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Victor flashed a smile and nodded his head. “Nice to meet you, Gretta. Sorry for the short notice.”
This felt so much different from the rude salesman downstairs. Gretta was pretty and seemed genuinely pleased to see us. She was older, maybe late twenties, and carried a confidence that I envied. “No trouble at all. That’s what I’m here for,” she said and turned her eyes to Gabriel. “Are you Gabriel? And you’re going to help?”
“That’s what I’m here for,” he said. He pointed at me. “Let’s start with her, though. I have a better idea of what to do with the others. Might as well start with the hard one.”
“You mentioned it was homecoming,” Gretta said as she strolled forward. She was taller than me, and especially so with her impossibly high black heels. She started to circle me and the others stepped away, giving her room. “I don’t think I’ve dressed anyone for a school event.”
“We’ll probably use it again,” Gabriel said. “I’d like something flexible on her.”
“Something more elegant,” Victor said. “Evening wear.”
Mr. Blackbourne stepped up beside Victor. He had his hands drawn behind his back and spoke quietly. “Pardon me for suggesting, Mr. Morgan,” he said. “Perhaps we should look for something with a subtle elegance. It’ll be easier to add accessories that will allow for flexibility for different needs.” Mr. Blackbourne turned his eyes on me. “What do you think, Miss Sorenson?”
I nodded quickly. Simple elegance sounded less expensive. I tried not to protest about cost and wanted them not to worry about me, but I knew from experience this was pointless.
“That’s a good idea,” Gabriel said. He stepped back and his arms folded across his chest as he tilted his head and looked at me. One of the blond locks slipped to rest against his eyebrow, making a striking image. “I think I want to do a simple mask for this, too. Something very pretty. One of those half masks that come up around the cheeks.”
“She’s got the face for it,” Gretta said, standing in front of me and angling her head close toward my face. “I think I see where you’re going. I might have something close to it. The color might not be right, but it’ll give you an idea.”
“Let’s put it on her,” Gabriel said. He reached out, taking my arm and tugged me toward him. “Where do we go?”
Gretta’s eyebrows went up. “Shouldn’t I just take her?”
“She’s good with me,” he said. He looked down at me. “Right?”
I nodded more aggressively at this. Gretta was fine, but my stomach was in knots thinking of having to be separated from any of them and undressing in front of Gretta. I’d rather have Gabriel.
I’d noticed Mr. Blackbourne was about to say something at the same time, but stopped the moment I started nodding. His eyebrows went up in a curious expression, but he closed his lips again.
I was hustled through a door I hadn’t even noticed. A moment later, I was down a hallway and in a completely mirrored room with a soft overhead light and a velvet couch. There was a table and a couple of antique coatracks in the corners.
“Wait here with her?” Gretta asked. “I’ll go fetch the samples.”
“Gotcha,” Gabriel said, nodding to her, a smirk on his face.
Gretta closed the door on us. Gabriel turned immediately and suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist and back. He hugged me so hard my feet were pulled off the ground. He staggered forward a step or two, dragging me with him.
“Holy shit fuck damn,” he said all in one breath. He buried his head into my neck. “Trouble, you and I, sweetie. We’ve got to get ourselves together.”
I was holding on around his neck so I didn’t fall over. I was out of air, and yet trying to giggle at his sudden hug. “What are you talking about?”
“I saw you yesterday and I hardly had a chance to even talk to you.” He slowly put me down until I was on my toes and then kissed my nose. “I guess dress up time will have to do for now.”
“We’ve been busy,” I said. I breathed in deeply; he wore a citrus musk today. It was an interesting combination but I wasn’t sure it suited him.
“I know we have. Fuck all this shit. We need a vacation. Let’s get caught doing something at school and get suspended for a week.”
I knew he didn’t really mean it. I know Mr. Blackbourne said I needed to spend more time with the boys, and some boys seemed to need more time than others. “Can you spend the night tonight?”
His crystal eyes lit up. “Shit, yeah. You want to? I’ll crash at Nathan’s anytime. I should go through your clothes anyway.”
