Page 51 of The Tracker's Dawn: Sunderverse
“It’s cheap and the measurements are dubious. The dress needs to fit you like a glove or it’s not worth it.”
“Cheap and dubious are my middle names.” Thirty bucks was about all I could afford to spend anyways, so I couldn’t get picky.
“C’mon, Toni, you need to stop saying things like that about yourself. Self-esteem, remember?”
I hadn’t heard that from her in a while. In the beginning, the words self-esteem had come out of her mouth every two seconds. When Jake left me, he’d destroyed more than my heart. The number he did on my confidence was epic.
Suddenly, Rosalina jumped to her feet. “Wait here!”
“Where you going?”
“To talk to Damien, if anyone can figure out a way to get what we need. It’s him.”
Of course, why hadn’t I thought of him? He was a powerful Copper Mage, after all.
* * *
“IT’S GORGEOUS!” ROSALINAexclaimed, pressing my brand-new dress to her torso and twirling around. “And those shoes. Oh my God, I’m so jealous.” It was two hours later, and we were in my room again where Damien had delivered two packages. With a knowing grin, he’d placed the boxes on the bed and left the room without a word. Rosalina had immediately opened the bigger box and pulled out the dress and shoes.
It was a lapis blue gown with an a-line silhouette and layers of tulle in its skirt. It had a sweetheart neckline with off-the-shoulder straps and a jeweled bodice that sparkled with the light.
“You’re jealous?I’mjealous,” I said.
She frowned.
“Your boyfriend is able to procure shit like this in a matter of hours.”
Rosalina made a face. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Maybe not yet, but he will be.”
“You think?” Her green eyes lit up at the thought, and I was glad to see her experience with that fucking witch hadn’t stolen her zest and joy for life and its simple pleasures.
Though, there was nothing simple about the dress and accompanying shoes. They were simply amazing.
“Let’s open this,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows and pulling the smallest box closer. Delicate tissue paper covered its contents. She unfolded it carefully to reveal the sexiest, skimpiest, lace lingerie I’d ever seen.
“Holy shit!” My friend’s jaw literally fell open. The panties were little more than a triangle of lace with two little straps. The bra was see-through and would, for sure, leave my nipples on full display.
“Wow,” I whispered, gently running my fingers over the delicate lace. “I wonder how much all of these things cost. This is all designer shit.”
“Damien said not to worry about it,” Rosalina chided me.
“But I mean—”
She cut me off. “Shh, he said he owes you for taking him in when he was nothing but a stray cat. He also said the kibble was delicious... some of the time.”
We both busted out laughing. During his time as a feline, Damien had lapses in which he forgot he was supposed to be a human mage. I imagined that was when he didn’t mind eating his dry food. The rest of the time he enjoyed pizza much better.
The next order of business was to take a shower and go to town with my razor. I took my time, enjoying the feel of the hot water on my skin and the floral smell of the shampoo and body wash. Every time I thought of where the night would lead, an electric jolt traveled down my belly. I both wanted the time to slow down and fly by. I couldn’t wait to be alone with Jake, but the wait and anticipation were delicious.
I stepped out of the shower and rubbed my wet hair with a towel. When I’d gotten rid of the excess moisture, I wrapped myself in a bathroom towel and padded on bare feet toward Rosalina’s room next door. She was waiting for me, her makeup implements lined up perfectly on the bathroom counter. She had maneuvered the chair into the small space and extended a hand in its direction as soon as I walked in.
“Let’s begin with your hair,” she said, and I submitted myself to her care. “I wish we were at my place, but I’ll make do.”
Pursing her lips with a disappointed frown, she perused her stash of cosmetics and beautifying contraptions. I blinked at everything in surprise. To me, it looked like we had enough stuff to put on a Broadway show, but I didn’t say anything. She was the expert, not to me.
She dried my hair with practiced ease, dividing it into sections and using a round brush to create smooth, silky waves. When that was done, she began on the makeup while she quizzed me for the name of everything she was applying.
