with your dress…”
***
Maya smoothed the fabric on her hips, looking at her image in the mirror of the small changing room. The movement wrinkled the velvet, which shone softly. The dress was lovely.
Isobel called through the curtain.
“So, what do you think?”
“It’s nice…”
“Then you need to try another one.”
She sighed. Her friend had said exactly the same thing twice already. She loved the three dresses, this one, the red silk, and the blue satin. The blue gown neckline was so low she blushed just looking at herself in the mirror. The red dress was clung to her curves in such a way that she was feeling nearly naked, and incredibly powerful…If she had known Arthur’s favorite color, it would have been easier.
Maya chastised herself. Arthur’s liking was not the point, absolutely not.
“What color is your dress, Isobel?”
“Light green, with a touch of grey.”
Grey and green meant the one she was wearing at the moment was out of the question. Maya nibbled at her upper lip, hesitant. One hand appeared above the door.
“Try this one.”
Isobel’s choice was white and seemed to catch every ray of light to transform them into gold. The fabric was light, marvellously soft and bright.
“You look like an angel…”
The embellished one-shoulder strap wrapped the fabric so it moulded closely to her chest and left her shoulders bare. She whirled and the skirt flowed around her legs like water. The ankle-length skirt was slit up the thigh on one side. Maya laughed.
“I don’t feel like one…”
The grey eyes fixed on her gleamed with mischief and Isobel winked.
“Even better. Poor Arthur will never know what hit him.”
Maya stopped playing with her skirt. Isobel poked her arm.
“Come on, Maya, I know a set-up when I saw one.”
She swallowed, unsure if she should deny it or just admit the truth.
Isobel winked and left the dressing room to let her change, grinning and grabbing the dismissed dresses to hand the items back to the clerk. Her friends were fooling themselves just as much as they were fooling Robert and the rest of the world. She knew Arthur well enough to notice his behavior around Maya was different; his guard was lower and he acted less harshly, as if he cared. Maya was harder to read, but there was something in her way of accepting Arthur around her, in her blushes and in her smiles, which spoke volumes about what her reaction would be if Arthur tried to charm her for real. As to whether or not one sexy dress was going to be enough for them to accept it…
Chapter 16
The little boy looked even frailer than the previous week, Arthur thought. His eyes shone abnormally bright, and they seemed to have sunk deeper into their sockets. He pushed away from the door when the nurse approached holding the lunch tray.
Arthur stopped her.
“Give me that.”
The woman tiredly handed him her load, not even waiting for him to enter, and went on with her tasks. The child was crouched in his bed. Arthur sat near him and smiled.
“Hi Matthew.”
The little boy moved a little to give him more space. Arthur lifted the cover and frowned. The meal included cubes of ham and rice with sweet-peas; all of which the kid could clearly not swallow. He took the plastic fork and mashed the peas the best he could.
“Here…”
Matthew hesitantly took a half-spoon of vegetables. The effort of swallowing the hard and dry food made the clear blue eyes water, and the child nestled back against Arthur without a second attempt at eating. The young man pushed the dark hair back to kiss his burning forehead.
“I know it hurts, Matthew, but you have to eat to get better.”
The little boy shook his head and buried his face deeper into his chest to sob. Pushing the tray away, Arthur enfolded his charge in his arms, gently caressing his head to quieten him.
“Well, peas are not fun, I’ll give you that.”
While Matthew calmed down in his embrace, he looked around. The other bed was
***
Maya smoothed the fabric on her hips, looking at her image in the mirror of the small changing room. The movement wrinkled the velvet, which shone softly. The dress was lovely.
Isobel called through the curtain.
“So, what do you think?”
“It’s nice…”
“Then you need to try another one.”
She sighed. Her friend had said exactly the same thing twice already. She loved the three dresses, this one, the red silk, and the blue satin. The blue gown neckline was so low she blushed just looking at herself in the mirror. The red dress was clung to her curves in such a way that she was feeling nearly naked, and incredibly powerful…If she had known Arthur’s favorite color, it would have been easier.
Maya chastised herself. Arthur’s liking was not the point, absolutely not.
“What color is your dress, Isobel?”
“Light green, with a touch of grey.”
Grey and green meant the one she was wearing at the moment was out of the question. Maya nibbled at her upper lip, hesitant. One hand appeared above the door.
“Try this one.”
Isobel’s choice was white and seemed to catch every ray of light to transform them into gold. The fabric was light, marvellously soft and bright.
“You look like an angel…”
The embellished one-shoulder strap wrapped the fabric so it moulded closely to her chest and left her shoulders bare. She whirled and the skirt flowed around her legs like water. The ankle-length skirt was slit up the thigh on one side. Maya laughed.
“I don’t feel like one…”
The grey eyes fixed on her gleamed with mischief and Isobel winked.
“Even better. Poor Arthur will never know what hit him.”
Maya stopped playing with her skirt. Isobel poked her arm.
“Come on, Maya, I know a set-up when I saw one.”
She swallowed, unsure if she should deny it or just admit the truth.
Isobel winked and left the dressing room to let her change, grinning and grabbing the dismissed dresses to hand the items back to the clerk. Her friends were fooling themselves just as much as they were fooling Robert and the rest of the world. She knew Arthur well enough to notice his behavior around Maya was different; his guard was lower and he acted less harshly, as if he cared. Maya was harder to read, but there was something in her way of accepting Arthur around her, in her blushes and in her smiles, which spoke volumes about what her reaction would be if Arthur tried to charm her for real. As to whether or not one sexy dress was going to be enough for them to accept it…
Chapter 16
The little boy looked even frailer than the previous week, Arthur thought. His eyes shone abnormally bright, and they seemed to have sunk deeper into their sockets. He pushed away from the door when the nurse approached holding the lunch tray.
Arthur stopped her.
“Give me that.”
The woman tiredly handed him her load, not even waiting for him to enter, and went on with her tasks. The child was crouched in his bed. Arthur sat near him and smiled.
“Hi Matthew.”
The little boy moved a little to give him more space. Arthur lifted the cover and frowned. The meal included cubes of ham and rice with sweet-peas; all of which the kid could clearly not swallow. He took the plastic fork and mashed the peas the best he could.
“Here…”
Matthew hesitantly took a half-spoon of vegetables. The effort of swallowing the hard and dry food made the clear blue eyes water, and the child nestled back against Arthur without a second attempt at eating. The young man pushed the dark hair back to kiss his burning forehead.
“I know it hurts, Matthew, but you have to eat to get better.”
The little boy shook his head and buried his face deeper into his chest to sob. Pushing the tray away, Arthur enfolded his charge in his arms, gently caressing his head to quieten him.
“Well, peas are not fun, I’ll give you that.”
While Matthew calmed down in his embrace, he looked around. The other bed was
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