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I was glad that we reached the store not five seconds later. Fiero opened the door for us but first let Natale, who briefly scanned the premises with his gaze before telling us to enter. The gun on his hip had not escaped my attention, and I could guess Fiero was also carrying one.
Maybe even Carlotta because she had been instrumental in Gia's rescue.
Inside, we were greeted by a fresh, flowery summer scent and an older saleswoman who looked like she was not only selling the clothes but putting her heart and soul into each one.
So this would be an expensive proposition.
"Do you want to look around yourself, or do you want me to make some suggestions?" Carlotta asked. Mistakenly, I had assumed she would also be buying a dress. But it was apparently only about me and my outfit.
So all the attention would be on me. I could hardly wait. The only relief was that the saleswoman kept a proper distance and did not ask if she could be of any help.
Either she was already used to the presence of the de Archards, or she had been informed accordingly beforehand.
"I think you're having more fun with this whole thing than I am," I replied evasively, glad for salvation as Carlotta moved and started digging through the clothes hanging neatly on racks.
The selection was colorful, but I hardly believed she would put me in a canary yellow dress, which consisted primarily of tulle. It would ensure I was the center of attention but probably also ridiculed.
I turned once in a circle to see if anything caught my eye. Of course, I failed miserably.
Fiero, meanwhile, had taken up a position at the door, while Natale wandered through the countless rows of clothes. Did he know what Carlotta was looking for, or did he suddenly develop an interest in clothes?
Carlotta kept me waiting for almost thirty minutes before she returned with a pile of clothes in her arms. The color selection was quite clear: inconspicuous, muted, dark. So I wouldn't draw any attention to myself with it.
"I'll help you get dressed, and then we'll let the two gentlemen here decide if it's the right dress or not."
"Sounds good," I muttered, glad not to have to make that decision myself.
First, I got into a black dress made of a velvety fabric that reached the floor but had a daring slit at the side of the thigh. This was followed by a black dress cut out at the back to just above my hips and then one slit in the front to the navel, which offered much room for speculation.
None of them were mesmerizing. I filled them all out, and they suited me, but for the purpose of the party, they just weren't right.
Carlotta got more and more frustrated. She wouldn't even let me put on the last dress she had picked out. "Okay, wait here. We'll try something else."
With that, she disappeared and left me half-naked in the changing room, I felt uncomfortable and desired to give up.
Apparently, there was simply no dress that met her requirements.
When she returned, comparatively quickly, I held out no hope that she had found what she was looking for.
Nevertheless, she handed something to me. Unlike the other dresses, it was only a scrap of fabric. I held it up and raised an eyebrow. We had gone from black to dark, vibrant green. Satin, a waterfall neckline, thin straps, and short as hell. The fabric clung to me like a second skin.
"Here, put these on," Carlotta said, handing me a pair of shoes. The heel was dizzying, and they had only one lace, like gladiator sandals. They were not made of dark leather but of something that glittered and shimmered gold. Elegant. That was the best way to describe the shoes.
Somehow I managed to slip into the shoes and walk on them. One wrong step, and I'd possibly break both ankles, but the overall picture made up for it.
All that was left was Carlotta's approval.
With momentum, I tore back the curtain. Four pairs of eyes rested on me, but I only felt liberated when Carlotta clapped her hands enthusiastically.
"This is it. We found it. What do you think, guys?"
Instinctively, I knew that their opinion no longer counted because she had already made up her mind.
* * *
Vincenzo was waiting for me with his arms folded and a scowl. I had hardly opened the front door when I caught sight of him and suspected he was about to read me the riot act. Although he actually had no reason, right?
Sugar-sweetly, I smiled at him and waved the bag so he could see it. "I went shopping for the party. The one you didn't tell me about."
