After Eileen pays, the woman brings me over to a stand bythe mirror to mark the length for the hem and cuffs. I go change back into my usual clothes, and then we head back out onto the street.
“So now that you have a suit…” Eileen says. “You know what’s next?”
“Uh…”
“Accessories!” she squeals. “You need shoes and a belt and—you like jewelry, right?”
I nod.
“Andjewelry! C’mon, I know just the places.” She grabs me by the hand and pulls me down the street.
There’s a warm feeling in my chest as I wonder if this is what it would be like to have a sister.
Chapter 25
JAMIE
We take a million selfies and get a second round of coffee in the process of picking out the rest of my accessories. I thought I’d have to try harder to not look at the prices, but they’re not marked anywhere, so it’s really not that difficult.
I just make Eileen promise that I’m not getting any individual item over five hundred dollars, and she nods.
“I’m notthatinsane. It took me, like, three years to work up to not having a panic attack every time I wore my Jimmy Choos out. It’s not actually fun if you’re worried about it. Ooh, but speaking of which, we’re almost to the shoe place…”
“I’m really picky about shoes,” I say apologetically. “I’ve got sensitive feet—”
As we round a corner, Eileen proudly points to a display window. The shoes are a trendy mix of sneakers and formal shoes, boasting comfort soles, sweat-wicking linings, and genuine leather.
I’m drawn to ones that look mostly classic but with a soft curve to them, and a subtle black outsole.
“Wait, these are…genius. I didn’t even know this was athing.”
“You’re welcome,” Eileen chimes as she beckons me inside.
This is clearly a mid-tier place because the prices are marked, and they’re more than I’d usually pay for shoes, but not by that much, actually. Nikes aren’t that cheap to begin with, and these are double that at most. And I could see myself wearing these all the time.
Eileen wanders over to the women’s section, and I try on five pairs but ultimately go with the ones I first liked from the window. Someone would have to be looking really closely to see that they’re secretly sneakers.
Eileen pays for my pair with the corporate card, and two of her own with what must be her personal card. She’s clearly an expert at juggling cards like this.
It’s getting to be mid-afternoon, so she guides us and our bags over to a café. We pause for sandwiches and sangrias to refuel before the event tonight.
I fidget with the edge of my menu.
“Eileen, do you think… did Morgan ask you to entertain me today?”
“Technically, yes,” Eileen says without missing a beat. “But the shopping spree was all my idea. And I’m going to be fighting with her to share you now. You’re adelight.”
“T-thank you,” I say, cheeks heating.
Morgan and Eileen are polar opposites in some ways, a perfect match in others. They’re both assertive, bold, and direct.
I chew on my lip, then ask, “Do you ever think… if you weren’t a beta, you’d be an alpha? Does that make any sense?”
Eileen gives a deep laugh and nods. “Oh, my dad used to say as much. I was a terror as a kid. Still am.” She winks. “That’s part of why Morgan and I get along so well. She needs someone who’ll stand up to her—but without the alpha hormones, orwhatever.”
“I hope this doesn’t come out wrong, but there are a lot of really capable women at Artemis. It’s really cool. It’s like a—a glimpse of how everywhere would be if… y’know… the whole patriarchy thing didn’t get in the way.”
Eileen smiles knowingly. “That’s how I think of it too. It’s part of why I stayed. Where else am I going to get to bring coffee to a whole boardroom of badass babes, right?”
