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Carefully, I tear open the package, aware of Clara's eyes focused intently on me. The package reveals a white box. I lift the lid and see what looks like a gorgeous red dress folded neatly within it. I unfold it and hold it up to myself, walking to a mirror that sits on the wall so that Clara can see what's going on in the store even when she's preparing food on the counter.
The dress is sleeveless and is so long that I will have to wear heels to keep it from hitting the ground. It cuts low in the front and cinches around the waist. It's the most exquisite dress I've seen since my wedding dress. The thought immediately sobers me, and I fold up the dress and place it back in the box. It's a betrayal to the love that I shared with James for me to even think about going out with Landon.
"Juliet?" Clara asks softly.
I clear my throat, trying to hold in the tears that are waiting to fall.
"Can you please return it whenever the delivery person comes by again?" I ask, my voice quivering.
Clara comes up to me, and softly takes my face in her hands. She's so tiny that she has to stand on her toes in order to look me in the eyes.
"It's time for you to start living again, my girl. You need to let go of the past," she says in a whisper that still manages to cut straight to my heart.
"What if I can't?" I ask, just as softly.
"One day you'll wake up, and the pain will only be a memory. You won't even be able to remember how you got to that point, only that you're happy once again."
She smiles at me with tears in her eyes.
"But you have to take that first step."
We stare at each other for a moment, and I feel a small glimmer of hope start to form in my chest, followed by the memory of how dangerous Landon must be to require all the guns I saw last night. I see Landon in my head. He's so overwhelmingly male that I feel intimidated just thinking of him.
"I think he's dangerous," I tell Clara. She just gives me a wink and let's go of my face.
"All the best ones are, my darling," she says as the bell above the door rings, signaling that a customer has arrived.
I hurry and take the dress up to my room so that I can help Clara with the rush of customers that will be starting to come in at any moment now. I have all day to decide if I'm going tonight. It would probably be good for Landon if I didn't go because thinking about it...who just demands that someone go on a date? I want to refuse just on the principle of it.
Despite my best intentions, when the clock strikes 6:45, I'm wearing the red dress and finishing up my makeup. The color of the dress brings a rosy glow out of my cheeks. I don't look like the zombie that I usually resemble. My long black hair has been carefully curled and pinned out of my face. It looks nothing like the hairstyles that the other girls wear, and normally I could care less. However tonight I find myself wondering if Landon will notice...if he still thinks I'll look pretty like this. I'm debating whether to attempt one of the intricate hairstyles I've seen, when I hear the bell on the front door ring, and then the deep voice of Landon talking to Clara.
I'm excited, yet I'm out of my league. Insecurities threaten to break down my carefully constructed wall of confidence, but this will be good for me. It will.
I swallow my angst and slip into my only pair of heels, grabbing my clutch before turning to go downstairs. I get about halfway down the stairs when Clara's voice makes me pause, and I decide to unabashedly eavesdrop.
"I've heard of what kind of man you are, Landon Torrio. If you hurt one hair on her head, I will chop off your balls while you're sleeping."
I stifle a gasp at hearing sweet, tiny Clara making such a threat. The knowledge that I have someone protecting me in this cold, frightening new world I've found myself in brings tears to my eyes. I dab at them, not wanting to smear the makeup that I've carefully applied, while waiting to hear what Landon says in response. If it's anything but kind,I'llbe the one chopping his balls off, and I won't wait until he's sleeping either.
"I have a feeling that hurting Juliet would be like hurting myself, and as a life rule I don't make a habit of doing that," he replies to Clara.
Although his comment seems odd to me, it must be sufficient for Clara because as I finish coming down the stairs, I see that she's cutting Landon a slice of her homemade peach pie. Clara only gives away pieces of her pie to people she likes, so he must have passed the test.
I drag my eyes away from Clara to look at Landon...and promptly almost trip on my heels. Delicious is the first word that I think of. Maybe it's because I was just thinking about Clara's peach pie, but I could definitely eat Landon Torrio.
He's wearing a perfectly fitted three-piece, black suit over a white collared shirt that showcases his gold skin. His gleaming, ebony hair is slicked back, and just like the night before I get the urge to dig my fingers in it and mess it up.
When I finally finish devouring him with my eyes and actually look at his face, I immediately flush. He looks just as hungry as how I feel. He looks like he wants to possess me, to own my every thought. It's very disconcerting.
He clears his throat and schools his face, returning to the cool and collected man from the night before. I immediately want to do something, anything to unsettle his perfect exterior.
He holds out his hand to me, his other hand clutching the plate of peach pie that Clara just handed him. I hesitate for a second, wondering if I'm really ready to take this next step, a step that feels miles away from James.
I will myself to not think about James just for an hour, to give myself a chance to be in the moment rather than in the past. As I reach out my hand to grasp his, I know my life is about to be irrevocably changed.
There's a shiny black Rolls Royce waiting for us outside of the deli. It looks out of place in our humble burrow, and I can't help but compare it to Clara's worn Model T. I get a thrill of excitement as Landon helps me into the buttery, leather seats. A suited man standing by the car gets in next to the driver as we take off. I also notice two other nondescript, black cars following ours as we drive down the street. They're just another reminder of how different Landon's world is...how dangerous it is.
