Page 96 of Maximum Dare
Amber beamed at me. “We can afford a cupcake from the café.”
“True.”
She pulled the strappy shoes out of the box and held them up. “Love at first sight.”
We headed out onto the showroom floor.
I helped Amber redress a mannequin with the Versace gown. She took her time to fluff out the skirt.
On the other side of the divider wasthedress I coveted, in the same display I always stopped to stare at after work.
A memory of me and Max at the Victoria and Albert Museum flashed into my mind—him knowing they had a shop window display that would wow me. Even though he’d hurt me, he’d done so many wonderful things, too.
Don’t think about it.
He’d tried to change me. I was never going to be good enough for his family. Our romance had been a mistake.
The showroom window entrance was hidden behind a fake wall.
The handle turned and I entered the display. Beyond polished glass, pedestrians streamed back and forth along the pavement, all of them in too much of a hurry to look my way.
As though I were paying homage to a rare artifact, I held my breath in awe. Up close, the gold braiding and twinkling crystals on the bodice reflected the light with shards of color—blues, pinks and muted greens.
The ballerina pumps on the mannequin went perfectly with the style of the evening gown, a sheer skirt over a mini, the delicate material falling like water.
My fingers tingled as I touched it.
I pretended this was all part of my job should some pedestrian look my way. I trailed my fingertips over the shining crystals. Then, moving closer, I traced the edge of the bustier, admiring its beauty.
A camera flashed, blinding me, and my foot slipped off the stand.
I grabbed the mannequin’s arm to steady myself, and it came off in my hand.
I stood there staring down at the dismembered arm I was holding, trying to feign to the gathering crowd that this was all part of my window-dressing routine.
I attempted to reinsert the arm into the shoulder socket.
It wouldn’t go.
Another shove made the mannequin rock unsteadily. I let out a howl, reaching for it as it tipped over. I lost my balance as I grabbed it and landed on my back with my legs splayed, the thing lodged between my thighs like it was shagging me.
Fuck my life.
A crowd on the other side of the glass was riveted to the unfolding drama inside the shop window. Like I was a showgirl, and this was the main act.
“Daisy, are you okay?” Amber rushed in to help.
I nodded, still feeling winded.
She glanced at the many faces looking in. “Are you trapped?”
“I’m just going to lie here until my luck changes for the better.”
She looked amused as she hurried forward. “You really do love this dress, don’t you?” She gripped the mannequin by its waist and pulled it up, placing it into its pre-Daisy disaster position. She easily re-inserted the dismembered arm.
“Want to try it on?” she asked. “It’s your size.”
“What’s the point?”
