Frankie didn’t answer. She just ushered me through the ten-foot-tall glass doors into the boutique. And that’s where things got weird. Not like…sexually weird. Just unusual from a shopping perspective. First, the entrance to the store didn’t seem like the entrance to a store at all. There wasn’t a dressin sight. It looked more like the entrance to a five-star hotel, complete with marble walls and a massive chandelier. If this was a murder mystery, someone would definitely get crushed by it. But my life wasn’t a murder mystery. It was a rom-com. Or erotic romance?Oh God. What if I’m in a murder mystery and I just haven’t realized it yet?I imagined the chandelier squashing Frankie.
“Good evening, ladies,” said a girl in a little black dress. Which raised two questions. First, was she a greeter? And if she was, why the hell did such an upscale store have greeters? I thought those were just a weird thing Walmart did to try to make people feel uncomfortable and never want to come back.
“Hi,” said Frankie. “We have an appointment for 8:45.”
The girl looked down at a tablet. “Raven Black?”
“That’s me,” I said.
“Great, follow me.” She led us through another set of doors into a giant room that looked like it was straight out ofSay Yes to the Dress, but instead of wedding dresses, the place was filled with clothes of all types. Well…not all types. There were no cheap clothes. There were also no other clients. All twelve of the changing areas were empty.
We wove through mannequins and clothes racks to the changing area on the far side of the store.
The girl clicked a few more buttons on her tablet and then looked up at us. “Your personal fashion consultant will be with you shortly. Can I get you anything while you wait?”
Personal fashion consultant? Were rich people too helpless to pick out their own clothes?
“We’re fine, thanks,” said Frankie. As soon as the girl disappeared, Frankie started browsing the racks. “Oh! You’ve gotta try these on.” She was holding a pair of black leather leggings.
“Is that even allowed?” Being around so many expensive things was making me sweaty. Which meant I was going to get pit stains on all the clothes. And they’d have to cut the leather leggings off of me if I got too sweaty. The thought made me sweat even more. I didn’t need to buy fancy clothes to get over Joe. I just needed Ryder.
“It’s our appointment. We can do whatever we want. Now go try these on.” She tossed the leggings at me.
I caught them and cradled them like a baby. I should have been more careful though. They were probably worth more than a baby. And somehow, they were about to be on my body. I went into the changing room and slipped them on. And by slipped, I mean jammed my ass into them like I was a sausage. But they actually looked really good. My spin classes were definitely working. I’d be crossing off revenge body in no time. “Damn, check out my ass,” I said as I walked out of the changing room.
“Gladly,” said a deep voice.
I looked up and saw Ryder standing there in all his glory, complete with his man bun, floral suit, and piercing eyes. Staring directly at my ass. Because I had just told him to.
Stalker Problems - Chapter 26 - My Fashionista
Thursday – April 13, 2023
I put my hand on my hip and stared at Ryder. I tried to picture him with glasses and his hair down like Tanner Rhodes. They could be the same person. Or not.Gah!
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I’m your personal fashion consultant. And it’s lovely to see you again, Miss Black.”
“Miss Black?” I asked. “Why are you being weird?”
“I’m being professional.”
“By staring at my ass?” I arched my back a little to make him stare more.
He shrugged. “One of the many perks of my job.”
“What are the other perks?” I asked.
“You’ll just have to wait and see.”
I gulped way louder than I meant to.What if I don’t want to wait?
“We should get down to business, though,” continued Ryder. “How can I help you ladies this evening?”
Frankie looked back from one of the racks she’d been browsing. “Raven needs a complete wardrobe overhaul. She just got divorced and she’s looking to meet some men.” She winked at me.
Is that a gangbang reference? Oh God…
