Page 67 of Knot for Me
“Seems a little shallow to me.” I extract myself from her hold and willingly walk down the stairs.
“Maybe, but the alphas are politicians. They schmooze and get schmoozed. You probably won’t be seen, but on the off chance that someone does stumble upon you, you’ll need to be jaw-droppingly gorgeous.”
“Wow, that was rude.”
She side-eyes me. “You’re hot, Reagan. You know what I mean. You need to look like you belong. You don’t have mates. Showing that the alphas are taking care of you will hopefully ward off any unwanted attention. Dressing down will make it seem like they don’t care about you.”
“They don’t.” Using the keypad on the door, I lock it and hop into Amelie’s SUV.
“Keep telling yourself that, darling. Want to pick out the music?” She hands me her phone; the music app is already open.
“Sure.” I settle into finding a playlist for the drive to avoid talking about the guys more. I know they want to keep me safe. They consider me pack, but wanting to protect someone you’re obligated to protect is a lot different than caring for them. The incident with Lucas also doesn’t prove much aside from the fact that both of us are horrible at controlling our bodies’ urges.
The drive to the dress shop is a little longer than the one to the cafe, and when Amelie finally pulls into the parking lot, we’re almost back inside the inner city. The shop is unassuming on the outside, a simple but elegant sign that readsDresses by Jennifer.Inside, the place takes my breath away. The walls are lined with racks of dresses, tables are placed throughout the rest of the floor holding pants, shirts, sweaters, shoes, purses, and more. In the middle of it all is an elegant oak desk where a woman with horned rim glasses sips tea from a dainty cup. Cinnamon and cardamom hang heavy in the air, but I can’t tell if it’s from the drink or the candles burning next to the cash register.
“Amelie, lovely to see you.” The woman gives her a warm smile.
“Hey, Jennifer. This is Reagan.”
The woman’s gaze sweeps to me, scrutinizing but not in a mean way. More like I’m a puzzle she desperately wants to solve. Her eyes take in my long hair, casual leggings, and loose top. Her lips quirk at my flats and she tips her head, setting the little cup down.
“How do you feel about navy?”
“Impartial?” I ask, lifting my shoulders. “I’m only here because Amelie practically begged me. Whatever you think works best will be perfect.” And this shopping trip will be over soon enough.
She chuckles. “Well, darling. I’m Jennifer, and I don’t force dresses on customers. Mark my words, by the end of this trip you’ll be in love with a dress. That’s the one you’ll leave with. Sound good?”
I give her a small smile. “Sure.” I don’t want to be rude, and she has a determined glint in her soft grey eyes. This is a woman who is used to getting her way. I’ll admit, I respect her for wanting the customer to be happy rather than insisting they take the most expensive garment. She cares more about the customer than the money.
“Good. Come with me.” She steps out from behind the counter, and my jaw drops at her six-inch, pencil thin heels. She’s wearing a flattering dark green dress that sets off her black bob and contrasts beautifully with her olive toned skin. She’s lithe and practically floats to the back wall where there are three cozy fitting rooms.
“Wait here. You’re about a size ten?” She studies my body, but her eyes are kind. “Maybe a twelve depending on the designer?”
I nod. “Yup.”
“Perfect, I’ll be back in a jiffy.” She shimmies her shoulders and takes off, moving through the store like a heat seeking missile.
“She’s brilliant, really.” Amelie sits in one of the cushioned chairs.
I study myself in the three-faced mirror, touching the tips of my dark hair. “A nice dress means I’ll need to do hair and makeup.”
“Leave that to me.” Amelie clicks her tongue. “I already know what I want to do to that pretty face.”
“That sounds weirdly threatening.”
“You’ll be fine.” She sighs and glances at Jennifer who is strutting over with half a dozen dresses in either hand. “Showtime.”
An hour later, I’m in love. I run my hands over the soft velvet, swooning over the deep burgundy cover again. The sleeves are full length, but the neckline plunges into a danger V, cutting low enough my cleavage is on full display. The middle wraps tightly underneath my bust before flaring into a short flowing skirt that stops at midthigh.
“Wow,” I breathe, turning to check out the back. “This is stunning.”
Jennifer beams at me in the mirror. “Lovely and sexy. Here, try these on.”
I take the black kitten heels, relieved they’re not as delicate as Jennifer’s, and slip them on. The small boost makes my ass pop a little and the peek-toe style is cute in a non-creepy foot way. Feet are generally gross, but with these heels and this dress, my toes look cute. I’ll have to paint them another color. The blue they’re currently sporting doesn’t match the outfit, but that’s easy enough to fix.
“I think this is the one.” Amelie stands next to me and whistles. “The alphas are going to die.”
“Maybe I should go with the full-length one?”