“You always say that.”
He looked me over. “You always dress like shit.”
He was cursing a lot more than usual and it made me smile. The boys didn’t often curse. Some didn’t do it at all. Others did it when they were angry. Gabriel dropped curses like flies, happy, sad, excited, angry. It was the way he said them that made me smile. Sometimes he hid that part of himself in front of other people, like at school, but for some reason, it didn’t feel like him if he wasn’t cursing. “I heard you wanted your tongue pierced for your birthday.”
“What do you think?” he said. He stuck his tongue out and then spoke around it. “Would it be cool?”
I nodded. I really did think so. It would go with all the other piercings. “Won’t it hurt?”
“Probably for a minute.” He cupped his palms over my face and then leaned close to me. “All right, serious question now. You want me in here while you’re changing?”
I swallowed, and found I was nodding before I could even think. Yes, yes, I did. I didn’t want to be alone in here, nor did I want Gretta in here with me.
“I thought so,” he said. “Don’t sweat it, okay? You and I need to work together a lot, and that means I may need to see you in your underwear while you’re getting dressed. I’d rather it be me so I can make sure you’re doing shit right. You good with that? I’m not trying to be a perv.”
“It’s fine,” I said. Really, after all we’d been through, it was the least of my worries. He’d seen me through getting dressed in swimsuits and in my underwear and even naked in a closet. I knew I’d blush and be a bit shy, but he was right. We had to work together. He did this with the others. We’d get used to it.
I wanted to. I’d rather have someone I trusted with me on this. Who better than him?
He grinned and then stuck his tongue out and licked my forehead.
I laughed and then tried to wipe where he’d licked.
“Nope,” he said, taking my hand away from my head. “If I lick it, it’s mine.”
“My forehead is yours?”
He started laughing and hugged me tight again, lifting me up off the ground as he bent back and buried his face into my hair. “Oh my fucking god, are we starting that game? Fine. This time I’ve claimed your forehead. Got to work one spot at a time.”
I was glad he couldn’t see my face, as my mouth was gaping open. Seriously?
There was a knock at the door, and he dro
pped me, stepping back and smoothing a hand through his hair.
I tried to look not as shook up as I felt.
Gretta had reappeared. She carried several gowns and displayed them on the table. “There’s several, but I’m thinking a corset.”
“That’s a little risqué for a homecoming dance,” Gabriel said. His tone changed slightly, more polite, and also a slight edge of command. This was his arena. He was in charge.
“But not for a Halloween homecoming,” she said. “Stick with me here. It isn’t going to be as vibrant or as... steampunk as this.” She pulled one dress out of the collection and held it up. The corset was red, with sleeves just barely hanging from the shoulders. Lace and some brass bolts and gadgets hung from the sides. The skirt and some accessories were black. “Don’t look at the embellishments, just the shape.”
Gabriel tilted his head at it, studying. He reached out, feeling the material. “I wouldn’t use leather on the corset part, but I see what you’re getting at.”
“It’ll look good on her shape, especially with a shorter skirt.”
“Let’s see it on her.”
I held my breath, looking at the dress. It was a pretty piece, but I couldn’t see how it would work. The skirt was really long. It looked weird with the red and the brass embellishments.
“There’s something similar, but it is in solid black with a shorter skirt,” she said. She moved through the pieces, pulling out the other one. The corset was smaller and would only cover my waist. The skirt was a little above the knee, or would be on a taller girl.
“I like the sleeves of the other one,” Gabriel said.
“I can fake it,” Gretta said. “I can tie a couple of scarves over her shoulders for the others to see for now.”
He nodded. “Actually,” he said as he reached out to smooth his fingers over the material. “Let’s go with this black one. I think shorter skirts are more for her.”
“It’ll work better with a mask,” she said. “And you could wear it for a lot of different events.”
“Simple elegance,” he said. “What they ordered. Okay. Let’s try.”
There was a knowing nod from Gabriel and my eyes widened, wondering what to do.
