Page 56 of The Alpha Escort Agency
Alice and Maria put down their drinks and wander over, starting at opposite ends.
The dresses are beautiful. It’s why Maria chose this shop. No frilly monstrosities here. Alice can’t help ghosting her hand over the smooth material, fingering the tiny crystals sewn into the lace, loving the rustling noise the layers make and the deep floral smell.
“I can’t decide,” she sighs. “They’re all gorgeous.”
“I’m gonna try this one first,” Maria says, her earlier nerves now replaced with visible excitement as she bounces on her toes, drawing her palm down the front of a strapless gown with a bodice decorated in tiny glittering crystals and a full-bodied silk skirt.
“I’ll get back to my champagne then.”
“Oh, oh,” Maria squeals, grabbing her by the arm before she walks away. “Invite him to the engagement party.”
Alice groans. “It’s a bit soon to expose him to everyone, isn’t it?”
“No, I want to meet him. It’s the perfect opportunity. Everyone will be flitting about. There’ll be no time to scrutinise him. Honestly Alice, it’s the best time to introduce him to everyone.”
“I don’t know,” she chews the inside of her cheek, considering it. Is it too soon? Besides, she doesn’t know if he has quit the agency yet or if he’ll be able to right away. Parading him in front of everyone is risky, isn’t it?
“Don’t be a spoilsport. Besides, I’m the bride and you have to do what I say.”
“I thought you promised you wouldn’t turn into a Bridezilla.”
“Well, I lied,” Maria says, skipping away into the changing room, already reaching behind to undo her dress. “Message him now.”
“Fine.” Alice settles back on the couch and takes a sip of her champagne, then composes the text. It’s silly, but she’s excited for him to meet her friends and for her friends to meet him. They can continue to be careful until he’s quit the agency. She’s excited to show him off. She’s excited to dress up again and for his hot gaze to eat her up like it had in the gallery. Her stomach swoops just imagining it.
The message has only just zoomed into cyberspace when her mobile starts ringing in her hand and she smiles when she sees it’s him.
“Hi,” she says. “Please say you’ll come. I hate turning up to parties alone. And I promise my friends won’t bite and the party might actually be fun. It’s on the rooftop of Brown’s Bar in Covent Garden.”
“Alice, I’m phoning ….” He halts, his voice sounds strained and she shifts on the seat, bringing the mobile closer to her ear.
“Is everything alright?”
“No, I’m afraid it isn’t.” His voice is stiff.
There’s another pause and the silence feels like a giant hole, a hole that’s dragging her into its depths.
“Why? What’s happened?”
More silence. An unease crawls up her spine. She shivers, an instinct telling her this isn’t good.
“I can’t see you anymore, Alice.”
It’s a simple statement. Too simple. The meanings of the words swim around her head and refuse to allow her to decipher them. She knows it’s bad; she feels it's bad. A pain right in the centre of her chest. Coming on suddenly like heartburn. Like she’d swallowed something too spicy, too hot, something toxic, poisonous.
“What?” she whispers. She heard him wrong. Yes, that’s right, she must have heard him wrong.
He sighs, a long gush of breath that whistles from his mouthpiece straight into her ear. It’s cold, and she shivers again, icy fingers wrapping around her throat and squeezing away her breath. “I’m sorry, Alice. I can’t see you anymore.”
“I … I don’t understand.”
“I can’t see you anymore,” he says for a third time, as if repeating the same words over and over will somehow allow her to understand.
“But why?” There’s a hint of desperation in her voice. Around her, she can hear the rustle of petticoats and silk and she suddenly wants to be anywhere but here. Away from the white and light and the sound of laughter from behind the velvet curtain. She lowers her voice, “Is this about the agency? Did they find out?.”
“No, no. It’s not that. It’s … it’s complicated. It’s not something I can change, and talking about this is only going to hurt us both.”
“Complicated?” What does he mean? It’s anything but between them, isn’t it? That’s what she likes about him. It is easy, simple. No bullshit, no games. With Rory, she knows what she is getting. At least, that’s what she thought. “Complicated?” she says again, this time with venom. “It didn’t seem complicated the other night when you begged me to come home with you.”
