Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
He shrugged. “I will be everything you tell them I am. You can make it up as you go along. What would you like me to be?”
“Oh.”
“What would make Tiffany boil with envy?” he asked.
I took a deep breath. “She would hate it if you were super rich.”
“Well, then I’m super rich.”
“No,” I said slowly. “We couldn’t pull that off.”
“Why not?”
“She’d see through that in an instant.”
His eyebrows rose. “I don’t see how.”
“I mean, don’t rich guys arrive in private planes, wear Gucci, and shower their women in really expensive jewelry and designer gear?”
He leaned back. “Actually, we can arrive in a private plane. One of my good friends is a pilot and he owes me a few favors. As for designer gear, an old friend of mine is a personal shopper and dresser of the super-rich. She has a lot of contacts who wouldn’t mind lending us some stuff.”
I stared at him, surprised. “You’d do that for me?”
He lifted one shoulder carelessly. “It’s actually nothing, plus I enjoy a challenge. Tiffany will not see through our act. Are you free tomorrow evening?”
“Yes,” I replied.
He picked his phone off the table, started scrolling through it, found a number and clicked on it. “Nina,” he said crisply. “Will you be able to fit a friend in tomorrow evening?” He listened, then said, “Good. I’ll text you the address and details later tonight.”
“Er… what’s going on?” I asked, confused by the way he had taken control of the situation.
“Tomorrow, Nina will be your personal shopper. She will arm you with borrowed designer clothes and jewelry.”
“But I already bought a couple of dresses today.”
“Keep those for another occasion,” he said carelessly.
I blinked. “I… er…”
“Ah, the food is here. Smells wonderful.”
8
WILLOW
Nina was something else. She looked at me as if she knew something I didn’t, or couldn’t figure something about my relationship with Rex, but her professionalism was truly top notch.
“Willow,” she said with a smile. “A show stopper is what Rex requested and a show stopper is what you will be. You will make a statement no one will forget in a hurry.”
“Okay,” I agreed happily.
For the rest of the evening, we visited expensive stores and boutiques that were apparently closed to the public, but had opened their doors specially for her. Women of indeterminate age and beautifully coiffured hair, air-kissed her, and offered us champagne and canapes. I felt quite dizzy with indecision at the vast array of dresses that were laid out for us, but Nina knew exactly what she wanted for me.
“Nope, nope, no, definitely not this color, nope, no, no, NO.”
Then finally, she said, “Yes, this one. You have good legs. This is perfect to showcase them and it matches your eyes.”
It was a gorgeous long, silk green dress, with a high slit up one thigh and showing a generous amount of cleavage.
“This is really sexy,” I murmured. “I love it.”
“Try it on,” she urged.
I carried it to the changing room, loving the soft, silky feel of the material. I’d never owned anything so fine in my life. Yes, I did earn good money, but I lived a disciplined life and tried not to splurge on clothes. I was building up my nest egg every month so I could afford to buy my own place eventually.
I stripped off my clothes and slipped into the dress. Wow! It looked amazing, better than I could have imagined. I turned this way and that way in front of the mirror, admiring the way the outfit hugged every curve in my body as if it had been specifically sewn for me.
I looked hot, even if I said so myself.
I imagined myself walking into the dinner after the rehearsal, hanging onto Rex’s arm. Not one person would remember that the groom had been my boyfriend not too long ago.
I came out of the changing cubicle and both Nina and the store owner nodded with approval.
“Here are the shoes to go with the dress,” Nina said.
I slipped into the green shoes she put in front of me. They fit perfectly and gave me three and a half inches more of height. Even to my own eyes my legs looked like they went on forever.
“By the way,” Nina said, “my friend is a hairdresser. She could do your hair for you, if you like.”
“Uh…”
“It wouldn’t cost you anything. She owes Rex a favor.”
I stared at her. It seemed as if a lot of people owed Rex a favor.
“Trust me, you won’t recognize yourself once she and her makeup artist are done with you.”
I smiled. “Why not.”
“Fantastic. You’ll love what Grace and Holly will do for you,” she said and immediately made an appointment for me the next day. I also heard her ask them to give me a manicure and a pedicure.
Afterwards, we went to a few more places and picked up a classy cream suit and matching shoes for the wedding and a few casual outfits for the day. In one of the stores a man on a bike came to drop off some handbags. A lovely black and gold Gucci purse and a beautiful cream Chanel clutch.