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“Hannah, I already have a bunch of dresses to choose from…”
“Yeah, but every woman needs a little black dress.” She gives me a bright smile. “Last one, I promise.”
I laugh and roll my eyes. “That’s what you said last time with the shoes.”
She pouts. “You have to admit those silver heels were worth every dollar.”
She’s not wrong. “Yeah, and I’ll probably break my neck when I try to walk in them.”
Hannah rolls her eyes. “I’ll teach you how to walk, run, and kneel in heels. Heck, I’ll even show you how to clean toilets and mop the floors in heels. You’ll be living in them by the time I’m done with you.”
I shake my head. “I doubt that. I’m more of a flats kind of girl.”
“We’ll see,” she says cryptically.
A few minutes later, I’m admiring myself in the black dress. It’s really gorgeous. It’s fitted around the bodice and is cut in a way that somehow makes it look like I have cleavage to spare. The hem hits me just above the knee. Hannah hands me the silver heels. I don’t bother arguing as I put them on.
It looks like my legs go on for miles. I no longer feel short and frumpy. In this dress, I look like a vixen. It clings to my body like a second skin. All of my new clothes fit perfectly, but this dress gives me curves I didn’t even know I had. Even I can admit, I look hot.
Except…
“Hannah, I don’t know about this…” I turn so I can see the low-cut back of the dress. The back is completely open all the way down to just above my butt.
“What’s not to know? You’re a fucking knockout in that dress!”
“But my back…” I can’t seem to pull my eyes away from the angry red lines that crisscross my pale skin. This is the first time I’ve seen the marks. Obviously, I could feel how bad they were, but seeing them for the first time was shocking.
“Don’t be silly. You look amazing. Matthew will swallow his own tongue when he sees you in this dress. Besides, you’re eating at his restaurant, which is attached to Black Rose. A few lash marks won’t be the strangest thing on display, I’m sure.”
I chew on my lip as I consider her words. “If you’re sure.”
Hannah gets that Cheshire Cat grin again, the one that says she knows she’s won. “I’m positive.”
I change out of the dress and dutifully hand it to Slade, who doesn’t bat an eye at the nine-hundred-dollar price tag. It makes me nauseous to think about the ridiculous amount of Matthew’s money I’ve spent today. I try not to dwell on it as we finally make our way to the food court. My stomach growls hungrily at the delicious scents.
Slade buys our soft pretzels and frozen strawberry lemonades, then leads us to the big fountain in the middle of the court. He leads us to a giant fountain in the middle of the court. Hannah sits down on the ledge and pats the spot beside her.
“I need to make a call. I’m going to stand just there,” Slade says, pointing a few feet away on the other side of the fountain. “You girls stay right here where I can see you.”
Hannah gives him a salute. “Sir, yes, sir!”
“One of these days that sassy mouth is going to get you into trouble,” Slade says threateningly before walking away.
“If only,” Hannah says with a dreamy sigh.
“One of these days, you’re going to push him too far,” I warn.
She turns to me with a huge smile. “That’s sort of the idea.”
I give her an incredulous look.
Hannah laughs. “Don’t look so shocked. I’ve been trying to get his attention for years.” She looks longingly toward Slade. “He just refuses to see what’s right in front of his eyes.”
Her words are so full of pain; they cause my own heart to break a little. I put a hand on her leg, wishing I knew what to say. I don’t understand their relationship enough to offer any advice, not that I have the slightest clue how relationships are supposed to work.
She smiles and pushes her obvious pain aside and takes a big bite of her pretzel. I follow suit and moan at the salty-bready goodness. “Good, right?” Hannah mumbles around her bite. I nod, chewing. So damn good.
We chat while we eat, and I’m hit in the chest at how utterly surreal this moment is. I’ve never had this. Even after I escaped from Red House, a day like today was unimaginable, and I’m not talking about the shopping spree. Sitting here with someone who I can see myself becoming good friends with, laughing and eating… How is this even my life?
