remember?’
‘It looked more like a reward to me. However, that’s history now. We’re having a dinner party here tomorrow night. I hope you’re free to come?’
Chloe hesitated. ‘Well, I …’
Livia looked sharply at her. ‘Don’t you want to meet some of our friends?’
‘It isn’t that. It’s just that I’m not used to that kind of thing, and I don’t have anything suitable to wear. You always look so glamorous, Livia. It’s kind of you to ask me but I’d be like a fish out of water.’
‘You’ll fit in perfectly. You and Livia can go shopping for a suitable dress tomorrow afternoon,’ declared Carlos firmly. ‘Don’t worry about not knowing anyone, Chloe. Mike will be there.’
She stared at him. ‘Mike?’
‘Yes. I take it you haven’t forgotten him already?’
‘Of course not, but I hadn’t expected to see him again.’
‘You were wrong. Mike’s looking forward to the evening. Now, if you girls will excuse me, I have some business to attend to. If I don’t see you before, we’ll meet up tomorrow evening at seven-thirty in my study, Chloe,’ he concluded. With that he left.
Livia raised her glass to Chloe. ‘Here’s to happy shopping tomorrow!’
‘To happy shopping,’ agreed Chloe, raising her glass of water, but as Livia gave an unamused laugh, she had the uneasy feeling that it wasn’t going to be a happy experience at all.
Chloe looked at her reflection in the mirror of the changing room with utter disbelief. ‘I can’t wear that!’ she told the watching Livia.
‘Why not?’
‘Because it isn’t me.’
Livia tapped the toe of her right shoe against the floor in irritation. ‘You’ve been saying that for the past three hours, every time I pick out something for you to wear, in fact. The problem is, the things that you think are you would make you look ridiculously out of place tonight.’
Chloe stared at herself once more. The strapless blackand red dress fitted her like a second skin, clinging to every curve. It made her look more voluptuous than she really was, and showed far more cleavage than she felt comfortable revealing.
‘It’s too obviously sexy,’ she explained. ‘I think clothes that cover you up are more erotic than things like this. This doesn’t give me any sense of mystery.’
‘If you want to mystify people tonight, wear your nun’s habit,’ snapped Livia. ‘I’m tired of this. If you want to choose something boring then go ahead, just don’t blame me when Carlos doesn’t like it.’
‘I won’t. Anyway, I think he will like that blue dress I tried on earlier. You know, the one that’s got transparent sleeves and a slashed skirt.’
Livia shrugged with an eloquence that only she could achieve with such a small gesture. ‘Then buy it.’
‘You don’t like it?’
The blond-haired girl pulled a face. ‘I wouldn’t be seen dead in it, but we’re not alike, you and I, so that doesn’t mean anything.’
When Livia left the changing room, Chloe felt a sense of triumph. They weren’t alike, which was why having Livia try to choose a dress for her had been such a disaster. Taking the blue dress over to the till, she knew that she’d made the right choice. This dress was elegant and discreetly sexy. It would suit her, and if Carlos didn’t like it, that was too bad.
‘What are you wearing tonight?’ she asked a silent and sullen Livia as they took a taxi back to the house.
‘A pink Versace dress that Carlos bought me last month. It’s his favourite.’
‘Lucky you.’
Livia glanced sideways at her. ‘You think so?’
‘Well, it can’t be bad, having a lover who buys you designer dresses and—’
‘And what?’
Chloe felt confused. ‘Sorry.’
‘What else is it about my life with Carlos that makes you think I’m lucky?’
Chloe couldn’t understand why Livia was suddenly on the defensive. ‘He loves you,’ she said slowly. ‘Surely that feels good?’
Livia gave her a pitying glance. ‘He
‘It looked more like a reward to me. However, that’s history now. We’re having a dinner party here tomorrow night. I hope you’re free to come?’
Chloe hesitated. ‘Well, I …’
Livia looked sharply at her. ‘Don’t you want to meet some of our friends?’
‘It isn’t that. It’s just that I’m not used to that kind of thing, and I don’t have anything suitable to wear. You always look so glamorous, Livia. It’s kind of you to ask me but I’d be like a fish out of water.’
‘You’ll fit in perfectly. You and Livia can go shopping for a suitable dress tomorrow afternoon,’ declared Carlos firmly. ‘Don’t worry about not knowing anyone, Chloe. Mike will be there.’
She stared at him. ‘Mike?’
‘Yes. I take it you haven’t forgotten him already?’
‘Of course not, but I hadn’t expected to see him again.’
‘You were wrong. Mike’s looking forward to the evening. Now, if you girls will excuse me, I have some business to attend to. If I don’t see you before, we’ll meet up tomorrow evening at seven-thirty in my study, Chloe,’ he concluded. With that he left.
Livia raised her glass to Chloe. ‘Here’s to happy shopping tomorrow!’
‘To happy shopping,’ agreed Chloe, raising her glass of water, but as Livia gave an unamused laugh, she had the uneasy feeling that it wasn’t going to be a happy experience at all.
Chloe looked at her reflection in the mirror of the changing room with utter disbelief. ‘I can’t wear that!’ she told the watching Livia.
‘Why not?’
‘Because it isn’t me.’
Livia tapped the toe of her right shoe against the floor in irritation. ‘You’ve been saying that for the past three hours, every time I pick out something for you to wear, in fact. The problem is, the things that you think are you would make you look ridiculously out of place tonight.’
Chloe stared at herself once more. The strapless blackand red dress fitted her like a second skin, clinging to every curve. It made her look more voluptuous than she really was, and showed far more cleavage than she felt comfortable revealing.
‘It’s too obviously sexy,’ she explained. ‘I think clothes that cover you up are more erotic than things like this. This doesn’t give me any sense of mystery.’
‘If you want to mystify people tonight, wear your nun’s habit,’ snapped Livia. ‘I’m tired of this. If you want to choose something boring then go ahead, just don’t blame me when Carlos doesn’t like it.’
‘I won’t. Anyway, I think he will like that blue dress I tried on earlier. You know, the one that’s got transparent sleeves and a slashed skirt.’
Livia shrugged with an eloquence that only she could achieve with such a small gesture. ‘Then buy it.’
‘You don’t like it?’
The blond-haired girl pulled a face. ‘I wouldn’t be seen dead in it, but we’re not alike, you and I, so that doesn’t mean anything.’
When Livia left the changing room, Chloe felt a sense of triumph. They weren’t alike, which was why having Livia try to choose a dress for her had been such a disaster. Taking the blue dress over to the till, she knew that she’d made the right choice. This dress was elegant and discreetly sexy. It would suit her, and if Carlos didn’t like it, that was too bad.
‘What are you wearing tonight?’ she asked a silent and sullen Livia as they took a taxi back to the house.
‘A pink Versace dress that Carlos bought me last month. It’s his favourite.’
‘Lucky you.’
Livia glanced sideways at her. ‘You think so?’
‘Well, it can’t be bad, having a lover who buys you designer dresses and—’
‘And what?’
Chloe felt confused. ‘Sorry.’
‘What else is it about my life with Carlos that makes you think I’m lucky?’
Chloe couldn’t understand why Livia was suddenly on the defensive. ‘He loves you,’ she said slowly. ‘Surely that feels good?’
Livia gave her a pitying glance. ‘He
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