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They were taken to the back of the store. Dugan arrived with Lucian’s laptop and the ladies of the boutique brought him coffee and a table. He soon had himself his own little squatter office. He worked as one woman after another presented her with beautiful garments and accessories.
Lucian might have been otherwise occupied, but he always had a bead on what was happening around him. All Scout had to do was look in his direction and she’d find his gaze on her. He’d offer a slight nod or a shake of his head, and the women of the boutique would either discard or hang the garment he was rating. She found it amusing that a piece of clothing the women would rave about one moment could become a travesty of fashion in the next if it was something Lucian didn’t favor.
Scout was soon bustled into a large room with mirrored walls and a button-upholstered round ottoman that reminded her of the inside of a genie bottle. Sonia began to tug at her clothes and she backed away. The attendant smiled, but some of the sincerity she recalled from when they were on the floor had left her eyes.
“You have to undress if you plan to try on clothes, honey.”
Scout scowled at her patronizing tone. “I’ve been undressing myself since I was a child. I’d like some privacy.”
The snobby attendant pursed her lips and shrugged. She backed out of the dressing room and left Scout there with a variety of outfits.
Quickly kicking off her shoes, she stuffed her oversized wool socks into them. Sliding out of her jeans, she folded them. Recalling the selection of undergarments Lucian had approved, Scout grimaced at her black cotton panties.
Her fingers reached under her sweatshirt and unlatched the clasp of her money belt and carefully stuffed it in the leg of her jeans. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her sweatshirt over her head and added it to the pile. As she turned to select her first outfit she gasped and jerked to a stop.
There, staring right back at her was her reflection. She hadn’t seen herself so completely naked since . . . well, the last time she saw herself like this her body was very, very different.
Her lips parted and she blinked. Her hair was still down, forming a dark curtain of waves to her narrow hips. They barely swelled beneath her nipped-in waist. Her breasts were full, the tips darker than the rest of her skin, and pointed.
A half smile tickled her lips. She was quite pretty like this. She scrutinized her legs. They lacked any of the grace she noticed in the women’s legs in the boutique. Scout recalled the beautiful Dr. Sheffield. Trying to mimic her grace, she awkwardly crossed one foot over the other. Her nose wrinkled. Her knees were knobby and juvenile. She stood on her toes. That helped.
When her gaze traveled back up to her face, she deflated. Her flesh-colored lips were lost on her plain skin. Her nose was small and unremarkable. Her eyes had always been her most unique quality. They were more silver than blue and had a way of getting lost against the whites of her eyes. Dark sapphire rims centered them and kept her appearance on the right side of that fine line between captivating and bizarre. Her lashes were long, but not as thick as Lucian’s.
Her fingers gently nudged the loose skin beneath her eyes. It was deep purple and slightly bruised. She looked exhausted. Her cheeks were a little gaunt and she suddenly could see the slight resemblance between herself and Pearl. Scout averted her gaze, not wanting to look anymore. How had she gone from seeing someone beautiful moments ago, to hating the ugly person before her now?
There was a loud knock.
“Evelyn? What’s taking so long?” Lucian’s deep voice startled her.
She jumped. “J-Just a minute.”
Her hands quickly grabbed the first item she found and yanked it off the hanger. It was a dress, or something . . . She slipped it over her head and tugged the material around her behind. Perhaps it was a handkerchief. Yanking up the top, it covered her breasts, but she frowned when half of her curves were still hanging out.
Lucian knocked again. “Evelyn.”
She snapped her lips and scowled at the door. “I said I need a minute. It’s too small.”
The door suddenly opened and she backed up. Her arms covered the ridiculously small scrap of fabric attempting to be clothing as Lucian stepped in. The mirrored walls created a hundred Lucians. Too many Lucians.
“What’re you doing? You can’t come in here!”
He tilted his head and rolled his eyes, telling her exactly how ludicrous he found her statement. “Let me see.”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t fit. I look ridiculous.” Her protests only made him step into her personal space and force her arms to her side. He stilled.
