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I smile. “I’ll text him. Thank you for bringing the dress by.”
When they’re gone, I unzip the bag. The blue dress catches the light and shimmers. God, it’s stunning. Bruno’s vision is a work of art. Even more surprising is the box with undergarments and a note from Bruno.
Ellie,
I hope you don’t find this too forward, but I knew these were the items that needed to grace your body tonight. Enjoy, my sweet muse, and let the world see the goddess that I know is there.
-Bruno
My eyes sting with tears, and I clutch the note to my chest. My breath catches when I realize I’m still wearing Jafar’s ring. There’s a part of me that knows I should take it off, but I can’t seem to bring myself to do it. Not yet, at least. Maybe before I leave. I certainly don’t want to give Dru a reason to say I’m a thief again. I turn the ring, so the stone faces inward on my hand. With any luck, Dru won’t even notice it.
I spend the morning going through my emails. Most of them are from the clinic, where other staff members have questions about my duties. There’s one from Ty saying he can’t wait to see me. I feel a pang of nervousness, which is good, I hope. The one from the Met reminds me I still need to tell Gemma that I can’t accept the job. I’ll wait to do that, so I don’t bring down the mood tonight.
Finally, it’s time to go to Jasmine’s to get ready. She’s hiring a hair and make-up team, so I won’t need to bring anything other than my dress, undergarments, shoes, and purse. I put my phone and plastic room card in my purse before leaving. There’s a car waiting to take me to Jasmine’s house. I can’t shake the wave of excitement that courses through me. Tonight is going to be a good night. I know it.
Inside, I find Jasmine and Dru already in chairs getting their hair and make-up done. There’s a third chair, which makes me feel at least like I’m part of their group. A woman shows me a few photos and we pick one that we both agree will look great on me. As we get ready, Jasmine, Dru, and I make easy conversation. It’s nice. Something I didn’t think was possible.
Jasmine sips on champagne and asks, “Do you think we’ll beat previous years in funds raised?”
Dru is the first to chime in. “Of course! Anything that you touch is successful, Jasmine!”
Jasmine turns to me, and I nod.
“The Met has been receiving phone donations since the news went public. We’ve already reached our main goal.”
It’s nuts to think that five dollars here and one-hundred thousand there can add up so fast. Every cent really does help, as I’ve told the people who seemed embarrassed or sad that they couldn’t do more.
Jasmine moves her head from side to side as she looks at the mirror. “I wonder if they’re going to make me a permanent member of the team?”
I don’t answer Jasmine, and sip on my champagne instead. Guess she hasn’t been asked to stay on. The knowledge makes me happy. Dru wastes no time saying how she’s sure Jasmine will become a full-time member of the team. I bite back a retort of my own. Why would they invite her back? She has done no work for them. Instead, she mademorework. In fact, the only way she will get invited is if Jafar makes another donation in her name.
As if I’ve summoned him, he enters the room already dressed for the event. He’s foregone his usual all-black color palette and wears the traditional white shirt with his tux. It suits him. The only bit of color comes from the handkerchief in his breast pocket. A color that looks like it’s the same color as my dress. My breath hitches in my throat. How did he know? Our gazes meet, and he smiles.
“Ladies, you look beautiful. Don’t mind me. I’m just here to remind Jasmine that we need to leave in an hour.”
Jasmine bats her eyelashes at him. “I didn’t even know you were here. Did you bring me a present to celebrate my successful night?”
His smile fades into a frown. If she notices, she doesn’t let it show.
“There’s a jewelry box in your room,” he says as he leaves.
I miss him as soon as he’s gone.
Jasmine says, “I can’t wait to see what he got me.”
Dru nods. “I’m sure it’s going to be something beautiful.”
My stomach cramps. Maybe I should have eaten something before coming, but I knew there would be food at the fundraiser, and I didn’t want to be bloated before I put on my dress. But hearing Jasmine talk about what Jafar is getting her has my stomach upset in more ways than one.
“I’m going to put on my dress.”
Jasmine says, “Your dress should be in the guest room at the end of the hall.”
They resume talking as I leave the bathroom. As I pass the bed, I see a small box sitting on it. That must be from Jafar. Trying to ignore the sting in my eyes, I leave and head down the hallway to the guest room. My dress bag is lying across the bed as well as the other items that I brought. What surprises me is the box that’s on my bed. My heart thumps in my chest. Is this from Jafar?
Opening the box, I find a sapphire and diamond necklace that matches the dress perfectly, again making me wonder how he knew what my dress looks like. There are matching earrings, too, which works out perfectly since my hair will be pulled up tonight. I put on the necklace and then the earrings, feeling as if I’m going to be carrying a piece of Jafar with me tonight. The gold chain matches the ring on my finger, so hopefully no one will question it.
Glancing at the clock, I see it’s almost time to meet everyone downstairs. I change, putting on the lacy undergarments Bruno sent. There’s power that comes when wearing sexy undergarments. I feel unstoppable and beautiful. And, for the first time in a long time, I’m not going to wear shapewear. Bruno said there was no need for it, and I almost cried on the spot. My dress is next and fits like a glove. I feel like a princess.
