Page 26 of Jane's Story
“No problem. We’ll hold up a few samples. We want to find something to enhance your features but not detract from them.”
I nodded, trying to be nonchalant even though it was like being a kid in a candy shop. Charles watched as the assistant stood me in front of a mirror and held several dresses up in front of me, muttering things like, “Maybe this… but something more delicate for you. Do you like sheer fabrics?”
“I suppose,” I answered.
“You don’t have to. It’s up to you.” She smiled, then gasped as she held up a silvery-gray gown. “But I may be partial to this one.”
I stared in the mirror, stunned. “Charles? What do you think?”
Charles stepped closer and had a reaction similar to the shop assistant. “You haveto try that one on.”
I nodded and took the gown with me into the dressing room. It took me a minute to figure out how to put it on and fasten a few buttons in the back.
Charles and the shop assistant were chatting when I emerged from the fitting room. But they both stopped and stared as I stepped onto the little podium. Silky layers of silver swayed about my ankles. The fitted bodice boasted intricate beadwork, and a ballet neckline curved below my collarbone. Looking in the mirror, I gasped.
“Yes. Yes, we’ve found the one.” The floor-length skirt shifted weightlessly with my movements as I spun around. Somehow the fabric caught the light without looking too shiny.
“All eyes are going to be on you,” Charles said without taking his eyes off of me. The familiar affection I usually picked up on him emanated from his heart. As always, I couldn’t tell if it was romantic or simply friendly. “You’re very likely the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“This is going to be a dream to wear.” I blushed and looked at the floor.
Charles turned to the assistant. “Oh, and she’ll also need an evening bag and shoes.”
“On it.” The assistant clapped.
Chapter 10
Icouldn’thelpstealinga few glances at Charles’s face as we left a jewelry shop where he’d had me pick out a set of earrings for the gala. He glowed with a warm energy that pulled me in like a moth to the flame. His eyes smiled when he was happy, and hope flickered in my heart. I wanted to let it take over, but I reined it in, keeping it safely within my control.
“I feel a little guilty about all these things you’re buying.” Though I’d never been great with money, I knew he had to be paying for these items on his own. I doubted a ballgown and silver teardrop earrings could count as legitimate tax write-offs.
Charles’s eyes widened like a puppy’s. “Oh, no. Don’t feel guilty. That’s the last thing I’d want. You’re helping me and my company out. I certainly couldn’t face this alone, and who knows who I can trust at Haven Corp at the moment.”
“I wish I knew.”
We stopped again at the caramelized-almond vendor. “Do you think your aunt would like these?”
“I’m sure she would. She’s got a sweet tooth like my mom.” Growing up in a bakery wasn’t always the healthiest environment. Though in a way it was good. To me, healthier foods were such a treat, and I never saw sweets as anything special.
Charles clapped his hands together and ordered another sleeve of warm almonds. “Will you give these to her?”
I couldn’t help flirting just a little. “I don’t know, Charles. She already thinks you’re pretty perfect. This might just seal the deal.”
He chuckled. “Works for me.”
Me too, Charles.
The warmth and magic of finding the perfect ballgown faded as Charles and I crossed a busy intersection toward the hotel. For a moment, I’d forgotten we were involved in a murder investigation, but the massive limestone building reminded me. The setting sun left the New York streets freezing, and I rubbed my gloved hands together.
With all its grandeur, The Grand Lakes Hotel wasn't as welcoming as it had been the first time I’d arrived.Buildings cast long shadows across the roads, but the city lights had yet to come on. People passed us in the street without so much as a hello. I fought the impulse to grab Charles’s hand and convince him to run away from all of it with me.
“We have an hour before dinner. You and your aunt have helped so much, maybe you two should go get facials or something—my treat. You know—to thank her for her help.” Charles gestured gallantly toward the rotating doors, indicating I should enter the building first. So, I stepped through the carousel door and into the lobby.
Instrumental music, a massive fireplace with a roaring fire, and the thirty-foot tree encircled by the grand staircase all combined to create an idyllic facade. I wanted to enjoy it, but part of my heart still held back. It was too perfect to be true. As a small-town girl who worked in a bakery for years, I felt like I’d be more in my place with the housekeepers than at the side of Haven Corp’s CEO. Like Cinderella at the ball, I only had a little time before I’d have to return to reality in Austen Heights.
Charles stepped up behind me, continuing the conversation. “What do you say? Take your aunt to thespa for a bit?”
“Oh, yes. That’s a great idea. If she’s anything like my mother, her nerves are probably shot. She’d love it. Thank you.” It would be good to focus on someone other than myself for a while, and enjoying the moment might help me disengage from my self-pity party.
