebrows and we both laughed.
“You’re weird, Trey.”
“No, I’m not. Well, maybe. But I’m sure this is hard for you and I just want to help lighten the load a little.”
I smiled and crossed my legs. “Thanks. But honestly, I’ll be distracted soon enough.”
“By shopping?”
“Yeah, but not in a good way. I don’t know what stores you have in mind, but I’ve only got like fifty bucks to spend. And I hate clothes shopping.”
“You’ll like this shopping, I promise.”
“I doubt it.
He didn’t offer a reply because he was concentrating on sliding the car into traffic on an overpass. Trey didn’t turn onto the highway like I expected. Instead he wound us back downtown, around the giant art museum and then along the road that followed the riverbank northwest.
“Where are we going?”
“The suburbs.”
“Why?”
“What do you think, we can pop into any old store to get you the perfect outfit for tonight?”
I sighed. “Don’t you remember the fifty bucks part of this conversation?”
“Yes, but I’m ignoring it.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m buying you something, so how much money you have in your pocket is irrelevant.”
“What? No.”
“Don’t argue with me, Amanda.”
“Don’t tell me what to do, Trey.”
He glanced over at me, put his foot down hard on the gas and then turned the wheel hard. We shot into a small parking lot I remember was used by joggers who ran the paths up and down either side of the river.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Trey turned in his seat to face me. “We need to talk.”
“Damn right. Look, I appreciate your help and everything but you can’t just buy me clothes and boss me around.”
He tugged on his ear and then spoke. “How much do you think this car cost?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea. I don’t follow cars or anything.”
“Ballpark. Just tell me what you think.”
“I don’t know. Thirty thousand?”
“More than twice that. Much more.”
I gasped, worried about my butt touching something so expensive.
“I’m not telling you this to brag or make you uncomfortable. I just want you to realize that I could buy you your dream wardrobe with my weekly spending money.”
“You could?” I squeaked.
He chuckled. “Damn it, you’ve done it to me again. You don’t know who I am?”
“I do. You’re Trey…Heller. That Peter guy at the club said your last name.”
He smiled. “My full name is William Tyler Heller the Third. Trey for short.”
“Oh. Huh…wait.” A glimmer of recognition glowed brighter and brighter in my mind. “Holy shit. William Tyler Heller? Like the senator?”
“Yup. That’s Junior. My dad. The first William Heller was my grandfather.”
“The shipping guy who owned half this city?”
“The same.”
I felt dizzy and grabbed his arm without thinking. “This is by far the strangest week I’ve ever had.”
Trey laughed. “I know what you mean. But my point is, let me buy you some damn clothes. I can afford it.”
“No, no. Forget about the clothes. What the hell are you doing with me? Helping me? And…why are you hanging out at a…brothel or whatever you call it.”
He sighed and took my hand. “It’s a long story that I’ll be happy to tell you, but not right now. All you need to know this minute is I’ve got a lot to lose if this goes wrong.”
“Yeah, so why…”
“So we need to do this right. And that means getting you really expensive clothes so that Veronica won’t get any more suspicious than she already is.”
“Right, of course. I…I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything. Just relax and let me take you shopping.”
“Um…okay.” It wasn’t my wittiest response, but I was having a hard time breathing, let alone speaking. The Hellers were an old Philadelphia family. The first Heller to come to America had gotten drunk with the founding fathers or something like that, and the connection to power in the city had continued for generations. Hellers were eternal celebrities and richer than anyone I’d ever met before. I remembered hearing stories about them when I was little. The local news covered them like royalty. And when Senator Heller – Trey’s father – left the multi-billion dollar family business to run for office, it had made headlines across the country.
“Hang in there, little mouse,” he said, pulling back onto the road. “The store we’re going to has champagne and from the look on your face, you’re going to need a couple of glasses.”
+
True to his word, Trey got me tipsy within moments of arriving at the store. Well, boutique really. Much different from the big box stores most of my clothes came from. It reminded me of something I’d seen on a cable show about expensive weddings. But this place didn’t sell wedding dresses. It sold a little of everything. Not that I was getting a chance to see anything on my own. I was sitting on a spindly chair in a dressing room bigger than my dorm room at school in underwear and a robe they’d provided, waiting.
Between glass number one of champagne and number two, a woman dressed all in black had come in and taken my measurements before telling me to relax. “We’ll be with you in a moment.”
