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“You’re such atease,” I said.
“This is your bedroom. But if you’re in the mood for a little company tonight, I’m right at the end of the hall. Take your time to get settled, and let Roberto know when you’re ready to go.”
With that, he opened the door and stepped out, leaving me alone and hornier than I’d been in as long as I could remember. It was almost scary how well Logan knew how to tease me, how to push my buttons. The worst part? I actually kind of liked it.
I laid down on the bed to try and get a few minutes of rest in before our big afternoon out. It wasn’t long before a tinge of nausea ripped through me, the sensation intense enough to make me sit up and prepare to run to the bathroom.
It passed. I sighed with worry, thinking about all the times I’d been sick on the plane, how there’d been simply no way that Logan hadn’t noticed. I’d tried not to make eye contact with him on the way to the bathroom, but that last time I’d been sure he’d been watching me, wondering what was going on.
What did he know? Logan was many things, but dumb wasn’t one of them. Then again, I’d told him that I was on the pill.
I sighed, getting up and washing my face. One of the employees arrived with my bags, and I did a quick change before heading out. Marianne and Pearl were ready to go, and it wasn’t long before we were seated in the back of a sleek, black SUV taking us through the city. Marianne had her face pressed to the window the entire time, gasping at the towering buildings all around us.
“I don’t care how many times I’ve been here,” she said, turning to me and Pearl. “It’s alwaysamazing!”
“Just think,” Pearl added. “If you become a big shot New York artist, you could get your own place and do showings all the time.”
Marianne’s eyes became somehow wider than they already were.
“Really?”
“I bet you could,” I said. “You’ve got talent, and so muchof it. I still get misty-eyed when I think about the portrait you did for Marta.”
Without another word, Marianne leaned over and threw her arms around me.
We parked somewhere in NoLita, getting out and taking in the sight of the city all around us. It was a beautiful day, the sky blue and the air nice and warm. Together, we headed into one of the boutiques on the list, a place called “The Show” that appeared to be closed down for a private fitting session just for us.
A smiling clerk greeted us as we stepped into the store, Roberto hurrying in beforehand and taking a quick look inside as Renaldo and Edgar posted out front. Once Roberto gave us the OK, we entered the shop.
“Welcome,” the clerk said, the woman tall and slender and leggy.
As I walked further into the place, my eyes went wide at the display of gorgeous dresses. I stepped over to the nearest one—a long, dark red strappy gown made from fabric so delicate that I worried it might shatter at my touch.
“These aresopretty!” Marianne said. “Which ones do we get to try on?”
“All of them!” the clerk said. “And that’s what we’re here for.” She swept her hand toward two equally beautiful young women behind the counter. “Choose whatever you like. We have your sizes, so everything should work.”
Marianne smiled. “My name is Marianne Stone. This is Emily Marone, and she’s Pearl Shepard.”
Pearl hurried over to Marianne’s side, whispering sharply into her ear.
“Don’t need to tell everyone our life stories.”
The clerks didn’t seem to notice or care about the interjection.
“Well, I hope you three are in the mood for something good to drink. Want a little bubbly while you try things on?”
“Oh, that sounds amazing!” Marianne said. “Don’t worry, Logan says I can have a little every now and then. Iama grown-up after all.”
Pearl gave me a look that seemed to say, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on her.”
I went right for the red dress, the clerk taking it off the rack and leading me over to one of the dressing rooms. She helped me into it and my jaw nearly hit the floor when I saw myself in the mirror.
“Pretty glamorous,” the clerk said. “But that’s just my opinion.”
I did a turn, the red fabric twirling around me. I couldn’t help but let out a laugh of joy as I watched the fabric spin.
“I love it. But do you have anything a little, um,sexier?”
