AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘You’ve worn that dress every evening this week,’ he pointed out. ‘It’s going to fall apart if you dry clean it once more.’
Faith blinked at him. ‘I didn’t think you’d notice.’
‘I didn’t think he could tell one dress from another,’ Sylvia added, glancing between them. ‘It must be a very special dress.’
‘It’s really not,’ Faith told her.
‘So go buy a new one,’ Dominic said. ‘You can go shopping while we’re in meetings tomorrow. Just put it on the card.’
‘I really don’t need—’
‘I’ll come with you!’ Sylvia clapped her hands together with excitement. ‘It’ll be great! I’m in town anyway for that evening, and I love a good shopping trip...’
Faith glanced between them, and suddenly Dominic felt just a little sorry for her. Not enough to get her out of a shopping trip with his sister, though.
‘Well, that would be...’ Faith started.
‘Expensive,’ Dominic finished for her. ‘That’s the word you’re looking for. Expensive and exhausting.’
‘Oh, shush,’ Sylvia said. ‘You want her to look her best, don’t you?’
He didn’t care, Dominic realised. He didn’t care what she wore, what she looked like. He just wanted her there with him. And not just so he could uncover her lies.
He was in trouble.
* * *
Faith spent the coach ride back to the hotel sulking. Not that anyone could tell; she was cheery and chatty enough to the clients. Maybe Dominic might have noticed but, since it was his fault anyway, she didn’t care.
How had this happened? She’d known all along the theatre trip was a risk, but not much more than anything else she’d agreed to that week. The theatre was one of her mother’s passions; her circle of friends liked to patronise up-and-coming directors, playwrights, actors. Tomorrow, the opening night of a well-hyped show, directed by London’s next big thing...no way they’d miss it. Maybe her mum wouldn’t be there, but someone who would know Faith on sight would be, she had no doubt.
She’d planned on hiding out in the coach. She could get them all in and settled easy enough, then slip out and hide. Mum’s gang were bound to be the last in so, as long as she got the rest of them there early, she’d be fine. When Dominic had said about needing a seat for Sylvia, things got even easier. They’d never even notice she’d gone.
But now, suddenly, not only was she attending the bloody thing, she was buying a new frock, just for the occasion.
And the absolute worst thing was, she didn’t even mind. Because it meant an evening with Dominic, dressed up and looking her best, and as close to off-duty as she could get this week.
Faith sighed, and slouched down in her seat. Falling for her employer. How cliché. And just the sort of man her mother would love her to marry, too. Perfect.
After the long day trip, Faith had planned a quiet dinner at a restaurant not far from the hotel. With only an hour to answer emails, catch up on work and get changed for dinner, she didn’t have much choice but to pull on the hated black dress again. She’d thought it was versatile enough to see her through the week, but then she hadn’t fully anticipated having to accompany the group on every single one of their evenings out. And she hadn’t counted on Dominic being there, watching her, either.
Taking in her reflection in the hotel room mirror, she pulled a face. And then she grabbed her red shoes, red cardigan and brightest red lipstick. Worn right, he might not even notice the dress underneath.
* * *
‘Nice dress,’ Dominic said ten minutes later when they met in the lobby. Faith pulled a face at him, and he laughed.
* * *
Dinner, Faith thought, would have been more or less perfect if it wasn’t for two things. One, the heel of her shoe breaking as she returned from the bathrooms after dessert. And two, Jerry insisting on accompanying her back to the hotel when she decided to leave while the others had coffee. After four days of fending off his advances, she was running out of excuses.
Even then, it might have been salvaged if Jerry hadn’t followed her up to her room, staring intently down her cleavage as she rooted through her bag for her keycard.
‘Thanks for helping me home,’ she said, smiling falsely up at him. ‘I think I can manage from here.’ She waved her keycard, just to prove the point.
‘What kind of a gentleman would I be if I didn’t see you safely into your room?’ He gave her a smile that made her want to shudder. ‘I can check for monsters under your bed, if you like.’
I’m much more concerned about what you want to do in my bed. ‘I’m a big girl now, Jerry. I think I can manage.’