Since I wasn’t dressed, I wasn’t going anywhere. I gulped down the last of the champagne and waited, biting my lower lip.
Eventually the woman returned.
With a whole rolling rack of clothes. Too many for me to even look at all at once. I saw jewel tones in many different fabrics and lengths and that’s all I could get before she wheeled it behind me.
“Your friend told me this is your first time here. Please ask if you have any questions.” She was picking through the hangers and then stopped, pulling out a scrap of silk. “Here, put this on over your bra and panties.”
I took it and held it up. It was a slip made of lace and silk so soft I could barely keep it from falling out of my hands. I turned my back on the woman and dropped the robe, sliding the slip on over my head quickly. It fell perfectly, hugging every curve of my body like it had been made for me.
“Wow,” I said, turning back to look in the mirror.
The woman smiled. “We are just getting started. My name is Rose, by the way.”
“Amanda.”
She smiled and shook my hand. “Ready to have some fun, Amanda?”
I nodded. And I don’t know if it was the champagne, the fancy clothes or something else, but I really meant it.
The first thing I tried on was a long black dress made of a strange fabric. It was soft and clingy, but with shiny threads throughout that caught the light in a really amazing way. But once I had it on, I thought I looked silly. The bottom hem puddled on the floor, clearly meant for someone much taller. And the fabric clung to me in a way that I thought made me look even rounder, and not in a good way. I looked at Rose through the mirror and frowned. “I don’t think this one is for me.”
She smiled. “I agree. You’ve got such a great shape, but this dress doesn’t show it off right.”
I bit my tongue to keep from arguing with her.
“Okay, try this one. I think it will suit you better.”
We swapped dresses and I stepped into the new one. It was a deep royal blue in a thick fabric that was tight to my waist and then flared out down to my knees.
“Much better,” Rose said as she stepped closer to zip me up. “What do you think?”
“It’s nice.” I looked myself up and down. The dress was lovely, but it wasn’t me. I felt weighed down by all the structured fabric. “Maybe too formal?”
“I can see what you mean. But it’s really quite gorgeous on you. Consider it for another occasion.”
“Sure.” I rolled my eyes when she looked away. Like people just buy gowns like this in case they come up with someplace to wear it.
Over the next half hour or so I learned something interesting. Expensive clothes are a million times better than cheap ones. Styles I’d see on models and never think would work for me actually did. With Rose’s keen eyes and her little clips that made it possible to see how things would fit when altered for my body in particular, I realized that Trey was right. This kind of shopping was fun. Plus, I was half drunk which didn’t hurt.
“Keep going, I just remembered we’ve got more cocktail dresses in the back that might work for you,” Rose said before slipping out of the room.
I looked through the rack of things I hadn’t tried yet, and was drawn to a red silk shift dress. It called to me and when I touched the fabric I couldn’t get in on fast enough. And once it slipped over my hips and I looked in the mirror, I was in love. The color made my pale skin gleam against the dark fall of my hair. The lines of the dress skimmed my body, enhancing my curves in a sensual, but not vulgar way. I looked sexy and mysterious.
Excited, I tried to zip up the back but couldn’t quite reach it. As I twisted to try, my eyes caught less attractive angles and my mood darkened.
“This is why catalogs show things in only the most flattering ways,” I muttered. But since I had it on, I figured I should at least show Rose. She’d been so nice throughout the morning.
I poked my head out of the dressing room but she wasn’t there. Trey was, however. He was sitting on a bench with a tablet in one hand and a beer in the other.
“What are you doing?”
He grinned without looking up at me. “Working.”
I shook my head. “Nice job you got there, slick.”
“Don’t I know it. Do you…” he trailed off as his head lifted to take me in. “Are you naked?”
I laughed. “No, silly. I’ve got a dress on. Well, mostly on. I can’t reach the zipper and Rose says you have to see it completely composed to get the effect.”
“I’m sure.”
“Do you see her?”
“She just went upstairs I think. I can zip you up, if you want.”
I hesitated. I still felt weird about the idea of him buying me a dress, but I did need it if I was going to go back to the club to get more information about my sister. And it would be rude to not allow him to see what he might be buying.
“Okay. Let me put some shoes on first, though. So I don’t look so short in this.”
Trey rolled his eyes. “Women. Fine, go ahead.”
I went back into the dressing room and stepped into the heels Rose had pulled in my size so I could see how everything looked in heels. Part of that full composition she kept going on about. The height boost did help. My legs looked longer and more elegant, giving a nicer line. I tilted my head to the side and scrutinized my reflection.
The dress really was amazing. Thin straps over my shoulders that ended in a soft vee low between my breasts. It hung a bit weird around the waist because of the open zipper, and then skimmed over my hips with a tiny flare that highlighted my hourglass shape.
“Don’t fall in, Narcissus,” Trey drawled from behind me.
I spun around and giggled nervously. “No chance of me falling in love with my own reflection.”
“Ah, you got the reference.”
“I just graduated from college with a Literature degree. Useless for anything but trivia.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” Trey said, but his voice was distant and somewhat vague. His eyes were glued to the dress.
“What? Is it terrible? Oh, don’t tell me it’s terrible. This is my favorite one so far.”
He shook his head but wouldn’t meet my gaze. “Turn around so I can zip you.”
I did, feeling deflated. I knew it wasn’t perfect, but I thought he’d at least pretend to like it. As soon as he zipped me up I turned and pushed him out of the dressing room.
“Go see if you can find Rose, okay? I want to get this off so I can move on to the next one.”
“Why do you sound so glum all of the sudden?”
“I’m not. I just…none of these are me. These are dresses for tall beautiful girls.”
Trey grabbed my arm and pulled me out into the waiting area. “You’re an idiot.”
“Thanks,” I replied, frowning.
“Fuck, Amanda. You look amazing. Stunning. Gorgeous. And really damned sexy.”
“I…what?” There was a mirror out here and I glanced at it. The dress did hang much better zipped up. But still. It was just me in it. “You had too much beer, Trey.”
“Stop it. Look at you,” he said. “No, don’t stare at some tiny part you think is a flaw. Look at you. You’re perfect.”
I blushed and shook my head. “Far from it.”
“Yes, you are. You just don’t know what perfect means. It isn’t looking just like the model you saw walking the runway in that dress or the actress who wore it on a magazine cover. Perfect is the way the silk lays just right to highlight your cleavage. The way the skirt skims your hips. The way the whole thing makes me want to drag you back into that dressing room and tear that thousand dollar dress off of you right this second.”
Chapter Six
He stared at me for a long time and in his face I saw the truth in his words. He meant it. He wanted it. Wanted me. And for a second, I saw what he did. Felt it too. Heat flared deep within me and I took a step forward.
A strong hand ran up my arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake. His eyes were hooded, his lips slightly parted. As our bodies came closer together everything else fell away. The soft music playing in the background, the lightly perfumed a
ir. The lights, the other people in the store all disappeared. Trey and I existed in a tiny bubble universe there, alone together.
“Trey…” I started.
But just like that, the sound of my voice popped our little bubble, breaking the spell. He shook his head and stepped backwards.
“Shit, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. Any of it. What I meant to say is, you look really nice. We should get this dress.” He turned away and went back to his bench. In a second he’d picked up his tablet again and it was as if nothing had ever happened.
My heart ached a little as I went back into the dressing room to change back into my own clothes. I was done shopping for the day.
Rose came back while I was putting my shoes on. She carried an armload of lovely things, but this time I wasn’t interested.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I have to go.” I walked out of the dressing room before she had a chance to respond. Trey was at the counter talking to one of the other women who worked there. I glanced over, but wasn’t ready to face him, so I just went outside without saying anything.
So many thoughts were zooming around in my brain that I couldn’t catch any of them. I leaned against the wall and watched people strolling past the boutique. There was a woman walking with her two teenage daughters. All three were sipping cold drinks and laughing.
Just looking at them made me miss Kat and my parents so much I almost doubled over with pain. I closed my eyes and took a series of deep breaths. Shut out everything to quiet my mind. It worked too, for a while.
“Are you okay?”
I opened my eyes and saw Trey standing in front of me. Rose crossed behind him and dropped a pile of bags into open trunk of the car.
“What’s all that?”
He smiled slightly. “Your dress.”
“One dress takes up all that space?”
“I threw in a couple of extra things that Rose said you needed.”
I sighed. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to.” Trey tugged on his ear. It was the second time I’d seen him make the gesture and I wondered what it meant. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah. But do you mind if we walk a little? I want to talk to you.”
“Sure.” He locked the car and pointed. “There’s a little coffee shop down there, if you want to grab something.”